Oh right, grad school...
My parents would like me to go to grad school. I too would like to go to grad school. The problem: I don't know what I want to study. I was pretty sure about getting a master's in public policy, but now... I don't know. My successes last semester in my Development Studies classes made me wonder if I should continue more international studies. But then what would I do? Am I good enough to stay in academia? What exactly would I continue researching/studying? Where would I live? Would anything practical come out of this work? Public policy definitely seems more "applied" and would have more of a direct impact on people, but I'm also terribly afraid of being given responsibility over important decisions. Sigh.
Of course, I could combine the two. There's a lovely little program in Monterey that does precisely that. A Master's in International Policy could neatly tie my two interests together. It even has a few classes that deal with education issues--one of my pet policy topics. There's also an interesting European Studies/Central and Eastern European Studies Master's program at the Uniwersytet Jagiellonski in Krakow, Poland. I absolutely love Krakow, and it would match my honors thesis if I actually use my research design.
Sigh. I'm still a bit afraid of committing to something international. Silly, isn't it? I love to travel, yet I'm afraid to committing to a life abroad. Especially since most of my family is "abroad." I think it has to do with family worries. Will I have to live far away from my parents? Would I be able to start my own family? (and I'm really not used to this "single" status--I've only been single for a total of 9.5 months since March of sophomore year of high school) Staying in California would allow me to pursue a more traditional future. But could I simply go back to California after spending most of my 20s abroad? Silly degrees strongly determining the rest of my life.
That's kind of why I'd really like to do something like Teach for America. It's an excellent cause, and I'd get two more years to figure out if I want to focus on domestic policy or do something more international. Or if I have a knack for teaching (somewhat unlikely), I could just do that.
Blarg. I could see my life going in so many different directions. There are already several different Kasias in alternate universes studying physics, environmental science and policy, history, Slavic Studies, French, PEIS, etc.
In any case, I'm signed up to take the GRE on August 18th, so now I get to study for yet another standardized test.
Of course, I could combine the two. There's a lovely little program in Monterey that does precisely that. A Master's in International Policy could neatly tie my two interests together. It even has a few classes that deal with education issues--one of my pet policy topics. There's also an interesting European Studies/Central and Eastern European Studies Master's program at the Uniwersytet Jagiellonski in Krakow, Poland. I absolutely love Krakow, and it would match my honors thesis if I actually use my research design.
Sigh. I'm still a bit afraid of committing to something international. Silly, isn't it? I love to travel, yet I'm afraid to committing to a life abroad. Especially since most of my family is "abroad." I think it has to do with family worries. Will I have to live far away from my parents? Would I be able to start my own family? (and I'm really not used to this "single" status--I've only been single for a total of 9.5 months since March of sophomore year of high school) Staying in California would allow me to pursue a more traditional future. But could I simply go back to California after spending most of my 20s abroad? Silly degrees strongly determining the rest of my life.
That's kind of why I'd really like to do something like Teach for America. It's an excellent cause, and I'd get two more years to figure out if I want to focus on domestic policy or do something more international. Or if I have a knack for teaching (somewhat unlikely), I could just do that.
Blarg. I could see my life going in so many different directions. There are already several different Kasias in alternate universes studying physics, environmental science and policy, history, Slavic Studies, French, PEIS, etc.
In any case, I'm signed up to take the GRE on August 18th, so now I get to study for yet another standardized test.