Okay, I don't have time to read all the responses right now but seeing your name I realized you asked me to PM you about a geology MS a while back and I never did!!! D'oh! I'm a jerk.
I will gladly PM you with more info if needed but here are my thoughts.
You say you are getting a geology/environmental degree bachelors... what field are you thinking you want to go into? And what masters degree would you be getting? If you want an MS in geology,
you should not be paying for it. I can't really emphasize this enough. It doesn't matter if an employer funds it (though this is less common among people I know), or if the funding comes from somewhere else. Do not pay for a research degree in the sciences! Find somewhere
they will pay
you. If you live like a mustachian/grad student, an MS in geology should not cause you to incur additional debt. I threw money away like a crazy person when I was in grad school (pre-MMM), and still didn't add to my considerable debt from undergrad.
(updated to add, I just saw your post about the Certified Industrial Hygiene degree so maybe none of this is relevant... if so I apologize)
Is the master's going to be in geology or environmental geology? This is important. If you haven't decided, pick a research area that lends itself to both environmental and industry. It's much easier to be a geo in environment than an environmental geo in oil&gas and not do regulatory work.
Yes! This! I got a job in oil & gas with a totally unrelated thesis, but I also got turned down by a lot of companies (plus that was a few years ago when times were pretty flush, oil prices are dropping like a rock right now and gas has already dropped). Don't get me wrong, I loved my thesis and since it all worked out I wouldn't change a thing, but picking a research focus with your future goals in mind will make life much easier.
Also, it is not abnormal to work in oil & gas as a geo then swap to environmental after you're burned out from the long days/weeks.
This is actually good to hear, I would eventually like to get out of oil & gas for geographic reasons, but I'm also intrigued by this statement because I was under the impression that entry level environmental jobs were WAY worse in terms of long hours and travel. Am I totally off base? (that would be good to hear too)
If you are starting grad school in the spring, then make sure the intro level courses are offered then since most students will be starting in the Fall.
Ooh this is a really good point too. I know in my program it would have definitely been a disadvantage/somewhat awkward to start in the spring, although people did it.