On Wednesday I had a lunch meeting with two women who work in the International Programs department. A lunch meeting which they paid for...at Pod. If you know Pod, then you know the place is no joke. It's pretty pricey and a bit fancy, even for lunch.
How did I get this meeting, you may ask. Well, back in the summer I emailed an adviser in the study abroad program, basically detailing my love for travel and how I'd love to someday help students plan their study abroad. I think it is an important, invaluable, once in a lifetime opportunity that shouldn't be ignored. I said I'd love to meet with an adviser to see what direction I should take in regards to my future Masters program so I can someday be an adviser myself.
After no response for a few weeks, I decided to email another adviser. She was super enthusiastic and said she'd love to meet with me over coffee. Coffee was eventually replaced by Pod. Like I said, Pod's a big deal. I started to put crazy ideas in my head for the following reason: I had applied for a job a few months ago as an assistant to an executive in the IP department. I was hoping and praying that this meeting had something to do with that job, not just my future education choices, so I got dressed up in my finest business wear, printed out updated (and beautifully formatted, if I may say so myself) resumes, and was SO pumped. I even started thinking "hey, maybe they have an opening and they want a young, dedicated lady to kick ass and take names in the field of study abroad advising." You know, if advising had anything to do with kicking ass and taking names.
Bah. No such luck.
The two women I met with were REALLY nice. Very honest in the fact that it is incredibly difficult to get a job working in the study abroad field. Very honest in the fact that if you are so lucky as to get a job doing this, you will be paid peanuts for several years and not much more after that.
Drats. Not that I want to do this for the money. If you want to work in education, you should put the idea of being wealthy far, far out of your mind. But the thought of making even close to what I'm making now makes me nauseous. The thought of possibly not finding a job in this competitive field makes me even more nauseous. Like I want to vomit on the cat sitting on my lap right now.
Anyway... it wasn't a total loss. I was advised to go into the Higher Education Administration program rather than the International Communication/Education program. Apparently, the first option would probably open more doors for me. Agreed. But the curriculum can be pretty dry. So my next plan of action is to speak with someone who has gone through this program and see if it's something I can tolerate. But the last thing I want is to end up in a business office at a university. I want to work with students and gosh darn it I will. I think. I hope.
So here I am...back in the same spot as before. A bit lost on what I want to do. I still would LOVE LOVE LOVE to do this, and one part of my brain says JUST DO IT LYNDSEY!! But the other part says...look at other options, please, for the sake of someday being able to not worry about my bank account before buying a new pair of shoes because the ones you have are falling apart.
Ahh so quite a predicament. Regardless, I have to get on gear with taking my GREs and making tough choices. I refuse to be a slave to crazy professors for the rest of my life. Or at least I want to be a slave with some say. And have little minions below me so I can delegate work to them.
To dream. It's so fun.
I think I would have taken this disappointing lunch meeting a little better if I didn't have a doctors appointment immediately following it. There's nothing like getting your dreams crushed (well, kind of crushed...more like slowly depleated) and then having a doctor poke and prod your lady parts 45 minutes later.
Life, how I love you sometimes. Grr.
How did I get this meeting, you may ask. Well, back in the summer I emailed an adviser in the study abroad program, basically detailing my love for travel and how I'd love to someday help students plan their study abroad. I think it is an important, invaluable, once in a lifetime opportunity that shouldn't be ignored. I said I'd love to meet with an adviser to see what direction I should take in regards to my future Masters program so I can someday be an adviser myself.
After no response for a few weeks, I decided to email another adviser. She was super enthusiastic and said she'd love to meet with me over coffee. Coffee was eventually replaced by Pod. Like I said, Pod's a big deal. I started to put crazy ideas in my head for the following reason: I had applied for a job a few months ago as an assistant to an executive in the IP department. I was hoping and praying that this meeting had something to do with that job, not just my future education choices, so I got dressed up in my finest business wear, printed out updated (and beautifully formatted, if I may say so myself) resumes, and was SO pumped. I even started thinking "hey, maybe they have an opening and they want a young, dedicated lady to kick ass and take names in the field of study abroad advising." You know, if advising had anything to do with kicking ass and taking names.
Bah. No such luck.
The two women I met with were REALLY nice. Very honest in the fact that it is incredibly difficult to get a job working in the study abroad field. Very honest in the fact that if you are so lucky as to get a job doing this, you will be paid peanuts for several years and not much more after that.
Drats. Not that I want to do this for the money. If you want to work in education, you should put the idea of being wealthy far, far out of your mind. But the thought of making even close to what I'm making now makes me nauseous. The thought of possibly not finding a job in this competitive field makes me even more nauseous. Like I want to vomit on the cat sitting on my lap right now.
Anyway... it wasn't a total loss. I was advised to go into the Higher Education Administration program rather than the International Communication/Education program. Apparently, the first option would probably open more doors for me. Agreed. But the curriculum can be pretty dry. So my next plan of action is to speak with someone who has gone through this program and see if it's something I can tolerate. But the last thing I want is to end up in a business office at a university. I want to work with students and gosh darn it I will. I think. I hope.
So here I am...back in the same spot as before. A bit lost on what I want to do. I still would LOVE LOVE LOVE to do this, and one part of my brain says JUST DO IT LYNDSEY!! But the other part says...look at other options, please, for the sake of someday being able to not worry about my bank account before buying a new pair of shoes because the ones you have are falling apart.
Ahh so quite a predicament. Regardless, I have to get on gear with taking my GREs and making tough choices. I refuse to be a slave to crazy professors for the rest of my life. Or at least I want to be a slave with some say. And have little minions below me so I can delegate work to them.
To dream. It's so fun.
I think I would have taken this disappointing lunch meeting a little better if I didn't have a doctors appointment immediately following it. There's nothing like getting your dreams crushed (well, kind of crushed...more like slowly depleated) and then having a doctor poke and prod your lady parts 45 minutes later.
Life, how I love you sometimes. Grr.
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