Grrrrrrrr... aduate School
One person in my life that I have always and will always admire is my sister. She's smart. She's bright. She's beautiful.
She's got three college degrees, and is working on her fourth. Undergrad at UCLA. MBA from Pepperdine. Masters in Psychology from someplace else. Currently enrolled in another masters program of some sort. I can't keep track. She's got more degrees than a thermostat.
I weaseled my undergrad from the U of U. Upon returning from my mission, I went into my academic advisor's office with my transcripts and said, "This is what I've got. What's the fastest route outta here?"
Practical? Yes. The best decision? Not necessarily. Where did it get me? Into the same job I had all through college, only full-time and more pay.
So for the last couple of years my boss has been pestering me to go back to school. I love school, I enjoy school. But when I was in school, I didn't have a full-time job, a commute, kids, or a time-consuming calling.
I just found out that my GMAT scores are still valid--barely (I tried, unsuccessfully, at applying for a graduate program at that other school in Utah a few years back). So I sent them to a school in my area. Now I'm filling out the application.
Am I really doing this? Do I have a death wish? Have I gone insane?
posted by Eddie @ 11:20 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Hey,
It doesn't hurt to apply.
Except it's expensive. And the most brutal psychological joke when you are waiting for months to hear if you will have a career or not. So much so that you call home every afternoon to find out if you got anything in the mail. And you lose 15 pounds because you can't eat without puking because you know that some random committee is making fairly arbitrary decisions about your whole future.
Umm, I mean, go for it! No worries. It sounds like you are in a very different position from myself in that you are currently employed and your future employment does not depend on the degree. good luck!
Posted by JL
JL,
True, true! Expense is definitely one of the concerns. The employer would kick in some, but not all. Time is another concern.
And, as you correctly point out, it's all contingent upon some nebulous group of people actually deciding to accept me in the first place. The way I see it, by applying, I shift the burden of my future career regrets to them. If I don't apply, and 15 years from now look back on my professional life and feel like drinking myself into oblivion, I can always say, "Hey, I tried, and those [insert metaphor here] didn't accept me, so I tried my best."
In a sense my future employment does depend on a degree. My current job doesn't, but then again, I don't want to stay in my current job for more than another few years. It's a pretty small company, and short of someone abruptly having a heart attack or winning the lottery and retiring to the Cayman Islands, there's really not much room for promotion.
Posted by EastCoastEddie
I think you should go for it! (Not that my opinion should really matter - you don't know me! But is that stopping me from commenting? lol)
My wonderful husband has just returned to school while working full time, caring for myself and our daughter, and recently accepting the call to serve as Executive Secretary in our ward.
It is hard, it is expensive, it is time consuming and it is stressful! But we can only take a few things with us when we "go" and one of them is our knowledge. Plus, it will greatly benefit your family in the long run. You will have OPTIONS and SAFETY!!! What glorious words!
These are the very reasons why my husband is now also a college student. He does have a great career and provides well for our family, but he NEVER got his degree. (Considering he has no degree, we have been truly blessed and extremely lucky!)
Talk to your wife, listen to her thoughts and feelings, pray and then do what the Lord prompts you to do! Best of luck!
Posted by Sariah
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