The instructor was perhaps the most facinating that I've had and the topic reminded me of my early experiences and sealed my fate. I decided before the semester was over that I was in the wrong field of study. I'm still quite sure that I made the right decision. My present position is research petroleum geologist. I have a deep fascination in what is below the earth's surface and can't help but look down a drill hole and get goosebumps, daydreaming in three or four dimensions.
Petroleum geology is addictive.
That prize keeps me coming back to look for more. My position has some drawbacks related to the limitations of government service. I do not have a steady funding source for my research endeavors and must constantly scrounge for public-money research grants and contracts for even the most minimal of expenditures. I spend an excessive amount of time writing research proposals that rarely get funded due to stiff competition for a small pool of research dollars. In the past, I've found the same difficulty in private-sector work as a consultant, chasing after industry dollars.