Hey there!

I know exactly where you're at.

I grew up as "the smart kid" in Southeast Michigan, aka, engineer-land. I went off to a darn good college harboring a mild interest in social sciences, but took a course load that would direct me towards a Chemistry major, with maybe a minor in theater or a language. I came back that fall and told my old teachers my plan.

Why not engineering, CoCo? Are you gonna get a job with a Chemistry degree?

Of course, I came back that spring having declared in Anthropology and Classics. Needless to say I had many disappointed teachers.

I've since done quite well for myself. I'm writing this from an artisanal coffee roastery in La Paz, Bolivia, after having eaten at a top-notch fusion sushi place, both of which I've convinced another university to pay for under the guise of "modern gastronomy research." Will my own university pay me much when I get back? ...eh. It might be illegal what they pay me. But, as is evident by my presence here, I"d do this for free. Old stuff is so cool, cultural stuff is so cool. Old, cultural stuff???

Anyways, you're not alone.

What can you do?

1. Plan for an MA first If you want to do anything in archaeology, you'll want a PhD. Those of us who decided this track earlier (in the US) often go for a joint MA/PhD program. You'll not want to do that. If you've got a bit of classwork in anthro, or even better, a minor, you can get into an MA program. You might not get good funding, but that's why you work a few years beforehand. Many of us do. Before you apply, you should:

2. Field School There's a h*ecked up tradition in archaeology that the Field School is where you'll get your start and make connections. Will this cost money? Yes. Is that money a worthwhile investment? Yes, as long as you stay in anthropology. This is something you should do ASAP, as in, next summer.

• What is the field school? Think of it as an intensive study abroad program. You go stay and work at an archaeological site, receiving instruction in excavation techniques, general theory, and the local history. Some focus on labwork and artifact analysis, some are real heavy on the excavation and not so much the education- the best give you everything.

• What should you look for in one? If there's a region that you'd like to work in, a field school there will get you connected to people. Schools connected to universities are often less expensive and more reputable. They all have a price tag: look at what you're getting for it. Make sure it includes some course credits.

• Do good work at your field school, and show that you can excel at something. At the very least make show off your interest by volunteering and asking all the questions. If you've got a Comp Sci background, look into how you can use that at the site. Lots of people use GIS or stats programs, but aren't very good at it- volunteer to do something cool with these programs! You've got to sell yourself.

3. Keep in Touch With EVERYONE 90% of archaeology is knowing people. We're all generally nice folks and love to have interested people helping. Get to know your profs, let them know you're looking for things to do, and send an e-mail or two even after you graduate. It can be tough living a "real life" and keep up with academia, but it's doable and crucial.

4. Conferences The number one thing you can do is submit a conference poster or paper. More progress in archaeological theory has been made at bars after conferences than any department office. These can be intimidating for a first-timer, but: A. the acceptance bar is lower than you think B. these are the best places to get a feel for what people are doing and what you might be interested in. I help organize two annual anthropology conferences, and even in Chicago we're always looking for more submissions.

• How do you submit one? My first conference paper was mostly just GIS analysis of some maps from the site I did my field school at. It was nothing huge; I just asked the site director if there were small projects/questions she had, and she handed me that one. This is where connecting with your field school director and current profs is super important Have you written a term paper with some good original research? Submit that! Especially at smaller, regional conferences, a lot of submissions are more "here's some ideas I had" than "here's completed research."

Those are my general guidelines. Anything more specific you'd care to share (where you are, where you're interested in working, etc.) would help to provide some more specific advice.