Study geology and get some dirt on your shirt

Somi Jeong always knew she had a passion for nature, but she didn’t realize she could make it a career until she discovered the U of R’s Geology Department.

At home in South Korea, Jeong began her post-secondary education in business before realizing that it wasn’t the right program for her.

“At the time I was like ‘okay, whatever, I’ll just choose business as my major.’ That’s what everyone else wants to do and it’s what my parents wanted me to do,” recalls Jeong. “During my second year I was finally like, ‘oh my god what am I doing here?’ It just wasn’t for me.”

If you like the outdoors, have lots of curiosity about your surroundings, and you’re not afraid to get dirt on your shirt, the U of R’s geology program will definitely suit you. Somi Jeong, fourth-year geology student

So, fuelled by a desire to travel and study something she is passionate about, Jeong began searching for post-secondary programs outside of South Korea that were better suited to her interests.

After hearing good things from a friend who was attending the University of Regina, and taking into consideration where she may want to establish permanent residency after graduation, it was Saskatchewan – specifically the U of R – that was most enticing to Jeong.

Shortly after beginning classes, Jeong knew she’d made the right decision.

“I was able to register in a range of courses in areas I thought I would really enjoy learning more about. I remember taking one of my first classes, Geology 102, and being like ‘oh, this is what I was looking for!’” said Jeong.

Get your hands dirty with hands-on learning

Her time in the program has given Jeong the opportunity to get hands-on learning experience in both the classroom and in the field.

Thanks to courses like Geology 201, which utilizes student-driven feedback and Open Education Resources to develop course materials at no additional cost, geology students have opportunities to engage in real-world scenarios.

More than half of our undergrad students are getting well-paying summer jobs in the industry. The hands-on learning they get in their program, combined with real-world work experience, means the U of R is producing well-rounded graduates who get to do what they love for a career. Dr. Joyce McBeth, Assistant Geology Professor, Faculty of Science

“The geological mapping, mineral identification, and teamwork experience our students receive in their training simulates the experiences they will have working with a company and prepares them for jobs. Our students get a three dimensional understanding of the industry as well as what’s going on underneath the Earth,” said Dr. Joyce McBeth, Assistant Professor, Department of Geology.

While she does find the classroom work plenty interesting, Jeong gets the most enjoyment out of seeing the rocks and surveying landforms in person during field courses and her student summer work terms with Saskatoon’s Axiom Exploration Group Ltd.

“The hands-on learning is the thing I like the most about geology,” said Jeong. “In my first year, I went to academic counselling and asked if there are any hands-on learning opportunities like labs or fieldwork and that’s how I found out about all the opportunities available in the geology and environmental geoscience programs.” 

“The fieldwork can be really hard. Some days you’ll hike for ten hours, come back to camp, analyze the rocks, get a few hours of sleep, then do it all again.  It’s not easy, but that’s what I’m looking for. It’s what I like and I’m good at it.”

Earn while you learn

One of the most tangible benefits of pursuing an education in geology is the number of employment opportunities available to not only graduates, but also current students.

“More than half of our undergrad students are getting well-paying summer jobs in the industry,” said McBeth. “The hands-on learning they get in their program, combined with real-world work experience, means the U of R is producing well-rounded graduates who get to do what they love for a career.”

From talking with friends in the program, Jeong discovered that everyone had an experience not too different from her own. They can all point to moments from their childhood when they discovered their love for nature – whether it was collecting and playing with rocks or discovering interesting geological features – as their inspiration to pursue an education and career in geology.

Discover hands-on learning opportunities available through the Centre for Experiential and Service Learning.

“If you like the outdoors, have lots of curiosity about your surroundings, and you’re not afraid to get dirt on your shirt, the U of R’s geology program will definitely suit you,” said Jeong.