Going Back to School

I am going for my goal. I have gone back and forth for years, making all sorts of excuses, but no more!

I am going for my master’s in library science degree. I still must pick my concentration, but I am going back to school for sure!

I am concerned about the price tag, but I have already started applying for scholarships. Fingers crossed that something will pan out, but regardless, I am doing this!

Can you tell I am excited? Exclamation points everywhere!

I have most of the application completed. I have already requested my transcripts from my schools to be sent directly to the university. Only a few more steps and this first hurdle will be completed.

I have done my research and I had a school in mind, but I have changed my mind to a school a little closer to home. I will still be doing classes only online, but if there are issues, I will only be two hours away from this school, as opposed to around 7 hours away.

I attended an online meeting with three of the instructors for the program. They went over the different concentrations for this degree. They told how the program is asynchronous which means many lessons are prerecorded and we can work as time permits. There will only be a few times that we really need to sign in as a class all online at the same time. These times will always been after 5pm.

As a fulltime employee, and a mother, this was of particular interest to me. I can still be at my 8-5 job during the day. In the evenings I can still make sure supper is done and the house is “clean” and still help baby boy or baby girl with any schoolwork. Then put everyone to bed and mama can have her quiet house for school. I already use this as “me” time so instead it will switch to school time. For the occasional time that we must meet right after work, I can just adjust my schedule for that occasional occurrence.

I have no doubt I will be burning my candle at both ends still. Going to work full time, and going back to school, with regular wife and mom obligations is bound to make anyone a little nervous and tired. I have a great family support network though, and my sister in law has already volunteered to be my editor for any and all papers that must be completed. Being she has her master’s degree already, I am way cool with this offer.

I also already know I plan to put things in a corner on the wall in my bedroom. I want to make a vision board for this goal. I plan to put inspiring scriptures and quotes up there, as well as a visual calendar/timeline to show that there will be an end to this tunnel. (This is something I still want to do with my children too. Let each of them come up with a vision board of what they think they want to go to school for and accomplish in their lives. Nothing too stringent but just some positive mind set future goals.)

I have my mind set and I am trying to make sure I have all my i’s dotted and t’s crossed to be as prepared as you can possibly be when headed back to school for this first time in 15 years.

Yikes. 15 years. My oldest baby is 16. That seems like a lot of time to have been out of school…

Not saying I have not finished training and classes for my jobs. I have. Just those classes were more of a short-term thing than a degree program. Especially when everything I have read and know about a master’s degree means I will be having to write papers left and right.

In a way I guess writing for Vocal has sort of helped me. Even though, in a way, I have used some of these writings as more of a journal than as articles. It has been a chance to get things out in writing which helps me organize my thoughts better. Also, it has reminded me that I like writing.

I say that as someone who has been out of school for 15 years though and who is writing purely for fun right now, with no deadlines or even any real requirements of what I have to write.

Give me a year and I will probably live to regret those words. 😉