my fig tree 𖠰

as i approach my second semester in my sophomore year of college, i've been thinking a lot about what exactly i want to do: every single time i tell someone i'm studying english and neuroscience, it's always, "what are you going to do with that" and never, "wow you are so cool and smart!" i never know what to say because i just don't know! i've been trying to map out all the things i might be interested in, but honestly, i like all of it and want to do everything! a lot of this i could do on the side of a real job, but we shall see. also, i'm sure you guys have heard of the fig tree analogy on tiktok. in case you don't know, it's from sylvia plath's "the bell jar" and you must read it! along with her unabridged journals! she had such a beautiful mind. anyways, here's what my (potential) future plans are in case anyone was wondering.

clinical neuropsychologist (4/5 stars: too much school, but a fun job, high pay): 

- https://www.capella.edu/blog/psychology/your-roadmap-to-becoming-a-clinical-neuropsychologist/

- path to get there: neuro undergrad (in-progress) - lab tech and research interns - psyd, with clinicals and research - redoctoral internship - postdoctoral fellowship - licensing exam - hospital/rehab/schools - private practice - writing about it for fun 

- or i could just get a masters and do therapy? but i don't know if i really want to do that

- so what you do as a clinical neuropsychologist is assess cognitive examinations to diagnose patients and work with those recovering from brain injuries. it's a super cool job and pretty versatile, and after you do the many years of schooling you make pretty great money! once you get to private practice, your hours and wage is up to you; but getting a psyd is expensive and competitive, and getting into a lab at fsu is pretty tough so it would be hard to bolster my application.

 

 journalist (4/5 stars: hard to break in but fulfilling if you're willing to put in the work):

- path to get there: english degree (in-progress) - internships (applying) - local paper - magazine - boston globe/nyt 

- i needdddd some major inspiration girls: what are some young, successful female journalists (or any) you've been following/reading? i'm trying to strengthen my writing by reading good writing, but i would love more culture and lifestyle - esque writers to read on a regular basis. i read plenty of literature and papers, but there is so much journalism it's hard to pick one to read consistently! substack isn't the same and i rarely use it, but i've been loving jasmine mcbride's writing on there. it's just so fresh and unique!!!

- ideally, i would write for something in the arts & culture sphere -- as i'm not too fond of politics or news stories -- but i would love writing about current research and contextualizing it for a regular audience (like about the brain). a magazine editor is the dream job, but any sort of paper would be so cool too. cosmopolitan, the boston globe, or any teen magazine where you actually make an impact on young readers would be such a fun and fulfilling career.

 

graphic designer/social media/pr ( 4/5 stars: would be fun and i love being creative, but hard to get because everyone wants this job and it feels like everyone is more creative than me)

- okay wait i basically described it all: i would have so much fun designing a brand, logo, flyers, editing videos and posts to fit a certain aesthetic. i just think everyone wants to do it and everyone already has so much more experience!! 

small business owner, sewing (4/5 stars: can do this anytime, just don't want to slowly hate something i love by making it my job)

- everyone lovesss telling me i should sell what i make: whether it's the things i sew, crochet, buttons i make, paintings, etc. and it's partially because everything i see online, i'm like "i can make that" and then i do. but everything i make is good enough quality for me, and bad enough that when it tears, i sew it right back together and when it has an ugly interior it doesn't matter, because i'm the only one who sees it. i get soooooo jealous seeing people make millions doing something i could do, but i know i don't have it in me to outsource when orders get to be too much for me to handle, and to hand any part of the creative process to anyone else. i love doing everything myself and i'll always be that way! maybe i'll host a market every once in a while if i make a bunch of things i don't use, but until then, my creations are for me :)

 

yes, i realize i ranked everything 4/5 stars, but that's because i want to do all of these and i can't bear to rank any below the other!!! these are all my ideas for now, let me know what your dream job is! i'm so curious to hear what everyone is passionate about <333