Well beyond the required courses... let me see....

First I'd take the Thesis track, bc it'd be less expensive overall.

Required:

600 - Principles of Tropical Conservation Biology & Environmental Science
-That just sounds cool

601 - Field and Laboratory Methods in TCBES
-Could be interesting...

605 - Quantitative Research Methods
-Well that's what I want to do practically

700 - Thesis Research


Non required that I'm interested in:

Techniques:
660 - Population Ecology and Evolutionary Analysis

I might also take another GIS course since I've already had a 500 level course in it.

Conceptual:

615 - Global Environmenal Change
625 - Tropical Ecosystem Analysis and Management
635 - Physical Environment of Ecosystems


That's the main ones...

625 won't be offered according to their schedule though. 615, 635 in the 2005-2006 semester, which is when I'd start. That could work... 600, 605, 615 Fall 2005, 635 + 2 others in the Spring (or work more), 601 the next Summer 2006. So forth, so on...

So you could be in Hawai'i sooner then originally planned by the sounds of it.

If I go to school there, definately. Plus I'd be living in Hilo, so I could likely find a job if I wasn't able to get a Assistantship (which I'll inquire about here soon). That would help me pay the bills for school and to rent a car and a small apartment in Hilo.

I still need to find more info about apartments, but I could also pay for a dorm room I guess... might be cheaper.

If the Dorm rooms are cheaper and are not as cramped as some that I know of are, then it might be the way to go. That way any money that you save can be saved for the future.

Definately... I really would hope to get the assistantship... that would literally pay my tuition and more.

I've been meaning to ask Jeff. What will or will you be pursuing anything further educationally in the coming years? If so what did you have in mind?

At the pay rate that some of the assistantships have, I expect you to be drivinng a BMW or something LOL

I probably will take a part time IT course (Network Engineering/Administration) next year and a business administration course as well. Although I already own a small business I am looking to form a partnership and start something bigger hence the business admin.

Cool.

I figured the business's I run will always sorta be a side hobby... but I hope to eventually make some extra $$ from the new Hawaii site's I'm building...

It is always nice to have a little income on the side of things, and a business/s that you can say that you own.