Sample+Occupational+Profile+Assignment

= Astronaut = I would love to be an astronaut someday. I believe this career fits my values, my skills, and my interests. I also believe being an astronaut would help me achieve many of my lifestyle goals.

Being an astronaut fits my Interests:
Ever since I was a little kid I have been amazed with the stars, planets, and other strange topics like exotic matter. I would read books and watch tv shows about anything related to space that I could get my hands on. Some of my favourite shows were Star Trek and Doctor Who. Authors that I really enjoyed were Isaac Asimov and Carl Sagan.

Beyond my fascination with the stars I had a natural curiosity about anything that dealt with science. I wanted to know how everything worked and why it worked that way. My favourite project I ever did was a research paper on the Polymerase Chain Reaction in Grade 10 Biology class. Learning about how one scientist figured out how to solve a DNA replication problem while he was driving on a mountain road just blew my mind. Combine these interests with my love of math and physics, and it is easy to understand why working for NASA was a dream of mine.

Here are a couple videos that show momentous events in human history that were also key events in my life. They fueled my desire to want to reach for the stars.

__ International Space Station __

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__ Challenger Tragedy __

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Typical tasks performed by Astronauts:
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 * gathering information
 * interpreting information
 * taking measurements
 * memorizing procedures
 * operating expensive and delicate equipment
 * talking to people
 * working in dangerous environments
 * swimming
 * First Aid
 * math
 * strong communication skills
 * problem solving

What other skills do you need? What about education requirements?
Astronauts perform so many duties that listing all of the skills would take a long time.

As far as education goes you will have to graduate from high school and complete more than one university degree and complete an extra three years of training. So few astronauts are actually selected so your marks need to be extremely high and your skills need to be top notch.

[|Click here for a list of skills and education required to apply for NASA's astronaut program.]

What I found interesting is that NASA is looking for very specific degrees such as engineering, biological science, physical science, or mathematics BUT degrees in nursing, aviation, and technology won't get you in.

What would I find challenging about becoming an astronaut?

How would I overcome these challenges?

Sample Vuvox

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