What am I really doing anyway?

[lavenderlilly]

Fair warning: this is going to be one of those posts in which I talk about boring things and get kind of depressing. So you should probably just move along.

That said...

What do you do when the thing you've finally decided to do turns out to be the wrong thing to do?

Comments

[faded_lace]

I know it probably doesn't look that way to you, but what you're doing seems really tough and really admirable. I mean, it can't possibly be easy to go back to school after all that time, and even if it isn't looking exactly like you want it to right now... no one can know ahead of time how things are going to work out, and no one can know how they're going to go in the future? But at any rate, I guess what I wanted to say was... I really think that as difficult as your situation is, I think it's really admirable that you're working so hard against the stream to achieve your goals? Not everyone would have the courage or strength to do that.

Also, I don't know if you'd even be interested, but since you were saying you had trouble making friends with the younger crowds, I know of a really great program at my school for undergrads 24 and above. It's really flexible in terms of working and doing school simultaneously and obviously is populate by students not of the traditional age range. We do offer Japanese classes, and there's a

[lavenderlilly]

First of all, thank you for taking the time to read my emo-tastic post. XD;; While I hardly feel that my going back to school is "admirable" (especially when everyone just assumes I'm the same age as your average fresh-out-of-high-school college student), I guess there's something to be said for deciding against going with the flow and subjecting myself to retail hell due to lack of motivation to better myself. ...Or something

[faded_lace]

Well... at any rate, I think a lot of people take the easy path and don't decide to go back, so... I'm still impressed? I can only imagine how crazy hard it must be... college is hard for me as someone who took the easy way, so I can only imagine how hard it must be to fight the flow! And... I believe in you? I know that probably doesn't count for much, but... you can do it!

And I figured it probably wouldn't be, but since it was aimed at people in your situation I thought I'd toss it out there XD;;; But... even just as things are, you're still doing a lot of work, and I'm really impressed by it. A degree is definitely an awesome accomplishment!

Thanks so much! I'm really excited for it. And I don't think there's a top limit on age for JET? You just have to have a bachelor's degree, so... you could totally do it in a few years! ^^;

[ad_exia]

I'm with your other commenter - what you're doing is hard, and you knew it would be, but I really think you should stick with it. Getting that degree will get you where you want to go, just keep that in mind! Even if that degree isn't in a field you want, you never know what will happen or how those skills might be applicable someplace else. Plus, you get to keep taking Japanese.

I have no suggestions about the other issue, other than to say I AM IN THE SAME BOAT. I know exactly zero people in Tucson and the only person I have to go out and do things with is my mom, and she's always out doing things with her friends at times when, you know, working people have to work. And everyone at work is younger than I am and I don't think they'd even be interested in hanging out with me anyway. So... just know you're not alone, in a way? I wish we still lived closer together.

[lavenderlilly]

I fully intend to keep going until I get my degree (because dammit, I've put it off long enough!), but I just feel like I'll probably not be very thrilled about it. I think the idea behind getting a college degree is that you've finally figured out what kind of career you want to have and going to college will help you attain that goal so you can be a happy and productive member of society. And here I am getting a degree in a field I'm only marginally interested in just so I can possibly get a job I may very well not like in a different country. (Priorities, I doesn't has them). But, you know, I do enjoy taking Japanese, so as long as I'm going to school, I can continue doing at least one thing I like

[ad_exia]

Good, I'm glad to hear it! But seriously, I was in school FOREVER and I have more degrees than I know what to do with and I'm STILL not sure what I want to do. So I don't know if that helps or hurts, but I think it means that sometimes college means you know what you want, and sometimes it doesn't. It's different for everyone. Besides, you do know what you want to do - or at least where you want to go. I think that's a good start!

I KNOOOOOOW. ;; It's definitely hard, it's much easier online but then all you do is sit at home on the computer and that's no fun, either. D: Alas, you are a little far from Tucson, still. If I discover the magical awesome secret to making friends, though, I WILL SHARE IT!

[alleyquat]

Move to San Antonio and go to UTSA. You can live with us and you'd be around Jayden all the time and you'd get to see his hilarious antics for yourself :D