S. Worthen | Weblog

Thanks for posting this Shansy. I've been in a bit of a dither for a number of years now because I never finished my Masters degree and I've always viewed that as an obstacle to getting an eventual PhD.

I've always had it at the back of my mind that after I was "done working in the real world" I'd hop back into academia.

But I'm not really as much into research as I am into taking classes. Part of what I enjoyed the most about my brief time as a grad student, was sitting in class and discussing. I like to talk about what I've read with other folks who are equally well-read. It's not that I don't like writing papers either, but I don't have a passion for research either unless I'm really fired up on the topic.

Still, I'm at a bit of a crossroads myself, because I don't particularly like the career I've gotten myself into. I sort of happened into it by chance. There are elements of it that I still enjoy, but I keep making bad decisions when taking jobs and wind up with positions that don't emphasize the parts of my job that I like. So I wind up stressed and resentful and wanting to quit.

Of course, the newest variant is Vic and one part of me had always planned to be a stay-at-home-mom. Unfortunately that avenue is currently closed to me, so here I am dithering along at a job I don't really like because I have to and missing my days in class and the intellectual conversations that used to fascinate me so much.