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braaaaaaaadley
Mar 16, 2005, 10:03 PM
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I am entering my senior year next fall and its time for me to start looking at graduate schools. I plan on getting a masters degree (maybe even PhD.) in one of the following: geography, environmental science, or maybe even environmental engineering (I have not decided what I want to peruse yet). I am earning a bs in env. science and a ba in geography. Since I am sick of the beach and the east coast in general, I would prefer to go to school out west, (if there are alternatives in the NE I am open to all suggestions) where I plan on living someday. So what are your recommendations for schools with close climbing, a great climbing community, ice climbing, b/c skiing, fly fishing etc. with a close proximity to campus? Also if you have experience in any of these fields of study, any info you could give to a confused college kid that has no clue what he wants to do when he gets out of school would be most appreciated. Thanks in advance!
BTW, right now I am looking at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
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caughtinside
Mar 16, 2005, 10:12 PM
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Have you considered taking time off school before going back? Seriously.
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watchme
Mar 16, 2005, 10:34 PM
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Yeah, graduate school isn't something you just do because you have nothing else to do (well, maybe if you are really sharp, or if you study something easy like education, you can just walk through a PhD).
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jcinco
Mar 16, 2005, 10:55 PM
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In reply to: Yeah, graduate school isn't something you just do because you have nothing else to do (well, maybe if you are really sharp, or if you study something easy like education, you can just walk through a PhD).
I agree. You have to really want to be there when you're in grad school. If you're really that lukewarm about it right now, then I would recommend either an extended roadtrip or some kind of shit job in a cool place. Then you go back to grad school when you can't stand the real world anymore.
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braaaaaaaadley
Mar 16, 2005, 11:03 PM
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To answer all of your questions... I really don't mind school all that much. It beats the hell out of working. Also, My fear is that if I don't do it now, then I will never do it. So I am going to grad school... it just depends on where I go.
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comet
Mar 16, 2005, 11:06 PM
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i'm in a phd program at the moment, and you know, it just isn't as much free time as one might anticipate. i don't regret it--i can't do what i want to do without that degree--but i spend more hours on school than anyone i know with a "real job" does on work. just a thought.
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jcinco
Mar 16, 2005, 11:08 PM
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Well, its gotta be CU then. Year round rock climbing possibilities near town, so you can climb and still have half the day for work.
As for winter sports, the skiing is acceptable, but not great, and you have to brave the nightmare traffic on I-70. Also, there is very little convenient ice climbing to speak of.
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icenwy
Mar 16, 2005, 11:14 PM
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If you are doing the geography/enviro science, maybe check into Laramie. At one point, they had a good geography dept as well as a separated Enviro Nat'l Res dept too. Plus, out of state tuition is cheap, the voo is close, as well as Fremont, Wind Rivers, etc.
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knoxville
Mar 16, 2005, 11:31 PM
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In reply to: If you are doing the geography/enviro science, maybe check into Laramie. At one point, they had a good geography dept as well as a separated Enviro Nat'l Res dept too. Plus, out of state tuition is cheap, the voo is close, as well as Fremont, Wind Rivers, etc.
Some thoughts on grad school, whether you want them or not:
Don't go to an academic (i.e. non-medicine/business/law) grad school if you're not being paid in addition to getting free tuition.
Further, you really want to better define your options because the most important relationships in grad school is the advisor/advisee. It really helps to know what you want to do so you can make informed choices.
Also, and I hate to say this, but you shouldn't be choosing grad school based on what's close to climbing, especially if you're stepping up for a PhD. Yes, find a place that will make you happy but don't choose somewhere if you don't know you'll be happy with the science side also.
And, despite what others said above, while grad school is not a joke, it does leave lots of time for fun outdoors activities. At least in my program, we have a lot of flexibility in our schedule so if I want to go to Yosemite for two days in the middle of the week I can make that time up on the following weekend.
If you're at all interested in environmental science or environmental engineering at Stanford (which is a great place to be for outdoors life), contact me individually.
good luck!
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icenwy
Mar 16, 2005, 11:37 PM
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Knoxville, dunno if you were speaking to me directly or not, but after law school I have hung up any lingering academic aspirations. Other than that, you voiced serious and reasonable concerns for the original poster to consider.
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knoxville
Mar 16, 2005, 11:40 PM
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icenwy--I just picked up on your quote about out-of-state tuition. I didn't fully understand the economics of grad school when I was first applying and just wanted to throw that out there.
After finishing my masters, I too am through with any academic aspirations.
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icenwy
Mar 16, 2005, 11:46 PM
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After I posted my last one that was the conclusion I was leaning towards.
I'll tell you this though, if I saw your post six years ago (about contacting you), I might not be doing what I am. (nahhh, I was stuck where I was back then) Very courteous of you.
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mainline
Mar 16, 2005, 11:58 PM
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Some good schools for climbing:
Montana State - Hylite canyon (great ice), Gallatin Canyon (Rock)
University of Montana - Sawtooths, Butte etc...
UC Boulder
UW Laramie- Vedauwoo
University of Utah
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mainline
Mar 17, 2005, 12:03 AM
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Just thought I'd mention that Jackson Wyoming is exploring the possibility of creating a graduate school for business. They want to take advantage of all of the major business leaders that already live here with the hope that it will attract more entrepreneurs and more money and jobs to Wyoming. It's still a few years away though.
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watchme
Mar 17, 2005, 12:29 AM
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I should clarify my postion:
I started a PhD in mathematics after finishing a masters because I had nothing else going on. I lasted about 2 years before I realized I didn't want to work that hard anymore.
All I can speak for is mathematics/physics, but graduate school is way harder than undergrad. I mean, way harder. As an undergraduate, as long as you work hard, you'll earn a degree. As a grad student, you need talent, tons of motivation, and very thick skin. But, hey, go for it.
I was attending MSU-Bozeman for grad school. A nice school with some great climbing nearby. Can't say I did too much of it while I was there, though. School took up most of my time.
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slobmonster
Mar 17, 2005, 1:23 AM
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Another "Brad White"! I know two besides you.
I studied geography at the undergraduate level, and never took the next step towards a graduate-level education. Instead, I moved to a little ski town in Colorado, and since then I've moved back and forth across the country at least twice, barely sustaining a positive bank balance most of the time. Did I get to climb a lot? Yes. Regrets? Also, yes. As your query implies, you worry that if you don't make the transition NOW, you never will. And you might be right.
Check out these schools, all with excellent geography departments:
-Colo State Ft Collins, the state's Natural Heritage program is run there
-UC Boulder, excellent geography department. INCAAR, etc. NOAA is right down the road. Lots of cutting edge GIS
-U Utah
-Montana State, Bozeman
-U Wisconsin, Madison... if you can get in. There must be some climbing nearby.
Good luck. Don't blow it, take your GREs, find some professor somewhere with whom you want to work.
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crackmd
Mar 17, 2005, 1:32 AM
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I went to med school at Univ of Nevada, Reno. Those were some of my finest days with easy access to all the Lake Tahoe climbing and skiing as well as the Sierra Eastside (Bishop and High Sierra) and Tuolumne Meadows. Many a day, I would bust out of class or the hospital at 3pm and blast up to Donner Summit for a 3 hour summer cragging session. UNR does have numerous grad programs; I'm not sure if they have the niche you are looking for though.
In contrast to prior posts, I believe that you can "live for the day" yet concomittantly still be planning for your future. Best of luck!
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braaaaaaaadley
Mar 18, 2005, 2:05 AM
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Thanks to all of you that posted especially slobmonster and knoxville. I will def. look into these schools.
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