College Recommendations

[DrgnmstrZ111]

Hey y’all, this isn’t quite the normal email in this group, but I hope it’s ok. I am currently a sophomore in high school, and I am looking to pursue a career in paleontology. Does anyone have any college recommendations (preferably in NC) for me, and what classes should I take (I’ve currently taken honors earth science, and am currently in honors biology)?
Thanks!

[The Dinosaur Heretic]

Hey mate.

I’m Australian and about halfway through my degree. I’ve put it on pause for the time being so I can work a full time job and earn a bit of cash before going back to studying part time.

The first thing I’d recommend is finding a degree that suits you. Get an idea of the universities/colleges that have a palaeo-centric major. Dream big and look at schools outside of NC. Often, these majors fall under a science, zoology, or biology degree, so take a look at the prerequisite knowledge for these degrees. If you can’t find anything about prerequisite knowledge, then the following might help.

Coming out of high school and starting my degree, I wish I had a much stronger grasp of math/statistics. As it stands, I suck at anything math-related, and math/statistics is required of you in your first few years of a science/zoology/biology degree. I don’t know what the equivalent classes in the US school system would be, but the highest level you can manage would be ideal. I’d also recommend taking a chemistry class. Essentially, the first two years of your degree is rehashing what you learned in your last year or so of high school, so if you can get ahead, then you’ll be sweet.

I recommend reaching out to people in the field and start building connections. From my understanding, palaeontology is a difficult field to get into, so if you can get to know a few cool people, you may be open to more opportunities (invited to digs, fossil prep, etc). Being apart of the DML and engaging in conversation is a great first step. 

Read as much literature as you can; stay up-to-date with recent finds, analyses of environments, relationships between animals, new taxa, and so on. Being informed on a broad range of topics will really help you in the later years of your degree before you can focus your attention on more particular topics if you decide to pursue a masters or PhD. 

My final piece of advice to you is to study at your own pace. Palaeontology isn’t going anywhere, so if you need, take your time. You want to be proud of the work you put in. C’s get degrees, but A’s make you happy.

I hope this helps, and I look forward to seeing your name on future publications.

All the best,

Ethan Townsend

On Sat, 26 Oct 2024 at 8:36 AM, DrgnmstrZ111 <drgnms...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hey y’all, this isn’t quite the normal email in this group, but I hope it’s ok. I am currently a sophomore in high school, and I am looking to pursue a career in paleontology. Does anyone have any college recommendations (preferably in NC) for me, and what classes should I take (I’ve currently taken honors earth science, and am currently in honors biology)?
Thanks!

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[Thomas Richard Holtz]

North Carolina State University (in Raliegh, NC) has a spectacular paleontology program (and a museum right there).

Appalachian State University (in Boone, NC) also has a very active paleontology program.

If you don't mind a few states further away, Virginia Tech University (in Blacksburg, VA) and here at the University of Maryland (in College Park) also have strong undergraduate paleo programs.

On Fri, Oct 25, 2024 at 5:36 PM DrgnmstrZ111 <drgnms...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hey y’all, this isn’t quite the normal email in this group, but I hope it’s ok. I am currently a sophomore in high school, and I am looking to pursue a career in paleontology. Does anyone have any college recommendations (preferably in NC) for me, and what classes should I take (I’ve currently taken honors earth science, and am currently in honors biology)?
Thanks!

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Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
Email: tho...@umd.edu         Phone: 301-405-4084
Principal Lecturer, Vertebrate Paleontology

Office: CHEM 1225B, 8051 Regents Dr., College Park MD 20742

Dept. of Geology, University of Maryland
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/

Phone: 301-405-6965
Fax: 301-314-9661              

Faculty Director, Science & Global Change Program, College Park Scholars

Office: Centreville 1216, 4243 Valley Dr., College Park MD 20742
http://www.geol.umd.edu/sgc
Fax: 301-314-9843

Mailing Address: 

                        Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                        Department of Geology
                        Building 237, Room 1117

                        8000 Regents Drive
                        University of Maryland
                        College Park, MD 20742-4211 USA