How many of us plan to become Egyptologists?

This should be interesting. I hope to take an undergraduate degree at the UCL, (Swansea Uni has also been reccomended to me), but I'm not sure if I'll be able to do the whole 8-years to an MA. Besides, I don't know if I am of the correct character, and as I haven't even taken my GCSE's yet I am not sure if I have a chance of being accepted, or whether I'll suddenly change my interests. I take Egyptian history so seriously that I think that it's unlikely that I'll become bored with it.

I'm at Uni in Pisa, in egyptology....but I'm working a lot and not giving lots of exams.....I'll see what will be of me.....I'm also too old to plan such a long and complicated thing....even if I wish to!

i dunno i might, i mean im still young but i think i should start dtuding it now, just in case

Yeah, I totally plan to be an Egyptologist. I think it would be awesome to have your whole career be based around something (or someplace in our case ) you love.


P.S.> I haven't been on in awhile so I just saw the great new look of the site. Awesome!

That's my first priority in my college education. If I can't get into Egyptology around where I live at that time, then forensic science is next on my list.

Wouldn't that be cool to have all of us [who are hoping to become Egyptologists] meet? That'd be weird lol.

It would, indeed!

I .. don't know really if I would want to go specifically for a role as an Egyptologist. In BSU (Boise State University; Idaho), there are some regular history and linguistic classes I can take for a regular undergrad study (honestly, this really sucks for me... but financial reasons ). For postgrad, I'm hoping to be accepted to Brown University (Rhode Island) or possibly Penn State (Pennsylvania) or even the University of Liverpool (Liverpool, England).

Anyhoo, I'm really hoping to get a job in a museum. I want to be the guy that goes off, finds things, comes back and can study and/or translate the piece. Send off for carbon dating, etc. ...Is that basically the role of an Egyptologist? Honestly, people I hear from say they wish to be an Egyptologist... but don't know what it is to be one! It's quite confounding, and very annoying.

I think the chances would be rare of any of us becoming a bonefide Egyptologist. There are just so few of them, and so few jobs. Perhaps if we had the luck of being born weatlhy and didn't have to work, but did it out of passion. I think though that you don't have to have a doctorate or even attend college to become an Egyptologist. In todays world self taught amatures in areas that interest them can rival the knowledge of a true "Egyptologlist", and they can even contribute to science. You might be an amature Egyptologist, but you are still an Egyptologist.

True, but if you're an amature, you're less prone for the big bucks!

If everything goes absolutely perfect, I will attend BSU for four years, leaving at the age of twenty-two. I'll then move to Rhode Island, and attend Brown University for six years to gain my Masters. Then, after finding a job in a museum (the Smithsonian would be my first choice merely for the name), and working there for two to three years, I could return to Brown University and start working on my Doctorette. Keep in mind, this is in an absolute perfect world. It's just a dream, but it's what's keeping me going!

Yes i would be an egyptologist because the culture of egypt is very interesting so are the pyramids temples pharaohs and gods and goddesses

I may or may not, depending on what my interests are in the future....I am going to write a book about Ramses III, a fictional story. If it gets good press I'll start writing a series on ancient Egypt. ^_^ But I would love to become an Egyptologist, indeed!

I voted 'Yes' because I really want to be an egyptologyst! I know I'm... ehh... young (I'm going to Grammer School right now - it's a type of school in here, Hungary. People go here when they're 15-18 ) but I want to go to a really good university in here and then I WANNA LIVE IN EGYPT!!! Wheee... Nice dreams, yes?

Nice to see that you have such high hopes
Stick with them and make your own future

And to you Ramses, Dont talk abut writing a book.. Do it
go with your dreams and fulfill your own destiny
A book abut Ramses III must be a bestseller.....

Young people with hopes and dreams is what makes
the world a better place and there is a lot of discovery
to be done yet.

Hope some of you one day makes a breakthrough discovery
and who knows... one of you might do just that

Everyone must remember that jobs in the Egyptology field are highly compeitive and shouldn't be taken lightly. Whilst its all very well to say that 'some people have to be the Egyptologists', those people are the best in the world at what they do. For every position in Egyptology-related careers there are more than a hundred people with the necessary qualifications, and obviously only one of those hundred will get the job. Jobs are actually so competitive that unless you really feel that you have what it takes, it would be both selfish and unwise to consider a career in Egyptology. I for one do not want to get stuck with a PhD in Egyptology, working in a launderette or as a postman.

As it stands I have a rough game-plan already worked out. I want to take a degree in 'Egyptian History' at UCL (rather than in Archaeology, which interests me less. Also note the importance of taking French or German at school), and then take both the competition for the Fast Stream Civil Service (for which you can have at least a 2:2 degree in anything that shows intellectual finesse), whilst simultaneously applying for a whole host of Egyptology-related careers such as Museum Curating, lecturing etc. and I'll choose the one that appeals most to me at the time.

It's a tough game, and if you guys are the sort who consider playing then it might be a good idea to work out your game strategy in advance. It'll never be too early, but you can miss your chance.

Ramses: Really? It will be hard, but if somebody publishes it, I will read it at once because I really like the Ramses pharaohs, too! I hope you'll find a good publisher! Good luck!