Education, discrimination and prejudice in Geology?

panda_sandwich

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Education, discrimination and prejudice in Geology?

Submitted by panda_sandwich on Mon, 08/10/2009 - 11:39.

Hi All,

I’m new here so please accept my apologies if there is an existing thread that I could have added this to.

I am currently 25 years old and work on a technical help desk. I left school at the age of 16 with no real qualifications of substance and have been running retail and service jobs ever since. I’ve always had an interest in Geology and wanted to begin a BSc a few years ago.

My question is, by the time I graduate I will be 29 – 30 years old and I wanted to know, is this too late to begin a Geology career and to get my first job in Geology? I know there are laws preventing discriminations which in theory protect you but, what’s the real truth out there, are there any prejudices towards older graduates? On the topic of prejudices, are there are prejudices towards those who obtain their BSc over distance or part time (I’m looking at working full time to support my degree and learning part time with Birkbeck college)?

I guess I have concern over this as a past partner was a Biomedical graduate who told me that there are these prejudices in science in terms of where you learn and at what age you graduate. If I wanted to start a science career I should have started towards it 10 years ago.

All opinions and thoughts will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time.

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KU40

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Since I'm only 25 myself I

Tue, 08/11/2009 - 17:30

Since I'm only 25 myself I can't really comment from experience. However, I don't think it would be a problem. Just do what you want to do. You shouldn't let age stop you. I had several older people in my geology classes at college, one was probably 30 and the other probably 45.

canadarocks

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As with the above poster, I

Mon, 08/17/2009 - 23:57

As with the above poster, I had lots of 25+ aged people in my undergraduate classes.

al8301

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There are also lots of

Thu, 08/27/2009 - 13:17

There are also lots of employers who would really value someone who has completed their degree part-time. Look at the big two positives you will have compared to other, more 'typical', graduates.

1. You have significant work experience in a variety of fields

2. You showed really dedication to the subject by studying later in life, when it is easier to have a job and the money that brings.

However, a word of caution, to get a good job in a geological field you will almost certainly need an MSc in whichever field you choose (engineering, geophysics, petroleum, etc), if not a PhD for some roles. The options with a BSc are really limited to geotechnical drilling companies for engineering work. It's not a bad job per se but it is hard work (physically and mentally) and those companies may choose the younger, potentially fitter and more mobile 21/22year old graduate.

But of course once you have your BSc you can study that extra year for the MSc (or two years part-time). There are also companies that will employ you whilst you study for the MSc, they may even pay your course fees!

panda_sandwich

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Thanks for your replies

Thu, 08/27/2009 - 14:15

Thanks for your replies guys, it makes me feel a lot more confident in my route forward and I definitely agree that getting an MSc after the BSc will be a major benefit. I've applied for the university and I'm awaiting a response to my application at the moment. Fingers crossed.

Thanks for your help

GeologyRocks