Passion Projects for Smart People: Turn your intellectual pursuits into fun, profit and recognition.
Michael R. Wing, Ph.D.
You loved your college major. You worked hard to earn your degree. And now your day job doesn’t fully use your education, engage your mind, or feed your soul. But there are still limitless opportunities to do intellectually serious work―work that will win you professional recognition, travel opportunities, and even publication in peer-reviewed journals. All you have to do is create your own academic opportunities, and Passion Projects for Smart People will show you exactly how to do it.
The perfect career guide for the era of the Ph.D. barista, the underpaid adjunct, and the gig economy, Passion Projects for Smart People will help you take charge of your career and your life. Written by a high school science teacher who has done field work in six countries, published in professional journals, and worked with NASA, Passion Projects for Smart People details how to turn side projects into career-development opportunities. Passion Projects for Smart People shows you how to develop your own research and creative projects; form collaborations with universities and public agencies; apply for grants and professional experience opportunities; travel around the world for free; and develop your career as a thinker.
Michael R. Wing, Ph.D. and Shelia Souder, M.A.
Based on our years of teaching and counseling young adults, this book has three main themes. First, you shouldn’t wait until college to start doing authentic, meaningful things. Second, college is overrated while the importance of the high school experience is underrated. In fact, the college experience is often costly, wasteful and disappointing. There are other options besides a four-year college that may be more rewarding personally and financially. Finally, if you go to college do it right. Working professionals know better than to quit their jobs without having lined up the next one. As a student, going to college is your “job.” Don’t quit it (graduate) without planning the next one first.