A little down, a little up, a lotta confused.

[monsoon257]

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one out there thinking about this stuff. I'm a sociology major with a minor in economics. Specific enough for nothing, broad enough for anything (with enough BSing). I love teaching in korea and I want to try out a few other countries as well but I'm relatively sure that I can't do this for the rest of my life.

I started looking in to electrical engineering programs and I know it would be tough to do. Especially since I've forgotten all of that pesky calculus I learned in high school. But I know if i set my mind to it I could do it. I'm lucky enough that my state has some reciprocity agreements with a province in Canada so I could go to a canadian university for what a local would pay (which is DIRT CHEAP by the way! lucky Canadians!)

I'm rambling. I apologize.

Anyhoo, don't let your current age or your future age hold you back. Don't let the "What if"s in life be your obstacle. If you truly want it, go for it. And the other posters had great advice too. Especially the guy who mentioned that you are NOT obligated to say every degree you have on your resume.

Good luck with your decision!

[CLo]

Dude, chill out and fell good. Life's too short for going nuts... I got a 2.49 GPA and got into UMass Amherst for teaching, a 180 just like you, with the requirements for application being a 3.25, for a master's degree

1. Consider going after a masters degree
2. Choose the school you want to get into, I dont care if it's Harvard, (I'm going after that school following the same steps as you for a PHD in Ed)
3. Take your GRE's or whatever equivolent for engineering.
4. Talk to the faculty person to person, get face time and build a repoire: ask them what you need to do to get into that school: They will tell you to take some courses and score high.
5. Do what they say and constantly check in
6. Apply and notify the administration
7. Apply to safety schools for your own benefit just in case
8. Get in to the school and if not, call the people you had been working with. I get rejected and accepted into UMass over the period of two days, with help from the admistration overriding the dean's decision.
9. Be;ieve in the end and do this again, over the period of a few semester, no school would turn a student down that is this ambitious to study there. It's not how it works.
10. Listen to "Don't worry be happy by Bob Marley" and listen to his advice to guide you through life cause every little things, gonna be allright:)

[epm222]

This teaching job we're doing is going to more valuable on your resume than you give it credit for. Positive and relevant personality traits are nearly as important as knowledge (in my opinion they are more important), in terms of career prospects.

Our thing over here shows potential employers that we have a bit of "get up and go" about us.

We're not afraid of change, or at least not to the point where we will allow said fear to determine the choices we make.

You will have a solid year's experience of standing before a group of people and talking. That is valuable. The thought of giving presentations worried me before. I honestly wouldnt think twice about one now after teaching in a High School for 3 months. Mind you, I have no  co-teacher so I had to absorb all the stares from day one which made me get comfortable quicker maybe.

Understanding people better and learning how to negotiate the nooks and crannies of the Korean psyche. Working a year with Korean people (I'm predicting here as I have only been in the job 3.5 months) is going to be a test of interpersonal skills of the highest rank. You will have upskilled in this department massively If you have not bailed/ gotten fired after 12 months. I know I have been mad as hell a few times and I'm sure I've pissed them right off a couple of times too.

Cheer up bruv 23 is a sweet age to be.

And finally, you should certainly NOT be regretting not having bought a house. You'd probably be swimming in $50k worth of negative equity. At which point college would definitely be a non-starter!

Life is good.

[southernman]

Actually you're probably in the majority of college graduates,  or at least you are in my home country.

A survey was released earlier this year.  70%  of recent graduates wished they had taken another major. Another survey was released at around the same time.  Roughly about 75% of people working in one region wished they had a different job for the same pay.

Use your time here to find a reputable college to go to and save all the money you can.  On your resume just say one years teaching experience in Korea.  If questioned about it, say you used the time to broaden your knowledge base,  live in a new culture outside your comfort zone and that you paid off a significant amount of your student debt,  or saved up a significant amount for your new degree.

Job interviews are all about spin anyway,  everyones trying to sell something,  just be prepared and positive. 


You're worried about being 27 when you finish.  By that time you will have already have one years real experience under difficult working conditions  (here).  Recent graduates in their early 20's will have a harder job finding suitable employment than you will.  Just read up on job interview techniques,  you won't have any problems at all.

[ch1can3]

Hi everyone, thank you very much for all the replies!  I think it might be helpful to elaborate a little more about me and what exactly I'm hopefully looking to accomplish.

I've actually lived in China for 15 months during my University thanks to an extended exchange program.

One of the most important factors in finding some sort of new major /or/ a career with my existing one is working abroad.  I'm not partial to any particular country (except China, perhaps), but I know I don't want to stay in the US.  However, teaching isn't my calling, so I'd like to work abroad in a different sector.  I know engineering is huge in China right now, what with it being the next superpower, so I thought that would be the most logical major choice if I wanted to move and work abroad.  It's a very solid, solid skill/major that makes me employable in any country that either uses English or Chinese.  I should also say, however, that while I enjoy science-y stuff very much and find the idea of being an engineer amazing (especially green tech, I am so into that), I actually really stink at math, and I'm mediocre at science.  These are obstacles that can be overcome, however. 

Accounting just seems like a solid major for finding employment in a number of Global companies, from which I could hopefully work in one of their abroad offices.  I like money, I like budgets and checkbooks, no problems there really.  Could get a masters with a few pre-reqs.

Nursing same deal really, though a much more limited choice in working abroad unless at a military base.

Do you see my overarching goal here?  It's partly driven by a not-so-unfounded yet slightly paranoid view that I need to somehow escape the USA before it's too late.  And I'd like to bring a skill that will allow me to live a moderately comfortable life in any number of countries in an industry that is a little less vulnerable to language/culture mood swings.

That being said, I agree with the poster(s) who said I need to sit down and really hammer out what I want to do and where I want to do it before I worry about how to get there.  I'll definitely work on that, but if anyone has any ideas/experience in working abroad in a different industry than ESL, or just more advice after reading, I'd be more than glad to hear it! 

[Cereal]

I went to university at 44 and got my degree. Life is good! A piece of advice...do what makes you happy 

[natale_laplante]

I made a previous topic about looking into going back home and studying something new when my contract was finished (or after 6 months).  After I made that topic and read the responses, I felt pretty good.  I felt like I had a plan, I was going home to study Engineering or Accounting, Nursing or some other vocational skill that could help me find a more fulfilling career (no offense to you guys who love teaching!).  Now, however, everything seems to be out of whack.  I've started seriously thinking about these things and I've almost become sort of..paralyzed.  I'm terribly afraid, really.  I have this (hopefully) year in Korea, but I know that for non-teaching jobs this kind of work isn't really that beneficial to have on a resume.  I'd have to go back to university for a second bachelors, which means little to no financial aid, though I could considerable lessen that burden through community college.  The big hurdle and fear is not being accepted, both literally and figuratively.  Many colleges do not take second degree bachelor students, and I doubt an employer would like to see two B degrees, even if they are complete 180's from one another.  Also, I'll be 23 going in, and nearly 27 coming out.  I feel terribly old, like I should already have had my own house.

I'm terribly regretful of the choices I've made in my education (political science/mandarin Chinese), and I want to correct that.  I'm just really, really afraid I won't be given a chance, and that I have to keep teaching abroad or go home to a slave job, neither of which are very appealing to me to be completely honest.  Has anyone found themselves in a similar situation?

I could really, really use some practical advice here.

TLDR; <1 year teacher wants more vocational career/retraining.  Will take 2-4 years, feels old and not sure if it's even possible, financially or just getting accepted to schools for a second bachelors or an associates (nursing).

This is so me right now. I have very much the same fears. But you're four years younger than I am, so don't waste that time! I'm also thinking of going back to school and yes, that does mean more loan debt. It can't be avoided, but look at it this way; would you rather spend those four years working in a job you know is not right for you, or would you rather spend those four years acquiring the knowledge to do a job that you love? Follow your gut feelings in this; they seldom lie. Get in contact with several universities. I'm sure they'd be glad to give you any information you would need.

Very best luck!

[hunterst]

If you're really smart, than take the foreign service exam through the state department and work at an embassy.  Do the peace corp, do something, there are many choices, but why you think you need another bachelors is beyond me.  Get a masters in something, study online while you're teaching so you can keep making money.  Do you already have loans, having more will only limit your options.  Why would a foreign company want to hire you for accounting or engineering when they can just hire someone local?

[vespasian]

The first piece of advice I would give (and there has been some good advice already offered) is that you really need to sit down and figure out what you want to do.

People say that you'll change careers seven times in your life and all that, and perhaps you do, but IMHO one shouldn't go into debt for no reason.

Today, too many people are told that they can't make it if they don't go to college. That's not true. If all you're after is a general education (and a BA in PS and Mandarin Chinese sounds like that was the case first time around) then you'd be better off with a library card than four more years of education debt.

I'm not too sure what an American education costs (I'm Canadian) but a full four year degree in Canada would probably run you $40k plus when you add in housing and such. If as a previous poster suggested and this is considered dirt cheap in America then $75k plus debt and still being unsure isn't too wise IMO.

What do you love to do? Now figure out a way to make money doing it. Another four years of your life and then an untold number of years servicing the debt won't make things any better if you don't WANT to do what you're doing.

Just my two cents.

[DWAEDGIMORIGUKBAP]

Go with your heart.

Commit yourself to your true life's desires re what you want to do in the future; it may be hard work, but the world will open up and all your anxieties will float away.

 

[naturegirl321]

You might finish faster than that if you can transfer credits.  Or get into an MA programme instead of a BA one.

It's never too late.  I'm 28, going on 29 and have been teaching 9 years.  I have a BA, an MA in TEFL and an MA in Education.  And I'll probbably need something else down the line.  teaching isn't what I want to do for the rest of my life, but it's all I know and I'll stick with it a bit longer.

Look at statistics: most peopel have 6 different careers over their lifetime.  Plus over 75% of grad's first job has nothing to do with their major.