2001-08-24 - 11:54 a.m.
Changing Ifs into Whens: Choosing Your Own Adventure

I'm going to say WHEN.

No more of this IF business. No more IF I go back to school and get a graduate degree. It's WHEN ... and it will be Fall 2002. (Of course, I still have to pick a school and degree ... *grin*)

My mother thinks I'm an idiot for even considering this. After all, my five years of undergraduate education are still a recent memory, and what have I done with those two degrees? I'm still living paycheck to paycheck, barely scraping by, and the student loan bills are extremely painful.

Well, the student loans would go on hold, of course (while being added to). I was intelligent enough to pay off my car this spring. That leaves insurance, credit cards, and house-related expenses as my only major bills. They're pretty hefty bills, yes, but smaller than they could be. If I manage to get a graduate assistantship, I should be able to cover the living expenses. I'm pretty used to a tight budget by now!

So why do I feel that I need to go back?

Well, the answer I give my parents is this: "During the recent economic downturn, 40% of tech workers have lost their jobs. Hiring notices always ask for several years of experience in extremely specific areas I wasn't trained for. They aren't as willing to fudge on this stuff as before. If I want any kind of a decent salary without going into the 80-hour-work-week cubicle syndrome, I will have to get some more education."

The answer I give myself is this: "I spent most of my undergraduate career learning what other people thought would make me money. Look how that worked out. I want to do something that Shell wants to do for a change ... learn something I enjoy! With luck, the money will follow."

Does that make any sense?