Day 12: Middle-Class Mama Has An “Ah ha” Moment!

Today I sat outside my lab instructor’s office waiting to meet with her when a classmate from last semester came and sat next to me.  He was waiting to meet with her too.  Him and I have the same major, have taken a lot of classes together, and are due to graduate around the same time.  I asked him when he was graduating because I knew it should be soon.  He said, “Yup, I graduate in May. You?”  I replied, “December, I keep putting it off”.  He said he has been doing the same and asked me why I have been delaying graduating.  I replied, “I guess I just don’t know what I want to do when I grow up.  I wish I could be a professional college student”.  He chuckled and said, “I don’t know what I want to do either”.  We sat in silence for a few minutes.  Then he said, “I think you should be a teacher…a college professor.  You would be good at that”. 

Ah ha...

When I started my college career my intention was to be an elementary school teacher.  However, my internship experience quickly changed my mind.  After that horrid experience, I felt drawn to the social sciences (psychology and social work) and decided to pursue a degree in one of those fields instead.  I am very happy with my choice of major but sometimes I still have the urge to pursue teaching.  Usually when I have those urges I take a good look at high school students and the urges quickly pass.  I would love to reach others within my chosen profession on a grand scale.  I don’t want to be stuck at the department of social services as a caseworker all my life nor do I want to be stuck in a lab analyzing data searching for a small sign of some significant finding to publish in an article.  How better to reach others than to teach masses of college students?  Then, I could be a career college student! AND my kids could go to college for free!!! HOLLA…WHOOP, WHOOP…and the cabbage patch and such!!!

AH HA!!!

As I said, I am scheduled to graduate with a bachelor's degree in the fall.  If I took a couple of classes over the summer I could graduate before.  I’m not quite sure I’m that motivated.  After looking into this whole “teaching college” thing I know I still have a long way to go (about four years).  However, I now have a plan with a goal and I am headed in the right direction.  Thanks to a fellow student who was able to see the path I was traveling down before I did.    

Ending on a good note…to all you middle-class mamas out there that have NO IDEA where you are headed, other than to the car-rider line and lacrosse practice like me, keep your eyes and ears open for your “ah ha” moment.  It can be presented by anyone, anywhere at any time.