I am planning to kill myself because I can't find an internship

Nice detective work. We should send the cops to his or her door.

 

1. A good GRE trumps a poor GPA almost every time.
2. Take the basic revised GRE. You can sign up on line and take the test next week.
3. Score can be reported just to you.
4. If you're above 300 (verbal and quant combined), you'll get into many schools. If you're above 330, you'll get into most schools. If you're lower than this, take a Princeton or Kaplan test prep one or two day course, and try again.

 

Ok, maybe internships are tough at museums, but have you considered volunteering at some of the smaller digs that many professors only work on in the summer? Getting your hands dirty doing actual field work would look just as good as an internship at a lessor known facility.

 

Just because you don't get to do what you want, you are going to kill yourself? If everyone reacted that way to disappointments, most of us would be dead.

 

mena, welcome back.

If I had a 4.0 GPA and I applied for only three positions of any sort, and at nationally renowned institutions in New York City, I would go in prepared not to get in at any and ready to do something else with my life. You can too.

If you had a younger sibling graduating high school with a 4.0 GPA and they applied to three Ivy League schools, it wouldn't be surprising if they didn't get into any, because that's how ultra-competitive institutions work. Would you advise them that a safety school lower than number 3 on their list was such a let-down that they should jump off a bridge? Of course you wouldn't. You do know better.

You almost certainly have classmates with higher GPAs who applied at each of these three museums and didn't get in. This process was not a rejection of you, and don't let your depression or whatever you have cast it as that. This was a swing from the rafters and it's great that you made these three applications, but you'll have to keep trying elsewhere.

There is no way that every museum, anthropology- or archeology-related research project, or environmental or health policy nonprofit in commuting distance from New York City has a bar against interns, volunteers, or entry-level staff who are college seniors with 2.6 GPAs. No way. And there are other ways you can move towards a career in any of these fields beyond even those.

 

menameta1,

I am a suicided survivor, it happened in early 2012 with my marriage problems. However, after that I thought suicide is not the answer to solve the problem. I went through 3 weeks of recovery, and it was not that easy. You have to think about people that love you they would face more depression missing you that your current situation. You would encounter many obstacles in life, if life is smooth would be really boring.

As far as the job goes, keep seeking more jobs. Even you have to migrate to the region with more job regarding to your speciality or passion. For example, I am sure Washington D.C has the most number of museums in the United States. Don't be discouraged to stop looking, I have been replying back to more than 500 email messages from technical recruiters.

On April 31, 2014 I resigned my job in Washington D.C area, and moved my family to Dallas/Fort Worth. Without a job lined up, on my last day I was called that I was offered a contract job with the Marine Corps Reserve. The pay was okay while seeking for better position in the area. Especially, most of the company do not hire anybody that is not local because they want face-to-face interview. Now I have two offers, one $96,000.00/year plus full benefits (about $125K/year package) and the second one is $177,000.00/year on W2 or $191,000.00/year on 1099/Corp-to-Corp, but it is a contract position. In order to get here, I have been to many interaction with the recruiters (more than 500 email messages), over 50 phone screening, and at least 15 face-to-face interviews. Even though I have over 12 years experiences in my field, graduate degrees, and IT certifications.

I would recommend you to apply all the jobs in Anthropology or relates around the country. A friend of my, who left the Marine Corps as a Staff Sergeant, have a Bachelor degree in Business from Penn State. He had tough time to look for job too, he ended getting internship with IBM in New York City. The paid internship is enough to pay rent and a little expense in NYC. But he does not give up for the hope, he wants to work himself to Harvard Business School.

If you need somebody to talk, just email me. Here ares my email addresses [email protected] or [email protected]

Oh! By they way, my undergradudate GPA was 2.73. It was not that big difference than you. I was not partying while undergraduate school, but I was serving active duty in the Untied States Marine Corps. Due to 10 weeks semester/term at Troy University were not enough to complete 3 courses while my work schedule from 5 A.M to 7 P.M, sometimes 23 hours per day. But I managed to completed my degree in 24 months with low GPA. But I still moved through the ladder, even though top schools like Southern Methodist University and Georgetown University.

 

If you are serious about an internship in a museum then you might first consider becoming a volunteer in a museum. That way you can demonstrate your reliability and motivation. You will meet people who can then help you find an internship or a museum job. I volunteered for several years in an aerospace museum and presented a paper as a rep of that museum. Museums are always short of volunteers, in part because the job functions are boring but longer time volunteers get the better and more responsible jobs. Volunteering also looks good on your resume.

 

There is always hope! Never give up!!!

 

If someone wants to work in forensic anthropology, then a museum might not even be the best option. University of Tennessee has the largest body farm in the U.S. where law enforcement agencies send people to train. You could look to work as a research assistant at a university that does this kind of research. You could also look at working for forensic science labs in police departments, a medical examiner's office, or a coroner's office.

 

Some sound advice has been given to you. Please know that EVERYTHING passes. Even the most horrible of feelings. It is important you reach out to those who care most about you. And be careful with the Internet. It can get unnecessarily hurtful and this isn't what you need at the moment. You will eventually get better and find someone who looks at who you are today instead of the bad grades you've received in the past.
Good luck to you.

 

I just saw this post and it breaks my heart. I want to wrap you in a huge hug. Take it from someone who has dealt with depression most of their life. The reason someone kills themselves is because they are in the darkest moment and can't see any light but I promise it will come. If you hurt yourself you will miss the beautiful light.

If it’s financially possible why not ask a museum if you can volunteer your time because you want to get started in the field. Lots of careers are born that way. Ask for a mentor professionals eat that up.

 

Barcelona, Spain

I would like to hear back from you and hear that the tides are turning. Of course, we don't know each other personally but the fact of reading and responding to your post made me feel converned at a basic human level.
A friend from Barcelona, Spain once told me: When you think that there is no hope, it is time for you to rejoice because one of the few certainties in life is that everything has an end. So do the darkest moments. So be happy !

To day, he is in Paris, France and enjoys a loving family and a fulfilling job he had never thought he could have. Hang in there.

 

That's what's up.:notworthy:

 

I don't want to sound heartless, I promise I don't, but this whole things just smacks of BS. Who makes that many handles on that many sites announcing suicide, and is actually serious? I've never heard of someone doing that. I've seen those have been on the web and said they were gonna do it and then did it, or tried, but this trolling behavior just screams "attention seeker" to me.

 

I'm with you. This thread smells like crap. :ugh1:

 

When I was in my early 20s .... I can't tell you how many times I had thought of suicide. I did not tell anybody though.... but I just want to let you know that life is not the same for everyone. Some people just can't handle the hardship. Be compassionate to others.

 

mena's posts could be true, could be untrue. If they are true, I hope mena is open to the advice several of us have provided in good faith.