1. Forester

Also known as a conservation scientist, foresters manage our nation’s natural resources and forest lands. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), this job requires a bachelor’s degree and pays nearly $58,000 a year.

2. Geologist

Geologists study the history of the Earth and the rocks, minerals and precious metals that it contains. They provide maps, charts and scientific reports on their findings to interested clients. According to the BLS, geologists need a bachelor’s degree in their field and can earn as much as $82,000.

3. Mining Engineer

A mining engineer creates plans to safely and efficiently mine minerals of all kinds in both open pit and shaft mining. They also develop reclamation plans for spent mines. BLS statistics show that mining engineers must hold a bachelor’s degree and earn, on average, $82,000 a year.

4. Zoologist

Zoologists study the interactions of animals and their natural surroundings. They provide for the health and well being of animals in zoos and wildlife parks and also in the wild. The BLS states that a zoologist must have a bachelor’s degree to work in the field. They usually earn around $57,000 annually.

5. Agricultural Scientist

Agricultural scientists study the production of food and food safety. They create ways to increase crop production on our nation’s farms. According to the BLS, agricultural scientists usually hold a degree in a related field such as biology, chemistry or even engineering. In this field, they can usually earn around $58,000 a year.

6. Hydrologist

Water conservation is the main concern of a hydrologist. They also work to ensure the safety of municipal water systems. BLS statistics state that in this career field, the average salary is over $75,000. A master’s degree is required to become a hydrologist.

7. Marine Biologist

Marine biologists study sea life and the ocean, analyzing the effects of pollution and fishing activities. A bachelor’s degree is required for this work and BLS statistics show that wages average $57,000.

8. Urban Planner

Most urban planners work helping city and state entities plan the use of land. After studying feasibility, zoning laws and environmental factors, they will make a recommendation about the proposed usage. Urban planners must have a master’s degree to enter the field, and, according to BLS statistics, can expect to earn over $63,000 annually.

9. Environmental Engineer

Environmental engineers plan and design large-scale water reclamation and pollution-control projects. A bachelor’s degree is required to enter this field, and, according to the BLS, it pays over $78,000 a year.

10. Documentary Filmmaker

Filmmakers produce documentaries on many outdoor subjects: wildlife, conservation, disasters. Filmmakers usually require a bachelor’s degree and can expect to earn $45,000 a year on average.

This list of occupations is really just the tip of the iceberg. A little research will quickly show that many people who hold advanced degrees are working outside every day in the wide open spaces they love.

About the Author: This article was written by Allie Gray Freeland, Editor in Chief of CollegeOnline.org, a guide to online schools and online degrees.

Growing up, I was very active and involved in sports and taking music lessons.  No matter how good anybody was, everybody always received a trophy or some certificate after the season was over.  So many things fell right into place the first 22 years of my life and I felt that since I did what I was told to do, I would get rewarded.  But after I graduated in May of 2009 and didn’t have a job offer lined up, I was crushed.  I kept telling myself that I did everything “right” so why didn’t I have the “right” job?

Unfortunately in our society, some of us are raised in a protective bubble and think we deserve everything because in the past, it was actually just handed to us.  I remember being excited my last semester at the thought of not having to write any more papers or prepare for intense exams.  I wanted to live on my own and do whatever I pleased.  Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of great things about graduating but when the dishwasher breaks and you don’t have any money, so you’re tasked with fixing it yourself, somehow, everything feels like it’s broken.

Being prepared for the transition is what I lacked but knowing how things really are means that you don’t have to go through what I did.  Here are just a few suggestions to do while you’re still in college for making the next phase of life great:

1)      Start working on making contacts at the company that you would like to work for.  Doing informational interviews is a good way to build relationships.

2)      Network with people from your university.  I know mine had events where we could talk with alumni.  It’s a good opportunity to talk to them and get advice.  Also, talk to your professors to see if they would be willing to write a recommendation or if  they know of anybody who could open the door for you.

3)      Stay in touch with the people you network with.  Perhaps five years down the line, the perfect opportunity is waiting for you so hopefully your name will be the first thought because you stayed in touch with certain people.

4)      Complete an internship at a company that you would like to work for or one where you would be doing similar tasks.  I suggest keeping the internship for as long as possible and the earlier you start, the better.  Employers are looking for people with experience and that is what most college graduates lack.

5)      Have fun! Enjoy this time and don’t be in such a hurry to get through it.  Once you’ve graduated, there’s no going back to this moment.  I did go back for my MBA but it wasn’t the same as undergrad.

Cynamon Frierson has her MBA and is an active volunteer.  She believes in enjoying life, always continuing to gain knowledge, and giving back to help people out.  You can follow her on twitter @CynamonF

Student Aid on the Web - Student Aid on the Web is the official website of Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education. The site provides comprehensive information on federal aid and tools to help students apply for aid.

USA.gov - This government website provides information on government benefits, including grants, loans, and financial aid, to citizens, government employees, businesses, and U.S. visitors.

FinAid - Created by one of the nation’s leading financial aid experts, FinAid provides free, unbiased information on financial aid. Useful site features include articles, calculators, personalized financial aid assistance, and a scholarship search engine.

CollegeBoard - This not-for-profit membership association offers frequently updated information on college costs and financial aid. Students can also use the site to search for college scholarships.

U.S. News and World Report - The U.S. News and World Report site provides a special section for students and parents who need help paying for college. The section offers a wide range of articles on everything from financial aid to college savings plans.

The Princeton Review - The Princeton Review offers a financial aid library for students who want to learn more about paying for education. The library includes articles on scholarships, grants, loans, and the FAFSA form.

Financial Aid Need Estimator - This free web app from ACT helps students estimate the basic costs of attendance at specific institutions as well as the amount their families will be expected to contribute toward the cost of college.

EFC Calculator - Peterson’s EFC Calculator works well for students who want to estimate their Expected Family Contribution (EFC).

Student Loan Calculator - Mapping Your Future provides this loan calculator for students who want to estimate future federal student loan payments.

FastWeb - FastWeb is an excellent source of financial aid information. The site posts advice, videos, and other helpful tools. Students can also use the FastWeb search engine to find college scholarships.

Scholarships.com - Scholarships.com is one of the largest free scholarship and financial aid resources on the web. Students who create a personal profile on the site can be notified of scholarships and other aid resources specifically tailored to their needs.

Scholarship Experts - This award-winning scholarship service offers a searchable database of scholarships worth more than $14 billion. The database is updated frequently and can be used to locate awards that match students’ academic background and interests.

NextStudent - NextStudent’s scholarship database contains more than 6 million scholarships valued at over $16 billion. The database is searchable and can be accessed for free online.

International Student - Created specifically for international and study abroad students, this site provides international financial aid resources and a scholarship search engine.

GreenNote - GreenNote makes it easy for students to get money for college in a unique way. Students can use the site to request loans from friends, family and other individuals in their social network.

Guest post from education writer Karen Schweitzer. Karen is the About.com Guide to Business School. She also writes online degree reviews for OnlineDegreePrograms.org.

College isn’t cheap, and if you’re going to college for the first time, you’re going to almost pass out when you see your first bill.  It doesn’t matter if you’re going to a community college, or a university, it’s going to take a long time to pay off those tuition bills in the future.  Thankfully, there are ways to get money toward your tuition, no matter who you are.

Today, I wanted to show you how you can find money for college, so that you don’t have to go out, and work for it.

Scholarships: Scholarships are a great way to fund your college.  There are a million of them out there, and all it takes is a little research.  No matter who you are, or what you did in High School, I can almost assure you that you can find a scholarship.  As long as you treat the scholarship search like a job, you can find one.  Even if it’s $50, you can feel great at the end of your hunt, because that is $50 less that you have to pay toward your bills.

Grants: You’ve probably seen the commercials, or Internet ads, but there are a lot of government grants out there that can help you pay for college, if you can’t afford it.  Search for government grants, and see if you can qualify.  You can do what I did, and just apply to see what happens.  Remember, the worst thing that will happen is that they will just deny you, or say, “no”.

Financial aid: Financial aid is probably the most popular one.  If you’re having a hard time paying your tuition, you can get financial aid that will help you pay for your college bills.  Again, even if you don’t think you can qualify for it, it doesn’t hurt to apply.  You’ll just find out that you’ll get denied, or better yet, they may refer you to another solution.

Work with the college: Not all colleges have this, but there are some out there that will actually allow you to work for them.  In return, they will knock some money off your tuition.  You can do things such as cafeteria work, janitorial work and more.  This is a great way to build great work ethic, and it looks great on your resume as well!

If you can treat these like a job, you’re going to find that the harder you work toward finding money for college, the less you’re going to have to pay in the long haul.  Try some of these tips above, apply, and see if you can get approved!

The effects of the current economic downturn are long reaching.  As families continue to cut costs and save money to make it through tough times, college students are turning to credit cards to help fund their college education.

According to a study released yesterday by Sallie Mae, eighty-four percent of undergraduates had a least one credit card (survey results are from spring of 2008) which is up from seventy-six percent in 2004.  Half of all college students have four or more credit cards at the time of the survey.

It appears college students are carrying more credit cards and higher balances as they use credit cards to pay for textbooks, computer costs, school supplies and tuition.  In addition to traditional expenses associated with college the highest ranked “other” expenses are food, clothing and cosmetics.

Like so many people, sixty percent of college students are surprised by how much money they owe.  This is a common reaction for individuals that use their credit card for day-to-day expenses without properly tracking the amount of money they have charged.  Parents are not footing the bill either, with 82% of college students paying their own bill each month.  Only 17% reported paying the balance in full each month which means a larger percentage of students are incurring finance charges each month.

As college costs continue to rise, more students are facing the daunting task of trying to pay their expenses and keep their credit history clean.  College seniors graduating in 2008 had on average $4,138 in credit card debt which is up 44% from the 2004 study.  This situation will likely continue to get worse as private lenders are less inclined to loan money during the current economic climate which has certainly only worsened since the time this data was collected.  This can potentially result in college students paying even more for their education once you tack on interest rates and the high cost of graduating college with credit card debt.

So what advice is out there for college students who want to avoid the credit card debt trap?  Start by having a budget and sticking to it.  If you are racking up charges on your credit card you must know how much you are spending and on what, as well as how much money you have coming in to pay these expenses.   Once you have this information you can review your expenses and look for ways to cut costs or eliminate needless spending.  It may seem like a bit of a sacrifice today but in reality you are preventing years of financial struggle by keeping your debt under control.

College students are adults and like all other adults, struggling with high interest credit card debt limits your ability to reach your financial goals.  The best way to avoid this is by using your credit card responsibly, paying off your balance each month and living within (or below) your means.

Trisha Wagner is a freelance writer for DepositAccounts.com where you can compare rates of deposit accounts from dozens of banks in one place.  Trisha also writes regularly on the topics of personal finance and savings accounts.

Anyway, while meandering around campus I found myself quite amused by the drunkeness. I personally witnessed a girl get forcefully chased down and grabbed by an Illinois State Tropper because she had a beer in her hand. She was taken to the front seat of the police car and after about 20 minutes of pure hilarity she was let go with what looked to be some type of ticket in her hand.

Also while walking back from the heart of campus I walked past a university cop giving two punks public intoxication tickets for having beers on them. (Can these people be any dumber?)

Actually, it seems so, according to the Daily Illini, some genius attempted to climb from a second to third story balcony. Well, the railing gave way and he met the pavement. No word on his condition, though.

I was speaking about bag searching earlier today, and here is picture proof:

My apologies for not getting any original and hilarious pics up – I can’t locate my digital camera atm. Nonetheless, here is one (from today) from our daily newspaper.

Photo credits: http://media.www.dailyillini.com/media/storage/paper736/news/2009/03/06/News/Students.Visitors.Get.Early.Start.On.Unofficial-3663627.shtml & http://media.www.dailyillini.com/media/storage/paper736/news/2009/03/06/News/Cochrane.Says.Unofficial.Is.Bigger.Than.He.Intended-3663243.shtml

Usually at 8:40am, when I leave for my first class on Fridays the campus is dead and there isn’t but a few souls scuttling to class. Not so on Unofficial. Campus was hopping with hordes of drunk students in green shirts invading the sidewalks, streets, and quad. Loud music is bombarding you from every apartment and frat house, even including a few dorms this year. Girls are walking around in skimpy shorts and tube socks, and absolutely everyone is wearing green. It’s a sight to see.

Also spreading like the plague is the amount of police officers and security personnel. City of Champaign patty wagons and driving around just to remind everyone of the great pleasure of a $300 drinking ticket + community service time if caught wasted.

The security people are actually checking backpacks and purses for alcohol at the entrance to lecture halls. They’re even going as far as sniffing “water” bottles to see if there is other clear substances inside.

The publicity UoI has been receiving from Unofficial the past couple years isn’t making the administration happy, and they’re finally doing something about it.

Note: I will try to get a few entertaining pics later in the day / at night.

Photo credit: http://media.www.dailyillini.com/media/storage/paper736/news/2007/02/20/News/Chancellor.Tightens.Regulations.On.Unofficial-2729924.shtml

Over the last few years of this unruly celebration, students have been caught in class with handles, fifths, 40′s, you name it. The recreation center becomes a dangerous place to be, and cops crawl every inch of the campus. It’s getting so out of control that even the Chicago Trib is reporting on unofficial.

Google “unofficial st Patrick’s day” and you’ll see UoI results everywhere.

At my dorm, bag searches began today (the day before Unofficial), and surprisingly (or not?) a handful of students got caught attempting to smuggle in alcohol. All I have to say is that I hope they enjoy their community service and another other repercussions of their actions.

The “more intelligent ones” are planning to party at nearby apartments and other non-University affiliate residences.

In just 7 or so hours the craziness will begin, and I’ll keep you updated on the interesting highlights throughout the day.

College Cost Inflation vs. General US Inflation

The graph above plots the year to year inflation of college costs (blue) in comparison to general United States year to year inflation. As you can see from the data, college tuition is about double general tuition for any given point.

Without spewing economics jargon at you, this means that the cost of college rises double in comparison to most other goods. If the price of a banana rose about 3% from 2004 to 2005, college tuition would rise about 6%. When you add in the current economic situation, you can see that this statistic is quite alarming, and many students will be prevented from going to their top choice solely to due costs, and that is a truly shame.

The Average Family’s Response

You’re probably wondering how this is affecting the whole college scene, including applications, admissions, and the short-run future of costs.

Applications

The most immediate affect that has already been observed and reported on by the NY Times is the surge of applicants to public schools (most notably state universities). State schools are by in large much less expensive than private colleges, and families are bargain shopping. It seems like the blissful “I won’t worry about college costs until after I graduate” bubble is finally starting to pop. I’ve been predicting this for quite a while, and it is finally coming  around. And while this is unfortunate, its been long over due and I hope it makes schools cut costs and become more reasonable (although that’s not likely for a while).

Another major affect of this economic bubble bursting is the surge of students planning to attend community colleges. MSNBC is reporting that community colleges are seeing a 12-13% applicant increase from year to year. This is because everyone is being told that they need to go to college; however, many families are strapped for cash. Note that community college saves 100% of the room and board costs, and is also a much lower tuition cost.

Admissions

With the increased demand to public and state schools, it is only natural that admissions are going to get more competitive. Schools are going to have a larger pool of applicants to select from, and can therefore be more choosy in who they accept. On the other hand, private schools may have to loosen up their criteria a bit in order to attract a larger crowd.

Note: Ivy league schools really aren’t going to be loosening their constraints any. Sorry to any longer-shot hopefuls!

Predicted Costs

Unfortunately, costs aren’t going to be heading south for the foreseeable future. Unless we see some sort of horrific economic collapse, prices are only to continue to rise.

The only upside I can foresee is that colleges may begin to decease their year to year increase. (For example, instead of raising costs $500 / year, they cut back to $300). In relating this back to the graph at the beginning of the post, I am hoping that the college tuition inflation line (blue) moves down closer to (if not equal or under!) the general United States inflation line (pink).

What Can You Do?

If you really want to take drastic action, send a letter to your congressman or to the universities you are applying to. Sitting and handing over money isn’t going to change anything. Your other option is to just ride it out. As mentioned previously, you can attend a community college for two years, but I must warn you, more and more 4 year institutions are not accepting community 2 year college credit. You can read more on that in the beginning your college search post of mine.

Additionally, you can get a part time job, work every extended school break, and even make a few bucks online (beware on this last one – there are scams everywhere). If you want some more information on making some real money online, please contact me and I would be glad to lend a hand.

Remember: Blissfully taking out loans and graduating $100,000+ in debt isn’t the answer! Make sure to take action early, the money goes fast when you’re in school.

As always, please drop me a comment below! I know you have valuable insight to contribute. I would also be very interested in hearing about how this economic situation has affected you and your college search / selection.

College tuition inflation vs. general USA inflation graph credit: http://www.finaid.org/savings/tuition-inflation.phtml