What Careers Blend Physics, Geography, and Nature Without Heavy Physical Labor?

[starrygirl]

I'm graduating from high school and I have no idea what my job should be or if a suitable even exists.

I'd really like a job that allows me to be away from civilization and in nature for extended periods of time. It absolutely does not matter where. Problem is, those jobs usually involve physical labor and all-male teams and I'm a woman. I like working with my brain rather than hands, I'd really like there to be some sort of scientific component to what I do or for some kind of thought and analysis to be involved at least. A sense of achievement rather than routine.

I don't mix well with biology, when it comes to chemical formulas and molecules I'm lost because I totally suck at chemistry, too. I like physics and geography.

So what should I do or study? Your suggestions would be very appreciated :)

 

[chill_factor]

I'm just joking but you can join the army and work onsite for missile early warning radars.

You'll definitely be far away from civilization in some frozen island in Alaska or in the middle of the desert.

You'll definitely be working with your brain at a computer terminal all day.

You'll definitely need to know physics for that.

Best part is, it's not that hard to get in. The army is always short of people that *absolutely love to* staff early warning radars.

But if that's not what you had in mind as an ideal career, maybe lower your expectations...

 

[mayonaise]

http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/usajobs.cfm

Maybe take a look at the list?

 

[starrygirl]

I'm not from the US, or anywhere near US for that matter. And I am intending on uni education. And joining the US army might just be a problem, too:D

I don't think my expectations are high, either. Not like I want a huge salary for doing nothing like oh so many higher-level people get. Trust me, I wish I was a people person. But I'm just...Not. I'm a nature person. So if anyone's out there with a clue go ahead and give me some suggestions :)

 

[chill_factor]

I'm not from the US, or anywhere near US for that matter. And I am intending on uni education. And joining the US army might just be a problem, too:D

I don't think my expectations are high, either. Not like I want a huge salary for doing nothing like oh so many higher-level people get. Trust me, I wish I was a people person. But I'm just...Not. I'm a nature person. So if anyone's out there with a clue go ahead and give me some suggestions :)

There's 3 other countries with missile defense programs, haha.

Ok, joking aside, being a guide is pretty good but it doesn't involve physics. If you're fine with being a guide for tourists and the physical labor that it involves, then that's a decent career.

But if you absolutely insist on working with your brains only away from civilization, the only 5 things that I can think of are:

1.) Oil and gas exploration
2.) Astronomy
3.) Environmental monitoring
4.) Field biology
5.) Missile radars

Problem is this: 1 is almost 100% male. 2-4 require PHDs.

 

[starrygirl]

Guides manage tourists. It sounds like pretty much my nightmare. I'd have to talk to not just people, but to groups of people.

Oil and gas is a wide area, I was hoping for names of jobs, I can do the rest with google.

All men is not actually so much a problem as long as the reason for it being all men isn't that it requires bear strength. I'm not a weakling or anything like that, but I can't do physical labor all day long.

 

[chill_factor]

Guides manage tourists. It sounds like pretty much my nightmare. I'd have to talk to not just people, but to groups of people.

Oil and gas is a wide area, I was hoping for names of jobs, I can do the rest with google.

All men is not actually so much a problem as long as the reason for it being all men isn't that it requires bear strength. I'm not a weakling or anything like that, but I can't do physical labor all day long.

Oil and gas exploration - exploration geophysicist/geologist for example. Petroleum engineering's nice too but that might involve being the only woman among 100 men on an oil rig for a few months.

 

[Astronuc]

I'm graduating from high school and I have no idea what my job should be or if a suitable even exists.

I'd really like a job that allows me to be away from civilization and in nature for extended periods of time. It absolutely does not matter where. Problem is, those jobs usually involve physical labor and all-male teams and I'm a woman. I like working with my brain rather than hands, I'd really like there to be some sort of scientific component to what I do or for some kind of thought and analysis to be involved at least. A sense of achievement rather than routine.

I don't mix well with biology, when it comes to chemical formulas and molecules I'm lost because I totally suck at chemistry, too. I like physics and geography.

So what should I do or study? Your suggestions would be very appreciated :)

I'm not from the US, or anywhere near US for that matter. And I am intending on uni education. And joining the US army might just be a problem, too:D

I don't think my expectations are high, either. Not like I want a huge salary for doing nothing like oh so many higher-level people get. Trust me, I wish I was a people person. But I'm just...Not. I'm a nature person. So if anyone's out there with a clue go ahead and give me some suggestions :)

Possibly agronomy or soil science, or forestry science, or marine science might work. There may be some requirement though on chemistry and/or biology, but more so for plants than animals.

Conservation and restoration programs are another possibility.

 

[StatGuy2000]

I'm not from the US, or anywhere near US for that matter. And I am intending on uni education. And joining the US army might just be a problem, too:D

I don't think my expectations are high, either. Not like I want a huge salary for doing nothing like oh so many higher-level people get. Trust me, I wish I was a people person. But I'm just...Not. I'm a nature person. So if anyone's out there with a clue go ahead and give me some suggestions :)

If you don't mind my asking, where are you from?

 

[turbo]

I'm graduating from high school and I have no idea what my job should be or if a suitable even exists.

I'd really like a job that allows me to be away from civilization and in nature for extended periods of time. It absolutely does not matter where. Problem is, those jobs usually involve physical labor and all-male teams and I'm a woman. I like working with my brain rather than hands, I'd really like there to be some sort of scientific component to what I do or for some kind of thought and analysis to be involved at least. A sense of achievement rather than routine.

I don't mix well with biology, when it comes to chemical formulas and molecules I'm lost because I totally suck at chemistry, too. I like physics and geography.

So what should I do or study? Your suggestions would be very appreciated :)

What would you like your future job to be? "Working with your hands" does not necessarily equate to grueling labor, and there are lots of jobs in which you need to use your brain in the field and back in the office, too. I advised another poster with similar desires that being a local (state) biologist in fisheries might be very satisfying. Survey fish populations, estimate biomass (both for food and beneficial fish), run hatcheries, and oversee stocking operations. In the winter, biologists (up here in this cold environment) generally accompany wardens out on the ice to document the size and weight of the fish caught through the ice. I love the outdoors (and hunting and fishing) and being a biologist for the state fish and game department might have been a good fit.

Life is full of "what-ifs", so get out to job fairs if they are available and see what jobs are out there. When I was a pup, Unity College (Maine) hadn't gotten it's feet wet, so I ended up going to a land-grant college studying engineering. With similar choices today, I'd pick Unity in a heartbeat. They graduate a lot of wardens, biologists, foresters, etc. That would have been a whole lot more fun than beating up my knees on concrete floors in paper mills and spending weeks away from home at a time consulting for other mills. Good luck, however you choose, but please examine your options.