I am well into September now, and things have been getting a little more stressful. I have a committee meeting tomorrow, which will basically determine what I have to do in order to finish a Masters degree to the satisfaction of the department. I'm pretty nervous about it, and whatever option we negotiate that results in me doing the least amount of lab work is going to be the one I root for. There is a rumor that based on the project my boss and I have figured out, I could be done with bench science as early as December...which quite frankly, couldn't make me happier. I can't wait to be done with the tedious monotony that is bench science in grad school. Once I know what my timeline for finishing is, at least I can move on and start really focusing on my career options.
Along those lines, I started volunteering at the high school last week. I really liked it, and it has made me really sit down and research the teaching option in Denver. It seems doable, and having my Masters degree will really help my salary schedule. The only barrier is that the qualifications for alternative licensing programs are geared toward basic science, and I have been very specialized in my studies. They actually expect someone who wants to be a Biology teacher to have taken Geology or Meteorology in college? I mean, really. I'm hoping my Ecology credits will somehow count toward this "earth/environmental science" requirement, or else I'll be taking online courses next semester. Ugh. Then I have to study for the PRAXIS exam, which is a subject test all teachers have to take in their area, so I am already looking at study guides, etc. My worst case scenario is that I won't be able to find any jobs I'm into, teaching or something related, and then I'll try to get a job as a lab tech or something until I can get something I really want. I DO NOT want that though, so keep your fingers crossed that I can slip into one of these alternative licensure programs in Colorado.
My mom and Pam have been here in the past month, which has been great. Seeing them has made me remember why I am moving to Denver in the first place. I just can't wait to start over. As much as I am thrilled to be almost done with school and ready to move, I am also terrified. I've been in this bubble of school since I was three, and now I'm being pushed out into the real world, with no guaranteed job or benefits. Measly salary aside, this world has pampered me...I mean, I don't even know how to write a resume. So it's scary to the point of panic attacks, but I am trying to deal. I have a lot of time to prepare, I guess.
I'll save my next entry for my commentary on this election...I feel as though that merits its own entry at this point. But I just wanted to update my life, or the semblance of my old life that things have become. Now back to freaking out about tomorrow...this has been a pleasant distraction.
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