Reconsider majoring in meteorology!

[H2Otown_WX]

The atmosphere is a gas. We have to have a background in chemistry even if we don't use it much in meteorology. It is used quite often, however, in the fields atmospheric chemistry and climatological modeling, for instance.

Good point. I guess I was just thinking more about how the atmosphere works as opposed to what it is composed of. Atmospheric chemistry...that sounds like an interesting field. Would a dual degree in Chemistry and Meteorology be requisite to get in to that sort of thing?

[H2Otown_WX]

Yes. A lot of atmospheric pollution stuff deals directly with chemistry. Fate and transport, the chemistry and makeup of the pollution, etc. Not to mention that to understand the atmosphere yu have to have an understanding of its constitutents. It may not be using the details from your Gen Chem class but you do deal with some chemistry stuff (though obviously moreso physics).

Very true..a lot of the climate/global warming matters have Chemistry involved. Chlorofluorocarbons, the ozone layer (O3).

[LocoAko]

Good point. I guess I was just thinking more about how the atmosphere works as opposed to what it is composed of. Atmospheric chemistry...that sounds like an interesting field. Would a dual degree in Chemistry and Meteorology be requisite to get in to that sort of thing?

I don't know if it would be a prerequisite but I know isohume has posted that a minor in chemistry or even a double major would help you immensely in getting into the air pollution and permitting field... I just couldn't bare the thought...

[Reale WX]

Ds get degrees, at least that was the case at my university, some of the bigger ones like PSU, OU, Wisconsin that is not the case, notice to all....if you are weak in math I'd strongly advise going to one of the smaller schools, they tend not to have the C or C- requirement for core courses and generally are more forcast based....nobody is going to ask for your transcript the majority of the time outside the NWS and even if they do they could give a rat's booty about your Ds in math if your Met class grades were good.

Thats not true your math grades are extremely important, I only pult B+s - Cs in all my math classes but my math minor helped get me a job... not to mention if you ever want to get into grad school you better start caring about your math grades

[Reale WX]

Yeah, the paid positions at SUNY Albany went from 12 down to 6 for fall 2009. Don't know what it was this year. 3.5 should be more than enough. I applied to four schools in total (NC State, SUNY Albany, Penn State and Univerisity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) and only got accepted to NC State (without funding no less!). It was a tough year for met majors.

Thanks for sharing the info, catocin. Networking does help a lot as well if you can talk to the right people

Ellinwood, are you still at NC State? It is probably the top school on my list I would like to go to next year for grad school was wondering if you had any thoughts/advice?

[Ellinwood]

Ellinwood, are you still at NC State? It is probably the top school on my list I would like to go to next year for grad school was wondering if you had any thoughts/advice?

I just went for the one semester of grad school before I got a job But yeah it's a pretty good school for undergrads and grads alike, and it's great for most kinds of meteorology.

As for all of the people who say "I like it as a hobby and I'm glad it's not my job" ... I laugh. If you love meteorology and forecasting it will never get tiring. I was able to get something very close to my dream job (I need to do more severe weather forecasting! ) from an entry level position! Even if I was getting paid horribly, I wouldn't care because I love my job and it doesn't really feel like work at all.

[H2Otown_WX]

Thats not true your math grades are extremely important, I only pult B+s - Cs in all my math classes but my math minor helped get me a job... not to mention if you ever want to get into grad school you better start caring about your math grades

For me, it's not that I don't care, it's just Math does not come easy for me. I really have to work hard just to earn my C-. I will try to work even harder so I can get maybe a C+ in Calc. 2 this semester but I heard it is the most challenging out of the 3 Calc. courses.

[SnowGoose69]

Outside of which country? The US of A? Are you in one of those SiberiaFO positions?

I wanted so badly to work for Environment Canada in Toronto, Montreal, or Vancouver but the punks didn't hire anyone who was not a Canadian citizen, not even someone with a VISA...not sure if that policy has now changed....if it has they might stick you in like Winnipeg though.

[catoctin wx]

Let me say this. Every successful meteorologist, meaning every meteorologist that was happy with his/her career, that I have ever met, has known since they were young that they wanted to be a meteorologist.

If you're doing it because it's interesting, you probably don't love it enough to persist. I find it's a calling, if you think of it as a hobby, maybe keep it a hobby.

I guess I am the exception to this. I always liked the weather, but I never considered it a career option until my junior year of HS. Until I took a 1/2 year course on it, I was planning on going into early childhood education

[catoctin wx]

For me, it's not that I don't care, it's just Math does not come easy for me. I really have to work hard just to earn my C-. I will try to work even harder so I can get maybe a C+ in Calc. 2 this semester but I heard it is the most challenging out of the 3 Calc. courses.

when there is a will there is a way man. I did horrible in my college math courses, just scraping through on the curve or a decent grade on the final. I eventually failed calc 3 and retook it over the summer and got a C+. I took calc 1 in the spring semester my freshman year and got a C. That summer I went home and took it at a community college, not for a better grade, but to relearn the material so that I could do better in calc 2. I also found tutors and a great study group to work with. It can be done, just don't get discouraged

[isohume]

I wanted so badly to work for Environment Canada in Toronto, Montreal, or Vancouver but the punks didn't hire anyone who was not a Canadian citizen, not even someone with a VISA...not sure if that policy has now changed....if it has they might stick you in like Winnipeg though.

It's the same here...NOAA, the NWS etc., only hire U.S. citizens. Visiting Scientist positions are open to foreign nationals tho...which is kinda the point.

[isohume]

That brings up a question that's been in the back of my mind that maybe a Met could answer...does Chemistry ever come in handy in this field? I have a hard time thinking of a time where it would.

Besides what the others have said here...chemistry is the basic science of how nature works at the molecular level. The chemistry required in a met BS program isn't that demanding, but it covers quite a bit of material. Many earth sciences require chemistry and it provides a good base or discipline for critical thinking...which is needed in all the sciences.

[Analog96]

Good point. I guess I was just thinking more about how the atmosphere works as opposed to what it is composed of. Atmospheric chemistry...that sounds like an interesting field. Would a dual degree in Chemistry and Meteorology be requisite to get in to that sort of thing?

Chemistry was never even on the list of classes for a B.S. in Met where I studied.

[Analog96]

For me, it's not that I don't care, it's just Math does not come easy for me. I really have to work hard just to earn my C-. I will try to work even harder so I can get maybe a C+ in Calc. 2 this semester but I heard it is the most challenging out of the 3 Calc. courses.

Calc II was harder than Calc I for me. I don't know about Calc III, because we never had to take it. We did have to take differential equations, which was a nightmare.

[Analog96]

Thats not true your math grades are extremely important, I only pult B+s - Cs in all my math classes but my math minor helped get me a job... not to mention if you ever want to get into grad school you better start caring about your math grades

Snowgoose is right. Ds in the math courses will get you a degree, but you better get at least a C in your met classes.

[isohume]

Chemistry was never even on the list of classes for a B.S. in Met where I studied.

Wow.

[Analog96]

Wow.

I don't see why it was needed anyway. The Chem that you really need for Meteo you learn in Thermodynamics. Everybody takes basic chemistry in HS anwyay.

[isohume]

I don't see why it was needed anyway. The Chem that you really need for Meteo you learn in Thermodynamics. Everybody takes basic chemistry in HS anwyay.

What school did you go to?

[Analog96]

What school did you go to?

Kean.

[Scotty Lightning]

Calc II was harder than Calc I for me. I don't know about Calc III, because we never had to take it. We did have to take differential equations, which was a nightmare.

I was the opposite-Calc II was much easier than Calc I. I almost failed Calc I, took a six-week summer class of Calc II and got a B.

I think it also depends on what type of professor you have as well-some teach the material better than others. Unfortunately for Greg and me there is only one professor who taught Diffy Q.

[Ed Lizard]

At Texas, petroleum engineering program, any class that was a pre-req for another class required a minimum of a C. Differential calc was a pre-req for integral calc, which was a pre-req for diff e.q. Physics 1 was a pre-req for Physics 2 which was a pre-req for statics and dynamics. The two chemistries were a pre-req for properties of petroleum fluids, etc.

"D for Diploma" only really worked senior year, and 1994 was a bad year in the oil field, you wanted the best GPA possible.

Now, about six figures starting pay, some pet eng forums, but none where the degreed engineers get brightly colored tags and extra respect. And while there is money in oil, it isn't anyone's hobby.

[Analog96]

I was the opposite-Calc II was much easier than Calc I. I almost failed Calc I, took a six-week summer class of Calc II and got a B.

I think it also depends on what type of professor you have as well-some teach the material better than others. Unfortunately for Greg and me there is only one professor who taught Diffy Q.

I agree with this. A lot of times it depends on the professor, whether they can clearly explain the material or not. You took Krantz for Diffy Q also I imagine?

[isohume]

Calc II was harder than Calc I for me. I don't know about Calc III, because we never had to take it. We did have to take differential equations, which was a nightmare.

Wait a minute...no vector calc? In association with a met degree? Double wow.

[Ellinwood]

Chemistry was never even on the list of classes for a B.S. in Met where I studied.

Calc II was harder than Calc I for me. I don't know about Calc III, because we never had to take it. We did have to take differential equations, which was a nightmare.

Like Isohume said... wow. I'm starting to really question Kean at a B.S. in Atmos. program, as its major requirements seem lax compared to the other colleges I went to and looked at.

[Scotty Lightning]

I agree with this. A lot of times it depends on the professor, whether they can clearly explain the material or not. You took Krantz for Diffy Q also I imagine?

Of course. Who else? Luckily he took pity on me for being the only meteorology major in his night class(I think I took GIS, which conflicted with the daytime Diffy Q class).

[Analog96]

Like Isohume said... wow. I'm starting to really question Kean at a B.S. in Atmos. program, as its major requirements seem lax compared to the other colleges I went to and looked at.

If you want some time, I can dig up the full req's list, but included are hydrology, climatology, GIS, Remote Sensing, Thermo, two semesters of Dynamics, 2 semesters of Physics, Methods in Geoscience, Physical Met, two semesters of Synoptic Met- one with computer applications.

[Analog96]

Of course. Who else? Luckily he took pity on me for being the only meteorology major in his night class(I think I took GIS, which conflicted with the daytime Diffy Q class).

He ALWAYS took pity on the met majors, it wasn't just in your class! In my class, it was the "Three Musketeers". We had 2 semesters less calculus than most in there. We deserved the pity!

[Scotty Lightning]

Like Isohume said... wow. I'm starting to really question Kean at a B.S. in Atmos. program, as its major requirements seem lax compared to the other colleges I went to and looked at.

I took Chemistry back in community college, but when I did transfer to Kean I was shocked that Chem wasn't a requirement. Other than that Kean has a good met program, except that there are no forecasting classes. You are basically left on your own to take everything you learned in class and put it together to make a forecast.

[Scotty Lightning]

He ALWAYS took pity on the met majors, it wasn't just in your class! In my class, it was the "Three Musketeers". We had 2 semesters less calculus than most in there. We deserved the pity!

I was all alone man! Everyone else had each other in the class. I wound up befriending a math major to help me out on the take-homes.

BTW, here is the meteorology program requirements.

http://hurri.kean.ed...meteorology.pdf

EDIT-it looks like Chem I at least is required now.

[isohume]

I took Chemistry back in community college, but when I did transfer to Kean I was shocked that Chem wasn't a requirement. Other than that Kean has a good met program, except that there are no forecasting classes. You are basically left on your own to take everything you learned in class and put it together to make a forecast.

No met program really has a forecasting class. I'm just amazed Kean doesn't require chem or calc III. How did you understand the partial derivations required to derive the met equations?