Ender
06-23-2002, 02:21 PM
[moved from A/B to Students]
Non-ED...pad thy buttocks...
I have a dilemma. I need help cutting through the bullshit to see what I really want to do.
I have two options:
I could graduate in three years. Spend this year taking spanish and french and go to Europe year after next. Spend the two summers before after in France working on my French and spend the academic year in Spain. I would end up with two degrees in psychology and linguistics. While this sounds really cool I stack up major debt. Thats not as bad as it seems because after I graduate in three years I would go teach english in japan and the pay is pretty good. I also would have the opportunity on learning another language. And the fact that I would hopefully be able to speak Spanish (and be conversational in French) could only improve my chances of gaining even better employment. There is a lot of isolation in Japan for foreigners. Some people get incredible depressed over it, but I WANT that isolation because I want to work on my writing. I haven't had much of an opportunity to write while in school and it sucks...
Then there is the next option. Graduate this year with one degree in linguistics. Go to Japan. Pay off my MUCH SMALLER debt and save up money to go to Spain. Try to get a job as an English as a Foreign Language teacher in Spain. They are hard to get since USA is not a part of the whole European Union thing apparently but I would have experience. Then I could continue writing and I could take classes in Spanish and French. Spend some time in Spain (a few years or so), move to France and work on my french there...I might not even necessarily NEED that job if I spend the three years or more in Japan devoted to writing and something comes out of it...a long shot, but I can dream can't I?
So...that's my dilemma...no one can decide this for me and I'm not asking anyone to do so. I just need a bit of help. I talked to a few people in chat last night and they said to follow my heart...but it can't decide either. So I'm stuck.
If I wait for three years to graduate its true I would have two degrees and be able to speak spanish. I might also be able to speak a little french (I'd have spent two years studying it and five-six months in France). I know that I would NOT be proficient/fluent in either of these languages but i would be able to hold a conversation and taht's all I would want anyway. But...I might not have the time to write for a few years, and I'd be getting two degrees that I don't need unless I go to graduate school (which I don't know yet if I really want to do)...so why waste that time? Also Id be doing nothing in Spain but collecting debt as I would have no real classes I'd have to take (I could graduate with both degrees in a year and half if I wanted, but then I wouldn't get to spend a year in spain studying abroad). I could just as easily graduate this year, work in Japan, then go over to Spain in a few years and WORK while I'm there. Seems more practical. But, would I learn spanish as well since I wouldn't be a student? Would I not be as able to immerse? Note: I do fully intend on living in Europe for a bit, so there is no "if you don't go now (meaning study abroad) you might never do it" issues.
So, Jessica, what do you WANT to do?
Hrmmm...I want to write. I want to learn other languages. I want to travel. Teach english while I learn THEIR language...and write while doing it...
Also, Teaching english requires a college degree, it doesn't really matter which degree, so I'm okay there.
*sigh*
Can anyone help me cut through my bullshit and make up my mind? If I want to graduate this spring I need to take an extra class during the second summer session which starts in a few weeks...if I'm not going to graduate early then I don't want to needlessly stress myself out for six weeks....
Help!
Jessica
ps I had a really big positive last night. I was in chat talking to someone that said I should be a writer. They said I was funny or had a good sense of humor or something like that. This person came in a long time after I had requested help with my little dilemma and hadn't heard that writing was what I wanted to do. It made me feel good that someone thought I had talent...
Non-ED...pad thy buttocks...
I have a dilemma. I need help cutting through the bullshit to see what I really want to do.
I have two options:
I could graduate in three years. Spend this year taking spanish and french and go to Europe year after next. Spend the two summers before after in France working on my French and spend the academic year in Spain. I would end up with two degrees in psychology and linguistics. While this sounds really cool I stack up major debt. Thats not as bad as it seems because after I graduate in three years I would go teach english in japan and the pay is pretty good. I also would have the opportunity on learning another language. And the fact that I would hopefully be able to speak Spanish (and be conversational in French) could only improve my chances of gaining even better employment. There is a lot of isolation in Japan for foreigners. Some people get incredible depressed over it, but I WANT that isolation because I want to work on my writing. I haven't had much of an opportunity to write while in school and it sucks...
Then there is the next option. Graduate this year with one degree in linguistics. Go to Japan. Pay off my MUCH SMALLER debt and save up money to go to Spain. Try to get a job as an English as a Foreign Language teacher in Spain. They are hard to get since USA is not a part of the whole European Union thing apparently but I would have experience. Then I could continue writing and I could take classes in Spanish and French. Spend some time in Spain (a few years or so), move to France and work on my french there...I might not even necessarily NEED that job if I spend the three years or more in Japan devoted to writing and something comes out of it...a long shot, but I can dream can't I?
So...that's my dilemma...no one can decide this for me and I'm not asking anyone to do so. I just need a bit of help. I talked to a few people in chat last night and they said to follow my heart...but it can't decide either. So I'm stuck.
If I wait for three years to graduate its true I would have two degrees and be able to speak spanish. I might also be able to speak a little french (I'd have spent two years studying it and five-six months in France). I know that I would NOT be proficient/fluent in either of these languages but i would be able to hold a conversation and taht's all I would want anyway. But...I might not have the time to write for a few years, and I'd be getting two degrees that I don't need unless I go to graduate school (which I don't know yet if I really want to do)...so why waste that time? Also Id be doing nothing in Spain but collecting debt as I would have no real classes I'd have to take (I could graduate with both degrees in a year and half if I wanted, but then I wouldn't get to spend a year in spain studying abroad). I could just as easily graduate this year, work in Japan, then go over to Spain in a few years and WORK while I'm there. Seems more practical. But, would I learn spanish as well since I wouldn't be a student? Would I not be as able to immerse? Note: I do fully intend on living in Europe for a bit, so there is no "if you don't go now (meaning study abroad) you might never do it" issues.
So, Jessica, what do you WANT to do?
Hrmmm...I want to write. I want to learn other languages. I want to travel. Teach english while I learn THEIR language...and write while doing it...
Also, Teaching english requires a college degree, it doesn't really matter which degree, so I'm okay there.
*sigh*
Can anyone help me cut through my bullshit and make up my mind? If I want to graduate this spring I need to take an extra class during the second summer session which starts in a few weeks...if I'm not going to graduate early then I don't want to needlessly stress myself out for six weeks....
Help!
Jessica
ps I had a really big positive last night. I was in chat talking to someone that said I should be a writer. They said I was funny or had a good sense of humor or something like that. This person came in a long time after I had requested help with my little dilemma and hadn't heard that writing was what I wanted to do. It made me feel good that someone thought I had talent...