/sci/ - Science & Math

>>15237783
Great to be back.
Also fun to see that the FAQ now has 50,408 hits, not bad for a FAQ that Google buried just because it is hosted on Neocities. So this means practically all readers are from /sci/.

let me preface this by saying i know im retarded. i got some Bs and Cs in high school and never took AP tests or SAT/ACTs. then i fucked around and got a bunch of Fs my first few semesters of community college before dropping out and working odd jobs for a few years. now im 23 and i decided to go back to CC and major in physics, im getting straight As now. however, it just hit me that i need to get those Fs off my record or my GPA will stay fucked no matter how well i'm doing now. i'm applying for academic renewal to get them changed to Ws which should fix my GPA. but won't unis still see the Ws (and the HS grades for that matter)? is there any chance i could get accepted for transfer to a prestigious school despite that record?

Question for med/ micro bros; currently studying microbiology undergrad, final year so weighing up my options.
The field is super interesting to me but field work and treating people with infections seems really fulfilling too. I imagine the easiest way to do that and research is to just get an MD and do aid or something. I've done some research and really like it but idk if the lab js good long term. Anyone with PhD or Md got any ideas?

>>15237783
Guys look, the funding is running out for everything but defense

>>15238024
Where?
Around here there is a massive recruitmen campaign for the intelligence agencies, but I have not noticed any major increase in defence funding.

>>15238024

>>15237904
Just sell it as a comeback story - it is so long ago they shouldn't care

I successfully defended my doctoral thesis yesterday.

It doesn't feel like anything.

>>15238944
congrats Dr. Anon

>>15238944
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Way to go, partner (PhD.)!

I just got rejected from MIT.

Can someone convince me that an academic career without a degree from a top school is possible, because I feel like leaping off an overpass right now. I should’ve gone into medicine or law or something FUCK this program was perfect

>>15239052
it is possible but you will probably end up in a lower ranked school. or you will have to do 2-3 postdoc before ending up in an industrial lab. MIT is the literal top school, number 1 undisputed for my field (CS) and like 40% of tenured positions in top schools are PhD from MIT.

>>15239052
Sorry anon, you're out of luck unless you apply for a position in some third world shithole university, and even those will be run by MIT and Stanford grads in 20 years.

Should you switch majors if you aren't quick enough with learning the material/doing the homework? Doing an EE degree right now and enjoy the subject matter, but spending so much time on it that I don't have any time for projects/personal research is making me hate this stuff.

>>15239052
Especially if you want to stay in academia the name of the school is less important than the group you work in and the journals you publish in. If it's on the level of the University of Eastern Tuvalu you might find logistical issues but it beyond a certain threshold it doesn't really matter.

Just try to get to a good group (no, these are not all at MIT), get publications in good journals and some funding and it's all gravy. Or would be if academia wasn't fucked but MIT wasn't going to save you from that.

>a kind of functional 2D physics engine
>a windows service that is a web scraper that renovates books from my uni's library
>an original(tm) cli text game
>a latex edition of an old analysis textbook that nobody but me bothered to translate
>a simple program that solves any simple math equation (that involves +-*/^) in a string using a python library
>a repository of my solutions to many informatics olympiads problems

Are these repositories good to have on my GitHub considering I'm a Math major and want a tech job? I already am a back-end intern.

Hello guys. Someone please answer my question or I will have to commit a crime and make an account on reddit and ask there.
>have a bachelor and soon msc in engineering
>some experience in design, stress analysis, materials testing through societies and personal projects
>want to get into primarily structural analysis/integrity role but open to expanding into other areas
>interviewing with a unique company in a niche industry where the company is the market leader, though a small company. About 45 employees.
>job is 50/50 split between office and field work
>field work is mostly NDT (new employees all get training to NDT level 2)
>office work is mostly CAD, Ansys, excel and ad-hoc stuff
>Pay is very good, company car, free food, etc
>industry is very varied, company has electrical, control, mechanical, civil, and geo engineers and the work is global
>opportunity to expand into different areas (company will pay for the training) if I desire to do so
>company does not do any design work, only validation, testing, and consulting
1) How difficult would it be to move out into other industries if I take the job, later down the line, if I want to work in a different industry
2) Is 50% NDT work appropriate for someone with a degree in engineering since you don't need a degree for it.
I am trying to understand what I can do if I go into this, if later on I want to do something else. I am afraid that I will lock myself into a niche industry.

>>15239063
>40% of tenured positions in top schools are PhD from MIT.
stop making up bullshit retard

>>15238762
Ics are part of the dod dum dum

>>15239498
only some of them are

How do you become an expert in multiple fields?

I'm stuck in this paradox of choice. Wanted to do EECS because it is one of the broadest but then I suddenly want to edit plant genomes, design aircraft, create new minerals, draw meme art, do econometrics, farm crops -- it never ends.

Is there a career path that allows you to switch seamlessly between fields like that without wasting years on training/school or do I need to stop dreaming?

>>15239685
EE is the most versatile degree. Get that and you can specialize in avionics or something that relates to your other interests. And shut the fuck up about meme art are you a serious person or not nobody cares about your hobbies do you list that shit on your resume too lmao

>>15237783
>Electrical Substation
Honestly wish the mechanical / electrical equipment was at least half as beautiful as nature's equipment (animals, plants, bugs, etc).

Studied circuits but man does it have the most soul-crushingly boring tools. Ought to make these guys learn a thing or two about form in addition to function.

>>15239688
>are you a serious person or not nobody cares about your hobbies do you list that shit on your resume too lmao
You post on 4chan nigger, nothing here is purely serious. Are you retarded? Go back to stackexchange if you want to be a psued on the internet.

And we're talking about what to do with our lives. Careers take most of time so figuring out to integrate hobbies into it is a valid concern. Tell me you don't just study academic autism all day, anon?

>Avionics
That's not designing the jet itself anon. That's still sticking the EE to electrical work with no escape.

>>15239704
>You post on 4chan nigger, nothing here is purely serious. Are you retarded? Go back to stackexchange if you want to be a psued on the internet.
Same exact words right back to you.

>>15239704
>That's not designing the jet itself anon. That's still sticking the EE to electrical work with no escape.
Ok well yeah you are going to have to figure out how to balance breadth and depth. You can be jack of all trades master of none.

>>15239685
>Is there a career path that allows you to switch seamlessly between fields like that without wasting years on training/school or do I need to stop dreaming?
unfortunately I don't think there is, it's ok to have a broad skillset but at some point you want to hone in on something and get really good at that specific thing since that's what most super well paying jobs are asking for

I think the term for it is having a T-shaped skill set, but that term is gay

>>15239729
>T-shaped skill set
Let's call these types "Basket-hilted"


>>15239729
>unfortunately I don't think there is
I think you're right. Shame that all the exciting and fulfilling stuff is out of demand or poorly rewarded. The few spots around also demand unrealistic experience, which is to hide nepotism.

>>15239052
nah, if you go to a B tier school like Texas A&M or U Mich and absolutely BTFO the curriculum and THEN BTFO the GRE, you got a shot at doing your masters there.

>>15239132
stop taking 18 fuckin' credits you turbo nigger

>>15239691
I think computer ships are aesthetically pleasing

>>15238944
Congratulations, dear colleague!

>>15240337
Integrated circuits are an exception

>>15239173
Switching industries is always easy for engineers, the difference is to which industries and different risks of taking a pay cut.

So I wouldn't worry about it

>>15239149
Sounds like a good porfolio for a student, remember to have the link to your github on your linkedin and cv!

>>15239498
Contrary to what names like CIA may indicate, most countries are careful in making each intelligence services too big or too consolidated. So you start by easy mode and separate military intelligence from civilian intelligence. And even within these two there are many further sub divisions.

>>15237783
I'm currently studying computer science but I'm planning to change to applied mathematics.
my objective is to work with data science applied to cosmology, and the applied mathematics course in my uni is very flexible in the sense that only half the course is made of obligatory subjects, and the rest I can choose freely from a lot of different subjects from a lot of different areas, data science and physics included.
do you guys think this is a viable plan? I've asked both my brother that is doing his PhD in observational cosmology and a physics professor and both of them thought it was a good plan.

>>15239685
>How do you become an expert in multiple fields?
You put in a LOT of effort. I know of no shortcut.

>Is there a career path that allows you to switch seamlessly between fields like that without wasting years on training/school or do I need to stop dreaming?
I did a BSc in Applied Physics, which is faily wide in scope, and then a PhD in Physics (solid state). Since then I have worked in reasearch labs and in industry, on solid state devices, radar and radio systems, embedded software, chip and sensor design, digital signal processing and more. Each transition takes some effort, but after a few rounds it comes easier. It is just liketey say about languages, once you learn to speak 10 languages, the eleventh is easy.

PhD phaggots are stealing all the entry roles I'm qualified for as a graduate. Imagine getting a PhD just to poach my shitty 60k/yr research slave job.

>>15242007
>Imagine getting a PhD just to poach my shitty 60k/yr research slave job.
lab tech was a job for high school graduates 25 years ago. so i guess contemporary phds are no smarter or better trained than high school graduates if they do the same job

>>15238944
I did at the beginning of the year. Still don't feel different. Having a PhD doesn't make you smart but getting one might, but only might. I've met people with PhDs that didn't seem so logical.

>>15242007
>>15242043
A bunch of people from my PhD program were super content to go into what is essentially a glorified lab tech job. I just don't get it.

Does where you do your PhD matter if you want a career in teaching?
Should I prioritise getting funded above everything?
Is the Netherlands a nice place to do a PhD?

>>15237783
I have no degree at 22 and I am so totally fucked.

>>15242382
You could start now and have a degree at 27 or you could not and turn 27 without a degree. Times going to pass anyways. Your call.

What stuff should I focus on if I want to get into robotics after my EE undergrad? Unfortunately, my uni doesn't have a robotics specialization.

>>15239685
Sell out as hard as possible for as much money as possible in a WFH job that takes less than 30 hours a week regardless of whether you like it or not and spend your free time following other pursuits.

Uncle told me once, if you can’t do what you want, do what supports the lifestyle you want to lead outside work.

>>15242520
Do a double major in EE/CS or EE/Math. Robotics is glorified controls applications.

>>15242382
Better late than never

>>15242382
That's nothing pussy. I didn't get a degree until 30 and didn't learn algebra until 25.

>>15242536
but I'm barely coping with EE alone. I can't do a double major in CS too. Maybe I can do a minor at best.

>>15242188
I recommend studying something you find genuinely interesting, doing good research, and in an environment you can do it for 40 years to put yourself over. People here worship big school, but a lot of people get degrees and never amount to anything because studying something all week you hate is genuinely a prison sentence. And before the ad-hominem attacks start: I have a Phd, been in same field for 15 years, and still love it to this day.

>>15242699
double majoring is stupid. don't listen to that guy

>agonize for months over application to grad school
>carefully craft application package
>carefully and desperately procure reference letters
>pay all the fees
>barely get accepted, even file all kinds of appeals to get the enrollment status I want
>become friendly with the dean over the course of this process
>enroll in classes
>stay for 1 week
>look at tuition bill
>drop everything
Holy FUCK is grad school expensive. I knew it was going to be bad but I guess I wasn't ready. That was shocking, I really want a master's but I could not bring myself to pay that.

>>15242382
Buddy of mine got his engineering degree in his late 30s. He's now 42 or so and making $135k working in pharma. It's never too late. also start learning an instrument too, dammit!

>>15242382
no you're not, im 23 and just started getting mine. there's a dude in my class that's 28 and just started his. most of the 18yo retards in our class are just being forced to be here by their parents so they don't really try, and will probably drop out. we're here by choice (and at our own expense) so we will succeed.

>>15243164
just ask your local shekel store for a loan, they give those out like candy. money (especially fiat currency) is worthless compared to knowledge and reputation.

>>15243178
very true take. part of me wishes I got my degree later in life for this very reason - I'd have learned more and given more of a shit. granted I made it out in one piece as an EE but still.

>>15243181
I have the money, I just wasn't willing to spend it. It was going to be $17k for 1 semester. That's insane.

>>15243188
well yeah, its a lot easier to spend someone else's money than your own. chances are some democrat will end up "forgiving" the loan in a few decades anyway. just happened to a buddy of mine, he posted a long emotional fb status about how thankful he is that biden made his 90k student loan disappear (and how anyone who didn't vote for him should die). to be clear im not condoning or condemning this politically, just letting you know what can happen. politics aside might as well take advantage, right?

>>15243200
How exactly did Biden make his 90k student loan disappear?

>>15243218
idk i didn't ask. the comment section was blowing up with political shitflinging and i didn't want to get my professional account caught in the crossfire. i only do my political shitflinging anonymously and on the appropriate boards.

>>15243164
>paying for grad school
If the program doesn't cover tuition and pay you a stipend, it means that they don't want you there.

A post-doc just called me (I have a Phd) a math tourist. Absolutely savage.

>>15242007
>PhD phaggots are stealing all the entry roles I'm qualified for as a graduate.

It seems students are coming to their senses and dumping English major:
>The End of the English Major
https://news.slashdot.org/story/23/03/02/1557258/the-end-of-the-english-major
>Humanities enrollment in the United States has declined over all by seventeen per cent, Robert Townsend, the co-director of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences' Humanities Indicators project, found. What's going on? The trend mirrors a global one; four-fifths of countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation reported falling humanities enrollments in the past decade. But that brings little comfort to American scholars, who have begun to wonder what it might mean to graduate a college generation with less education in the human past than any that has come before. If you take a moment to conjure the university in your mind, you will probably arrive at one of two visions. Perhaps you see the liberal-arts idyll, removed from the pressures of the broader world and filled with tweedy creatures reading on quadrangle lawns.

Considering we are heading for a decade of stagflation, if not more, it is good to see that at least some are coming to their senses.

Is an electrical engineering degree worth it ?

>>15243570
Fuck that must've hurt.

>>15243570
How did you hide the body?

>>15243954
It is a safe degree, there will always be demand for EE graduates.

I just went digital nomad as a mechanical engineer breh’s. I made it, WAGMI.

>>15244327
sound lonely but have fun

>currently studying nuclear engineering
>enjoy it and get decent grades, but worried about job security
>decide to get cs minor
>also enjoy it and am good at it
Should I fully go for for the CS meme? Should I start grinding leetcode?

>>15243268
based

>>15243268
>>15244475
based and true. either that of you're in a shit tier department with no money

>>15241125
Yes, that is a good plan. A general compsci degree doesn’t focus enough on the stats/probability that is essential in data science. Of course, you want to be strong in programming and algorithms as well, but that’s all you really need from compsci.
t. Applied math (stats + prob focus) grad currently working in data science

>>15243875
Humanities departments will fill up again when all the professors aren't all insane leftist retards. Until that changes they can rot

>>15244327
How do you make it?

I am mech eng student working on side things thinking that cant be a freelance once graduated.

>>15244457
Keep with you NukeEng with CS minor and do leetcode on the side. Go further and help fix bugs on some open source software you use or like on Github

>graduating bsc nuclear engineering
>got a job offer to do thermal hydraulics for the next gen of nuclear submarines
>its only 70k/yr in fucking NY state
I'm still going to take the job because it sounds fun and gets my foot in the door of the military industrial complex, but fuck me nuke-e doesn't pay for shit

>>15244573
>>15244457
I'm gonna contradict this other anon and advise you to switch majors, I know it seems like a major setback now but it's nothing compared to how difficult it's going to be to switch careers later in your life

I worked in the nuclear industry and nuclear engineering seems like a dead end to me, I knew brilliant nuclear engineers with 10+ years of experience that were making the same amount as me (mech e) but they had nowhere else to go for a higher salary

Why are chemists treated the worse in this fucking industry and why isn’t the gov doing anything to the happy merchants ruining this field and outsourcing everything to China? I thought this was a meme but apparently it’s not for the past 3 decades and it’s been getting so fucking worse lately (ie past 2 years)

>tfw I'm a moron brainlet engineer who only has a bachelors but I have a job in astronomy
I ask myself HOW DID I GET HERE

>>15244667
DO NOT TAKE A JOB THAT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH SUBMARINES THAT ENTIRE SECTOR OF DEFENSE CONTRACTING IS INFECTED WITH THE STUPIDEST BRAINROT ON THE PLANET.

You WILL hate your job I promise and everyone I know who touched sub parts at multiple different companies had the same experience

I'm going to email a Yale professor/researcher and ask to be apart of one of their projects that focuses on something specific that I've been passionate about for a while. I don't go to Yale, but I haven't been able to find research in that area anywhere else in the country. Will I just be making a fool out of myself?

>>15244833
Depends. Are you a prospective student? Are you an established researcher?

>>15244851
I did some research as an assistant for my college a while back. I'm a prospective transfer student but I don't have a lot to put on my resume

>>15242520
Other anon is an idiot, robotics is a multidisciplinary field:
>control
How the robot actuates and interacts with environment, any controls/linear systems class is gonna be super useful
>SLAM
How a robot estimates its location and plans where to go next. A lot of algorithm stuff including Kalman filter and its many derivatives, shortest path problems, multi-agent planning, etc
>vision
How the robot sees its environment, most popular methods are computer vision and LIDAR, so take some DSP/image processing/pattern recognition classes
>systems/architecture
Programming and all that shit. Know your embedded, FPGAs, and networking. ROS is the workhorse for robotics in general
Its a lot of shit so the best thing you can do is join a robotics lab or club to get hands on experience, and to teach yourself ROS. The systems/programming stuff would be both the easiest ways to get into the field as well as the most generally employable as an undergrad, but just lean into whatever discipline you like the most

>>15244854
Make your CV look as nice as possible and send it to him in an email. Say you are applying to the school and interested in doing research in his group. Keep it short and professional

>>15244878
Will do, thank you desu

>>15244812
>THE STUPIDEST BRAINROT ON THE PLANET.
How so? Navy bullshit?

>>15244902
Hard to describe unless you've been there but intense micromanaging and over-managering of every tiny aspect of your job, agonizing time wasting stupidity management consultants sold the company that makes simple tasks arduous bureaucratic nightmares, and a complete disregard for the realities of the project in favor of arbitrary metrics. Materially, projects often won't have resources due to lean manufacturing bullshit that grinds things to a halt at tiny hiccups, and the terrible culture that seems to be universal of sub related defense contracting translates to high turnover and nobody knowing what they're doing since they all started working there in the last couple years. I know it's a cliche to describe your workplace as being like Office Space, but office space did a good job of capturing the dehumanizing culture of office work in the 90s and things have only gotten worse since then, plus you're going to be dealing with all the additional defense contractor assrape. Check out reviews for the company on glassdoor, indeed, and even google maps and pay special attention to negative ones because multibillion dollar defense contractors still direct their employees to flood indeed with positive reviews.

tl;dr not navy autism, business school dianetics woo woo bullshit that rapidly turns intolerable but your livelihood depends on it. I have heard slightly more positive experiences from people who worked in divisions that had nothing to do with submarines but even then most of them have left defense or are trying to for similar reasons.

-t. worked in that section of defense and have heard similar horror stories from people who also did sub stuff at multiple other companies.

>>15244720
Damn really? I didn't think the industry was that bad. I thought there was a bit of resurgence going on due to people moving away from fossil fuels.

Damn man how do I get an actually good engineering job? I'm stuck in field service hell.

>>15243268
It was a master's program not a phd.

>>15245137
that doesn't change anything

>>15245150
Are you even in grad school? You seem to have a highly warped perception of what it's really like. Getting a tuition waiver + stipend as a master's student is atypical to say the least, and the idea that universities don't want their master's students there is retarded.

>>15245158
I have an MS and PhD. What the anon said is true. If you have to pay out of pocket for grad school you don't belong there

>>15245165
By what percentage do you think that would shrink the number of graduate students?

>>15245172
Idk, it would depend on a lot of factors. I'm sure it's tougher to get funding as a foreign student for example. Also depends on your major

>>15245173
You didn't give an estimate because you know any reasonable figure would make your stance sound totally absurd.

>>15245173
Also we aren't just talking about "getting funding" (which could mean many different things including employer contributions) we were specifically talking about the program totally waiving your tuition and also giving you a stipend.

>>15245175
Wrong. No it wouldn't.

>>15245176
Yeah I know what we're talking about. I'm the one who understands the subject not you

>>15245179
So you've totally given up then. It was fun to totally crush you into submission, I was expecting more of a fight but I guess I didn't leave you any room to breath.
If you're going to do the whole elitism flex thing could you at least have a coherent worldview to back it up next time? This site really isn't what it used to be.

>>15245181
what a gay response. i bet you paid out of pocket. lmao retard

>>15237783
How late is too late ? In terms of making something of myself ; making a change in a industry and accomplishing my goals and dreams. Im 25 and I feel as if im starting at zero and the very idea that may be too late haunts me

>>15245195
It's never too late

>>15244667
Schenectady, da nuke lab? nigga we bout to be coworkers. just sitting around waiting for my clearance to pass. i'll be doing controls. 70k tho? are you at least getting a sign-on bonus? what's your degree in?

>>15244667
nigga we bout to be coworkers. just sitting around waiting for clearance to pass. i'll be doing controls. only 70k tho? are you at least getting a sign-on bonus?

>>15245244
>>15244667

Not him, but have you heard anything about the Kesselring site prototype operations ? What's the perception from the lab of it ?

>>15245296
i remade my post cos i forgot pic relalo, i assume you were replying to me there. but i haven't started working there yet so i have no clue. go to warosu in a couple months and search the term "kesselring" & you'll see if i perhaps was able to answer the question

>>15244517
It gives me hope for humanity that the new generation finally sees the utter insanity that is found in the humanities department.

>>15244806
>i have a theoretical degree in physics

>>15245195
i know dudes who started in their late 30s, you'll be fine. the sooner the better of course, but it's never too late.

Graduating with a Bachelor's in CE at 30. Should I just end it and not bother anymore?

>quit job with 4 week notice period
>expecting to spend the time finishing ongoing tasks, doing a handover and teaching new hire(s)
>20 minutes later get a reply saying they'll pay out my notice period and don't come back
What the fuck. Who did I offend. They don't normally do that.
First time I've really quit a longterm job (6 years!) so anything I should know/do? Still need to go back to pick up my stuff and handover my gear

>>15245195
Bro I didn't even start uni until I was 25. I then had a fairly good career for 10 years before crashing and burning.
Not too late at all, just don't end up burntout like me.

>>15245422
Awesome, which country you wanna travel to now?

>>15245430
I'm going to go to New Zealand

>>15243268
This is correct, however it depends on the country. A lot of euro countries will make you pay a more symbolic tuition fee for their master programs.

If you have to pay tuition for a PhD tho holy fuck lmao are you fucked

>>15245270
I worked for a defense contractor for 10 whole days. They told me I'd be doing controls, going on ships, cool stuff like that. Come to find out they wanted me for my EE degree to do AutoCAD all day!!

>>15245406
Anon that's only 30. Assuming you retire at 60 that's 30 whole fuckin years of a career. Don't stop.

>>15245432
based, have fun anon. I tried to do this last time I switched job and they were absolutely adament about having me start in 2 weeks, so I had to give a 2 week notice. Next time I job hop I'm going to double down and say I need 4 weeks, take it or leave it.

>>15237783
Lads do I go for a postdoc? My industry has been hit pretty hard just as I am finishing my PhD. My professor thinks I could make in Academia, but boomers have very unrealistic expectations in general. I have a good publication record and h-index, but I would kill for a managerial position in industry in a small R&D group (positions which used to be great for PhD grads in this country, but is now getting outsourced to China by our biggest chemical company so that dream is dead).

My other option is to jump ship to software/data science, but they seem pretty fucked rn too.

>>15245422
Some people just get irrationally offended when employees leave. They expect loyalty while treating you as shit as they could possibly get away. Don't give it a second thought, if they want an easier time retaining workers they should pay more.

>>15245505
It's weird though because we had someone in my team resign two months ago and he had to do his notice period. The only times I've heard of them paying out was for redundancy

>>15245513
this happens sometimes when they think that you would have access to information they don't want to leak out, however that's pretty rare and in your case it doesn't seem like it either, oh well

>>15245513
You never know with these things and you shouldn't waste an ounce of your energy on something you've already moved on from.

My wife left a well-paying position with a shit environment giving 6 week notice. Her manager, who was a cunt with a retention rate below 50%, tried to get HR to refuse to pay our her built up holidays. Obviously the HR girl refused because it's fucking illegal, so after a fight she paid it paid then resigned herself lol.

These loser companies full of people with such shit attitudes deserve to die, just let them and forget about them. Never had problems myself, but I've only worked for what I consider to be good companies and no one there cares they all understand our careers and families are more important to us than some globohomo company.

>>15245422
It is normal when people have sensivite roles, information or otherwise in a position that could cause a lot of problems.

Is it worth it trying to get an academic letter of recommendation if I'm 3 years removed from my bachelor's and didn't give professors any reason to remember me? I'm applying for a master's program and can get 3 diverse and solid industry references. The program is more professionally based and doesn't explicitly require academic references. Pharma/biotech field btw.

>>15243875
Universities becoming glorified vocational schools will result in downward pressure on engineer and other skilled labor forces in the next 20 yrs. We should be alright by that point, but things will be harder for our kids. It’s worth noting that the most common majors are business and psychology, which have almost zero educational content, neither providing the mathematical ability of hard sciences or the rhetorical and literary skills of a proper liberal arts degree. It’s breeding a generation of box checkers and hypochondriacs

I'm almost at my last year of EE in a third world shithole with no actual jobs. Is going full codemonkey to get a remote webshit job like some of my peers the only way?
I don't really like it but it seems way easier to get into webshit than embedded (which is still codemonkeying but more interesting).

I still have no idea what to put in a cover letter.

>>15245826
Use chat GPT to write you one

Has anyone used ChatGPT to cheese the nonsense letters of recommendation requirement?

>>15245852
I have been using chat GPT to automate the slog of job applications and I have a second interview coming up at a job I really want.

>>15245856
Interesting. What prompts do you use?
"Write a resume tailored to this job posting <insert link here>?"

>>15245803
>third world shithole with no actual jobs.
What 3rd world shithole are you in, and what's the main industries there?

Code monkeying may work

>>15245860
Yeah basically. I give some specific details, like things I've done, my interests, etc.

>>15245861
Venezuela of all places.
In addition to oil there used to be an alright metallurgy industry but it's all dead now and everybody competent already left

How do I actually get a fucking job that requires a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering? I had a well-above-average GPA and one engineering club where we actually did engineering shit, yet nobody wants to hire me. What am I missing? I know its my fault, I just don't get what I did wrong. I don't want to be doing unskilled labor for the rest of my life

>>15246292
You did nothing wrong. Basically in the West we have mass immigration that flooded labour markets to hell, there simply aren't many jobs to go around and everything else shipped to China. In the developing world there was never any industry to begin with.

You could try unpaid internships and hope to build connections, but it doesn't necessarily work (never did for me, promised roles evaporate or their offer is insulting low literally to the point where I would lose money to garner experience). Reach out to your old professor and the career branch of your alma mater if possible. Try to do something special like certs to try and stand out.

Just remember you did nothing wrong. Job hunting is depressing and demoralising enough you don't need help making it worse.

>>15239173
> moneyfag
you're gonna be a slave to the technological god anon, money ain't worth selling your soul

>>15246292
It's a tough market bro, it took me a masters, two internships and a ton of bullshit networking to get my foot in the door.

Go for the summer internships, and look for a funded grad program if you can (if amerifat) or just enroll in a masters if you're in europe, just don't show up if you change your mind

>>15246451
Being poor sucks

>>15245004
I worked at one of the few companies that is actually making a novel nuclear reactor, and they only employed like 3 nuclear engineers

very likely a dead end

>>15246370
Do you have any recommendations of certifications & such that would look good on a resume?

>>15246492
How hard is it to get accepted into a funded grad program?

Kek, 20% of all engineering students at my university failed a 25 question multiple choice exam where you only needed a 38% to pass. So now they won’t be able to graduate in june but has to wait until october. I luckily survived with a D, but I don’t understand how it’s beneficial for the university to fail 1/5 of all students in a meme sustainability and ethics course. I don’t know what I would have done if I failed that exam, probably just rope I guess.

Picrel. I guess you don’t see a distribution like this in the US.

>>15247371
>Do you have any recommendations of certifications & such that would look good on a resume?
Which country are you aiming for?

>>15237904

The odds aren't 0, especially in Cali. Gradschool is more likely than a transfer. But your assumptions are correct, it may count against you but if you don't try you are certain to fail

>>15247434
They should be failing more students in general. Students have bitched and moaned about standards until it was so watered down that the bachelors bacame a flood of shit grads barely better than a technologist diploma. And now it's worth nothing and you cannot even trust "prestigious" degree mill Masters anymore either.

Engineering used to be a great option for poor people looking for upwards mobility. But now the standards are so shit all the entry level jobs go to people who already have family in the companies. We are on the same level as wallstreet nepotism now except we get paid less.

>>15237904
>>15247625
i know in FL you can get your AA with a few basic requirements and then you're guaranteed acceptance into the major unis

>>15247371
>How hard is it to get accepted into a funded grad program?
If you are a native born it's really, really easy. They basically take you hoping you will stay for a PhD, so especially if you tell them you want to do a dissertation/paper they will fund you a RAship (enough for rent and food) and top it off with a TAship. Your alma mater will nearly always take you. If you're an international there's zero chance you get funded, the entire point of opening up to internationals is to fleech them tuition fees to pay stipends of the locals (not even joking, I saw this first hand).

Be warned, however, that going for a Masters is an acknowledgement that you were unable to find a job with your bachelors and most industry people look down on this. You really have to impress your adviser and network hard (which is much easier to do as a gradstudent at least). Basically pray that your Prof. can convince some engineer he knows in industry that your skillset would be valuable to them.

Even then I worked hard for these things and exactly 6 times I got informal job offers only for none of them to pan out as the companies were downsizing etc. In the end I got lucky on my next blind application where I really impressed them with my Masters work at the interview (and it ironically pays more than any of the other ones do for entry). I'm praying my next round of job hunting is easier now that I know some people from conferences. Just keep trying and always doing something. There are people I know who have been unemployed for almost a full decade after graduation and they are still spamming stupid complaints on LinkedIn, half the time blaming AA or racism or whatever instead of just leaving STEM for consulting etc. which many do successfully. Never fall into that pity trap just keep networking and grinding you will get in somewhere.

>>15247434
Tbf if you can't pass a meme course then you don't deserve to get a diploma. neger hvilken høyskole?

>>15247636
>Be warned, however, that going for a Masters is an acknowledgement that you were unable to find a job with your bachelors and most industry people look down on this
This only really applies to the US, a lot of industries on this side of the atlantic only hire engineers with master's degrees, or at least only give shittier jobs to the bachelor's engineers.

Also in general if you're a europoor then any euro citizenship is good enough to get into some masters program.
Do an MBA, Industrial Engineering, or Sustainability Management meme master if you struggled with your bachelors, still enough to get you through the door and can pivot easily to consulting.

>>15247707
Sørlandet;)
Would not recommend.

>>15237783
Mining eng or metallurgical eng /sci/? Please help me decide.

>>15237981

PhDs are a great way to break into the more interesting parts of the pharmaceutical industry. In pharma companies almost everyone who isn't a process grunt has one. MDs are similarly useful for getting the more interesting pharma jobs. Don't be a wet lab monkey if you can avoid it, they're one of the most underpaid and overworked demographics in science

I went to a law school and every time someone spoke everyone else would clap.

>>15247636
>Be warned, however, that going for a Masters is an acknowledgement that you were unable to find a job with your bachelors and most industry people look down on this.
complete nonsense

most jobs in my field outright require a masters and prefer a PhD

Is double majoring in CS plus math worth it if you plan on doing a PHD? And probably work in industry after.

>>15249819
just major in CS and get a math minor, nobody gives a fuck about your mathematics major

I have a 3.90 in engineering from a state university and have been involved with two publications plus the primary author on an additional. I'm currently pursuing a job in aerospace but would like to return after a year or two to obtain my Masters or PhD. What kinds of credentials do I lack that would be necessary to get into MIT as a white male? I have connections at Berkeley too but would much rather avoid the SFB area like the plague.

Does anybody else here have an intense feeling of nostalgia associated with libraries? They are where I spent most of my free time in childhood. Reading books about science with friends was truly a beautiful memory. It's what made me the person I am today.

>>15249944
this and also don't even bother with the minor

>>15247636
i got a job in my specific engineering master's field, and get a lot extra pay for it. i didn't even have work experience before i got the job either. maybe it's lucky but i don't think it's looked down upon at all

>>15245860
just send your normal resume lol. i can apply for 10 jobs in the time it takes me to tailor a resume or write a cover letter. it's never worth it

>>15246292
Take the fuckin' FE exam you shitter.

>>15245195
i had a family member go through undergrad+gradschool in his 40s and 50s with 5kids, and he was able to accomplish his goals and dreams.

>>15250226
Does the FE have actual weight in the workforce? I've been making a big deal about passing the chemical FE but one of the anons on a previous thread suggested that this meant nothing in terms of a qualification

>>15249958
I love libraries and I still go to them all the time to read. I live in a university town and so I go to the library there and it's great.

>>15250409
The FE only means anything if you are going to take the PE exam (since in order to sit for the PE exam you must have taken and passed the FE. Otherwise you can work for something like 15 years and then sit for the PE without taking the FE). And the PE exam really only means anything in certain industries, specifically if you are working for a consulting firm and/or the government. Bottom line is: if you are still in school just go ahead and take the FE since everything is fresh in your mind. You might go for the PE in the future, you might not, but your future self will be very happy with you if you take the FE now. Make sense?

>>15249958
>Does anybody else here have an intense feeling of nostalgia associated with libraries?
Yes. They are super comfy. And there are library generals elsewhere on 4ch: >>>/w/2232548

how do you get into a phd program for ML if you're an absolute brainlet with a shit GPA and no research

>inb4 don't
that's probably the right answer but i feel like killing myself daily so i got nothing to lose

>>15249819
what are you trying to work as? the other anons are right, if you just want to be a code monkey a math major is pretty useless.
i regret not trying for it now that i'm trying to go for being an MLfag though

convince me to not get a masters in operations research

currently i earn 100k usd in corporate software

>>15251081
i'd say only do it if you can get funded and from a good school and it's worth risking what you will give up
i want to do ML but i'm probably too stupid and also make six figures in corporate software. i have no indications that i would succeed in that space and i'm not really making any leaps until i feel confident in doing so

Is Australia really the country where a scientific career goes to die? Last thread was a bit depressing there and when I just read about CSIRO was even worse.

Should I go with digital circuit design or analog and RF circuit design? There seems to be much more job openings in the digital field but I don't want to end up being a code monkey like those CStards. Analog interests me much more.

>>15249819
No do electrical engineering
Abandon computer science at all costs

>>15251903
Not the same anon. Why?

How do I cope with a low GPA? I want to do academia but sucked in the first few years in Uni and failed 2 subject which destroyed my GPA. I still have 2 semesters to graduate.
>t. 2.5/4.0

>want career in neuro
>its too hard for me
how do i make it bros?

>>15245422
pretty sure it is so they dont have to pay out your leave as well. say no and stick around. will also give you time to get a new job

>>15251138
yes. just start a trade in the mines and earn more than anyone in this thread

has anyone heard of area manager intern at amazon? trying it this summer as chemE

Post-grad student here studying computer science. I rent a flat with 4 other people who are also postgrads but study management, consulting etc.
I always see them partying and doing sports and I feel very lonely and somewhat envious because I don't get as much free time as them.
How does one overcome this loneliness? I'm scared of spending another year and a half like this.

>>15252088
Do a Masters at your current university, try to get a 4.0.

newfag here..
hows the job prospect for architects in Germany. im planning on moving to germany and doing a b.arch there. maybe go so far as to get licensed.

>>15252635
Literally the worst-payed 'STEM' degree, even below Biology IIRC and Bachelor's aren't considered to be completed university studies by German employers where university is free and Master's are thr standard.

>>15237783
>Electrical Substation Edition

i've got my eye on you /sci/. watch your step bub

>>15252083
They are literally the same except without all the schizo abstractions of computer science. You can pick up a programming language at any time in your life for any task to any level of mastery. But you still won't be able to read the circuits which govern them.
Besides when the tech industry is nuked you will be one of the ones who knows how to restart it.
Seriously to all you in computer science go to electrical engineering. You'll end up a faggot jew dick sucker if you stay in CS. The US needs chip manufacturing to return or we are fucking DOOMED.

>>15252700
once the bubble bursts and CS majors stop making six figures to do nothing then things will change
right now literally every EE i've known has egressed because they were tired of making 90k instead of 250k

>>15252645
damn.. id be down to work for minimum wage with a b.arch cause ill be needing a work visa at that point. guess ill need to look into it more.

What field should I get into if I want to build a Photonic integrated circuit? Photonics, lasers, quantum tech, or something else?

I was looking to go into IC design but apparently VLSI is getting saturated.

>>15252702
I agree with the salary differences but you can just do EE then specialize within the CS area as long as you practice programming on the side
I have been to the top of CS and I've yet to meet someone who actually makes 250k, I have a feeling all the articles are lies but take my opinions as anecdotal from a young person who doesn't have a job
It's my one regret not being able to look inside a studio console and know what it is, then you actually deserve to use such a thing

>>15252599
Thanks! I will try that.

What do you guys think about Mechatronics? Meme degree or legit?

>>15253083
Idk, but I graduate with a mechatronics degree this summer and it’s not hard to find or get jobs. I see an increase in job postings mentioning mechatronics. There is a lot of oil and subsea industry here though, that helps. I’m not american. If you don’t know what to study, I guess it’s a good choice. That’s why I did it.

Civil and Structural Engineerng MEng (integrated/undergraduate masters degre), worth it for a good career after or not? Too late to switch to mechanical now and kinda wish I had...

Well, I'm gonna learn python now.
But how to resist girl thoughts while learning a programming language? I don't want to wear the socks.

How do I make the jump into the business administration/management side of things? I'm a biology undergrad who absolutely dreads academy and lab work, there's some jobs out there as a commercial bio advisor/manager of sorts but they always require 2+ years experience which I obviously don't have.
Is getting an MBA the only option? Otherwise I just feel like I'm telling these dudes "i can run a business bro trust me" and there don't seem to be any entry positions for this kind of job in particular

>>15252564
How do they study consulting?
Anyway, your degree will give you a safe and well paid job while the major firing rounds have seen the management types out the doors.

So hang on in there, anon, and stay comfy.

>>15253538
Check the FAQ; you can go straight from university to the big management consulting companies. It is rather competitive but well paid.

>>15253283
Best of luck champ.

>>15253083
Meme specialization of robotics which is a meme of electrical engineering
There will be more android prosthetics in the future though, so it's absolutely not a bad choice at all but get your base circuit and electronics tinkering down there's a lot of space for innovation
I've been to the media lab mechatronics and it was one of the few labs in that building that actually does something useful

Do you anons have any tips for strengthening your resume for doctorate programs? I was thinking of applying next cycle for PhD programs in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science, and while I have my strengths, specifically a strong track record in research with a publication and internship at MIT Lincoln Lab, my gpa could be better. Someone at my lab offered to hook me up with a job at Lawrence Berkeley national lab, and so I was wondering, would it be better to take my chances now or wait, work for a year or two, then apply after having made connections at my job?

>>15254328
If you are going to MIT wait and build credentials beforehand, you have a lot of younger competition with a lot more money in front of you

Should I get a master's on Data Science or should I just focus on work experience?

>>15254337
To be honest, I was interested in the signal Kinetics lab at MIT media lab, but I'm not sure I could make it academically there. Does networking/getting to know your PI ahead of time help, or is it pretty much all a crapshoot?

>>15253579
Yes, but the FAQ deals with people who had an MBA, PhD, MD or JD etc who can start as associates.
The anon you replied to only has a bachelor's degree. Not saying it is impossible, but he will have to put in a significant amount of work that is completely different from his biology degree curriculum to get an analyst role at a big firm

Is the fact that I wound up working in a fucking callcenter even though I graduated from an ok university and have a couple of publications in high impact journals gonna brick my resume forever?

>>15254474
just write it on your resume in a more impressive way. say you were a research analyst or something

>first phd rejection
>from school i thought i was the most competitive for
off to a great start

>>15237783
How do people get to work with black projects?
Im not talking only about UFOs, but maybe there are human cloning labs, search for artifacts, atlantis or whatever.
Sounds like sci-fi, but I guess it should be real.

>>15254607
Life isn't Stargate. Black projects are mostly lame psyops type shit and NSA scraping. Everthing cool needs an open supply chain.

>>15254833
>Life isn't Stargate
Not 100%, but can be 10%
>Everthing cool needs an open supply chain
Why?
By "black" I mean not only completely unknown, but also hidden

EE student here. Is it worth getting a minor in physics? To get one at my university, you only need 17 credit hours, and I already have 9 qualifying credit hours under my belt. I'd like to get one just for the hell of it, but would those extra courses give me an edge?

>>15254982
minors are a waste of time

>>15254990
What about for grad school if I choose to go?

>>15254994
minors are a waste of time

someone got back to me after a month of applying and they want to schedule "typical initial HR interview"
what the fuck does that mean? I've been a LeetCode gremlin for the past 2 weeks

>>15255209
It’s to see if you are normie enough to bother pitching your resume up to a hiring manager.

What will be a bigger shitstain on my CV - 6 months without a job, or a job for 6 months only?
I've got a big role lined up, but in september while being as of now unemployed.
Still studying so I can live off a stipend, but a recruiter for another role I'm interested in reached out to me, not sure if I should pick it up to possibly get the job for 6 months, even more unsure about being honest with them that I'll quit in half a year

Is the guy who claimed to be a tool installer in the semiconductor industry a few months ago still around? Nice larp faggot, I was overseas so I couldn't post but you aren't making half the salary you claimed you are.

>>15254431
The problem is they only accept rich CCP party members now because they just falsify all their resume and school existence and program them with all the necessary "educational" requirements to get by
I visited signal kinetics a long time ago they are doing some robot arm bullshit lately, the media lab is collapsing I recommend doing something for a place that is going to be getting funds rather than losing

>>15255209
Zoomers are literally too fucking stupid to read job ads so now the first step is an "HR interview" where some HR roastie slowly reads the job requirements to you and asks if you are ok with them.

>>15252212
What kind of third world shithole do companies not have to pay out accrued leave in?

What are some good part-time/casual jobs I could pick up with 5 years experience working in a medical industry R&D lab?
Just quit a shitty fulltime job and want to keep my hours down for now while I recover from the burnout meme and/or further my education.

>>15255407
I live in le 1st world enlightened race blind Yurope and our accumulated sick leave is not paid out when we leave. It is forfeited.

>>15255414
But that post is about annual leave Anon

>>15251138
God I hope not.
t. >>15255413

Although in my experience yes. I do alumni mentorship and tell everyone I mentor to get out of science ASAP and help guide them into tangential careers.

>>15255417
No idea what "annual leave" is, it was about his accrued leave not being paid out.

>>15237783
Guys what do I do if I dropped out of CS at 3.5 years and haven't done any programming in a year. I have some valuable generative AI programming I did but I broke under pressure from being forced to physically return to school when my home was in chaos. I set that in order as of now a year later but I don't know what to do anymore. I have never had an internship or anything. I am thinking to just get back into programming and do some good work then sell it as a startup, but I'm in serious need of income. All wagie jobs here have been replaced by latinos. I don't know how I could get some remote programming job with my fucked up resume. Just lie probably? Anyone else been here before am 22. Should I just sell porn games on steam?

>>15255422
accrued leave = annual leave = leave for whatever you want.
Sick leave is sick leave and doesn't get paid out or matter since they don't have any control over it as long as you have a doctor's note they can't legally deny it.

>>15255425
Just finish your degree you pussy wtf

>>15255428
Both vacation and sick leave are accrued.
Just admit that you fucked up and used the wrong A word and we can move past this.

>>15255436
Different systems m80

>>15255438
>>15255436
Actually disregard, I think you're right and I was the retard all along. Seems like a system specific to my workplace that they don't count up sick days and just have it unlimited with notes. What I'm reading seems like it becomes unpaid most places if you used up all your days (but they still can't deny it)

>>15255394
>the media lab is collapsing
What?? Big if true.

I'm an academic.
What are some good free notion templates for me to manage my research projects and read and summarize papers and tutorials?

I found a cool notion template for phd students but it was $20

>>15239685
You don't need to get a degree in a field in order to do something in that field. Don't try to do everything at once tho, you'd end up doing nothing

>>15255841
Epstein walked in the building with bimbo whores so they burned it down lol
"Science"

>>15255854
never understood the templates, just organize it how you want, it's not some black magic
keep a separate page for each project, you can do whatever you want in each page
I guess the fanciest stuff you can do is keeping To-Do lists as databases, then you can e.g. on the page with all projects create another database that merges all ToDo databases from each project (https://twitter.com/NotionHQ/status/1521541596063350784))

Is private R&D as soul-sucking as software development is? Those seem to be pretty much my reasonable options as a physicist. SWE pays less and makes me feel like a failure, but I didn't enjoy my time in public research and I fear that private research is just a mindless grind as well.

>>15256035
different field but I did R&D in a corpo for 2 years and quitting the job was one of the happiest day in my life

Does anyone do FPGA design?
Those guys have fucking big salaries how do you get into that?

Why did I study and get my license in civil engineering when I'm disgusted by the idea of construction. All my friends build fucking Starbucks and Chick Fil A's. I hate seeing a field get demo'd and turned into a fucking subdivision. I'm 6 years into work and I don't feel proud of a single project.

>>15256147
>Those guys have fucking big salaries
only if you work in the right sector. tech or finance will pay well. defense and semiconductors not as much
i know a couple FPGA guys. they feel underpaid compared to their software peers (and usually made the move)
>how do you get into that?
degree in EE with good grades and internships in FPGA

I have about three months to decide whether to pursue a general engineering degree or a general environmental science degree. Advice from anyone who works in either field?

>>15256840
Environmental science = sluts
General engineering = nerds and jews
Highly recommend electrical engineering or something that isn't generalized but not as abstract as computer science

>>15256916
>Highly recommend electrical engineering
Thanks. This is what I have heard from an established engineer I know

>>15256922
Learn how to read computer circuits and you are pretty close to god or satan

I tried looking for job listings but ended up searching for helium suppliers instead. But given that helium is a limited resource, nitrogen seems like the better idea.

>>15256770
>degree in EE
check
>good grades
no
>internships in FPGA
no

Just now finding out the majority of people on my STEM course at a top university use essay/coursework writers online to do their work for them, what are the non-scam services?

>>15257228
do you know about sneed?

Hey guys, I want to share something and hope you can suggest some colleges. I'm out of high school, but my grades and SAT scores were not great so I'm taking time off to improve my English and SAT to be able to get in top US university. I'm also working part time. My older brother was a much better student and currently studying at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore on full ride, top 20-50 university in stem according to various ratings. My older brother came back in the winter break and 3 of his high school classmates that were in the city came to visit him. One is a student at Cornell, one at UC Berkeley and one at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. All 3rd year engineering students. At one point they started talking about their colleges and it all progressed into a problem solving contest and four of them started giving each other various math and physics puzzles and started solving. What I noticed is that the guy from Rose-Hulman completely destroyed others, solving much faster and helping and showing different ways to solve... I know them for many years, that guy from Rose-Hulman is not more gifted than others, if anything he was slightly weaker student before. And listening to their stories about their universities it's very clear that he has great academic experience. Small classes, a lot of collaboration between students, a lot of hands on projects, professors readily available in their offices etc. etc. in stark contrast to experiences of other friends who complained about huge classes, non-productive lab work, profs not being available and students not being collaborative. So, I've looked up Rose-Hulman and it has fkn 53k tuition. That's a bit too much for my family to pay. Are there any colleges that are cheaper, but provide similar academic experience to Rose-Hulman? It can't be the only college doing thing right I hope? Give me some suggestions please.

Anons, I'm currently working on my master's thesis and my supervisor suggested a general topic/area. However, he said that my research proposal was too general and lacked originality. Then he gave me a list of suggested conferences to refer to. I now have only a week to improve upon my research idea or come up with a new one within the topic.

So my question would be, how do you people actually brainstorm new research ideas? Sorry for the general question and rant but I need any advice I can get right now.

>>15257332
>Are there any colleges that are cheaper, but provide similar academic experience to Rose-Hulman? It can't be the only college doing thing right I hope? Give me some suggestions please.
I went to Cooper which is Rose, but in NYC with $0 tuition and way more girls (thanks to the art school)

>>15257332
>>15257526
Here's the caveat with those sorts of colleges though; typically they're lauded as the top-ranked *undergraduate* or non-doctoral schools, which is absolutely true. Your calculus and physics professors won't be teaching in a huge lecture hall with an AV system, so you'll get more of their attention.
BUT it *also* means those profs aren't really there to do research, as non-doctoral schools don't have the candidates and postdocs and RAs to do their gruntwork, or the high-budget corporate-grant laboratories. So, you're not going to be taught by anyone leading their field, or ready to take you on as a Ph.D student should you find something you wish to specialize in. If you only care about a bachelors' (or expect to get a ph.d. grant elsewhere), then it's no problem at all.

>>15257526
>>15257536
Thanks anons, I will add Cooper Union to my list. I hate the idea of sitting in a lecture with 400 students and profs not knowing my name. I need couple more suggestions for safety. What do you guys think about these colleges
>Cal Poly SLO
>Cal Poly Pomona
>New Mexico Tech
>South Dakota School of Mines
Tuition preferably under 30k. Any other suggestions?

>>15257580
>South Dakota School of Mines

Go to Colorado School of Mines instead

>>15257478
For me what I did to come up with original research is one, read latest papers on your subject area and trace all citations. If you do it thoroughly enough you can get an understanding of what are some things people proposed looking into but there's no publication yet. This could be original research.
Second, just do a shitty derivative research first, and while doing it try to identify some areas that seem unexplored. It's hard to see what is valuable in an area without actually doing some work on it.

>>15258474
south dakota school of mines is so ass bro dont go there. and if you do dont rush omega chapter of theta tau

>>15258506
Thanks for the advice anon. I think I was probably too narrow in my search scope.

“Someone please give someone advice about to be laid off whose had 20 years of experience in the pharma/biotech industry and had serious measurable accomplishments. I feel like the industry is rife with corruption now and qualified people can’t get the time of day. My company laid off hundreds only to put jobs for qualifying to not repay the ppp loan and my previous employer before that rejected my application and I saved for them a few million dollars with my methods; if you want context, they hired a family friend consultant that gutted the company to only offshore everything to China.”

This is for my uncle btw, not me.

>>15256244
Construction is a necessary evil. Do you live in a cabin in the woods?
There is still plenty of greenery left in the world

I'm having a quarter life crisis, for the last five years since graduating I've been a code monkey making CRUD apps and it's destroying my soul. I want to do do something meaningful and feel like I'm always learning, ideally I want to do research (maybe machine learning or NLP) but the opportunity cost of doing a masters or doctorate when I'm saving to enter the boomer housing market is too much. I want my next job to be working for/alongside researchers so that I can evaluate if I like the lifestyle and possibly leverage the connections for future benefit. My gf is doing a biology phd and she says the faculty has a few software people who help them write Julia code for their statistical models but she doesn't know what their job title is or what else they do. What sort of jobs should I be looking for?

>>15259459
How about founding your own startup?

>>15237783
Decided to leave EE cause I'm not smart enough. Are there any STEM careers with a 2 year degree? Could I be an electronics bench technician somewhere?

>>15259024
4 years in pharma here, it is soul sucking and corrupt. Only people I see getting measurable pay increases are the absolute entry lvl production jobs becuase they are hard to keep people in, and the absolute scum of the earth person is the only person that will take the job (and still only show up 70% of the time). And yes, there is massive push to cut short term cost with no regard for long term effects.

Main question is what area(s)/dept does he have exp in. Quality? Engineering? Tech transfer? Production? Chem/micro? 3 big trends I see are: 1. Cutting people with high salaries, or cutting people a year or 2 before they retire, regardless of their exp level or importance, 2. Lots of pressure to cull people that are not "directly" involved with the production process (quality, regulatory, validation), unless they are deeply involved with process improvement and 3. lots of consultant usage despite them being expensive (think it has to do with headcount, idk).

My simple advice would be for him to be willing to take significantly less money if he just needs to keep the income flowing. Also, be willing to look beyond pharma and biotech at general consumer packaged goods. They also generally pay less but I can't really say much without knowing his specialty.

In an application or interview, when they ask you what sort of diversity you bring to the team, and you're a white male, what do you say? Do you cop out and say that you have a diverse research and technical background knowing full well that's not what they're asking for?

Structural Engineer anon here. Anybody have vague tips studying for the SE Exam? (IL, CA, NY, etc.)

>>15259459
same. I fucking hated being a code monkey so much. learn ML/NLP on the side and try to publish a first author paper in a top 3 conferences. you might be able to steer your direction to being a research engineer.

>>15250226
This anon is correct. Also architecture firms are hiring for MEP

>>15259459
i've been thinking the same thing, but also i'm a really shit code monkey so i don't know how i'd fare in a real job.

in all honesty, do you think that you have what it takes to do research?

>>15237783
be honest /sci/, how long was your masters thesis?

>>15260182
The point of getting a masters degree is to stay in scholarship and nice labs for two more years and take whatever classes you want, while banging undergrads

>>15260182
i chose the non-thesis option for my masters. there is no reason to do one unless they make you

>>15260084
I'm a white male from eastern europe and the first to go to university in my family. I got that question asked and that was my answer. I also went to uni a few years later than others and worked a real job. It was an easy bullshit question to answer that ticked the hr boxes.

>>15259979
worked with poor people, helped at food/blood drives, understand what it means to lose a loved one, led groups/clubs/etc, lived with alcoholics/druglords, abusive family, grew up poor, etc. you can also mention that you have diverse skills/knowledge in certain areas, but be sure to include more human aspects to it.

learning about math in a college environment as an undergraduate is a lot funner than after you graduate

How do I stop feeling like shit for starting my undergrad at 20

>>15259979
>In an application or interview, when they ask you what sort of diversity you bring to the team, and you're a white male, what do you say?
legit never been asked this in 70 interviews

>>15260520
People usually start at 18. Two years is literally nothing.

I actually have great respect for PhDs and candidates. I've seen them work hard from morning to night even on holidays. They have to work on research projects, their thesis and also assist professors in teaching. And this can last for 4 years or more.
Man, I could never do a PhD. Not only am I not smart enough, but I also don't have the the strength/discipline to commit to such a stressful lifestyle for years. Now I understand why many of them feel jaded post completion and also why companies pay so much for positions where having a PhD is a must.

t. undergrad

>>15255406
I thought you were joking, but it was literally that
She asked me whether I ever did anything that was required in the job posting for 20 minutes

>>15237783
Could use some advice on next steps. 28yo, bachelors in biology (stupid idea I know) from 2018, making 82K CAD working in pharma. Did well in school grade-wise (4.18/4.3), no publications. Dept I work in is a fusion of quality assurance and engineering (title is literally "Quality Engineer", not an actual engineer tho). This line of work is not my cup of tea, and I'm looking to pivot out eventually. Originally I was obstinate about not doing more schooling, but I think that might be my only option. Still want to make decent $$, but would prefer something that has a bit more "hands on" or design aspects than just writing reports and studies.

I asked this question a month ago and a helpful anon recommended messing around with free/cheap classes for automation, PLC, etc. I took the advice, and I've found I actually like some of the material interesting and would like to learn more. However I've also found that pretty much all employers want to see a 2 year electrical engineering technician diploma or a 4 year EE degree for people looking to get into anything automation/controls related. I really doubt I could self-teach and be taken seriously.

Question is: How retarded would it be to go for a 2 or 3 year electrical engineering technology diploma, if I really wanted to commit to the pivot? These programs give 3 semesters of work placement, with classes on electrical fundamentals, PLC programming (AB/Siemens), robotics, preventative/reparative maintenance...etc. Cost is only 5k CAD per year too. I don't think I would even be up for going back to school for a 4 year EE degree (closest one to me would cost 9k per year, 4 years, no work placements, much more theoretical, and I'm probably not smart enough for the material).

Thoughts? am I retarded?

>>15261174
>Dept I work in is a fusion of quality assurance and engineering (title is literally "Quality Engineer", not an actual engineer tho)
Can't really provide a good answer to the question but mind elaborating on how you landed that job? What kind of qualifications/experience you had at the time? I have seen kind of similar positions in my job hunt but they all require 2+ years of experience and/or a master's degree
t. Fresh bio undergrad graduate being assfucked by the job market

>>15261244
All good bruther, glad to share. My route was rocky. I graduated in early 2018 and worked in a cafe for the last 2 years of school. I knew the cafe was closing in Sep 2018, so I just worked there for 9 months after graduating (actually paid better than most of my other options). It was a heyday for the Cannabis industry around that time and I had studied a lot of plant biology, so I managed to get a gig at a massive grow-op in butt-monkey Ontario. Worked as a "horticulturalist" which meant controlling irrigation cycles at different growth stages, doing plant assessments, doing some paperwork, helping out with small scale "studies" for our absolute retard manager that knew less than the guys who just grew weed in their garages. Since this site was selling under the medical licenses in Canada, and because they were shipping to German pharmacies, the place was classified as a "GMP" facility. GMP experience is the turbo-buzzword for pharma and food, just means that you know how to adhere to some universal industry standards of conduct and documentation. Job sucked ass, so got a job at another w33d place that was taking dry flower and processing it into oil and actually making some cool shit (like 99.9% CBD and selling to universities. Worked in the QA department and becuase it was a startup I got a ton of exposure to different things. Lots of old-hat pharma people and new grads, so you got a fusion of great industry experience with precocious and energetic young people. After 6 months in QA got a job in the Validation department. Look it up for a full explanation, but validation (also sometimes called Tech Services) is essentially and break-away from pharmaceutical engineering departments. Validation essentially focuses on meeting some complex regulatory requirements for process/equipment/facility design and operation, its a monstrous and kinda niche area (as an aside, it technically falls under the engineering umbrella, but it is always split to some...

>>15261244
CONTINUED ...degree from engineering because the work is boring, complex, documentation heavy, thankless because you spend lots of time telling other departments they are doing things wrong or that they can't go forward with some pea-brained idea. ALSO there is a conflict of interest by having regular engineers do the regulatory work too; they will end up letting the standards slide to get a project done. Also, from my experience engineers in the pharma industry are the most bone-headed white-collar professionals I've ever met. I have even more verbose ideas as to why.) ANYWAYS, worked in that dept for 2.5-ish years. Pay was low, so I decided to hop to big-boy pharma as a deviations investigator. Worst job I've ever had by far, had to leave after 5 months because of insane office politics making it impossible to do my job. Worked at a chemical synthesis place for 2 months after that (second-worst job I've ever had), left very quickly after finding they had serious health and safety issues in the manufacturing area (they were creating clinical-stage chemo drugs, that shit is ultra toxic) and sketch documentation practices. So now I've been in another big-pharma place for 1 year as "Quality Engineer", which is just validation work I used to do + some project management + some cost savings/process improvement. DESU I went through a massive quarter-life crisis after the cannabis job, hence the job instability for the year after working in cannabis. That's the long story of how I got here.

HERES THE CAREER TRAJECTORY:
1: Weed place 1, 37.5k/yr, 6 months, horticulture.
2: Weed place 2, 42k/yr, 6 months, QA.
3: Weed place 2, 47k/yr, 2.5 years, Validation.
4: Big pharma 1, 70k/yr, 5 months, Production/quality.
5: Mid-pharma, 68k/yr, 2 months, QA
6: Big Pharma, 82k/yr, 1 year, Quality Eng.

>>15261432
>>15261483
Thanks for the detailed answer anon. Looks like a rather bumpy/wonky road to get where you are right now but precisely because of that it gives me hope (I'm currently working in a callcenter of sorts, helps me make ends meet but poses serious questions about my employability in something actually bio-related and avoiding going the dead end min wage road)

Do you put all of the career trajectory you have in your CV? I heard showing you switch jobs often may raise some brows.

>>15242382
Start now, a degree at 27 is better than 30.

>>15261518
Now, I want to give my personal take. As someone who loved school and was a fucking idiot about the value of my education, and as someone who wishes they could turn the clock back, I wish I could help more people avoid my mistakes.

Big pharma is full of lead-eating boomers that don't want to train you. Your best bet to get any job is to seek out mid to small companies that are willing to take a chance on you and train you by hand to learn their system. They might work you hard, but you will learn more and maybe have quicker advancement. As far as getting that first job, it all depends on the most valuable skillset you have. I got into QA because my first horticulture job had some QA parts, and I'm on OK technical writer amongst a bunch of recent immigrants that can hardly write. If you have a chem/micro background, labs will take you. If you want to get into the production department, you should just take a bottom-of-the-barrel production worker job for 1-2 years; they tend to promote internally. If you are in a city, go to in-person job fairs and industry shit; friends have landed their first jobs that way.

PERSONAL OPINION: I don't like pharma much, but I think there's tons of variation within the small to mid sized companies. Big pharma companies all suffer from the same issues (bloated internal IT/quality/production systems from years of growth without simplifying), pressure to cut costs, unwillingness to train, NPC-type office behavior). They also have old-school hiring preferences, in that they a) love anyone with an engineering degree, and b) want you to have jobs with directly related exp. So they won't hire you based on your potential alone. If you go through 2 or 3 jobs and you find you really don't like some industry-wide aspects, make a plan to hop out. People who stick it out in pharma are some of the most miserable people I know.

>>15261518
lastly, TO QUALIFY ALL OF THIS, I'm the kind of person that cares more about having interesting work than high salary. If I get a high salary doing a job I like, great! But if I peak at 80 or 100k and love my work, im cool with that too. There is def. money to be made in pharma tho if you want to grind. take it all into consideration.

The part you probably don't want to hear is that you are going to need some seriously concrete skills to get any job in food or pharma that isn't the equivalent of gargling ass. Many of my prev. coworkers did a year or 2 years of post-graduate education at a local college (there are certs from canadian colleges geared towards uni grads that have the theoretical knowledge but no skills. certs like chemical lab technician, QA, technical writing are examples). If you are considering that, also consider other non-bio routes if you are interested (that's kinda what I'm doing now).

How's the money with your current job? With all the negative stuff I've said, many places are desperate for the entry-lvl production staff. You will outshine your nearly handicapped coworkers if you just show up consistently and work hard. That could give you some exposure and help inform your future path. Also they sometimes pay okay (entry lvl at my company is 22/hr, you only need a HS education and can basically be handicapped).

Also for my CV I don't include the 2 month job; I just omit. For the 5 month job I say hostile work environment made me leave, which is 100% true. I worked at the 2nd weed place for 3 years, which looks nice. My resume isn't that schizo compared to some of my coworkers, surprisingly.

>>15261543
>>15261574
Thanks for taking the time to write all this, i really appreciate it.
>As far as getting that first job, it all depends on the most valuable skillset you have
I have 1 year of (part-time) experience in molecular genetics stuff (think FISH, PCR, 3C-based methods things like that) and a couple of publications in ok journals from my last year in uni. Thing is I wanna pivot out of the lab monkey work (looking into doing QA related things or moving towards the administrative side of things). I guess I also have costumer service-related skills and all that from the callcenter.
>startups
That's actually how a couple of acquaintances landed decent jobs and i know they managed to climb pretty fast, thing is they seem to be hard to find as i literally never see them on the usual job search platforms, guess it's all about networking (this is a particularly big issue for me because i did my undergrad abroad so i got 0 connections)
>I'm the kind of person that cares more about having interesting work than high salary.
I honestly kinda burned out my love for science due to uni/academy/paper writing grinding I have experienced. Writing articles is one of the most soul-draining things I've ever done. Seeing them published doesn't give me any sense of achievement either because I know they're full of regurgitated crap. At this point I just want to have a job that pays more for doing less and look for happiness in things other than career success.
>How's the money with your current job?
That's also a thing. I'm earning a pretty good salary for callcenter shit. I see some entry-level positions for pure mindless lab monkey stuff or growing flowers but they offer to pay 1/3 of what I'm earning right now. Not too sure if I'm willing to bite the bullet for 2-3 years just to have a chance to aim for better stuff if I can help it. I know sacrifice for future gains should be the focus but I think enjoying the present is also important.

>>15261719
Np, I know I'm verbose and include a lot of stupid details, bit I include it all in case it helps contextualize things.
> I have 1 year of (part-time) experience in molecular genetics stuff.
This is good. I also agree that lab monkey stuff sucks, stay away from it IMO. Play up the lab experience part a bit by saying that you had to adhere to some formal documentation structure or something, simply because that sounds GMP-ish. The publications will give evidence that you can write. QA jobs and Quality Systems (kinda similar to QA but more focus on the way documentation is organized and changed and archived) are not out of reach with your exp.
> thing is they seem to be hard to find
Yeah its very dependent on the area you live/work in. Where do you live if you mind me asking? Scan job boards a few times a week if you want to keep an eye out. I've often seen postings on the big job boards like indeed. It's true that connections will land the first few jobs in a startup, but if they get money and need people to train up and do the basic operations they will usually broaden the search.
> I honestly kinda burned out my love for science
Right there with you. I'd rather kill myself than deal with academia and make 2 peanuts a day for 60 hours a week of work. Working a normal job and just getting good at something will be way better lifestyle-wise
>I'm earning a pretty good salary for callcenter shit.
Then don't rush to get out. Although I do agree that you sometimes have to take a shit job to build up to a better job, I also see lots of people get pulled along by the "promise" of something better only to never see it manifest. It's different if you are a union apprentice, for example, where you make a low wage starting but see an increase every year and know what you will make in X time.

I think it might be worth your while to just sit where you are, save some cash, and just be observant and make an effort to see what interests you.

>>15261796
>Where do you live if you mind me asking?
Colombia. I did my undergrad in Russia because I got a scholarship, overall Russia is not very friendly for foreigners to stay long-term so the plan of finishing my studies and staying for work did not materialize, with the war being just the icing of the cake, it's also not a good place for STEM careers besides being a lab monkey drone, really wish I had gone somewhere like Germany or UK or just stayed here to do my undergrad in a local university instead, at least that way I'd have some connections.
>I think it might be worth your while to just sit where you are, save some cash, and just be observant and make an effort to see what interests you.
That's basically the plan. Thing with callcenters is they follow a cycle of death and rebirth. When they start it's all good and dandy, free coffee, high starting salary with chances to climb up quick, administrations try to keep people happy. Then eventually it reaches a point where it starts degrading, salaries stagnate, administration turns not-so-friendly, big pushes for cutting costs and mindless pursuit of metrics sour the atmosphere, bosses become monsters out of touch with their workers and reality as a whole, then it's every man for himself and everyone just bails until they re-release the thing with a different name.
I can see the signs of decay quickly developing in my current place, so that's why the sense of impending doom are making me a bit more desperate. I don't think I'll be laid off until I quit myself so I'm just saving for a rainy day fund and further education, I'm thinking of going for an MBA so I can start whole-heartedly aiming for administrative/financial positions but it'll take about a year's worth of saving before I can afford it.

>>15260520
Bro I'm 33 and about to spend the next 10 years in school. You're going to get old no matter what, 10 years are going to pass regardless if you're in school or not. Don't worry about your age to start something, it doesn't meany anything until you're in your 50s

I got invited to an interview for a Quality Engineering position in aerospace. I've worked with QEs in the industry but feel over my head. Best way to prepare? Is there a way to get a qrd on AS9100 specs?

A reminder to Undergrads that you are not the grade you get, nor the GPA you receive. Tons of colleges consider C's to be average, even some taking D's as a passing grade. The college you attend to doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what age you've attended, nor the time it takes you to finish. Don't give up on your goals and remain passionate.

>>15262742
It's hard to stay passionate when a C is the reward you get for all your studying, anon... it's depressing being confronted with your own ineptitude every day, even if you do like what you're doing.

>>15262742
i've been ghosted by recruiters after they found out my gpa was below 3.6
my chances at grad school are pretty bleak as well

I've been rejected by people and by good colleges all my life. Math and computer shit have always been easy for me. I want to take over the fucking world out of spite. What do

>>15263156
stop seething and get a job. also time to start taking your health seriously you look like shit

>>15263156
>I want to take over the fucking world out of spite
you really don't
you'll never actually win that game
you can make the world worse for young people but the old people that cause you to be bitter already made themselves more powerful than you or will be dead by the time you have any power
even if you manage to completely ruin a 50 year old man's life because he was bad to you when he was 30, he already lived his life

On my last year of my bachelors.
I can either take two more CS courses to get a minor in CS (some database courses and a studies in infosec course) or I can drop the minor and take a few more math classes (Probability II, Discrete math II, topology)

I can take 3, so conservatively I could just finish my minor and take one of the additional math courses.... just think that as an applied math major I should have more math courses under my belt.

>>15262918
Fuck, you mean department or cumulative? Either way, I don't see myself leaving with anything higher than a 3.5

what jobs in machine learning research can provide the most impact if you're not very smart?
i don't have the 150 IQ required to be a researcher or 10x dev, but i still want to contribute something.

Where are all these supposedly great and high paying jobs that require security clearances and stem degrees? Did everything right and have both, yet I cant find anything listed that isn't practically an IT helpdesk job.

>>15239149
>a kind of functional 2D physics engine
>an original(tm) cli text game
>a simple program that solves any simple math equation (that involves +-*/^) in a string using a python library
I unironically did all of these in middle school (didn't use a library for the last one). If you want something slightly more impressive you can shit out a tokenizer->lexer->parser->executor interpreter for a custom language spec or something -- it shouldn't take too long and it's actually quite fun.
Alternately,
>implement a library for some TCP-level protocol (HTTP/IRC/etc.)by reading the corresponding RFC
>backpropagation NN library from scratch
>something demonstrating knowledge of OS-level shit (linux process manager, PAM user authentication server, etc.)
tbdesu you're probably fine as-is though. most CS grads come out of school far dumber than you and with even less real experience.

I overheard my boss bitching about getting turned down/ghosted by literally 200 candidates. How common is this?

>>15256931
We trap the angels and demons in the non-conductive substrate with copper and silicon and then force them to use their powers to make our machines think, reckon and calculate.
EEs really are modern angelologists/demonologists, lmao

>>15256916
>not as abstract as computer science
why be a material cuck when you can be an abstract ascended being not held down reality.

good program to automate sorting random thoughts.

I'm trying to transfer to a elite college. Am I retarded for taking the SAT again
the questions are easy as fuck

>>15265371
whats adjusted salary

>>15265509
bonuses

>>15264032
Take Prob II and the two CS courses

how do STEM students have more sex ?

>paper got rejected, rewrite 30% to answer the reviewers comments and resubmit
>goes back to same reviewer, he copy pastes the exact same comments from the first time and gives hard reject
>his comments are invalid because I answered his questions, faggot just didn't reread the paper at all
>reviewer told me I should have cited this random unrelated paper with 0 citations
I just got rejected because some fucker is mad I didn't cite his bullshit unrelated work

>>15245696
Go talk to your professors in person about it. It's totally normal to discuss this stuff with a recommender, remind them who you are, tell them about your accomplishments, etc. Hell, I know of some professors who will just sign off on whatever recommendation you write for yourself.

>>15266259
become gay

question for academia anons - what are some warning signs to watch out for when a department is in trouble and potentially being downsized?

I am at the pinnacle of my career (25 years experience). I know I have always something new to learn but what I something up-and-coming that I can stick my nose into out of interest but please no machine learning or artificial intelligence.

>>15267123
smaller student enrollments at department and university overall is a warning sign. Probably the biggest IMO. If people start leaving then maybe they know something you know. Rankings of department (i.e. US #5 Elec Eng to #15) may mean something but it doesn't mean a whole lot if the classes are packed.

>>15267325
Critical race theory

>>15267123
Locking up the stationery cupboard is a huge red flag in industry and academia.

>>15267381
Unironically this, knowing some of the lingo is actually really useful, especially academia.

The same way you can sense kikery without needing to check their early life section on wikipedia, the zogbots can sense your power level, so you got to know how to throw them off your trail.

My go-to is talking about equity, like at a meeting when they talk about equality I'll comment something along the lines of "Hi folks, I think it's really great that we're having this conversation because it's really important, but I just want to make sure that we address equity as well" it works every damn time, the bluehaired hamplanets all start nodding affirmatively, I don't have to say or do anything the rest of the meeting, and they don't suspect a thing.

>>15267381
>>15267515
its honestly not bad advice. I like larping at work too so it will be fun but gotta make sure I don't lay on the gimmick too think or it will be obvious

How do I become a Research Assistant for a Top-secret, government-funded research facility?

>>15267325
look into defenses for speculative execution side channel attacks and implementations of physical unclonable functions

>>15252725
>I have been to the top of CS and I've yet to meet someone who actually makes 250k, I have a feeling all the articles are lies but take my opinions as anecdotal from a young person who doesn't have a job
then what the fuck are you doing? i'm a mechanical engineer and i have two CS friends that are at FAANG companies clearing 300k right now

>>15267515
interesting. where do you work? i could never subject myself to such an environment

>>15267643
why?

what's a high profile stem job that impacts the world significantly but also pays well
I've trained my brain to like anything, so no worries there

>>15267643
I work in a national security related defense contractor position , I can answer questions about how my resume etc if youd like ?