Thursday
Oct232008
I'm going back to school
Thursday, October 23, 2008 at 11:11PM
It's not completely official, I haven't actually signed up for anything yet, but the intent is there and strong.
I've been seriously mulling this over for the last 8 months or so, especially since I started this blog and began to feel the creative juices flowing again.
by Saffanna
The debate in my head has been going round and round. One side of me doesn't want to spend the money and suggests that I find a way of being happy with the job and lifestyle that I currently have. But the other side isn't happy with the increasing level of comfort I seem to be deriving from routine work and a complete lack of academic pursuits.
by martha madness.
A two things ended up pushing me over the edge towards resuming my education.
The first was something that Merlin Mann said on Spark the other day. He was talking about choosing a subject for your blog, but it just as appropriately to life in general.
While people frequently tell me to shut up, I realized that none of the conversation at those times revolves around what I do for living, that just gets more of a dull stare. Those "shut up" moments occur when I start ranting about exciting (to me) new scientific developments, corporate greed and disregard for their customers, or how I envision the future being shaped by revolutionary technologies.
by salimfadhley
The second motivation came in the form of Joey, a friend of mine. She's berated me in the past about my indecision in this area. But after about 4 hours of shaming me for not living up to my intellectual potential, I agreed that I should at least explore my options and give it shot before I write it off as impossible or inconvenient.
by mathoov
So on Wednesday I went to see my old politics professor for some advice on how I should pursue my return to academia. I probably should have gone months ago. He was extremely helpful and supportive.
He acknowledged that my B- average may pose a bit of an issue, but it was by no means an insurmountable barrier. Furthermore, getting a Master's and eventually PhD in something outside of my Bachelors schooling is not a problem. Apparently there are many hybrid programs in politics, technology, and history that don't require you have bachelors degree in the same field.
by marinegirl
At this point my plan is to go see another professor tomorrow, and then begin determining what classes I'm going to take next semester in order to increase my average.
Long term I'm going to move into a Master's program of some kind while working full time in order to support myself. If/when I get to the PhD level I'll revaluate whether the full-time job is necessary, but it wouldn't stop me if it was. This education isn't about getting a job or increasing my salary, it's about excercising my brain and challenging myself creatively.
by dullhunk
I've been seriously mulling this over for the last 8 months or so, especially since I started this blog and began to feel the creative juices flowing again.
by Saffanna
The debate in my head has been going round and round. One side of me doesn't want to spend the money and suggests that I find a way of being happy with the job and lifestyle that I currently have. But the other side isn't happy with the increasing level of comfort I seem to be deriving from routine work and a complete lack of academic pursuits.
by martha madness.
A two things ended up pushing me over the edge towards resuming my education.
The first was something that Merlin Mann said on Spark the other day. He was talking about choosing a subject for your blog, but it just as appropriately to life in general.
"Start with something that you are genuinely obsessed about. It should be something that you can't stop thinking about, you can't stop talking about, everybody says 'could you please shut up about that one topic'" - Merlin Mann - CBC Spark
While people frequently tell me to shut up, I realized that none of the conversation at those times revolves around what I do for living, that just gets more of a dull stare. Those "shut up" moments occur when I start ranting about exciting (to me) new scientific developments, corporate greed and disregard for their customers, or how I envision the future being shaped by revolutionary technologies.
by salimfadhley
The second motivation came in the form of Joey, a friend of mine. She's berated me in the past about my indecision in this area. But after about 4 hours of shaming me for not living up to my intellectual potential, I agreed that I should at least explore my options and give it shot before I write it off as impossible or inconvenient.
by mathoov
So on Wednesday I went to see my old politics professor for some advice on how I should pursue my return to academia. I probably should have gone months ago. He was extremely helpful and supportive.
He acknowledged that my B- average may pose a bit of an issue, but it was by no means an insurmountable barrier. Furthermore, getting a Master's and eventually PhD in something outside of my Bachelors schooling is not a problem. Apparently there are many hybrid programs in politics, technology, and history that don't require you have bachelors degree in the same field.
by marinegirl
At this point my plan is to go see another professor tomorrow, and then begin determining what classes I'm going to take next semester in order to increase my average.
Long term I'm going to move into a Master's program of some kind while working full time in order to support myself. If/when I get to the PhD level I'll revaluate whether the full-time job is necessary, but it wouldn't stop me if it was. This education isn't about getting a job or increasing my salary, it's about excercising my brain and challenging myself creatively.
by dullhunk
tagged eric, hacke, history, knowledge, learning, politics, school, technology, university in Rant
eric, hacke, history, knowledge, learning, politics, school, technology, university in Rant 
Reader Comments (2)
My, you squeaked by by just ONE day in not updating your blog for a month. Nice to see a post.
Eric, you shouldn't be happy with your job and current lifestyle (not saying you should be miserable, though). You SHOULD want more. How else do people achieve their goals? Not by sitting around and trying to be content with the status quo.
I'm so pleased you're taking this idea up again. Even though you'll be super busy and we won't get to see each other as much, I fully, fully support this and I'm excited for you! Glad Joey talked some sense into you.
Thanks for using my photo and congratulations on going back to school. I hope you do well and it meets your expectations....