Major Counsel

BMG:Don't be too discouraged about the famous/not-so-famous school thing. While being at a big-name school does come with benefits, it is mostly because people are deliberately seeking out that talent, not so much that the talent there is guaranteed. If you're willing to be your own PR rep, you can be just as impressive. It's going to take work, of course, but it can be done. Keep your grades up, keep track of your work, see what you can do now about getting yourself positioned well later, and you'll be ahead of the pack.No need to apologize. We expect our kids to make life decisions at 18, make them feel like they'll be consigned to the dustbin if they choose wrong, no wonder you're stressed.Don't overthink it. Yes, it's an important decision, but remember that millions of other kids are doing the exact same thing. And remember this: College is four years (at least). It is the rare person who makes it through those four years wanting the same thing out of life that he did when he started. Make your plans, have optimism, but don't be surprised (or even disappointed) when they change.

No offense here, as I don't do waxing, and there is a place in archaeology where you don't have to do any of that.Research the subspecialty within archaeology called Cultural Resources Management. A number of colleges are now offering MA degrees in Anthropology with a CRM specialty.As a CRN specialist you do the management work required by the environmental regulations, and can either be in private practice or work for a government agency. BLM and the US Forest Service have major programs, but they are just two of many agencies out there who need to have CRM folks on board.Check it out!

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Religious belief does not constitute scientific evidence, nor does it convey scientific knowledge.

Yes, I've read and heard repeatedly that the majority of students change their majors, some more than once. Good point. The only disappointment I may have if change happens is the cost involved in having to enroll in more classes, assuming some, if not most, won't transfer. I enjoy learning and the entire classroom experience, but I'm indignant of the exorbitant costs to attain these wants.Much obliged.

Yes, I have briefly researched this just now, and it looks as if you were right: no waxing necessary. This can be a likely path to pursue. It's a fairly new field of education, and can also pan out into a satisfying and enjoyable career. It seems right up my alley.I'll continue to look into this.Thanks again for your time.

Well, I still haven't completed my major yet, so I am certainly not the authority on the subject. But I will offer what I do know, especially since I've been in the workforce for years. Agreed. Of the countless people I know with college degrees, I've only met a handful who actually work in their respective field of study -- a very small percentage. As he said, specific fields tend to recruit their own, but the rest of the workforce often just wants a piece of paper.It is getting to the point now or days that a college level education is so commonplace that it has lost much of its value. For instance, in the military just 60 years ago, there was a huge disparity between officers and enlisted. The fact that officers were educated meant they were leaps and bounds more educated, and therefore more sophisticated, than the enlisted folk.Times have changed considerably. While they still serve as a vital function of the military, officers have nonetheless become more of a tradition, as there is no intellectual difference between most officers and enlisted. Heck, I know enlisted men with Masters and PhD's, whereas the officer just has a BA.The point is that college doesn't mean what it once meant. Employers are expecting more because there is nothing separating you from the thousand other applicants it received that year. While employers still like degrees, especially advanced degrees, they like to see experience coupled with it. Employers want an articulate, hard-working, intelligent, self-motivating employee. Proving to them that you possess these qualities is preeminent. I agree 100% I would definitely say so.

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“I know where I am and who I am. I'm on the brink of disillusionment, on the eve of bitter sweet. I'm perpetually one step away from either collapse or rebirth. I am exactly where I need to be. Either way I go towards rebirth, for a total collapse often brings a rebirth." -Andrew Jaramillo

This is a large part of what I do for a living, so if you have questions feel free to ask.

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Religious belief does not constitute scientific evidence, nor does it convey scientific knowledge.

If I may ask, what major? Why did you choose this specific one? What lead to your decision? Who or what influenced you, if anyone/thing did? I fear this. Competition is fierce, and coupled with a struggling economy, the scope of accepted applicants will, or has already, as you have mentioned, become constricted. This is where the internship comes into play, I believe. If I were to major in English, I don't see, currently, which field of employment I would pursue an internship. An English internship seems broad and undemanding, to me, which has its pros and cons.An archeology internship, however, seems specific. I have a fairly good idea of what type of internship I would chase, and a possible career, as well. It's lucid and precise, whereas English is the antithesis.More to brood over, I suppose. Thanks for your time, NJ.Edited by BMG, : No reason given.

Yes, I have some questions to ask you. Thanks for the offer.1) If CRM is a large part of what you do, is the small part also related to archaeology in some fashion?2) I read an article recently that Walmart, after great debate and protest, built a store on a Hawaiian(?) sacred, burial ground. Do you presume CRM's were there investigating, and possibly protesting, with the Hawaiian's?3) Why did you choose archaeology? Was it an epiphany or gradual, and by degrees? Were you following in one of your family members' footsteps? Did an erudite professor inspire you to elect archaeology?4) When you chose your major, did you consider strongly the job prospects and internship capabilities? Did you know what specific field you wanted to pursue, or did you choose your major and leave the internship and career option open for later inspection?I searched this database here and this quieted me a bit about choosing anthropology or archaeology. The job market seems slim.And, lastly...5) What is a "typical day" like, if typical even exists, in the shoes of a professional CRM? I imagine it's very loose and unpredictable.Thanks again.Edited by BMG, : No reason given.

Hi B, Many people may be surprised to learn that excavating, as in intrusive excavating, is quite a rare event nowadays.There has been so many vast improvements in non-intrusive techniques that in the vast majority of cases archaeologists do not have to dig at all. But this depends on the question that the archaeologist wants answered, and on funding of course.What you have to remember is that excavation can be a very expensive business because not only does the dig itself have to be financed, the artefects recovered have to be stored as well, and in some cases, especially marine archaeology, it can be very expensive to store recovered artefacts.At a very basic level, archaeological digs are carried out to answer a question, and if that question can be answered by using non-intrusive techniques then there will be no need to dig, no need to recover anything.Take where I live as an example. I live in central Scotland, near Falkirk, near to the Antonine Wall and about 15 minutes walk from the remains of a Roman Fort. In Scotland we have discovered more Roman forts that you can shake a stick at, and we have a huge store of knowledge regarding the Romans in Scotland. I would be very surprised if any funding was given to any archaeologist to excavate a new site where non-intrusive technology has discovered remains. Recovering more Roman artefacts, or even uncovering the foundations of a new fort would really add nothing to what we already know about the Romans in Scotland, so I doubt if a dig would even be asked for.Many people that I speak to think that archaeologists gently brush away at soil all day, but this is very far from the truth, and some archaeologists have NEVER been on an intrusive dig.Archaeology is still amazing though, sifting through the huge amount of artefacts and information we already have and coming up with new hypotheses is very fulfilling.I think most people before they enter the world of archaeology would prefer to participate on digs, but excavations are not that common nowadays since non-intrusive techniques can answer many questions without the need to break ground.

CRM, as I do it, is archaeology. We do field survey and reports. If there is a resource we try to get it protected. If it can't be avoided we do an evaluation (test excavation) possibly followed by mitigation (data recovery excavation). All of this is followed by laboratory analysis, research and reports. I would think that it was archaeologists who found and identified the site, and determined what its significance was. I doubt the archaeologists were in there protesting, as they have to maintain a professional decorum, but I am sure their reports recommended preservation. I got to go on an amateur excavation, and was hooked. No, I didn't discover archaeology until after I had a BA in English. I wouldn't recommend it as a way to make a lot of money. But if you really like it that's reward enough. Most of my day is reading and writing reports, and managing my staff. A few times a year we might do a short excavation, and maybe once a year a major excavation. This will vary greatly among archaeologists depending on where they work and what level they are at. Some archaeological technicians may be in the field most of the year.For more information look up the Register of Professional Archaeologists and see if there are any in your neighborhood you can call up and talk to.

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Religious belief does not constitute scientific evidence, nor does it convey scientific knowledge.

Hi, Brian, Would you be able to expound on this? The picture that comes to my mind, which is probably off, is the first 15 minutes of Jurassic Park, in which several paleontologists were surrounding a machine that fired a cartridge into the ground. After, they rushed to the monitor to see the picture it would produce. Am I anywhere in the vicinity? This, of course, was roughly 15 years ago, though, and, a movie, to boot. This is where I see English and an ability to write/speak persuasively come in handy. Funds seem hard to come by....if only scientific endeavors had the financing the mega churches had.... Yes, this is one of the reasons I like archaeology. It seems, like several fields of science, consistently at the forefront of new and sometimes paradigm-shifting discoveries.Thank you for the insight.Edited by BMG, : No reason given.

Who, may I ask, funds your projects? Is the majority privately or publicly funded? What are the pros and cons of each? Which do you prefer? What were you excavating? Assuming you had an internship, did you support and aid an archaeology professor? Well, income isn't too high on my agenda, but finding employment is very high. I would dislike having an advanced degree without an employer. You mind sharing any discoveries you and your team have made? Thank you. I will do this.

Criminal Justice major, with a minor in fire science. I felt that I had a natural affinity for it, it interested me, I already work in that field. I had considered other endeavors like music, something I feel I also have affinity for. The problem is, something like music engineering is a crap shoot, and it also isn't as glamorous as it appears. Competition is fierce, but there are still a lot of fields that are wide open. Health care is doing very well these days. An RN makes really good money now or days. I've even heard doctors say that nursing is often more lucrative than being a doctor for the simple fact that they don't have to pay insurance or malpractice suits. (Even if you are good doctor, there is an excellent chance you will be sued by some disgruntled person. Even winning a case is costly). Interning is fantastic, and very impressive on a resume. They see that you volunteer your time in an academic pursuit for increased knowledge. You would be a lot more marketable. An English major is almost certainly a dead end, though. You can teach public school and make 25k a year. You might be able to write for a magazine or newspaper, but they really are looking for very talented writers (something I believe can't be taught) who majored in journalism. Archaeology would be a fantastic choice, but, yes, that is one of those careers where your major and internship will almost certainly segue you in to the field. They don't make oodles of money, but if it is doable, and is personally fulfilling, I think it would make for a fantastic career choice. At least you're brooding. Some people wouldn't give it much serious thought. The fact that you are taking it seriously is a good sign in respect to your work ethic and motivation, which is an A++ for a prospective employer. Keep up the good work No worries, and best of luck in your endeavors.

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“I know where I am and who I am. I'm on the brink of disillusionment, on the eve of bitter sweet. I'm perpetually one step away from either collapse or rebirth. I am exactly where I need to be. Either way I go towards rebirth, for a total collapse often brings a rebirth." -Andrew Jaramillo

Yes, I have heard the same. RN's are doing very well for themselves, but, unfortunately for me, I prefer a job that interests me more than a job that pays well. And, no, I don't mean "the hell with people who need health care", rather, "the U.S. for profit-health care system is not an industry I want to partake". Possibly, but, depending on the electives I take and what particular field of English I pursue, I may also intern for a civil rights organization, an animal sanctuary, an environmental awareness group, etc. These are the groups I would like to intern for if I were to run with English... Yes, I agree. It is incredibly provocative and intellectually stimulating for me. I am not too concerned about income. I would rather make beans doing something I love than make millions doing something I dread, but if I can find a field that pays at least 40k/year, and do something I enjoy, then I've likely found a winner. Thank you, but I find that I often flirt far too often with the line separating brooding with procrastination. Thank you.

Yes, I agree. It is incredibly provocative and intellectually stimulating for me. I am not too concerned about income. I would rather make beans doing something I love than make millions doing something I dread, but if I can find a field that pays at least 40k/year, and do something I enjoy, then I've likely found a winner. You may be a perfectionist, which sounds counterintuitive. Perfectionists are so consummed by the prospect of achieving perfection that sometimes the thought of failure prohibits them from trying. Alas, it's a vicious cycle.

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“I know where I am and who I am. I'm on the brink of disillusionment, on the eve of bitter sweet. I'm perpetually one step away from either collapse or rebirth. I am exactly where I need to be. Either way I go towards rebirth, for a total collapse often brings a rebirth." -Andrew Jaramillo