How do I find myself in biotechnology world?

[teddy]

Hello,

 

I've just registered here, although I have been reading this forum for a while.

I find myself currently in the "what-to-do-with-my-life" crisis. I really can't think of any options. I'm finishing 3rd semester of biotechnology now in university in Poland and I feel like it's all going into nowhere - I'm basically just expanding my high school knowledge about science. I keep learning loads of theoretical stuff, basically all that I had in high-school with just a "bit" more from every subject, there is no much laboratory practical works and I feel like I keep studying, studying just to pass another test/exam then forget it, take a weekend break and over and over again study for another test and so on. It's like I'm not going anywhere.

I learn everything and yet I don't know nothing and can't do anything. The thing is, I won't learn anything this way. I already feel like I've wasted 1,5 years of learning stuff that I will just keep forget and I can't put it to any use. I want more direct approach - I want to focus on some area that I like and study it, study it more. I'm still on my bachelor course, so that is probably a reason why I'm not learning anything particular, just a bit of 'everything'. If I decide for an PhD after that I will probably focus more on a certain field, but still... I'm pretty sure that's not enough, besides after I've read about some of the prospects after finishing biotechnology I think I would like to get into IT side of it - like bioinformatics. I know there are 3 years bachelor course and 2 years phd course of bioinformatics in my city, but I don't want to start over again and let those 1,5 years go totally to waste to try it there. And I'm pretty sure first 3 years will look pretty much like my current course of general biotechnology - a bit of everything with only difference being much more pressured into informatics and maths. I was kind of IT freak when I was like 12 years old. I used to learn html/css, was reading hacks and exploits forum, having fun with photoshop, helping to install gta for school mates, using linux. I've really enjoyed it, but then I decided I'm bad at maths so I focused on biology and chemistry and that's how it went. Now that I'm older (turning 21 years old this year), I really feel it was an mistake.

But, going back to the topic. I thought of maybe finishing my current general biotechnology course and getting bachelor title and then trying my way into something connected with informatics, something that connects biotechnology and IT and try to specialize at it, learn it, study it hard and focus on it so I can become good at it. I feel like I've definitely gathered enough general knowledge and now I want to focus on a certain direction. The thing is, I can't think of anything that I can do. I can't start bioinformatics on university - it will be just waste of 3 years spent at general biotechnology and probably first 3 years will be pretty much a waste too, just studying same theoretical stuff from exam to exam. I can't find any course that I can do after my bachelor to connect IT and biotech except bioinformatics in my country, but that's a not a big issue I guess. I was preparing myself for living abroad anyway as biotech in Poland is not really much developed and too many students finishes this course, so getting a job without 'connections' is pretty much impossible.

So is there anything that I can go and study after getting biotechnology bachelor title related with IT to study and focus on becoming a specialist in a certain area? Maybe becoming bioinformatician, but without starting it at university again with the basics all over again? I'm really desperate to start doing something that I know will be useful for me and to find a 'path' of what to do in the future.

Like I said, going abroad is not an issue. I can travel within Europe and even go to USA. I have some money spent from my part-time jobs and I'm pretty sure my parents would help me with a start if I gave them a good reason.

I know it's an important time for me and I want to at least once make a good decision about my future.

I'm also sorry for such a long post, I hope somebody will read it though and maybe point me to some direction or give me some ideas.

 

Best regards,

 

Krystian.