I’m a loyal fan of crime television dramas: "Law and Order," and the disciple shows "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit," and "Law and Order: Criminal Intent," "NCIS," "Bones," "Criminal Minds," and even the darker shows like "Dexter."
There is something thrilling in the aspects of crimes, criminals, and morbid curiosity that catches every part of my interest, to the point that it has influenced my career goal. I want something, anything, to do with crime scene investigation, crimes against humanity, detective work, anything of the likes. If you haven’t known already, the FBI is entering a collegiate partnership with St. John’s University to actively recruit graduates, and the opportunity to employ with the agency in a summer internship. What a time to be in this field!
My only issue: I want to do too much. I want to be the lone wolf, the “Frank Lundy” like in Dexter, the one man investigating army, almost like a Sherlock reborn. I want to look at a crime scene like a behavioural analyst from "Criminal Minds" and assess the forensics like a blood spatter analyst from "Dexter" or "Bones", and run the trial like a lawyer or access mental competency like a forensic psychologist like those in "Law and Order". There are many, many years of school I have left ahead of me, but how do you know when it becomes too much?
I’m already part of a combined program that will leave me with a Psychology Bachelor’s and a Criminology and Justice Master’s, but I want to minor or major in perhaps biology, chemistry, physics, programs to work in that forensic science aspect. Should I double major and include a minor or two, along with the final master’s degree? What then, if I want to continue onto graduate school and earn another master’s or a doctoral degree? What of post-doctoral programs? When does it end!
The FBI information meeting yesterday has helped me understand that issue. Many of the agents and professional staff had spoken about their majors having little correlation on their job requirements. One of the recruiters, for example, said she would like to recruit Drama majors for a Surveillance team, if only for their improvisation skills. It helps maintain deep cover. Other agents recounted stories of their job changes and the skills they had been taught for the new job. Nobody expected them to know what to do or how to do it from their college education. The biggest take from the field, however, was the cooperation, the team mentality. A lone wolf cannot survive on its own.
Perhaps, then, I don’t need to stress and go through the time and money to get five different degrees, nor does anyone else. Maybe, I could just do things one at a time. The issue of wanting to do so much in so little time, the bane of perfectionists, seems unconquerable, but it may be less stressful when we learn that college degrees aren't entirely indicative of what you’re going to be doing as a career in the future. What is it indicative, is that you have the drive to learn and the patience to pursue a degree. That is the best you could want. Whatever you pursue, just earn that degree. You may, in the future, learn the rest.
