I suppose that icon is appropriate enough.

[hideincarnate]

I finally have all my grades in from Spring Semester. All A's of course. Summer semester starts this week. And I am set up for fall classes - I just have to see if I can beg anyone to trade days with me because working all day Monday and then jetting off to campus is not my idea of fun. But somehow I doubt anyone will willing switch with me

Comments

[karadin]

Yep, you are 28, in many ways your life is just beginning, and you may not know what you want right this minute, but you know that there are things you like and places you want to go visit. Sometimes we take jobs just to live somewhere different. Almost all my friends now work in fields that did not exist when they went to college, and some of my friends teach subjects for majors that didn't exsist (like art therapy and fandom studies) so just leave yourself open to possibility.

[hideincarnate]

mmmm but I can't travel to France or Japan without having a couple thousand dollars to spare. which I don't. i think i am open to possibilities but i have a hard time seeing around my student debt.

[karadin]

I was working three jobs while I was in school, even with scholarships I have massive student loan debt, but I was able to get a student visa to work in the UK for six months, had enough for a plane ticket and a couple hundred and lived in a house with 8 other girls. While I was away I was able to put my student loan in forbearance. In fact, for the last few years, whenever I had hard times I put the loan on forbearance, and now my loan payments are tied to income, so I pay a fraction on time for ten years, then my existing loan payments will be forgiven - though I have all goverment student loans, pell grants etc, no private loans. You could also look into the good ol Peace Corps, travel the world, forgive your debt. Incidentally, I met spouse while working over in the UK, so all in all, a very good experience for me.

[hideincarnate]

My undergraduate are private loans. One loan apparently can't go on income based repayment but I may call them to double check.

I am afraid I am not adventurous enough for the Peace Corps. I am afraid I don't have as high of aspirations as you think I may have for my life haha.

My debt can be forgiven as a teacher as well. And I came to love teaching while working as a teacher in Japan. So I know it is something I like to do.

I'm glad you met your spouse but I have no interest in romance.

[placetohide]

I don't know how the training/education for this works, so sorry if this is ignorant, but: when you finish your program, what will it leave you qualified to teach? Is it specifically for language teaching, or just like general education so you could go on to become a teacher for any number of subjects? If it's for Japanese only, it definitely might be worth slowing down to think about where you're going. It definitely seems worrying to me that you might be getting qualified to only be able to teach a language that you don't think you understand anymore and don't want to learn again. That wouldn't inspire a lot of confidence in students, either! But if there's a way you can use your education to possibly teach a different subject, then that still leaves you with all kinds of possibilities.

[hideincarnate]

my program is specifically for foreign language instruction. i am also getting certified to teach esl. i have just masters courses left so i am more than a halfway through. i know i like the language and the culture. i know i like teaching elementary school. but the tests and studying for them intimidate me. and there are days like today where i have no drive at all to be anything.

[pony_rocks]

My deepest sympathy. Grandfathers are important and losing them pains like hell.

As for your career woes, I really do feel for you. Also, while I realize I may be wrong - as I do not fully know your - and American -circumstances, I think you will always have better career prospect in anything involving Japanese (compared to History, at least), so re-learning it really seems like a good option to me. Even if you do get the qualification, you do not need to be a teacher forever. Translating and interpreting - or even international trade and politics, all of this could be still open to you. Definitely more thatn to me, as your country is much bigger and there is more opportunity.

[hideincarnate]

I am not sure how to deal with my grief. I don't think I ever dealt with the grief my grandmother's passing caused either

[hideincarnate]

Thanks! Summer class start tonight actually. Blargh.

Thank you.

Thanks. I'll sort it out. I have to. I can't get anywhere by doing nothing.

[glitterburn]

Congratulations on the A grades!

I'm so sorry about your grandfather. When someone close to us passes away, it can make us question our life choices. I was a hot mess for months after my dad died and I flailed around wondering what was the right thing to do. Don't be hard on yourself. You're succeeding in your degree. Be proud of those grades! You've found a great love of history - yes, it might only be a specific period, but if you can find some way to harness that love and shift it back towards Japanese, it might help balance things out. I'm sure you can regain all your confidence in Japanese.

Right now you're in a period of transition - academically/career as well as personal. Grief affects everyone in different ways, so don't feel you have to make solid decisions about anything right now. You're doing better than you think you are. Honestly.

*hugs*

[hideincarnate]

I never thought of it that way. I think you may be right. I'm not sure how to harness it. Except maybe making little Japanese videos about the American Revolution! (It will degenerate into fan girlish nonsense quickly and focus on Washington's butt far too often hahahahah.)

I guess you are right. For now I shall stay on the course I have set out upon...and worry about the major decisions when I have to.

*hugs*