Aug 23rd, 2010: Back To School

Most of you may think I am talking about kids. But this is about me, and my kids are not quite of school age anyway. Today, I went back to SCHOOL! Scary! I went to Sierra College way back when, and finished my BA at UNC in Colorado in the early 90's. Totally clueless about what I wanted from/in life, I got a business BA (International Relations) because I thought that this major would help me in 'the corporate world' where I figured I should make my living. I really did not have the creativity/guts back then to think of anything else (my true interest was in Psychology...I had a love affair with this subject by taking all the undergrad classes in it I possibly could without extending my time in College -and racking up more student loans-), so I did what seemed 'right' to me at the time.
I did have an interest in my major, and did very well in College. I also was lucky enough to meet Aaron there. And, my first job out of College was even a little 'international' ish...I did customer service for international sales offices for the company I worked at. It was a good job, but all the other folks I worked with did not have an international relations degree, some did not have a degree at all, and they were all about as (or more) successful at the job as I was, so I can not say that my major actually HELPED. But...I was happy to have had the "College Experience". This experience ended when I mailed my last student loan payment while I was pregnant with my first child. All that said: I would do it again!!!
But now I am going to study what interests me, and who knows where it will lead! For some reason, I thought that a Bachelor's Degree would be all I would ever do, I would really not go to Grad school because I was not Grad school material. Whatever the hell THAT means. I just did not see myself doing it, really did not think I could for some interesting reason. (No one in my direct family went to college, both my parents went to trade schools. Both were successful at their chosen careers. My older Brother became wildly successful in his field just by being creative and using common sense. Both my younger siblings -early 20's- are in College). Anyway, I thought that in order to 'do' something with a Psych degree you had to at least get a Master's, and since that did not seem to be in my realm of possibilities, I choose to go with a Business degree. So funny, because many people I know have...Psychology degrees!!! (So, my advise to anyone going to College would be: Study what INTERESTS you. Do not even worry about what you use your major for). But I digress. So, now I am taking an undergrad Psychology class at the local Community College. Gotta start somewhere. I hope to be able to continue and get a Graduate degree. There is so much to look at, so much to research. I love data, and statistics, and researching. (That is the reason I am good at my current job...there is a LOT of data involved there...). We will see what happens, but for sure this time I am not going to let myself be limited by what I think I should or can study. I am enjoying it so much more now because I am doing what interests me.
For those of you who ask if I regret my earlier path? Heck no! Look at where that got me, I would have never met Aaron, and I will always cherish the college experience I had! It was probably the right thing for me to do back then. I think we all get where we are going by taking different routes. Some routes are very direct, some are a little more de-toured. Turns out my teacher actually went back to school in her late 30's and got her PHD 4 years ago, in her late 40's. There is hope for me yet...