Measuring Me: Grad School 2.0
I went straight from undergrad into grad school without any break. I kept summer employment at my undergrad the summer after a graduated (that included housing) so when it came to going to grad school I moved straight from my college summer apartment to my grad school apartment. Most of the others in my Masters' cohort were fresh out of undergrad too.
For me, grad school was a secure next step (that also gave me two years until I had to start paying back my college loans). I also knew staying in a “student” headspace would likely help my academic performance as opposed to taking time off. One semester bled into the next. I was already used to 1x week classes since a big chunk of my communications classes were 1x week. What I was not used to was APA style writing and bibliographies, this was not part of my broadcast journalism curriculum. I pushed through my 42 credit masters in 4 semesters and when it came time for graduation in May 2007 I was DONE.
I also knew to continue on to a Ph.D. wasn’t going to be in the cards for me, for a whole host of reasons, particularly my concern about how long higher education as we know it will continue to exist. I had my sights set on getting to the “Director” level and seeing how that went. I’m closing out year 3 as a Director and at age almost 36 I know I don’t want to spend the next 30 years here. I also know higher education is not adapting quickly enough especially for Millenials like me that thrive off of flexibility. For the past 6 months or so as I forecast the end of my full-time higher education career I’ve spent a lot of think thinking about what’s next and what I can do now to help me get there. Taking “free” classes at a university where I’ve been employed has always been on the table, but I never took advantage of it.
Last year a colleague mentioned finished a certificate and it got me wondering what certificate programs the university I worked at offered. Pretty quickly I found the Nutrition Education certificate through the Health Studies department in the College of Arts and Sciences. Coincidently this is also the department that I adjunct teach Urban Hiking through. I applied back in November, but it was too late for Spring admission. I knew there was a lot of red tape regarding tuition remission so I was pleased that my department chair reached out to talk through my interest in the program. The plan is to start with taking a Nutrition course and a Behavior Changes for Health Promotion course in the fall then a Sports Nutrition class in the spring. It sounds right up my alley.
I know I have a lot on my plate as it so, so making time for classes 2 nights a week in the fall plus homework is going to be a test. Fall thankfully in my quieter season so I’m hopeful. I think Summer is too busy for me to spread a class over Fall, Spring, Summer for the next two years. There are also financial implications. My tuition is “waived,” but I would need to pay taxes on the class for anything over 3 credits, which would be the tune of $5,250 for each additional class each calendar year. The certificate is 18 credits total. However, my department chair mentioned that if I was enjoying the certificate program I could add 12 more credits to round out an MS in Health Promotion Management. I’m not so sure about that, but it’s good to know I have options.
I am trying best to channel my “workaholism” positively - both financially and developmentally. My group fitness instruction plays nicely into my coursework and pet sitting allows me to have some solo study time which I made the most of when studying for my group fitness instructor certification. All of this is building and I’m getting really excited about what the next few chapters hold.