I got assigned an academic advisor and I got an email from him last Tuesday asking me to go see him and so just before classes on Wednesday I went. I never thought that he actually had an advice for me, but he did! He advised me to drop one of my classes.
When I decided to go back to school, I decided to go full time and complete the program as soon as possible. I did my math and figured that I could be without a job and still pay my bills for the maximum of 16 months. So I quit my job.
At first I was too scared to quit. I asked my supervisor if I could work part-time and he said no! He said that he needs someone full-time and if he makes me part-time HR is not going to open another full-time position for him to hire someone else.
Thus I trimmed my expenses, and gave up what I thought was luxury. I took a loan for school tuition, and took the minimum of the full-time load. Still scared quit my job, and got ready to go to school as a full-time student. Now my advisor wants me to drop one of the 3 classes that I registered for, and basically become part-time!
His reasoning was that I have been out of school for a long time and even though I have all the prerequisite for my classes, most probably I do not remember all the materials and I need to reacquaint myself with all those theories. He mentioned that school is more intense! Really, I thought to myself. I bet he has never worked at a startup! Yes, he pissed me off and I didn't think that it could happen this early in the semester!
I tried to explain that most of my career I worked for startups and 12-productive-hour days were the norm for us. I tried to explain that I am a good learner! I don't go to school to get a degree, I learn. I tried to explain that I can remember all the things that I need to know for these classes in the matter of few weeks. But he was not hearing it. At the end he told me that the decision was mine! But he had to tell me!
I attended all 3 classes last week, and on Friday I dropped one of them against my better judgment. I talked to the professor and asked him if I could just sit in his class without being registered and he said it was OK.
Now I have to rework my financial situation. Taking only two classes this semester is going to make me stay student longer than anticipated, and I can't be without a job for longer than 16 months. I have to find a part-time job sometimes soon. I wish that my old supervisor had agreed to have me part-time. On my last day I did mentioned to him that if he wanted me as a contractor I would go back. I am thinking in a few weeks I should email him and see if he wants me back for a few hours a week! I gave him 4 weeks notice and the ad for my replacement went up last Tuesday, more than a month after I notified him officially that I was leaving!
Anyhow, I have spent most of the past three days in the library. Overall I think I spend more than 30 hours studying; real concentrated studying. I have remembered a lot and I think if I go at this pace I am going to do well.
I am at my parents tonight. First because I needed a good hot meal! And secondly, since I don't have cable anymore, I thought it was a luxury, I needed to be somewhere with a TV to be able to watch Mad Men, which just started!
Bye for now.
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