Where are you heading?

[Bleeding Star]

Lukipela says:
"Diploma Engineer".

An engineer! Get 'im! Enjoy your oodles and oodles of dirty money, you sellout. Well, screw all that stuff I said about research overseas, anyhow.

I did contemplate becoming a chemical engineer early on, but figured it wasn't quite my thing. Too much maths and too much hard coursework.

Scott says:
unless your really bored.

Bored enough...

[Lukipela]

Wow, my last post looks so pompous in retrospect - I guess I was trying to make a point.

A pompous one?

As for the rest, I have to disagree with you. I deal in known things. I may design a damned fine system (and then have to cut down on it because it costs too much), but I use known parts and understood principles. I don't invent new things, and I don't have to come up with any new ideas. I use old and proven ideas instead, which to me seems a lot easier. Any problem I run into can be determined and solved (one way or another) with known science. It's the difference between writing a program that does something completely new and using old programs that have been tried and tested. And there is a certain brilliance you need to do that stuff. I could give it a try, but I really doubt I would succeed.

As far as the whole work thing goes, I agree. A Ph.D can cost you a lot, many people won't hire you. But the people that do will have some very interesting challenges for you. Congratulations on your paper though, it looks very nice. When you talk about the West, do you mean West Australia or something? Or Europe? As for not working full time, that's very scholarly. Most of us don't really have that alternative

I have exactly one year and two weeks of school ahead of me, as of now.
And yes, my german is fluent to the point of being accepted as a native speaker.

And then the army after that? planning to go down south to work, or are you staying up there in the frozen wastes? Also, do you find the German helps with the Swedish?

Failing Uni (going to drop out after this year; just trying to pass as many things as I can, though I can't say I'm very muchly so doing any real work on trying to succeed), going to attend something different (non-University) next year. Also trying to cope with not feeling very well at times due to various projects failing (mostly due to trying to get a proper development environment set up, with some working libraries, and then utterly failing to actually get those damned libraries to work (compile), etcetera)... But all in all, I'm pretty okayish.. Just living life, not really knowing where I'll end up yet..

What do you plan to do next year then? Just some small job on the side while you straighten things out?

Scott, as I recall your job is pretty interesting. Why don't you share?

BS: My company is here to make business. This is achieved in the traditional fashion of charging a lot and paying us zergling very little. But as soon as I get an oodle of money, I'll be sure to send some your way.

[Eth]

  All this chatter about engineers, and the description of Luki's job, reminds me of an anecdote about my favorite science fiction author, E. E. "Doc" Smith.  He was a polymath, but his regular job was as a chemist (in the American sense of the word) and chemical engineer.  Anyway, he worked in a doughnut factory, with multi-ton machinery and ovens and such.  Anyway, Doc gets it in his head that the factory isn't arranged properly.  He's left alone in the factory overnight.  When everybody comes in in the morning, every piece of machinery has been moved by about one foot (~0.3 m, for you metric types).  Not only that, but everything still worked (hoses and ducts still attached, etc.).  Nobody ever could figure out just how he did it...

[FreakyM]

Yes, it has helped me with the little swedish I have had to understand, and it has helped a LOT.
I'll probably endure the army up here, and after that I will be leaving my farewells to the frozen north.
Planning to settle somewhere a bit mroe south, maybe Oulu, maybe Jyväskylä, or if I feel like it, Helsinki or Turku. Tampere would be nice, too.

[Dabir]

Most major event I'm facing: Growing my hair long at the advice of a friend. Not quite designing factories.

[Scott_Irving]

I don't know if my job is that interesting, I install security systems and camera surveillance equipment. It's kinda neat i suppose. It's probably quite a bit bigger deal If I say lived in england... their camera/security crazy.

[Lukipela]

I think some of you folks might want to take a time out and read the first post in the thread again. But because I'm such a nice guy, I'm not going to make you do that, but rather quote the pertinent part:

Where would you like your future to go to? What aspirations do you have, what would you like for your future? Are there any particular things you like to do now, and would want to do something with in the near/far future? Is there anything you would've liked to achieve, but have missed, or have not yet achieved?

This is a thread about where you're life is heading, what you want to do with it and how you hope to achieve it. Alternatively, it's a thread where you can discuss other peoples life choices if you don't feel comfortable with sharing your own. Growing your hair or writing minimal posts about how you really aren't intereting doesn't quite fit the bill. Go over to the random thread or such if you want to do that.

FreakyM: What is it you study in vocational school anyway? What kind of jobs will you be looking for once you're done being a soldier? Do you intend to go the full 12 months in the military?

[FreakyM]

I'm studying electronics, at the moment. after this, I'll head down to Kuopio or somewhere, I have a little plan of my own..
No, electronics will probably NOT be my career choice, but it was the best choice to study up here.

..and I intend to stick with the 6 months. Of course, that isn't really in one's own hands, but I will certainly try to be as non-officer-material as possible.

[Zeracles]

When you talk about the West, do you mean West Australia or something? Or Europe?

I just thought India, Japan, Russia or something might be more interesting than anywhere that speaks English or has been industrialised for 50 or more years.

As for not working full time, that's very scholarly. Most of us don't really have that alternative

I usually get ``lazy" rather than scholarly, but they mean the same to some Scholarly works because I'm a wannabe renaissance man, and I have artistic pretensions. I certainly don't have that alternative right now, I'm a part-time student but work takes me to something like three-quarter time, and then right now I'm looking for a place to stay (everything so damned expensive in Sydney) so I'm really full-time plus.

[Lukipela]

FreakyM: Electronics and electrics can bring in quite a bit of dough while you're working on your plan. The economy isn't hotwheeling any more, but anyone who knows installation and practical skills will still find as much work as they can do.

Zer: I've a friend who's been working at university since he graduated (He's now 40, and a Ph.D in Bioprocesstechnology). He's now moving to a private company. You know what his biggest concern is? He come to work earlier than 10, and the company only has flex time til 9. the academic world can be very very different. I wouldn't say it's lazy though, it just looks at things differently. Sounds like you want to go somewhere exotic. May I suggest Finland? Cold and dark, with unfriendly people and loads of alcohol.

[FreakyM]

It's hilarious, because really, I suggest a year or two in Finland too. This is quite a.. peculiar country, and has certain extreme qualities to it, qualities best experienced oneself.

[fossaman]

Long story short: I was chronically ill for seven years or so, had a surgery that mostly corrected the problem last year. I'm now finally getting to the point where I'm healthy enough to function like a normal person. I didn't get to finish high school, so a GED is probably in the cards sometime in the near future. Other than that, I'm not entirely certain.

What I'd really like to do is go to college and get some sort of engineering degree. I have no clue what kind, though. Civil engineering, architecture, structural engineering, hydraulic engineering, heck, what Luki's doing sounds really, really interesting now that I know it exists.  I feel like a kid in the world's most spectacular toy store who's been told that he can pick just one thing. A bit silly, I know, but I can't help wanting to try everything.

The problem with that plan is that I'm not quite healthy enough to be on my own yet. Because I was sick for so long, and mostly sedentary, my legs go shaky when I'm tired, especially up and down stairs. The specialist I went to see for it (the one with the needles and electric shocks) called it 'apraxia.' Which literally means 'out of practice.' This means exercising every day if I can, and that's leaving me with precious little energy to do anything else right now. That's improving slowly, though. Supposedly it's going to take six months or something like that to go away, although I have no idea if that figure is accurate.

In the meantime, I've been working with 'fractal flames,' a computerized art-form. There's a program called apophysis (google it if you want more info) that I use, and I've got some pretty cool stuff that I've done with it. Cool enough that I think I can sell them. I've had some printed off, and applied for a business license. That should be coming pretty soon. I'm planning on selling them at local galleries to start with, but eventually I'd like to move on to selling them online. I kind of think I could make a living off of them if everything goes well, but I still want to go to college. Hopefully I won't have to become a starving artist. But hey! Whatever works, right?

[Eth]

  Being a starving artist sounds very romantic!  I'm glad you're well down the road to recovery, Fossaman. 

[Zeracles]

Sounds like you want to go somewhere exotic. May I suggest Finland? Cold and dark, with unfriendly people and loads of alcohol.

Everything I know about that part of the world: a friend from Norway I did honours with told me about the unfriendly people there, something about her ancestors raping all our ancestors. Another mate did part of his honours in Sweden, said something about lots of candy. He brought back some shot glasses which we used one night, he'd stolen them from some bar apparently (he's a bad influence, which is to say we did it again here). They were pretty big shots. I've also seen Fucking Amal, not bad I have to say. That part of the world does sound interesting, but I'm not sure I fancy the weather.

(I've played cricket with both these people, which to Luki is like saying I've urinated with them I suppose )

Being a starving artist sounds very romantic!  I'm glad you're well down the road to recovery, Fossaman. 

How about a starving scientist, or is that just sad?

[Eth]

  Yep!  Just sad, I'm afraid.