FAQ
A contribution of The Cephalopod Page
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Hello James, or should I call you Dr. Wood, I am a junior in high school, I live in California. Last year in my biology class we watched a discovery channel movie on cephalopods. I was so intrigued by these animals that I started considering studying them in college. Right now is the time to be thinking about the future. I wanted to know if there's anywhere in California to study cephalopods? Do you personally think it makes a good living? I think someone should only consider going into this field if they truly have a passion for these animals. Do you agree? Thanks for considering these questions, it would be greatly appreciated to see your response. |
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| Dr. Caldwell is in the California system and works on blue ring octopuses among other things. His address is in the directory on CephBase. Dr. Caldwell is an active TCP contributor; you can see his images and a popular article by him on the page. Also you can look up information on other cephalopod workers in the US. Keep in mind there aren't lots of us! I personally think that being a scientist is very competitive, that you will most likely need at least a masters, and that the pay, job security and strain on relationships isn't the best considering the amount of education and sacrifices needed. I also think I have one of the most interesting and fun jobs on the planet and I'm quite happy with my chosen field. I actually look forward to going to work every day - not too many people can say that! If you are after making a $$$ good living, there are much easier ways. If you love marine animals and science and want a job where you discover and see things for the first time EVER, then consider it. Personally, I agree with you that someone should only go into this field if they truly have a passion for these animals. Though others may disagree. At your stage I was interested in many animals, most, but not all were marine. It wasn't until my junior year at UF that I decided to go for cephalopods; you have sometime to make that decision. Right now you need to be deciding if you want to pursue a biology, zoology or marine biology or similar degree or if you want to go for an easier degree and make some money (economics followed by an MBA for example). Any general degree in a biology related field would be fine. Also, keep in mind that you aren't likely to get much "octopus time" in your course work. Mostly you will be taking general classes - just like in high school although the structure would be different. Anything you do with octopuses will likely be done as a volunteer in someone's lab or as the subject of an occasional report for some class. I recommend that you seek these opportunities out. The big difference at University is that you really are on your own. No one can make you study or is going to care if you do or not and there will be LOTS of distractions. You are an adult and you must set your own priorities. The question is, do you have the discipline to handle the freedom and get your job (doing well in school) done? Also, please keep in mind that lots of people want to be marine biologists, most of them want to work on whales but have no clue. You will need to keep your grades up and distinguish yourself anyway you can. In addition to grades, volunteering in a lab that works on octopuses would be the best way to do so. I didn't have that opportunity as an undergraduate so I learned what I could on my own and started writing aquarium articles. My CV is online if you would like to see how I made it to where I am. Your mileage may vary. Graduate school is where it really gets fun and you can start to specialize. Best wishes. If it is in your heart, go for it! Consider yourself personally invited to join Ceph-List, my cephalopod list server. Dr. James Wood |