For those who don't know: paleo means ancient or primitive; anthro is a prefix meaning human and -ology means "the study of." So, paleoanthropology is the study of ancient humans, human evolution, fossil hominids and the like. If you're interested in these subjects and want to make a career of it, follow these steps to becoming a paleoanthropologist.
Instructions
1. Study the sciences in high school. Biology and anatomy will be particularly useful. Physics, chemistry and geology also come in handy. Do well on your ACT or SAT, and start applying to colleges.
2. Choose a good undergrad anthropology program. Be careful when you select your college. All paleoanthropologists know each other, partly because there aren't that many of them. This means that one email from your department chair can mean the difference between the Berkley graduate program and "I'll never pay off my loans University."
3. Get good undergraduate grades and make friends with your anthropology professors. Get to know them as best you can. Try to get one of them to take you along for fieldwork in the summers.
4. Take the GRE and pray. Apply to the best graduate school you can. If you've worked hard and impressed your instructors, you should have no problem getting into grad school.
5. Graduate with your doctorate, put your loans on forbearance and go do some field work for a year or two. Publish a paper or two, get a job at a university, and voila--you're a paleoanthropologist.
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