Acceptances and a decision
So there's no denying it... I only post here a couple of times a year, despite my best intentions. Maybe that will change in the future, but even if not here's my post for 2008!
I'm graduating with my B.A. in art history in May. I'm excited sometimes, relieved almost all the time, proud of myself for actually sticking to it and not getting distracted and forgetting to do my homework and dropping out. In fact, the only thing left between me and the degree right now is about 10 pages of a paper.
I applied to three graduate schools, a Ph.D. program at Johns Hopkins and M.A. programs at American University and George Mason University. I really wasn't sure I'd get in anywhere... completing my B.A. online seemed iffy even to me. But it turns out that I got accepted to both M.A. programs (we'll see if Johns Hopkins likes me better in a few years).
The decision was a really tough one to make... I went from leaning really strongly toward American to backing up and taking a second, closer look at George Mason. In the end, the professors at George Mason really made the difference for me. I felt like we were an excellent fit in terms of attitude, pedagogical philosophy, etc. Then, having pretty much already made up my mind, they were able to offer me a teaching assistant position that brings with it a partial tuition waiver and a living stipend. This will make it so much easier to afford to go to graduate school.
And so, in August, I will be back in school full time. I feel like... I don't know, I'm not sure I can even express it without it sounding backwards, but I guess I feel like I'm back on track with my life. It's not that I regret going into the Navy, because in reflection that was clearly the best decision for me at that time in my life, and I probably wouldn't have been able to be educationally successful without the discipline and the growing up that the Navy allowed me to do. And my time in my post-Navy job has always been something to pay the bills until I could get to the point that I'm at now.
I guess that, as good as the whole experience has been for me, I just never felt like I fit in to the Navy and/or business world. Not "fit in" like a high school popularity contest, but more like my interests, ideas, plans, thoughts and aspirations all seemed thoroughly out of place in those contexts. I felt like I just wasn't doing the right thing for me. And I am so, so grateful to have this opportunity to move in what I feel is such a better direction for me.
Anyway, thanks to all my friends who were kind enough to offer support, advice, kindnesses and everything else to me over the past few years.
I'm graduating with my B.A. in art history in May. I'm excited sometimes, relieved almost all the time, proud of myself for actually sticking to it and not getting distracted and forgetting to do my homework and dropping out. In fact, the only thing left between me and the degree right now is about 10 pages of a paper.
I applied to three graduate schools, a Ph.D. program at Johns Hopkins and M.A. programs at American University and George Mason University. I really wasn't sure I'd get in anywhere... completing my B.A. online seemed iffy even to me. But it turns out that I got accepted to both M.A. programs (we'll see if Johns Hopkins likes me better in a few years).
The decision was a really tough one to make... I went from leaning really strongly toward American to backing up and taking a second, closer look at George Mason. In the end, the professors at George Mason really made the difference for me. I felt like we were an excellent fit in terms of attitude, pedagogical philosophy, etc. Then, having pretty much already made up my mind, they were able to offer me a teaching assistant position that brings with it a partial tuition waiver and a living stipend. This will make it so much easier to afford to go to graduate school.
And so, in August, I will be back in school full time. I feel like... I don't know, I'm not sure I can even express it without it sounding backwards, but I guess I feel like I'm back on track with my life. It's not that I regret going into the Navy, because in reflection that was clearly the best decision for me at that time in my life, and I probably wouldn't have been able to be educationally successful without the discipline and the growing up that the Navy allowed me to do. And my time in my post-Navy job has always been something to pay the bills until I could get to the point that I'm at now.
I guess that, as good as the whole experience has been for me, I just never felt like I fit in to the Navy and/or business world. Not "fit in" like a high school popularity contest, but more like my interests, ideas, plans, thoughts and aspirations all seemed thoroughly out of place in those contexts. I felt like I just wasn't doing the right thing for me. And I am so, so grateful to have this opportunity to move in what I feel is such a better direction for me.
Anyway, thanks to all my friends who were kind enough to offer support, advice, kindnesses and everything else to me over the past few years.