Which should I pick? Astronomer or teacher?

Question

I am ready for college and have always loved science. Now, I 100% amazed by astronomy and would love to be able to study it all the time. But my father, my grandfather, and my great grandfather all taught high school science. I would love to be a teacher just because it i awesome also.... Which is the better field?

Answer 1

teaching astronomy would be the best choice.

I was lucky because I taught astronomy to people who needed astronomy in their jobs, but were not astronomers (they were navigators)

Answer 2

Well, both are admirable, but I wonder if is there a way that you could merge those two careers together. I am a math teacher that was in the business field right out of college. I found that it wasn't the life for me, a little dull and stodgy. For me the choice to do teaching was I could use my creativity, there is a end to my year... every year, a do over the next year and working with students is a blast...just to name a few. I would suggest you think about what "type" of career fits your personality the best. You want to love job, you will be doing it a long time. Good luck in school and enjoy your math classes :)

Answer 3

I think you should focus on a physics undergraduate degree with an education minor attached so that if you want to teach you can get the certificate. Both education and physics should be under the same college at whichever university you attend. My dad was a math major who ended up just grabbing his teaching certificate in his senior year. He taught for a while and then joined the Air Force as a finance guy. I was a math major who works for NASA now. Don't worry too much at the beginning what you study.

Answer 4

I think you have to make a decision about the kind of lifestyle you want. Teachers do not make very much money, but they do get a lot of satisfaction from their jobs and also summers off! Most teachers have to do work at home - correcting papers etc which you probably already know about so that is something to consider. I don't know a lot about astronomy but this website: http://www.astronomy.com/ASY/CS/forums/266470/ShowPost.aspx
offers a discussion about how much astronomers make and about their lifestyle. Try to picture yourself in the future, what material things are important to you and what you really want to gain from your professional life.
I have a job that I am very good at and enjoy, but make very little money doing. I still like it, but wish I would have considered this more when I got into the field.
Also - it looks like good jobs in astronomy require a PhD and a basic public school teacher only needs 4 years education. Something to consider too!
Good Luck!

Answer 5

There are 1000 teachers for every astronomer, so it is much harder to be the latter.

Go for the astronomy (you need physics and math at a high level) and if you don't make it, be a teacher.

One other thing: you can be an amateur astronomer and still make a contribution and indulge your passion. You cannot be an amateur teacher.

Answer 6

Try for Astronomy, although there are relatively few positions, so only the best get the jobs, but you can have teaching as a fall back alternative, and get credit for the work you have done: check this out first with your proposed college; it may affect your decision on which one to attend.

Answer 7

hi! that's great you have have been given such hobbies and severe aspirations. i could attempt to excel in each thing, if I have been you, to maintain your innovations open. save discovering your astronomy by books and the internet, in case you have have been given a telescope use it, and pay attention in Physics :) A social worker could be reliable in case you have have been given reliable human beings skills, i.e. reliable communication skills, working with little ones, worrying, can take care of circumstances, can understand others, staying power...you could desire to coach once you're older. consistent with possibility coaching oftentimes happening college is your element? Are you having making a music instructions? once you're severe approximately music, i could get them. only remember, in spite of in case you do no longer substitute right into a expert singer you could constantly take exhilaration in it as a interest. Please flunk your different subjects and press all your hopes on the right music-remember in ordinary terms the luckiest and the best are interior the organization. that's available, in spite of the fact that that's unrealistic, yet decide for it in case you have a great pastime for music. Do you like performing or being on degree? think of roughly it and connect an area theatre group :) lady, only attempt puzzling in each thing you do and function exciting, connect lots of golf equipment and function exciting, do no longer rigidity approximately it. definitely, a lot of human beings don't be attentive to what they'll do with their lives whilst they're lots older! in spite of the fact that that's great you're having techniques. reliable success! desire I helped. :)

Answer 8

Go for Astronomy and discover great things man!

Answer 9

You can do both you know. You could be an astronomer and later in life retire to teach.

Answer 10

Well....if it were me, I'd pick Teacher because you have more career opportunities there than if you chose astronomer. with being a teacher you can have a job in any college, high school, middle school, or elementary school, whereas astronomer is limited to observitories.