I open up myself to my family including my relatives and my friends. That I've decided on taking a BS Bio, then proceed my masters in Marine bio. So then they questioned about my career-to-be that "where would you get a job?" "medicine get paid more than marine biologists" "you love computers, why not computer engineer or something?". I say, whether people would want to change your mind, don't. Do what you want to do, pursue it, then love it.
I'm very happy to hear you are pursuing what you want! I think that it is useful to listen to other people's opinions, and critically think about what they have to say. Sometimes people have some good advice and input. But after reflecting on what you are told and what you want, the ultimate decision has to come from you, and from what you think is right.
My university let’s me choose subjects specific to marine biology within the biology bachelor. We also have a lot of lab work and field work so that we can understand what it’s actually like to work as a biologist. I think that’s part of the problem with most universities. You learn a lot about the subject without knowing what the actual career will be like at the end.
Hi Kristen. That is great! That is definitely what I missed during my undergrad studies. Universities and teachers are still very connected to this more one-sided lecture sort of teaching method, which nowadays, especially in scientific fields, can be very off-putting and misleading.
Hey Kirsten May I ask at which University you study? The programm sounds awesome:) Would love to study Marine Biology but miss the field work experiences at most Universities I had a look at. Thank you
today, I just doubt myself, I just kinda almost regret to choose majoring in marine science and dreaming to become a marine biologist.. but then this video is up and i was likeee oh yass here is the answerrr, lol. I believe that there is no coincidence😭😭 thankyou for making this video❤
Thank you so much for your sweet message. It is normal to doubt and it is also OK to change, as long as you feel like you are making the correct choices for you. Good luck with everything!
@@Seamemaria 0 thanks for a bit'o'the personal. In the early 1960s I would beg my mom's new husband to take me'n'Doug to Palos Verdes - tidepools! Tidepool ecology is amazing. Guitar and women don't go together for weaklings like me. Same with nature talking. L.A. women are learning to walk barefoot in the chapparrell . Kidding . I teach barefootin'. It can be dangerous at the wrong tempo. Biology is the "field". The field teems with life, visible or not. Biology rocks. The Ocean rocks. I tell the surfers not to pollute with cars and they throw beercans at me. Unopened. Gotta be brave, woman.
Thanks for this, really I'm finishing my first year of biology at university in order to study marine biology and I am feeling the same way as you did. I know that a lot of students who have the same goals as me, are feeling the same way, and it's sad because biology is such an interesting field This channel gives hope and remember me to keep following my dream! Thanks to you :)
As a senior high school student and a huge supporter of the work you do, this is like words of wisdom! Other peoples experiences inspire me and help me look in other places for a career.
Love your story so much! I just finished my bachelors in integrated studies (my university in FL offers this which lets you plan out every course you take) focusing on climate change and I am having no luck finding job opportunities. I have always wanted to pursue marine science, but I had a very hard time with chemistry, calculus and physics which turned me away from pursuing science although I am a scuba diver with a passion for the ocean from a young age. Since I couldn't get through these basic science/math courses I do not qualify to try for a masters in marine science so I've been having a hard time figuring out how to further my education. Similarly to you I have many interests- mine including climate change, ocean conservation, shark biology, policy, diving, etc so it's really upsetting to give up on this dream because I'm not the best at math and science courses aside from biology. I am currently researching masters programs I could do that are related to the ocean, and am having no luck, but am considering law school for environmental law or a masters in global sustainability. Congratulations on your PhD, you are absolutely living my dream!
I hope you found something. I am living this heart breaking realization right now that....I probably wouldn't be able to stay in IL even with my experience in research in invasive species in the Great Lakes. The job prospects, I've seen, are often only temporary, all around the country, and underpaid for living. Unfortunately, I need to live so...now I'm trying to figure out what I can do that gives me job security. I have been told I'm good at explaining complex science topics in a palatable way, but idk of that can be used in a career.
Up until 12th grade I was going to follow Marine Biology in Algarve as i loved animals and the ocean, ended up studying Digital Media in England because of family's concerns with career opportunities. Always fear i might have done the wrong choice when i watch videos like yours xd. Thanks for the videos Maria, love to see portuguese representing our country out there!
I just want to say thanks so much for making videos like these. I find your experience and advice extremely useful. I just finished my second year at University in the US and I am struggling with many of the same questions about Marine Bio that you talk about. There are very few places that I have found that offer good first-hand knowledge and advice like your channel does. Keep up the great content!
i read a story on reddit awhile ago about purpose that i thought was very interesting. i don't remember it word-for-word, but it went something like: "imagine it's saturday night. you just got home from working 100 hours a week for seven days. you're exhausted, physically, mentally, you don't want to eat, shower, or do anything except sleep. you don't care if the world is burning around you, you just want to rest. all of a sudden your phone rings - it's your boss: "hey, we have an emergency and need you to come in. i know you've been working all week, but we'd appreciate it if you could come in. can you make it?" if your answer is yes, then you've found your calling. i've personally found it to be true, having done jobs i've hated, felt indifferent about, and now finally, a job i like.
I chose to study Marine Biology BSc in Scotland but I have changed to Biological Sciences BSc for my third year of study (we do 4 years in total at Scottish unis). I changed course because I felt worried that I wouldn't enjoy the more specific and compulsory marine modules in third year - or that I wouldn't be good at them - and then I would have no choice but to continue doing something I wasn't enjoying/doing well at, or drop out. Now I can choose to do marine modules as my electives, so I can "dip a toe" in Marine Biology without having to "dive in". I've since spoken to people who studied Biological Sciences and went on to do Marine Biology for their career! Which is really reassuring for me as it was a scary decision to make, I too have wanted to be a Marine Biologist since I was a little girl but only now have started to question my career path. Anyway, vent over! I love your videos❤️
It took me seven years out of college and in the professional world to realise what I wanted. I just started going back to my uni for data science. I go to an international university located in multiple countries and here in the US. It wasn’t until recently that I realised the rigorous curriculum was designed to prepare us to work internationally. I an forever grateful for this experience.
I had the exact same experience as you starting university, it felt like high school and it's kinda putting me off pursuing a career in science :( now I'm finishing my bachelor's degree in Erasmus and I really don't know what I'm gonna do after that. Thank you for sharing your experience, I'm happy everything turned out well for you and I am hopeful I'll find my way somehow :) I also really resonate with what you said at 19:00. Sometimes I look back and wish I had done things differently, but I try to remember that I made the best possible choice for me at that time with what knowledge I had and who I was.
I'm sorry to hear you are loosing the excitement in science. I think some uni programs are simply not well planned and sometimes very one-sided and not practical enough. In the end everything works out one way or the other. I wish you a lot of luck and enjoy the rest of Erasmus! =D
I’m so happy for you!!! Congrats on your PhD!!!🎉🎉🎉 And thank you for this video. It is really comforting to know that you had your doubts & still made it where you are today. I will be starting my Master’s in the Fall working in a freshwater ecology lab. Marine biology is still my goal but I think that even though I will be working with freshwater ecosystems, I will be able to transfer my knowledge to the marine field later & find a way to incorporate my freshwater studies into marine biology. Like you said, I am just trying to do what feels right & trust that it will bring me down the right path🙂
I am literally living in Lisbon for 4 years and just decided that I do want to go for marine biology (I am 29) and just found your channel! I see it as a sign!
oh woww the one video I did not watch is the one I needed the most 😪. Amazzzzinggggg video. I could relate so much about the doubting of marine biology because of other opinionsss.
I was self-doubting on whether I should do PhD in marine field 'cause obviously family would say it's hard to find job in that field .But if I won't be doing something for ocean what will I do ,I don't see any other future me . Thanks for the video which popped up at the correct time , doubts won't get clear that easily but now I feel more determined than ever :)
Hi Maria!!!!☺ I really liked watching this. I think it's really inspirational to see how you're still happy even though where you go after your PhD is a little unclear. It's really encouraging!!! In a way, it's assuring that marine biology is what I really want to do, and that doing what you're passionate about is what truely makes you happy, which is really important for everyone to know😊. Anyway goodluck with what comes next!!! Great video!!!😄❤
16:00 Exactly! That's what I'm trying to convey also, but many fresh students just don't know about these options. All they have in mind is a lab coat and being locked up for hours in the lab (science in general). Looking forward to see where you end up in. A PhD comes with a lot of soft skills you can market! If needed, check out Cheeky Scientist (on RU-vid) as well, good resource to transition from academia to industry. PS: I have also bought the Ikea shark, it's just waaaaay too cute to not bring home :D
Parabéns Maria. Estou muito orgulho por ouvir tais experiências de uma countryman/woman (? Does that even exist 😂)! Força! Continua, o rumo é teu… luta e trabalha sempre towards your goal. E, principalmente, sê feliz no que fazes. ♥️ Ganhaste mais um seguidor
I really love your channel. It really helps me understand what marine biology is really like and all the different opportunities. As a person who wants to be a marine biologist in the future it's really reassuring. I am still in high school and I recently did a paper on what job I want to pursue. I found myself stumped while researching for my paper. I was confused on what each job does because the articles I read didn't give specific answers. I was also stuck on choosing one specific job in the whole feild of marine biology. Your channel really helped me with my paper, and even now after I've finished it. Thank you so much!
Hey! Loved your opinnion about your career. After I finished my bachelor in Marine Science in Canary Islands decided to quit the researcher path because how much difficult was to study and sustain yourself as you are not paid. However nothing stops you and every path is good if you focus on your objective. Good luck with your post doctorate life 🤙😁
Thank you for the comment! Unfortunately in Spain things are also not super bright in research. But you are surrounded by the sea, and you can always satiate your love by going for a snorkel
I remember when I was 8 I saw the movie free willy for the first time. That's when I decided I wanted to be a marine biologist. When I got to highschool I took all the classes I needed to fulfill my dream. Sadly I got involved partying a short time later and dropped out in my senior year. Now I'm 36 and I look back on that thinking I wish I would have kept going toward my goal.
I love your videos! They are so to the point and very informative. I'm an aspiring marine biologist too. I have the same biology in undergrad background. I plan to take my studies to a PhD. Thank you for putting yourself out there and being my inspiration 😍
Such a great video. I really appreciate the part of you sharing the struggles you went through when you were doing your Bsc and Msc, about doubts and insecurity. Thank you Maria!
hi, ^^ I just wanted to thank you for your video cause I am currently doing a biology bachelor in Belgium (repeating my first year too actually) and I just have sooo many doubts right now about what I should do... I've also always been an ocean lover, my dream was to become a marine biologist for so long but now I'm just completely lost cause I keep failing all my classes (except the biology one) and by that I mean: math, physics, and chemistry... sometimes I just ask myself what am I still doing here ? Maybe this isn't just for me... but it hurts me to think this way though, cause i feel like I'm giving up on something that could maybe make me happy in the future... anyway, your video helped me because I felt less alone when you talked about the doubts you had too in the past, so thank you :) Edit: Just want to let you know that I just got my grades and I finally succeeded my first year! one step closer to my goal! Thank you again cause your video really gave me motivation
I studied biology in Kiel and here we have an Institut called Geomar where you can do your Marine Biology Master. Since I only did my biology Master I never where in the institute itself but I have heard good things about it. They have two or three boats that they use to collect data from the baltic. Kiel is by the sea so they do longterm Observations. So if anyone is looking for an opportunity maybe this could je an Option for one of you. Hugs!
A lot of kids today are so not into science which is sad. Geology is interesting to me. I like earthquakes and volcanoes so that would be so cool to research.
I see some kids interested in science, but I wouldn't mind if there were more. We are curious by nature, we just need to foster that curiosity in kids :)
I agree science is so interesting. You can learn something new all the time. You could be the person that discovers a cure for some disease, to make our life better, etc.
I'm landlocked in the deserts of the US, but my passion has always been for marine biology. I love microbiology as well. Do you think it would hurt opportunities for a Ph.D in marine science if I pursued a Master's in microbio while I'm at my current uni? Love your channel.
Wow, thank you for this! I'm a newly qualified biologist in South Africa and would love to get into marine education and conservation, no plan on furthering my studies, but I am struggling to find work opportunities as there are only internships that I can apply for, which are obviously very expensive and i want to be able to earn an income while doing what I love... would you have any advice on how to do this without doing an internship? Thank you
Hi Robert! Unfortunately that is the unfortunate truth about this field. It will be difficult to get a paid job without experience. So usually people do a lot of volunteer-based work before getting a paid job. I would definitely look for one in which you don't have to pay for it. Talk to your professors, ask around, send emails to organizations you would like to work with asking if you can work or volunteer there. It will also be a great opportunity to meet people. Sorry I couldn't really be much of help. Good luck! 💪
Whats the typical age you are people coming into the field? I joined the military after highschool and I'm coming up on 6 years. If I choose to get out, I'll be sitting at 9 years, but have considered staying in a little bit longer. I figured out I wanted to pursue marine biology about 2 years ago. I'm turning 24 here soon and I'm just hoping I'm not coming into the game late.
So coming to the end of your PhD, is science something you want to pursue? I'm starting my MSc in Marine Biology next year and I'm just finishing my BSc dissertation right now. It's interesting, I love the topic but ultermately I'm not sure if I want to be writing these types if documents for the rest of my life... Some people say being a scientist is just writting dissertations/thesis' for the rest of your life and that kind of puts me off... What's your opinion on this?
Hi Ethan. I still have not really decided what I will do. There is also the possibility of doing science in a non-academic environment , however that is an option I have yet to explore. Regarding papers, yes, if you pursue science as a career you will need to constantly share you scientific findings, and you do that through writing research papers. That is not the only part of as scientist's career, but it is one of them. I personally enjoy writing, so writing papers is not that terrible for me. It is also very gratifying to see your research being published after spending so much time on it. I hope this helped
@@SeamemariaThanks Maria! Also I'm a bit worried about the nature of scientific work I want to do. I've focused heavily on molecular biology and bioinformatics with the hope's of applying them to ecology and conservation, barcoding, eDNA ect... because these are the areas I think are cool and also most likely get funding over the next few years. Turns out I'm not particularly good at coding and after a lab internship last summer I didn't enjoy that as much as I thought either... In your experience did you learn to enjoy some of the areas you didn't originally like when applied to the right subject? That's kind of what I'm banking on 😬😂
@@ethanr9080 Don't pursue something if you are not passionate about it on a broader scale.Because,often,you don't always get to research on your desired topic but something else that a better chance of securing a funding...Speaking from my experience as a marine researcher.Ciao;)
How many years does it take because I thought about going back and doing it. One reason being for my children to show them it's never too late. But like I said I'm 36 already
Hello Maria. I've been searching for answers for 2 years about this strange shell I found long ago. I've done research for months on end and I can't find anything like it. Could you possibly help me identify it? If you would know what it is? It would mean so much to me to get your help. -Savanah
Thank you for sharing this, I'm a photographer, I love the ocean and biology and I want to do marine biology so thar I can do more underwater filming and photography, do you think it makes sense going about it this way or is there a different way and do you know a good school in Germany that I can apply?
Hi Julian. Wildlife photography is awesome, I would definitely like to learn more of it as well. If you learn marine biology, you don't learn anything about underwater photography or filmmaking. If that is what you want then probably something related to videography is more adequate. And at the same time do a diving course 🙂 If you want to study marine biology anyway, then there are some really good unis in the North of Germany, like Bremen, Kiel, Oldenburg. Good luck! 😉
@@Seamemaria Thank you for getting back to me so quickly Maria. I have a strong background in photography but because of my interests in underwater worlds then I feel the need to have some deeper understanding of this environment and the life in it. Thank you for telling me about the universities, that's very helpful and also thank you for all the other videos.
It really depends where you live and the type of PhD one wants. I have a lot of friends who did their PhD in Lisbon. I agree with you that if you have a very specific idea of what you want to study, then statistically it is unlikely that you will find it exactly in the place you live or dream of living.
@@Seamemaria There are outliers, but a PhD should train you to not expect to be an outlier. Unless your locational preference overlaps with a thick labor market for PhDs (the only one I can think of in the US is Washington DC), lack of mobility between jobs also reduces your earnings throughout your career. This is rarely appreciated by folks considering a PhD in my experience
Hello, I hope you can answer this 🥺. So today i need to choose my clases for college and I wanna take marine biologist. I live in Los Ángeles so I’m going to Santa Monica college but they have marine science. Is marine science and marine biology the same? Or can I take marine science and after that transfer to marine biology? What should I do? Or what classes do I have to take? Can you help me out?🥺
Don't choose either..unless you want to be in debt and without a job....Pursue a course that has much better chances of getting employment after like engineering or management.....I'm speaking from my experience after pursuing my bachelor in marine field...I had to switch my field and do other courses to finally land a job.
I’m majoring in biology but i don’t know what to do with it , i would love to set up a skype meeting with you, if you’d like to be my mentor. I’m kind of looking for some guidance and would really appreciate your help !!
Olá, uma dúvida que sempre tive,como uma pessoa que ta a fazer um P.Dh ou um mestrado. Consegue dinheiro para viver enquanto ta fazer isso. Eu quero ser biólogo marinho, mas tenho sempre essas dúvidas. Abraço de Portugal 🇵🇹
Olá Diogo. Depende do país e do programa em que se estiver inscrito. Os mestrados geralmente não são pagos. Na realidade são parte da tua educação e terás de pagar propinas, dependendo do país em que estás a estudar. Quanto ao doutoramento, depende do país. Eu neste momento como estudante de doutoramento na Áustria tenho um contrato que me permite ter uma vida boa. Mas varia muito de país para país. Em Portugal os doutoramentos são geralmente pagos por bolsas, acho que agora são por volta de 1000 euros. Mas depende do programa doutoral também. Espero que isto te tenha ajudado
You mean the gist of the job is someone pays you a million dollars a year to go swimming with dolphins and discover ways that the marine life can save the planet and the economy as long as the economy stops destroying the marine life? All you have to do is spend $350,000 for your degree? With a payout like that they're working with the best and brightest scientists in the world funded by the most genius and financially-sound billionaires what could go wrong? 😂
