I started college when I was 17, after I graduated from high school. Jr. College. I had no idea what college was, honestly, except that it was supposed to be more difficult than high school.<\/p>\n
So I was worried. High school was easy, but this was the big time. I told my mom I would only take 12 credits so that I didn’t overload. She thought that was stupid, that i needed to take a full load, 15 units, or it would take me forever to graduate.<\/p>\n
Forever to graduate.<\/p>\n
Let’s see. Jr. College the first semeseter, the University the next.<\/p>\n
But then I dropped out to get ready to go to Russia for a semester.<\/p>\n
The semester away turned inot a year and a half, three semesters. and when I got back I was flat broke with no parents to mooch off.<\/p>\n
I took some night classes. Then I broke free and took a WHOLE SEMESTER of classes. 18 units! Bliss!<\/p>\n
THe deal was, I had gotten married to Jack. He said he’d finish his degree in a year, and then I would get to do mine. So I worked and he went to classes.<\/p>\n
But he dropped out in the middle. This didn’t make me happy. I wanted my turn! I went to the school to get a definitive answer on what he really needed to finish.<\/p>\n
Turns out he wasn’t enrolled in the university. He’d been failing since I met him.<\/p>\n
Wow.<\/p>\n
Time for a regroup and re route.<\/p>\n
We moved to California, because my goofy brother thought we could start a video game business. We didn’t know anything about video game businesses, but we needed to do something different. And I heard that California had good schools. I’d be able to finish my degree there.<\/p>\n
Well, the video game thing didn’t go anywhere, but Jack got a good job anyway. And I started to get ready to go to the University of California.<\/p>\n
Did you know that you have to apply to enroll in a University?
\nI didn’t. The University in Alaska did not require such things. California even had deadlines and things, essays and huge forms.<\/p>\n
The UC had all these requirements before you could go there. Courses you had to have completed in High school.<\/p>\n
Courses I had not completed in High School. Because I was home schooled.<\/p>\n
Mad as hell, I went back to the Jr College in California to complete these classes. Deep in a Statistics class, I missed the deadline to apply<\/p>\n
ANOTHER year lost.<\/p>\n
man, I was depressed. My sister-in-law said, Hey, why don’t you try out for this internship-it’s for NASA!<\/p>\n
That sounded pretty cool. I thought maybe I could be a technical writer. That’s what english majors do, right? Write? Or maybe I could be a software tester. You didn’t have to know anything to do that…<\/p>\n
I got hired to be a desktop video conferencing tester. The boss later told me he hired me because I knew absolutely nothing, so I would be a good guinea pig to test the software. Then he said I had proved him wrong, and learned a lot.<\/p>\n
I really liked it. It was fun and exhilerating to have a real job, not McDonald’s or Wherehouse or in a mall. I was learning things, solving problems, and writing operating instructions.<\/p>\n
In the middle of all that excitement, I did finally get accepted into UCSC. I was so excited! And then I was unsure.<\/p>\n
I wanted my english degree. Nothing would change that. But I knew that I didn’t want to be a teacher, and that’s the only thing you can do with an english degree.<\/p>\n
I had learned to be a techie. I had this hope, that maybe I could go get a real job doing this. Maybe I could make good money. Pursuing my english degree would not pad my wallet.<\/p>\n
I decided to look for a real job, and take classes at night. Later.<\/p>\n
Later took a while. I had to find another school with night classes.<\/p>\n
I took one big corporate job. Then I didn’t feel like I was doing all I could, I found another, and another. In the middle of all that, I lost the husband. Shouldv’e seen that one coming.<\/p>\n
I did take night classes. I did. But it takes a lot of nights to make a full year.<\/p>\n
So, that last big corporate job I took was a consultancy. I was beig consulted on how to run the system. I was consulted and not informed. This, then that, then the other. Your end date is now, no wait! we need you!<\/p>\n
It dragged on, more and more frustrating. At last, my end date came. I reminded them that they needed me.<\/p>\n
But I was thinking. I was thinking about what to do. What other jobs were available? none and getting fewer every day. What would happen to me when it was finally my end date?<\/p>\n
It was september. maybe I would go to school. i looked to see. It was really possible! What if I went to school full time for a semester? I had enough saved to live on my own. I could do it, if I wanted to.<\/p>\n
Boss man says, “your end day is coming. But we need you…Can you stay a few weeks? maybe…”<\/p>\n
And I say, no. Not a few weeks. I have to go.<\/p>\n
So I went. A semester. And then partway through, I figured out that I only needed one more semester, and I would graduate. I would be done.<\/p>\n
It was just that fast! I was done. The right time came, and I weighed the choice. It was what I really wanted. More than a couple more week’s consultant’s pay.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, you have to keep your eye on the true goal. It took me 12 years to graduate.<\/p>\n
Once I graduated I was free to move away. I didn’t have to stay in the area to finish. I moved away, and lots of other things-good things! are happening.<\/p>\n
But I am right now keeping my eye on the goal. Let go of the little stuff to grab the big, you know?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I started college when I was 17, after I graduated from high school. Jr. College. I had no idea what college was, honestly, except that it was supposed to be more difficult than high school. So I was worried. High … Continue reading