"When I grow up...", ** Featured Discussion

Whether you're a senior facing the task of jumping into a career {or going to graduate school} or you're a freshman who is still wrestling with the task of choosing a major, you've already made an important choice about your future: you chose to come to Hopkins. Hopkins has been a great undergraduate stepping stone for SO many intelligent and important people, from presidents to engineers to writers to doctors...but what are your plans beyond it?

Do you know what do you want to be when you "grow up?" Where do you hope to work, and what do you hope to actually DO as a job? Do you have plans to make that happen? Is grad school in your future, or will/does your senior year at Hopkins find you applying for a job? Or are you really undecided about all of this, just studying what interests you and letting time decide where you feel most comfortable? What are the most important things to you when deciding on a career?

And for fun: as a kid, what did you always wish you could be when you "grew up?"

As a pre-med student, I aim to be a pediatric neurosurgeon. Right now, I'm just working on building strong credentials for my medical school application by doing as well as I can academically and keeping myself busy with activities that I enjoy. (Keep that in mind!) I might take one or two years off after graduation to earn a master's degree in either neuroscience or public health before applying to medical school. However, whether that will happen / when that will happen / how that will happen have yet to be determined. As far as I know, I do want to go to medical school and eventually become a pediatric neurosurgeon. It's just that the details of how that'll happen aren't set in stone.

For instance, I had a completely different picture of how I would reach my career goal only two years ago. As a high school senior, I wanted to attend another university (believe it or not, I wasn't as excited about Hopkins as a high school senior as I am now) as a pre-med music major, go to medical school immediately after graduation, become a physician, and specialize in pediatric neurosurgery.

Oh, and for the fun question: In the first grade, I wanted to become a pediatrician. In the third and fourth grade, I wanted to become a nurse instead. In the fifth grade, I thought being a pediatrician was a cool idea again. In the three years of middle school, though, I considered many careers: being a music director, being a history teacher, being a psychiatrist, being a member of an obscure dance company, being a lawyer, and so on. In my freshman year of high school, I decided I wanted to become either a cardiologist or a neurosurgeon. In my junior year of high school, I decided that I wanted to become a pediatric neurosurgeon. So far, three years later, that career goal hasn't changed.

This post has been edited by JHU_Kate on Jan 29 2008, 09:34 PM

Coming to Hopkins, I had it all figured out...or so I thought. I wanted to be a neurologist. Major in neuroscience, go to med school, be a neurologist. The end. Now I'm not really so sure, but I'm hoping to double major in chemistry and neuroscience and I'd love to do something with both medicine and law (I just don't know what...).

I'm about to start volunteering at the Johns Hopkins Hospital as a "research assistant" in the Neurosciences Critical Care Unit (I'm putting numbers in the computer). I'm really excited to be exposed to all of that and hopefully more experiences like this one will help me shape my future goals.

As for the fun question...
When I was 7 years old I wanted to be an aeronautical engineer. Dead serious.
When I was 8-11ish, I wanted to be an astronaut. And I went to space camp.
Then I wanted to be a neuropsychiatrist around age 12-15...
then I wanted to be a neurologist after my grandmother had a stroke (I was 15)
and now...who knows!

My planned careers have changed A LOT as I grew up. When I was really little {like kindergarten age}, I wanted to be an artist. I really had no artistic talent {I still can't color in the lines} but I think that, since my dad is fantastic at drawing, I wanted to do the same. When I was a little older, I always said I wanted to be a maid, probably because I wanted to cook and clean and do like everything around the house like my mom did. After that I wanted to be a lawyer {because I loved to argue -- now I'm a tiny bit less stubborn and a bit more passive, but I still always have an answer for everything}, and, even right up to when I was filling out my college applications, I thought about majoring in psychology and was considering law school. The one career, though, that has been with me for a very, very long time is fashion design. I still say that if Hopkins had a fashion design program, I'd be the first to sign up! I really do still enjoy putting pencil to paper and creating something {and I love coordinating colors, prints, and textures to create outfits}, and I always wanted to learn how to cut my own sewing patterns and make my own clothes.

But, here at Hopkins, I'm studying Writing Seminars and English. I have always loved reading and, in high school, I always loved writing assignments best. For me, it was about deciding which one of my hobbies I wanted to learn more about and turn into a career -- and, obviously, I settled on that. I'm still not sure exactly what I want to do with my degree when I graduate, but I know I want to be around writing. If I could make a career about being a novelist, I would -- it would feel amazing to follow in the footsteps of some of my biggest role models {my favorite writers!} and to create mini worlds that readers can escape to and try to imagine, just like I do when I read.

I always thought I would start working right away after college. For now, though, I'm working on getting into the publishing business, whether it be through internships or part-time work. I want to pick up as much experience as I can in an area that I am very, very interested in, and then decide later on what to do with it all. I do know that I love fiction, and I also still love fashion, so it would be amazing to work for a novel publishing company or a magazine. But I'm taking school one day at a time, planning but, at the same time, not looking too far ahead in the future .. it's changed before, so it might again!

Third grade was the first year that we had to sit down and write a "what do you want to be when you grow up" piece. I said President of the United States. While I still think that POTUS would be a pretty sweet job it has some definite downsides and I think campaigning might cause me to break out in a rash (the germs on people's hands are gross. nothing to do with the stress of course!). After that I downgraded to Secretary of State. And I still think that might be a cool job but it's a very specific career path so right now I'm looking at broader options.

I think working in the Foreign Service would be cool. I would love moving every three years and learning all about other countries cultures.

My dream job. If I could have any job in the whole world I would want to be one of the Weinstein brothers. I would want to be the person who gets to decide which movies get made. I mean I know I would have to have a heck of a lot of money to sink into a project like that but wouldn't it be so cool!!

Overall my general life goal is to make a lot of money while making the world a better place. I realize that's idealistic and nearly impossible but if I do first one and then the other there's a chance I could succeed.

I think this is an awesome question because it really gives high school seniors a chance to actually see what they're getting themselves into -- Hopkins is a great stepping stone (and alumni prove it).

Anyway, I'll answer the fun question first. As a kid, I think I gravitated more towards becoming a professional ice skater, a CIA agent, or a Senator. I never really calculated an intense academic approach to my career though. However, when I got into high school, my parents naturally nudged me towards becoming a doctor. Even before my v-speech at graduation, my guidance counselor announced to 1500+ people that I was going to become a pediatric oncologist (like I really understood the intensity of that workload at that exciting time called summer vacation). Anyway, I actually decided to come to Hopkins for that reason: to become a doctor. Honestly, I knew I didn't like science throughout high school, but my mother is probably the most convincing person I know (she'd be an amazing lawyer).

So speaking of law. I've always wanted to go more in that direction. I just feel like policy making impacts a lot more people than one-on-one contact with patients as a doctor. Although I've been learning a lot about health policy (and it's definitely more intriguing than nerves), I'm not exactly sure I want to go in that direction of law (but it is up there in my choices along with family law). I would love to work in Washington and more with legislation/constitutional law, too. More than becoming a doctor, I'd probably prefer to become a Senator one day (although I would need lots of money first obviously which is where becoming a lawyer comes in). And plus, that's sort of an ideal/dream situation.

As for now, I'm probably going to apply to law schools next year and see how things go (and I'll be applying to a couple of education programs). Or I wouldn't mind working for the federal government for a year. Going to school for 3 more years sounds a lot better than getting a master's degree, going to medical school for four years, and then investing god knows how many years in residency. (NOTE: but this timeline works for certain people, like Kate, which I think is also great and I completely respect people that get through it.) Did I mention I want to have like 5 kids before I'm .... dead? So I think investing in a top-notch career & actually working (law or education) for the next 9 years is good enough for me. Then I think I want to be a soccer mom. Yes, it's that important to me.

This post has been edited by JHU_Stefanie on Jan 29 2008, 10:44 PM

My life's ambition: to work for the man...until I become the man. Haha, let me explain:

Okay so when I was younger I think I was less imaginative than I am now. When I was in first grade, I wanted to be a veternarian. A lot of the time I use to say I wanted to be a lawyer, mostly because of the arguing. I also recall a period of time where I wanted to work for the CIA or FBI (I watched too much Alias although I obviously didnt want to have the same kind of life as Sydney Bristo).


Today, I feel as if the world is my oyster. Seriously, I'm even amazed at my own optimism. I can tell that I would like to be a writer of novels and corresspondent for Vanity Fair, FBI/CIA/State Department employee, Wall Street Broker, Consultant, Lawyer, Policy maker, and finally POTUS

If I were to become a novelist, I would write some kind of office comedy or chicklit thing that would just be to make people laugh. I would do it on the side. That being said, I have a more serious idea about this book of poems that I am going to write, although you probably will have to wait 5 years at least for it to be published...get excited.

I know that I definitely want to go to law school...I can't necessarily tell you what kind of law I would specialize in, but Corporate Law and maybe more specifically Intellectual Property Law are possibilities. Anyway, before I go to law school I may work for a year (the pre-law person said this was a good idea and I agree with the logic). I will probably work for some investment company or consulting company or maybe even the State Department. If I get a really great job in investing maybe I will work there for a couple of years longer. In any case, I will then go to law school and practice law at a corporate law firm (hence, working for the man). After I make enough money and establish myself, I like the idea of becoming a public defender. Who knows!

Eventually, after enough experience in the real world, I hope to go into politics and become POTUS (this is when I would become the man). I really love public policy and value the importance of the legislature. I think that while it seems like the most stressful thing one could ever do, it is something I would love...every minute. Obviously, I have a long way to go before then, but I am obviously a goal setter. The higher the better. Basically, no matter what I do I want to make an impact.

I'm applying to law school next year. I'm still not 100% sure if I want to practice law directly after. I'm really interested in international security/US foreign policy/etc... maybe I can get a job doing intelligence for the CIA or something. That would be pretty sweet. We will see.

Vice President of the United States. Greatest. Job. Ever.

I don't know. At the risk of sounding like a complete nerd, I will say I want to go into a practice where I let as few people die as possible. (Think about it.) When your young everyone wants to have a career of some importance when in reality, even if you reach the pinnacle of your field, you will fall to the wayside of relative obscurity. I guess I'll do everything in my power to keep that from happening.

There are plenty of problems in the world need fixin. I guess I would like to start with keeping Americans living in a healthy world or as healthy as possible: fixing healthcare issues, preparing for volcano erruptions and terrorist attacks, dealing with issues of aging, chronic care and vaccines, health performace disaprities.

The person who wants to go into international health to save the world either is delusional or is doing it for their own reasons (makes them feel warm inside, or they want to get shot at a bit, tell their friends when they return how much they don't understand.) I get it. But really, if I have a hand in making sure that there are as few excess deaths in the US from catastrophes, structural healthcare problems, and chronic disease, I'll put that in the win category.

I would like to drop dead on my 90th birthday with all my physical and mental capacities, penniless, with a smile on my face looking back on a life of accomplishment.

"I want to do the work I love, and love the work I do."

(I don't know who said that, but it definitely applies to me). While I'm not sure where life will take me, and I'm still trying to find my passions, I do know that there are somethings I really don't want to end up doing: (1) Sitting behind a desk all day (2) being isolated from the world (3) Doing the same thing day in and day out.

With that being said, I've wanted to be everything from an art curator, a magazine editor, historian, free-lance writer, and neuro-surgeon (yes! that was when I was about ten), to doing advocacy work, being a professor, doing clinical research, or being an anthropologist in Vanuatu Island. I'm applying to medical school this summer, and hopefully I'll be able to combine all of my interests into a life dedicated to doing good in the world.

haha, so right now I'm still deciding what I am going to do. My mom however knows exactly what I should do: She wants me to go work for the CIA!! Haha...apparently the CIA and FBI love having engineers work for them because of the way we think!! So my mom has this notion that I am going to go work for the CIA, but not some desk job...oh no!! I am apparently going to be a CIA agent, I am going to go all over the world. Then because I am going to start taking Chinese classes at Hopkins, I am going to be undercover in China, then I am going to be captured, but because of the chinese classes I took, I will be able to talk my way out of it. Then, according to my mom, I am going to write a book about all of my traumatic experiences as an undercover agent for the CIA, and the book will be a big hit and make millions!!! Well wouldn't that be nice!! But if that doesn't work out I'll probably work in an engineering related business and work internationally, or become a high school physics teacher and basketball coach...who knows!!!

I want to "save the world."

That is my goal and I'm sticking to it... That way, if I never "save the world" I will have done so much good that it will still be a better place. That said, I plan on going to graduate school to obtain my JD, MPH, or both. Right now, I'm looking @ the latter. As for what I want to focus on, I don't really know. There is so much that I want to do... let me not ramble. Just know that you'll be hearing about the work I'm doing within the next 10 years. Stay tuned...

I would just want to do smoething in life that I wouldnt hate. Right now the options are pretty wide open.

Unrealistically, i'd like to write and perform music or make films.

More realistically, I might want to work in the music industry - more specifically A&R - (hopefully I'll get the internship with Sony BMG that I applied for this summer) or possibly working in marketing. I like being creative.

Other possibilities are teaching either in high school or possibly getting an MFA or such to teach in college. Right now i'm even considering doing Teach for America after graduating to a) see if I could actually teach people anything and to get a little more time to actually figure out what I want to do.

By now i'm on my 28320420 major/minor combination so all of this will probably change in time.

I really have ABSOLUTELY no idea what i want to do. I dont even have the slightest idea what i want to major in. Im pretty sure my friends are getting sick of me trying to figure that out..(Public Health, IR, Phsyics, Mechanical Engineering). No matter what I do decide to major in, I will most likely go to some sort of Graduate School. Eventually, I would like to get involved in the government as an elected official. But we will see. When i was a kid, i remember i wanted to be a marine biologist for a few years and then a lawyer for a really long time.....

So this is actually pretty rare, but I've always sort of known the general vein of what I wanted to do with my life. When I was really little, like before I could even pick up a pen, I would dictate stories to my mother and she would write them down. When I was in high school, I was obsessed with my newspaper and I would put all other activities (including, um, schoolwork) aside to write editorials and copy-edit articles, etc.

Now that I'm here at Hopkins, I'm a Writing Sems major, but I'm very open to the idea of double majors or minors in various things. It's amazing how much one class can change your prospective goals; I love Writing Sems and it is definitely making me a better poet, creative writer, and thinker, but I'm taking a lot of Psych classes that are making me think about being a Psychologist, or possibly a writer about psychological issues. (Obviously I would have to go to Grad school for this...hmm.) I'm also writing for the News-Letter, and Journalism is really close to my heart, so I might pursue literary journalism after college.

As you can see, I'm pretty fuddled. But in a really great, promising way.