Geology

Most of the students in Geology are geologists. The rest are a lumpy conglomerate of outdoorsmen, homeless physicists, Texans, and mountain-climbers.

The first group gets what it wants, in a strong and tasty dose. For the others, Geology is never very oppressive and often a lot of fun, but three years of scratching rocks and drawing colored lines seems rather aimless after graduation.

Geo majors, for all their fame as fresh-air lovers, spend a terrifying amount of time in dank laboratories. Here they rub pebbles on porcelain streak plates, poor at crystals through dime-sized hand lenses, and drip hydrochloric acid on unsuspecting limestones.

Scratch and Peck

If this doesn't appeal to you, don't let it scare you off. As in any science, a man has only to get excited enough about geology, and even rock-scratching will assume the charm and mystery of a Mediterranean cruise.

Fervent geologists enjoy their work as much as their field work. It's theoretically possible to graduate with only five or six outdoors trips, but most majors like to hike over the Auburndale esker or spend an afternoon chopping tillite at Squantum Beach, and call it all schoolwork.

Harvard's geology department is almost certainly the best in the country. Sparkling lecture artists like Kirtley F. Mather and L. Don Leet brighten up many of the classrooms, and the high teacher-student ratio makes up for the missing tutorial.

A Gut for All

Almost everyone takes Geology 1, a pleasure for anyone and a gut for all but the violent anti-scientists. After that, a man's courses are pretty much set by the field of geology he chooses to concentrate on.

He is required to take four courses in the Division of Geological Sciences, plus two courses in physics, chemistry, mathematics, or biology. Candidates for honors take one more Geology course and one more related course.

After graduation, a student can usually get a small job with a mining or oil company, or in the Civil Service. Better-paying positions demand graduate work and a Master's degree.