CAREERS.

"There are two 'things' I have done in my life that were the best preparation for my particular career and that I lean on almost daily: 1) my 10th grade honors English class, and 2) my undergrad job as an outdoor adventure guide. Writing effectively is critical for any academic career no matter the discipline. For most students, the virtues of good writing are trumpeted from middle school onward, and I wholeheartedly endorse its repetition here. Though, anecdotally, I can attest that it is possible to reach the upper echelons of my profession and be an abysmal writer. For the second thing, the utility of the skills I learned as a guide--leadership, logistics, budgeting, and how to tie a bowline--are often practically more useful than being able to recall the idealized form of Maxwell's equations, which can be looked up on the internet (I mean, a book)."

--David Ortiz-Suslow, research assistant professor at the Naval Postgraduate School, on what courses/skills beyond the required math and science courses he thinks would be most helpful to individuals wanting a career in his profession.