big move tomorrow

Ok, so I'm a litte scared...ok...so I'm a big scared.
A few months back I got the bright idea that going back to school for a second BA would be a good thing. I immediately signed up for courses and started organizing stuff.
School starts in January and if that weren't nerve racking enough I HAVE TO LIVE THERE! Haha
I've been "away at school" before, but I shared a house with 3 other girls. Mind you, that didn't work out so well, and I quickly became depressed. My last BA was a disaster, but I grew an awful lot (emphasis on awful). This time, because of that and because I'm going to have Chester and Dynah with me, I've decided to go it alone.
We saw SO many appartments. I'd say it was around 15 or so. A lot of them were really nice, but only one made me excited. I think it was the closet space So I applied for it, and got it.
Since school starts in January, we've decided to move me in mid December, have christmas at home and go back perminently at the end of December. That first moving day is TOMORROW! ACK!
I keep on telling myself that it will be ok, that I'll be able to manage my money well enough to afford my apartment, and that I'm a real smart cookie for getting it inclusvie. Also that school will be a breeze and I'll be able to float a part time job.
*big breath* Here we go, diving in head first into the scary! I'll let you guys know how it works out.

Jess

How exciting and scary, Jess!

Good luck for your move, I hope it all goes smoothly for you and I'm sure you'll do great at Uni and have time for that well paid p/t job that's waiting for you!

Smooth and Calming }}}VIBES{{{ coming your way

Congrats on a new chapter in your life The waiting is the worse part. You'll be fine

I found myself in a similar situation back in 1994 when I returned to school for my nursing. I had graduated high school in 1980 and had no post secondary experience. Going back to school, to University, was a very scary experience!

Because I was older when I went I wasn't debt free and I having lived on my own for so many years I had an apartment full of stuff. Plus I had a cat that I wasn't prepared to part with! And the nursing school residence didn't allow pets, so the only option was for me to move into an apartment on my own and I was so worried about how I was going to manage, but I did though it wasn't very easy.

I was lucky to find an apartment near the nursing school that had pretty reasonable rent. It was technically a bachelor apartment, but had a good sized kitchen and and adjacent dining area, and a full bathroom. Part of the living room area had been walled off with 2 walls to make a bedroom that was just large enough to fit my queen sized bed with about 18 inches on 3 sides to move around the bed. The only problem with the bedroom was that it didn't sit on an outside wall so there was no windows and very poor air exchange and was very stuffy and hot especially in the summer.

It wasn't the best apartment that I have lived in mainly because a taller building next door blocked the sun and breeze from entering and my apartment was pretty dark even in the middle of the day. I had to have my lights on all of the time. Plus the old man next door was crazy as a loon! But that's another story, LMAO

Going to school full time and working was hard, but well worth the rewards! Between student loans and working as a nursing assistant I managed pretty well. What really saved me was the fact that I bought a 7 cubic foot deep freezer a few months before school starting and stocked up on frozen items and home prepared foods that I froze in advance and a ton of canned and packaged goods. While the girls in residence were conserving their money and eating those salty Asian instant noodles, I was eating a balanced diet thanks to my pre-planning. I managed, but like I said it was tight and a struggle at times. But so worth it in the end

You will do just fine. You are making a major change in your life and it's absolutely ok to be terrified. You have moved out of your comfort zone and that's not an easy thing to do. Congrats to you for making it.

Can I ask why you are going for a second Bachelor's Degree and not continuing on with the degree that you already have and pursuing a Master's in whatever it is? To me that would seem the more logical choice.

Thanks for your words!
It certainly is scary, but it feels like the right decision...in my gut...so I'm going with that.

To answer your question Natalie, my old BA is in Anthropology and I have my minor in Religion and Culture. What has happened is that the places with the "good jobs" say that I'm not qualified enough, or don't know what anthropology is and don't call. Also I hear "why don't you get a job in your field?" a lot, to which I reply "how many jobs have you heard of in the anthopological field?". People see the label and don't see all of the skills that that label represents (ie: punctuality, fast learning, problem solving, etc). ALSO when I started university the last time I wanted to be an archaeologist, but then switched to anthropology because it gave me more choices with my courses. You can't get an anthopological job unless you have your masters at minimum, and I'm just not interested in it. It makes me sad that I'm not interested in the work any longer, there aren't any jobs in the field even if I did try to get one AND that employers can't see past my labelling.

While I was doing my first BA I worked at the mental health centre here for the summers as a receationist assistant on a dual diagnosis ward. Not only do I have tallent for it, but I also enjoy the work. It's amazing how much you can change a persons quality of life through recreational acitivities. So, by the time I finished my anthropology degree I had decided to something related. I looked into Occupational therapy, but I don't have the course requirements and I'd HAVE to have a masters to be employed. I could take Recreational Therapy (Recreation and Leisure Studies with an inlcusive focus) through the local college, but I could only be a recreational assistant, or a recreationist. For only 1 extra year (after transfer credits) I can be the Therapist and I'll have the requirements if I decide to get my Occupational Therapy degree.

I guess the short answer is that my last BA was a great growth experiencce, but society sucks and I'm not interested in it anymore, so I've decided to turn to a more applied speciality which I know I like.

Wow that was long. Sorry about that!
Jess

Good luck with your move!! Moving is never fun