Thread Drift

[Owlie]

I am not sure I remember that one. Was it before 2005?

I am sick of school. I have senioritis at age 57. About 12 weeks left and I feel like quitting! Of course, taking neuroscience my last semester is not helping. Even though we don't need to know all the stuff in the book, it is humbling. And the thing is, I am really interested in how the brain affects behavior and all of the mental illnesses I treat.
I keep thinking that I signed up for this when I could be doing nothing? I love what I am doing, but the whole thing is wearing me down. I am sick of traveling into the city for class, even just 2 days a week.
OK, my rant is over.

I hear you. My last semester, I took a microbiology class with an associated lab. Really interesting class, but I was taking it simply to meet graduation requirements, the lab was fun but toward the end of the semester got to be draining (big project), and on top of that I was taking a required programming class that was torture and trying to be a lab monkey at the same time. I spent most of the second half of the semester wanting to quit, and there was no commute save a 20-minute walk!
(Okay, I had other stuff going on too. It was not pretty.)

To be frank, I'm a little intimidated by the prospect of graduate school. I feel like I know nothing. I know I'll get the classes there (it's a specialized field), but I feel like I've forgotten the finer details of bio- or organic chemistry, even though I've had them beaten into my head for four years. Use it or lose it, you know? I did keep most of my textbooks from the last two years, so I have cell biology and two biochem books, but no detailed physiology.

[Crankin]

Well, I've never not been in school.
Graduated in May (many years ago) and started my Master's the next January. Slogged through 3 years of night/summer classes (I could have been done in a year and a half) while teaching and generally enjoying the single life. Five years later, I started a PhD program, which had a 2 year full time commitment. I lasted from July until January! I had my kids, instead and kept working. But, as a teacher, I kept taking classes. When I quit my job, I had an MA plus about 100 credits over my degree. I was in a C.A.G.S. program (a cheap imitation of a doctorate for teachers) in Ed Leadership starting in 1999. In 2003, when I was ready to do my internship, I realized I did not want to be an administrator. By that time, cycling had taken over my life and I was not willing to give up all of my free time for a job.
The problem is, I like school, but I get sick of it just as easily. And this course is not the typical course for my program. But, this was the quickest way to become a therapist and one of the few careers open to me in a quasi medical field that didn't require tons of math and science.
Nwbye, there are no jobs in architecture. My DIL went to RISD and couldn't get a job. She manages a restaurant and is very happy!

[Blueberry]

I am not sure I remember that one. Was it before 2005?

I don't remember the timing, but think it was more recent than that. I believe it was deleted by the admins at the request of someone or some people who had shared more than they decided was prudent in that thread....

But I'm working on a very fuzzy memory of exactly what happened - so that may not be right.

ETA: The full story is around post 11602 in this thread.

[OakLeaf]

ETA: The full story is around post 11602 in this thread.

For some reason that just cracked me up. "Full story," "post 11602," not that I am any use at all when it comes to conserving space on the server.

[snapdragen]

I don't remember the timing, but think it was more recent than that. I believe it was deleted by the admins at the request of someone or some people who had shared more than they decided was prudent in that thread....

But I'm working on a very fuzzy memory of exactly what happened - so that may not be right.

ETA: The full story is around post 11602 in this thread.

Yeah, it was deleted at the request of the OP.

[NbyNW]

Nwbye, there are no jobs in architecture.

Don't I know it! The economy is supposed to be relatively strong in Edmonton but that doesn't mean they have design jobs, especially not for a landscape architect. They have to source their biggest design work to out of town shops because the profession is so small here, and as I mentioned there's no school so they lack that as a resource to develop local talent. That's what I meant by wanting to throttle well-meaning people.

The city is in its final stages of a design competition to envision the re-use of the City Centre Airport. None of the finalists are local, although they are reported to have local partners but I can't figure out who they are. It's like some closely guarded state secret.

I'm glad your DIL found something that makes her happy. It's hard to make a change like that after all the blood sweat and tears that go into finishing a program like that. (In my case I also went through blunt physical trauma ) Especially at RISD, I don't think anyone half-asses their way through that place!

I may need to make a change but I don't know what that would be. I'm kind of thinking to let it happen organically, because making plans never seems to work.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

My younger daughter got a 4 yr college degree and came out of college in good shape with very little debt. No jobs in that field though, so she works in other jobs and manages just fine to pay her rent etc. She's a very positive go-getter. But then she was determined to get a masters degree, which she now has, but came out of that with a very large debt. Still no jobs available in that field. So now she'll have to pay that masters degree off for years to come, even though her actual jobs have totally nothing to do with that career field. I think sometimes that in this economy, degrees are not all they're cracked up to be. But still, it's 'good' to have a degree and have a good education for sure.

[Catrin]

Tell me about student loan debt - I just graduated in 2003 with my Masters. I had no idea what level of debts I would leave school with...and they haven't gone down much since then However, I AM working in my field - though applying it in a very different way than I had anticipated. I love my job, I like my work environment, and all of that is worth a great deal. The degrees made this job possible, though ask me in 20 more years if the debt level was worth it.

[Crankin]

I think it is, Catrin. It's just that in some fields, you need to be really sure, if there doesn't seem to be a lot of jobs.
My DIL has her degree in interior architecture. I have to say she probably could have had a job when she graduated, but with no parental support or guidance, was too afraid to move away or try something on her own. Don't get me started on the lousy parenting she had! She did design work free lance for a year, then worked for 2.5 years as an architectural apprentice at a firm in NYC. I cannot tell you how badly they treated her. It was almost like slave labor; she had to live at the Y! Finally, Josh told her to come home (after 2 years of a commuter relationship) and she fell into this job, just taking anything to make $; she started as a hostess and worked up to manager in about a year and a half. She is treated well and since they are going to be opening a new place, are having her help with the design.
So, for those of you in the area, go to Redbones!

[redrhodie]

I watched the best documentary last night, on Showtime, about singer Bill Withers. If you ever wondered what happened to him, check it out if you can. It's called "Still Bill" and it's "on demand" in their movie section for Black history month. I actually watched it twice. I admit, I'm a huge fan, but I don't think you have to be to appreciate his story.

He's very cool. Here's the trailer:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9Q2DFms1tA

[lph]

Can't find the book thread.

Anyone read "Room"? I'm stunned. Stayed up breathless with heart racing last night instead of going to bed it was so engaging in the middle. It's inspired by the Fritzl case, but it's not a tragic, depressing story - well it is, but it's put sweetly and positively, really about being a mother in extreme circumstances, and the amazing adaptability of human nature. Bit like the movie "La vita e bella", just not so overwhelmingly Italian

Just finished "The Help", too. And I loved "The Time Travellers Wife".

This is why I'm having trouble getting back to bike commuting. Taking the bus I can READ!

[Trek420]

You could read on a bike. Drivers do it all the time. Why not us?

[lph]

har-har

Just finished "Room". Amazing book. Almost like a science fiction novel. And I mean that in the best possible way! How would YOU feel if you one day found out the entire world as you know it is just a tiny little enclosed corner of the real world, huger and more complex and detailed and busy than you can ever imagine?

[crazycanuck]

Weeeeehar!!! We have two very nice tickets for.....http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-s...ockey-showdown

Fuuiuuuuuuunky!!! We were wondering when to visit family n friends this year in NZ & were going to go either before, during or after the RWC or the week of the CHOGM meeting here in Perth..(can you say..'shut down the %**$ city for a few days').

I hope we can pay a visit to Christchurch to support the recovery.

[OakLeaf]

There really ought to be a word for my relationship to my first husband's second wife. "Friend" is nearly as inadequate in this context as it is when it's used to mean a life partner.

And that's not even considering that a lot of people in that relationship to each other aren't friends at all - far from it -