The exact wording of the question was:
What advice would you give to someone, such as myself, wishing to pursue a career in astrophysics, or astronomy? Job opportunities are dwindling. How do I get ahead of the pack? What can I do to to bettering my chances of getting into the program I want or eventually getting a job I want? Where can I go? What can I do? Who can I talk to? Who can help me? This is my lifelong dream. I'm scared I won't make it, that I won't be able to get a job, and that I won't get accepted into a good college with an excellent astronomy/astrophysics program. Some days, the only thing that keep me going was the knowledge that I would study astronomy/astrophysics, and have I career that I enjoyed and loved (And maybe discover something of importance). But what is or was the point if I can't pursue that interest and/or end up jobless and pennyless?
It is a very frightening world we live in, and I sense from your letter that there are many things that are worrying you right now. At the age of 43, with 20 years of astronomy behind me, I have many of the same worries believe it or not. One of the things you will have to face is that astronomy is not a major area that Congress is concerned about. There are only 6000 astronomers in the entire country, and Congress could care less if they all went away, especially when tens of thousands of other people in this country are getting RIFed due to corporate downsizing. Universities are also overproducing PhD astronomers way beyond the carrying capacity of the number of jobs out there. This means that jobs such as working at a planetarium, which you used to be able to qualify for with a BA or masters degree, now go to PhDs who can also promise to go out and win grants. A recent job opening at a major Planetarium wanted to fill the position with a PhD astronomer, but only supports the position for 2/3 of the salary. You are expected to get grants to make up the full salary.
I know that you want more than anything to get into astronomy. If you have done well in your undergraduate physics and math courses, you could stand a good chance of getting into graduate school. Beyond getting into graduate school, however, a major winnowing happens and many people consider dropping out. I considered doing this after my second year at Harvard, after being an avid amateur astronomer since I was 10 years old. Now as an adult, and with a successful research career, I again find myself thinking seriously about leaving professional astronomy in search of a more stable career elsewhere. My concern is that this is the 'grass is greener elsewhere' attitude, and that there are no other careers in this day and age that are really more stable for the long term than the one I am in.
To improve your chances, you need to talk to an astronomer on the faculty at the college you are at. Hopefully, this will be someone in their 30's or early 40's who knows what the current job market is like. In graduate school, you have to get involved in an ongoing program that has a future to it. Forget what you want to do. DO NOT enter graduate school with strong ideas about what you want to study. Your objective is to attach yourself to some major research project in progress, learn EVERYTHING you can about it, and become an expert in it. Keep an eye open to how long this program is funded, and what other similar projects will be funded in the future.
This is a tall order. AS an undergraduate entering graduate school, I knew nothing at all about the research and grant world. I was obstinate in the things I wanted to research, and this stubbornness almost made me drop out of graduate school.
The road ahead will not be easy, but it doesn't have to be frustrating either. There are many beautiful things you can study in this amazing world of ours, and if you give them a chance, you might find them equally satisfying!