My week has been a conglomerate of little projects that have kept me from finishing any one thing. My soldier son has gone active (that will be another post), I’m fighting with a nasty EBay person, and I seem to have reached the end of my formal education.
A few weeks ago I would have adamantly denied my interest in pursuing a doctorate. I learned while acquiring my masters that I love to conduct research but I’m not so fond of writing about it until I puke. I did think about the idea long and hard. I spoke with several people who have doctorates or are pursuing them. I weighed the advantages and disadvantages: not much advantage in the education field unless you want to feel important or be a superintendent or professor. I looked at lifetime salary increases versus the cost of 96 more credit hours. (I don’t have enough life left to pay for another 96 credit hours!) And just to give writing up the research a side in the argument, I bought a book called Write Your Dissertation in 15 Minutes a Day. In the end, I made peace with the decision that a doctorate just wasn’t for me.
Then I woke up Monday. It’s almost August and I’m not registered for any classes. Stores are selling school supplies and I have no need to look at the latest and greatest note taking ink pens. I’m going to have to start paying back student loans! I’m not a student anymore! UUUUGGGGGG! In fact, according to my college licensing board, I am in a position to renew my teaching license until 2027 without taking another class! I could retire by then!
While many people can’t wait to get out of school, I enjoyed college. (Well, there was the one professor that screamed at us all the time, never knew what she had assigned, and answered every question with, “You people think you’re smarter than me. I have a doctorate.” Could have lived without her! But then the adorable (insert drool) physics professor who wore surfer shorts and flipflops in winter made up for her.) The thought of not working towards an achievement, of not having a defined goal, is more terrifying than the thought of having to write that stupid dissertation!
So I opened the phone book and started the search. With a 4.0 and maxed scores on my exams, I didn’t have a concern about who would accept me so I started with the university closest to me and spread out from there. Indiana University: have to spend two summers on the Bloomington campus. Can’t do but the most likely option. Purdue University: have to drive 4 hours one night a week to take a class. Can’t do. Ball State: many classes online but not all and would have to take a leave of absence from work. Can’t do. Notre Dame: I have a department chair willing to sponsor me but I’d have to leave my job. Can’t do.
It seems that you can either focus all your attention on going to school or on doing the job you went to school for. You can’t have both. I wasn’t ready to start this when I was younger and now that I’m older I have too many other commitments to devote all my time to it. No wonder all the doctors look like Doogy Howzer. You have to jump in there before your life starts! Having started my career in my late 30′s, I want to enjoy it. So my new plan is to teach until I retire while keeping my radar out for a program that I can complete while working. If nothing turns up, I take advantage of reduced tuition for senior citizens and get my picture in the paper for being the oldest doctoral candidate in my class!
