2001-01-30 - 14:03:32

Well, I know that I have not been doing well with my resolution to update frequently. But, I have made some real progress with some of the other resolutions. Especially the big one!

I am definitely going to be heading back to school this year. I had a wonderful conversation with the chair of the history department at a nearby college. He really impressed me with his willlingness to help his graduate students succeed. Also, because his program is fairly new he is still allowing rolling enrollment. I may be a full time college student again as soon as Spring Quarter! The longest I will have to wait is Summer Quarter. I am so excited that I can hardly stand it. I wish that I could quit my job today and start going to classes tomorrow!

The Boss has no idea that I am going to be leaving him any time soon. As a matter of fact, he seems to be pretty confident that I am in a job that I will never leave. I feel bad about deceiving him, but at this point nothing is set in stone and it would only worry him needlessly. I think that the better course of action is to do my job to the best of my abilities, and then give him plenty of notice and offer to train my replacement.

In the end, everyone can be replaced. It may be annoying, it may even make him a little sad, but as far as fulfilling the requirements of my job, I am 100% replacable.

So, now that I have a real direction and a goal with some time limits on it,the real work is beginning. I have a ton of paperwork that I need to get filled out and back to the school. I have to find as many grants and scholarships to apply for as I possibly can. I have to make sure that I have enough money saved to cover at least the first quarter, just in case the financial aid situation is really bad. Oh, and I have to decide exactly what my concentration of study will be.

I am torn right now. I know for sure that I have narrowed my time period down to the middle ages. Now I have to decide if I want to pursue European or Middle Eastern studies. While I am very interested in the Middle East, I am afraid that I will not be able to learn enough Arabic (even with taking classes every quarter) to be able to pass the language proficiency exams that Ph.D programs require. Also, the opportunities to travel abroad with a concentration on Middle Eastern countries may not be especially prudent. I don't want to be caught up in the violence that surrounds those countries right now. I also don't want to face the kind of discrimination that women have to deal with in countries that are run by Islamic Fundamentalists. Because of all of this, I have probably relegated my self to being an "armchair historian" with the Middle East.

So, if I concentrate on Europe, I still have to make decisions about what country, the exact time frame, and one topic. Yikes! It is a good thing that I have a little bit of time to figure it out. The thought that has been crossing my mind lately is to specialize in the Crusades. That way I can come pretty close to a mix of European and Middle Eastern history. Anyway, it is a thought. I suppose any final decisions will be based on what my thesis advisor specializes in.

Are any of you contemplating or attending graduate school? Do you have any suggestions for choosing a concentration of study? Any guidance would be appreciated.

Until Next Time...

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