[Unknown Target]

i can see it now, the hlp hippy compound. only if we can smoke gange all day, harvest grain to make bosch beer, form a modding cult. im all for it, so long as someone else contributes the illegal drugs.

I responded to a similar sort of sentiment in another thread...let me find the link...

EDIT: Found it:

http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=75573.msg1497429#msg1497429

The hippies were stupid.

It's not a hippie pipe dream to have functioning, stable communities wherein people work together for the common good and are able to sustain their own settlement via methods that don't rape the environment around them.
But in the US, everyone kind of just assumes that working and living together in communities ("communes") automatically equals hippies - even forgetting the country's own history with local townships, settler posts, and native american tribes. No, everyone remembers a bunch of long haired stoners with extraordinarily bad fashion sense.

That all being said, I do hold the belief that most all drugs should be legalized, and age limits placed as to where the person is given the legal option to choose to use the drug or not. If we can have 21 (way, way too old - stupidly so) for alcohol, why not something similar for other drugs?

[Retsof]

Well, Every job I've had (i think 3 so far) I have acquired through someone I know that works there.  It's not what you know, it's who you know.  Application spamming never seemed to work for me.

[Kosh]

i can see it now, the hlp hippy compound. only if we can smoke gange all day, harvest grain to make bosch beer, form a modding cult. im all for it, so long as someone else contributes the illegal drugs.

I responded to a similar sort of sentiment in another thread...let me find the link...

EDIT: Found it:

http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=75573.msg1497429#msg1497429

The hippies were stupid.

It's not a hippie pipe dream to have functioning, stable communities wherein people work together for the common good and are able to sustain their own settlement via methods that don't rape the environment around them.
But in the US, everyone kind of just assumes that working and living together in communities ("communes") automatically equals hippies - even forgetting the country's own history with local townships, settler posts, and native american tribes. No, everyone remembers a bunch of long haired stoners with extraordinarily bad fashion sense.

That all being said, I do hold the belief that most all drugs should be legalized, and age limits placed as to where the person is given the legal option to choose to use the drug or not. If we can have 21 (way, way too old - stupidly so) for alcohol, why not something similar for other drugs?

Read the reply below it.

[Snail]

Good music though.

[Mustang19]

Take some more Yahoo News.

The nation's economic upheaval has been especially hard on young people trying to start their working lives with a high school education or less. In a new Associated Press-Viacom survey, only about a third of the 18- to 24-year-olds who aren't in school said they have full-time jobs.

Well that made me feel a little better about myself.

[Sushi]

I haven't really started applying yet (it's taken a while to psych myself up to it), but I have been poking around, and I haven't really seen much of anything that fits the concept of what I'd like to do.  Exactly what can you do with a B.S. in Physics and the desire for research-type lab work, anyway?

Pretty sure that if you want to research professionally, your best bet is a PhD, especially for something like Physics. Assuming you are still in college (your post makes it sound like you're getting towards the end of a B.S.) I would recommend asking your professors for career advice ASAP.

[Mongoose]

No, I've actually been out of college for two years now.  And given how that experience went, you couldn't pay me enough to go back for a Masters, let alone a Ph.D, at least not right now.

[Thaeris]

That said Mongoose, what are your hobbies (aside from games)? Perhaps you ought to see if you can make use of the knowledge you have paired with your interests. You might even be able to create something useful.

[Astronomiya]

No, I've actually been out of college for two years now.  And given how that experience went, you couldn't pay me enough to go back for a Masters, let alone a Ph.D, at least not right now.

If it was the classes that got you down, grad school is way different from undergrad.  It'll be more classes for a couple years, but they have much less importance than they once did.  And the rest of the time, you WILL be doing research if you enroll in a Ph.D. program.  Besides which, any reputable program (i.e., one that gives out Ph.D.'s, usually not the terminal masters programs) will pay you to go to school (nowadays usually between $22-32k a year, depending on cost of living).  All this is presuming you live in the US, mind.  Not sure how it is in other countries.

If you really don't want to go back and get a graduate degree, basic R&D may be out of reach, but you can do basically any other job you want, honestly.  Doesn't matter if it's engineering, programming, or whatever else.

[General Battuta]

Do not do a terminal masters.

[Mongoose]

That said Mongoose, what are your hobbies (aside from games)? Perhaps you ought to see if you can make use of the knowledge you have paired with your interests. You might even be able to create something useful.

Amusingly, I just had a therapist say pretty much exactly that a bit earlier today.

[JCDNWarrior]

On the subject of the recovery in the USA, didnt they call it a 'jobless recovery'?

At any rate, here in the Netherlands the economy isnt doing too good too, Dollar and Euro both seem to be in trouble, but i managed to get hired two days ago at a pretty good company in a medium sized city, and i'm very grateful for that too. Been trying for quite a while too, but with help of a contact it worked out. Seems the best way to find a job now, in Europe and the USA is to try to find contacts to bring you forward, and/or try to work from the bottom upwards in a company.

Reading that many people here, talented people that develop great stuff, have such trouble finding a suitable job.. Makes me want to be a millionaire and hire you all to produce stuff you want, to release

But ah. Looks like it's definitely a good idea to make sure you got enough food supplies to last for months or years, to invest in such basic needs to make sure you dont end up in the bread lines. We got those here in some of the larger cities, tens of thousands of people for many years now - It's not a pretty sight.

So definitely take care to prepare for worse to come, since hearing this makes me rather fearful for you guys over there.

EDIT: Also, college was a waste of time for me. I didnt get in debts but I would definitely not advice going to college, uni, etc if that means getting into debt. Also if you are able to work up inside a company you can get a lot more experience in the meantime, in my opinion. Should be worth considering though.

[CP5670]

If it was the classes that got you down, grad school is way different from undergrad.  It'll be more classes for a couple years, but they have much less importance than they once did.  And the rest of the time, you WILL be doing research if you enroll in a Ph.D. program.  Besides which, any reputable program (i.e., one that gives out Ph.D.'s, usually not the terminal masters programs) will pay you to go to school (nowadays usually between $22-32k a year, depending on cost of living).  All this is presuming you live in the US, mind.  Not sure how it is in other countries.

That's true, I will be finishing with pretty decent savings in hand. The courses do become much less relevant in these programs. Some programs have no required courses at all, only qualifying exams of some sort, and even when there are courses, nobody cares about how you did in them after the exam stage. On the other hand, a PhD is a major commitment and is only worth considering if you're really motivated by the field of study, and only certain fields and research topics lead to solid career options.

[Unknown Target]

But ah. Looks like it's definitely a good idea to make sure you got enough food supplies to last for months or years, to invest in such basic needs to make sure you dont end up in the bread lines. We got those here in some of the larger cities, tens of thousands of people for many years now - It's not a pretty sight.

Yea I'm going to start talking with my roommates about gathering money to start stocking up some food.

[Nuke]

il just shoot two bucks this year instead of just one (im allowed to shoot up to 6).

[Bob-san]

You can try sites like Experience.com which cater to recent grads and other entry-level positions.

[Spicious]

Has anyone else had such a ****ty time? I can't seem to find anything. I've gotten two maybes - everything else has either not replied or flat out said no. With summer approaching I can't find a place to work...granted I've still been trying things that I could actually use a college degree for (industrial design/3d modeling/game design), but it's not like my local area (Rochester, N.Y.) has many jobs period. Has anyone else had similar/better/worse luck?

Did you refuse to divulge your marks?

[Unknown Target]

Has anyone else had such a ****ty time? I can't seem to find anything. I've gotten two maybes - everything else has either not replied or flat out said no. With summer approaching I can't find a place to work...granted I've still been trying things that I could actually use a college degree for (industrial design/3d modeling/game design), but it's not like my local area (Rochester, N.Y.) has many jobs period. Has anyone else had similar/better/worse luck?

Did you refuse to divulge your marks?

Only once, because only one company asked for it. They even wrote me back when I didn't do it.

Part of the reply I sent, where I told them some other personal details they asked for (school, graduation date, etc);

"I believe that my work, not my GPA, should say whether or not I am fit for your consideration. With all due respect, I decline to give it. If this excludes me from candidacy, then the best I can do is wish you a pleasant day and hope you find the individual you're looking for."

Their response:

"I understand your point of view on the GPA thing. However, as this may become a common question for you, I would double check the wording of your response with someone else, as it comes off as a bit aggressive. I’m sure that is the last impression you want to give to a prospective employer."

Kudos to the restraint on their part, but I stand by the words that I said. No job, especially an art job (one that I was applying for) should require students to have good marks to get it. I'm sorry but that is school - a place where you're supposed to be allowed to make mistakes. That's how you experiment, which is what helps you learn. Having your entire life be a one-shot deal - either you get good grades and get a good job, or you **** up and you're ****ed for life - that's wrong. On so many levels. In another thread we were discussing a theoretical situation wherein people were not hiring other people because their IQ's weren't high enough. This would be pretty close to that IMO.

I'm sure people are going to give me flak for complaining about not getting a job when I do stuff like this, but, well...I stand by what I believe in as best I can. If it means that I close a few doors on myself, then I guess I shouldn't have taken those doors anyway.

[General Battuta]

You should probably deal with the fact that your GPA sucked instead of trying to turn it into a moral thing

[Unknown Target]

You should probably deal with the fact that your GPA sucked instead of trying to turn it into a moral thing

I've made the dean's list a few years running now. I also care about principles and morals. Cheers.