A Career Change

10/9/21

Rethinking My Degree

At the beginning of the semester, I was presented with an interesting problem. I was having a tough time deciding what I wanted to do for a career. The problem made me rethink my undergraduate degree as well as most post-undergraduate ambitions. Over the summer, I was fighting the feeling of not knowing what I wanted from my college experience anymore. Throughout my time as an undergraduate college student, I have only entertained a couple of options. First, I wanted to go to law school and become a lawyer. Secondly, I wanted to become a high school social studies teacher. The dream of being a lawyer was mostly because of how it was portrayed in movies and the idea that it is a very high-paying profession that would help secure my family for multiple generations. Studying for the LSAT became exceedingly difficult when I encountered issues with reading speed and reading comprehension. It made studying for the LSAT difficult and I felt like it was not worth it by the end of the summer.

Back On Campus

When I arrived this semester, I was talking to my friend who is currently getting his master's degree at Michigan State University. He suggested I reach out to my academic advisor. Thankfully, my advisor responded very quickly, and I was able to schedule a meeting with a new academic advisor in the teaching department. I let her know that my intentions had shifted towards becoming a high school social studies teacher. She helped me plan out my next two years. I feel good about where I'm at. Instead of graduating in the spring with a Political Science degree, I will graduate in the spring of 2023 with a Political Science degree and a Social Studies teaching degree.

My New Future Outlook

That has made the idea of graduate school remarkably interesting. I fully intend to go to graduate school, but most programs require a set number of years teaching in the field before you can pursue a degree. I would likely pursue a degree that would allow me to be a school administrator. With my current knowledge of case law, I could still pursue a law degree in the future. I'll have to postpone law school. It is still something that I aspire to do, but unfortunately, it is not something I can attempt at this moment.

Conclusion

A lot has happened since returning to campus. I have changed my career path and decided to alter my graduate school plans. Instead of law school, I will attend a graduate school for a degree that will put me on the path to becoming a school administrator. This switch comes with some issues. I have to graduate by 2023. If I do not, the degree I am currently pursuing will be gone because it was replaced in the course catalog. Also, I will be pushing the credits all the way to the limit before tuition becomes more expensive. As I said, there will be some restraints that this switch is a direct cause of, but the adversity is nothing I can't handle.