Work/School
After a few months of work (ultimately learning that college teaches you how to think, rather than what you actually will use on the job), I'm doubting (a little) my decision to go start working, rather than get a Masters or higher degree.
Granted, from the jobs I've seen, a higher degree wouldn't do me very good unless I had actual experience to back it up. Also, I find it hard to argue with my starting salary, not to mention the health benefits, retirement plan, life insurance, and various little perks that come with my job. I do enjoy my job, and don't dread going to work (though it's really thrown my pre-work schedule to hell...going to bed between 11 and midnight - yes, I know, shocking for me - and getting up at 6am). My job actually does involve engineering, and I have, at times, found it rather fun or at least interesting. I'm seeing how everything works together on projects, which is great. I've made some friends, like my supervisor (though he won't let me go to formal training classes...least not yet :( ), and the overall boss of our Business Unit (BU) is cool - he actually came and asked me what they could do to improve things for new hires (our BU hasn't hired anyone new in over 6 years, til this past May).
I spose part of the issue is that I do really love learning, and I miss learning in a 'formal' setting of some form. I also like learning by doing (as I do for my job), but after 17 years of formal learning, I miss it. Maybe it's just because I've been doing it for so long. There's so much more information out there, and I'd love to know more of it.
I even started looking at online Master's Degree programs...course that mainly resulted in me getting a bunch of calls I didn't want - I just wanted some information packets or whatnot. *sigh* I just don't think I could hack going to work, then having night classes in order to get a Masters.
Then again, it could be that I'm seeing a good deal of my college friends going off to grad school. Hearing about orientations, being in a new place, with new classes, and new friends (of an age close to their own age), etc. could be contributing to it. They're all setting out on new adventures, and I've just started work.
Work is an adventure of its own, sure, but it's not the same. I could see myself staying with this company for all my working life - it's a really spectacular company, in my opinion as a 'newcomer'.
Maybe I'm just feeling this way because I regret screwing myself out of the scholarship for my last two years of college - thus alienating myself from the Scholars. The dorms were a lot of fun; I wish I could've been in them all 4 years. Once I left, I pretty much just felt like an outsider...I'd go visit the dorm, but everyone had something else to do, so I just spent the time by myself, which sucked. I'll admit I've not made the greatest effort to try to keep in touch with all of the ones I'd like to, but I have tried in some cases, or else don't know if they'd even want to keep in touch with me, so I don't really try. Kinda wish I could go back and solidify some of those friendships.
Maybe I'm just being nostalgic, as usual... Maybe I'm just missing some of my college friends. Maybe I am missing college and learning, and the fun times tehre. I don't want to be ungrateful for what I do have, but yeah....
Granted, from the jobs I've seen, a higher degree wouldn't do me very good unless I had actual experience to back it up. Also, I find it hard to argue with my starting salary, not to mention the health benefits, retirement plan, life insurance, and various little perks that come with my job. I do enjoy my job, and don't dread going to work (though it's really thrown my pre-work schedule to hell...going to bed between 11 and midnight - yes, I know, shocking for me - and getting up at 6am). My job actually does involve engineering, and I have, at times, found it rather fun or at least interesting. I'm seeing how everything works together on projects, which is great. I've made some friends, like my supervisor (though he won't let me go to formal training classes...least not yet :( ), and the overall boss of our Business Unit (BU) is cool - he actually came and asked me what they could do to improve things for new hires (our BU hasn't hired anyone new in over 6 years, til this past May).
I spose part of the issue is that I do really love learning, and I miss learning in a 'formal' setting of some form. I also like learning by doing (as I do for my job), but after 17 years of formal learning, I miss it. Maybe it's just because I've been doing it for so long. There's so much more information out there, and I'd love to know more of it.
I even started looking at online Master's Degree programs...course that mainly resulted in me getting a bunch of calls I didn't want - I just wanted some information packets or whatnot. *sigh* I just don't think I could hack going to work, then having night classes in order to get a Masters.
Then again, it could be that I'm seeing a good deal of my college friends going off to grad school. Hearing about orientations, being in a new place, with new classes, and new friends (of an age close to their own age), etc. could be contributing to it. They're all setting out on new adventures, and I've just started work.
Work is an adventure of its own, sure, but it's not the same. I could see myself staying with this company for all my working life - it's a really spectacular company, in my opinion as a 'newcomer'.
Maybe I'm just feeling this way because I regret screwing myself out of the scholarship for my last two years of college - thus alienating myself from the Scholars. The dorms were a lot of fun; I wish I could've been in them all 4 years. Once I left, I pretty much just felt like an outsider...I'd go visit the dorm, but everyone had something else to do, so I just spent the time by myself, which sucked. I'll admit I've not made the greatest effort to try to keep in touch with all of the ones I'd like to, but I have tried in some cases, or else don't know if they'd even want to keep in touch with me, so I don't really try. Kinda wish I could go back and solidify some of those friendships.
Maybe I'm just being nostalgic, as usual... Maybe I'm just missing some of my college friends. Maybe I am missing college and learning, and the fun times tehre. I don't want to be ungrateful for what I do have, but yeah....