Going Back to College

20 years ago, I set foot into my first college classroom. I absolutely loved it. With a high school campus that now has three high schools and an athletic building that the students travel between them all, the size of college was nothing to me. When I graduated with my Bachelors degree, the plan was to go immediately back and get my masters. However, being pregnant with my second child (and sick EVERY single day, all day long), chasing a two year around, and having a husband that traveled for work, life just got in the way. Finally, 20 years later, I am going back to college to get that masters. Only it will be for a totally different degree than what I planned back then!

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I graduated in 2004 from Eastern Michigan University with my Bachelors of Science degree and a teaching certificate for the state of Michigan. Unfortunately, at that time, there was a surplus of teachers. When applying for jobs, my application ended up being one of 3000 for ONE position. It was nuts. If I was willing to relocate, I could get a job in another state that recognized my Michigan teaching certificate. However, relocating was not an option. I did some long term sub jobs and then decided to go back to college to get my Masters.

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The Decision to Go Back to College

For the last 15 years, I have been a stay at home mom. It was important to my husband and I that I be home with the kids. Both of us grew up with our mother home…it’s what we knew, so we sacrificed and made it work. Now, fast forward 15 years. I have a son just starting high school and a daughter just starting middle school. In three and a half years, my son will be in college and three years after that, my daughter will be in college…and then what? What do I do?

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Call it a mid-life crisis or whatever you want, but I have been really freaking out about the thought of my kids going back to college and me not having held a job in YEARS. How is that resume going to look? What jobs would I even be qualified for? I can’t tell you how many times I texted my husband, in freak out mode, about not being able to get a job in the future. Then one day I mentioned something about going back to college and the rest they say, is history!

What Should I Get my Masters for?

When I was going to get my Masters after I finished my Bachelors degree, I was going to get a Masters in early childhood education. Having my teaching certificate, it just made sense to do that. Now, at this point in my life, I don’t plan on teaching in a classroom. So I started thinking about the things I was interested in and would love to do. Only ONE thing stood out. Librarian. Library’s are my happy place. To be honest, working in a library has always been a dream of mine. So Masters in Library Science it is!

So Now What?

I have figured out what I want to do, but how do I go about it? Currently, I am researching various online programs and requesting information. I’m not quite sure which online program I am going to go with just yet, but one thing I do know is that a lot of the programs require GRE test scores. So I picked up a few books, school supplies (love school supplies!!) and I will start studying and getting my brain trained to do math again. That should be fun!

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After doing a Google search, and talking with friends, the above two books were recommended the most as THE books to get to prepare for the GRE test.

I’m excited about the future and what it may bring. Of course I am nervous. I will be doing this degree online. We have one University near me that offers the program. I’m not quite sure if I will be going with that program, or another recommended program. However, I have plenty of time to decide that.

Wish me luck!