Past, Present and The F Word With Plans.

OK, I know it says past, present and all that, but I meant to say is the future, yep the F word I always hate to love and love to hate. It's so unknown to all of us that it emits fear. What will happen in the future. Is it gonna be good, or bad, or nothing will happen? For someone like me, who will be graduating this year, feel that emptiness of the future, where your are given a choice to either work, or continue your studies. You see, I've never had a steady job in my life. So, to say that to work after having my degree, I don't feel safe with only a degree. A degree in Environmental Science, well, for Malaysia, there's not that much of a prospect for Environmental Science graduates. I went to my Uni's Career Placement Program, and all these big companies trying to attract students in working with them. The most wanted students are IT students, engineering, management, economy, human resource, human development but no Environmental Science. I feel that we are the lost in trying to find jobs associated with our field. We have to jump wagon to other fields almost the same to our degree, like forestry, biology, chemistry, physics. But then, they'll choose those who are majoring in those fields, making us like second grade people. The prospect for environment in Malaysia is a bit restrained, not to say there isn't any, but for too little. OK, there's the Department of Environment, but then, how many people can work there? There are other government departments, but jobs that are given are not specific, and it is more to office work, not technical stuff. 

I'm not trying to be picky here, but I think that other courses have a better chance in getting jobs that is related than ours. To tell you the truth, you think Environmental Science, we don't even learn about biodiversity or animals and plants, those are for biologists. We only learn to monitor the natural resources, study the cause and effects of the environment alongside with development. That is what we Environmental Science students do. So, we look at private companies dealing with environment, which I think is not diverse and not that many. This is because the government is still in control of environmental monitoring and only privatizing certain aspects of environment, like Solid Waste Management and Water Quality. Anything else is under the government or half government or government funded. There are some companies that are fully privatized but they don't have the technology and experience because of lack of experts in the field.

There is the new branch of economy in Malaysia which is called Green Technology, trying to make buildings sustainable and all. However, those are for architects, landscape designers and engineers job. I can't see where Environmental Science students fit in. We're gonna do what? Monitoring the building everyday, I don't thin so. Here comes the overlapping of jobs between Environmental Science and Environmental Engineering. We don't do the same thing, but we learn the same thing, but they learn more in engineering but we learn more about science. However, when we go out, they have the better chance in getting jobs than us. Because of the word Engineering at the back, people flock to them like hungry children in Africa gobbling each and every single one of them, while we are pushed to the side, not knowing why they can't get a job. I tried talking to my seniors and all of them didn't get jobs related to them. Some of them just came back to become research assistants, tutors, or lucky, working outside the university but doing something different. If anything else fails, they register to be Government Servant working for the Ministry, which is typical, considering old people saying don't be choosy in finding a job.

Yeah, yeah, I know, don't be choosy and all but then what the heck did we study for three or four God damn years for? Fun? No, so that we specialize in what we do, and do jobs in improving that one aspect that we all neglect, the environment. We hear, "Save The Environment!", and then we see them litter and smoke at the back. Shouting slogans won't make the rivers become crystal clear. Wanna take a swim in the Klang River? Or maybe Gombak River?

So, you want to know my future? I've been thinking ahead. I plan in furthering my studies, doing Masters, but not in Environment, but in Psychology. I need to learn more and take more subjects as I don't have any background in Psychology. Maybe I'll be doing it overseas, or local, I don't know yet, need advice on that. I'll be specializing in Environmental Psychology, a rare branch of Environment I don't think people know exist. I don't know, it's a thing for me to like delve into minds of people, reading the thoughts, how they react to situations. Y'know, originally I've always wanted to go to criminology, profiling offenders, murderers, psychopaths. It WAS a passion of mine, but then, I missed it. So, to compensate, I want to try Environmental Psychology. I want to do it until my PhD and maybe try to be a lecturer, teaching the minds of people and how they react to the environment and its changes. We all are trying to be GREEN, but how far is it that we want to be sustainable to the world and its resources? Why do we pollute even though we know it is wrong? Why is it that we are selfish and oblivious when we want to make it easy for us, without considering the effects of degrading the environment? See, it flows in my mind, the way people think is fascinating. Those who don't have a good imagination, will struggle with me when talking about anything metaphysical stuffs. If by any chance I have too much time in my life, I still wanna pursue criminology. We lack this in Malaysia and I want to do some profiling of criminals in Malaysia, so we can protect any repeating offenders and profile them according to behavior, so we can tackle the challenge the right way, without any further damage to innocents (P.S: I've been watching too many Criminal Minds and Lie To Me on TV, heh).

So, I'll stop, just need a future reality check in making any future moves right now. I don't want to be left in the dark in the future. I want to illuminate it before stepping into a dark place. Are you ready for your future? What lies beyond the present you are having now? Better prepare right now, or you'll regret it. Goodbye, see you next time and Wassalam...