Making Decisions

Going back to school is a very important thing. Sometimes it is also a matter of deciding when it is time to learn from life and to practically apply what you learned in school.

I was going to go back to school at the University of Toronto, however have decided not to do so. The degree would have been a second master's one and I was worried about the money and this was causing a lot of anxiety. I already have a master's degree and the natural next step would be to do a doctorate degree. A trusted confidante of mine says that a doctorate degree may put me out of the job market to the point that employers may not think I would work for a salary. These are things to consider. I do work in education though where having advanced degrees does not tend to be a problem.

Ultimately I had to look at the kind of education I tend to teach in. It is primarily college-based where having practical experience is important, as well as having education is important. I enjoy having this balance. I think it makes for a more well-rounded person at this stage of my life. At least I can say I have done things outside of school, as well as what I am doing right now and into the future.

Do not get me wrong, school is important - however there is a point when it becomes necessary to work on your PhD of life experience. This does not mean you need to buy one to put on your wall, such as the kind of degrees that Belford University offers - however, it does mean that you need to learn common sense as my Mom would call it. Common sense being different from the kind of book knowledge many people learn in school. This includes survival skills and developing the know-how to be successful at whatever you want to do.

Going Back to School

This morning I got up early as usual and wanted to write on my blog right away. I was stumped. I did not know what to write about. With the summer here and things getting quiet, there really does not seem to be a lot to write about on my end.

One thing I can mention though is that I will be going back to school. I will be doing a second master's degree in education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. I had received entrance into different programs there since late 2007 and if I had just taken the original offer I could probably have completed my degree by now. Oh well, I guess everything happens for a reason and I hope this degree will help with more financial security for my future.

Why else does anyone go back to school, except to mainly secure a financial future for themselves? Paying for it will be slightly stressful, however I am hoping I can do it without loans because from what I hear - getting loans can be a really stressful experience once you need to pay them back. I have had luck with the two loans I have taken out before and have been able to pay them back relatively quickly.

Part of the reason I did not accept the admission offers I received in the past was because I was determined to do my PhD at U of T, or another school within Toronto. The good thing is that it looks as though I will be able to take doctoral-level courses while doing my master of education. More and more colleges are requiring that professors and instructors have doctoral-level degrees.

A lot of people go back to school in these economic times. I hope for all of you doing it that the silver lining will be there for you once you graduate and you will get exactly what your heart desires.