Work Environment

    When choosing between school and industry, the environment in which one will be working is very important.  Not only will you be going to your job bright and early every day, you will also be going to that job for a considerable amount of your life.  So it is important to make sure that you know what you are getting yourself into.  School atmosphere has some positives and negatives.  The most positive might be that you get the summer off, however, your schedule is influenced by the schools schedule.  Typically, schools have to deal with limited fund and out of date equipment.  There is almost no possibility of doing your own research.  The biggest factor might be the students, being a teacher means being around kids all day long.  For some people, this seems like too much too handle.  Add in the fact that one might have to take on extracirucular responsibilities as part of their contract.  Another factor might be lunch, having to eat in the school cafeteria unless you bring your own lunch.  All in all it doesn't seem that interesting or fun.

    However, if you go to work in industry, you'll have new equipment.  Normally one would expect to work with the latest equipment and having access to almost all kinds of equipment.  Part of a growing industrial team with room for movement in the company, the sort of movement that can not be found in the school system.  Breaks and lunchs wherever you want to have them.  The flexibility to do your own research and not have to deal with interuptions.  All seems more promising.

    Taking all these factors into account, it isn't hard to see why many students opt to go into industry.  Add in the factors of salary and benefits and you having a winning package.  Why would someone go through the headache of going back to school to teach when they can have the comfort and flexibility of and industrial position.


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