Decisions, Decisions

12-1-10

So I know I mentioned in an earlier post that I was having doubts about whether or not to be a teacher. I did some career counseling (which included a Meyer-Briggs personality test and two career interest tests) and did a lot of thinking over Thanksgiving Break.

I came to a couple conclusions. One, I believe that a person choosing to be a teacher should be passionate about it, and, therefore if I've already had the thought that I don't plan to teach forever, that's not the right attitude to be entering into a profession with.

Two, I need a future career to be somewhat intellectually stimulating andor challenging. Teaching would provide some of that, but I don't know if it would be enough. I was plenty challenged to teach well while on Ebeye but I also devoured any piece of written material I could get my hands on. As a corollary, the question has never been about whether or not I'd do a good job, but whether or not I'd be happy. Big difference.

Three, I am mostly definitely an INTJ. In Meyer-Briggs' speak, that means I'm Introverted (which means I get energy from alone time), I use iNtuition (more abstract thoughts, logic jumps that make sense when I have to trace my thoughts), I Think through my decisions, basing my decisions on the facts and ideas rather than on how I feel in the situation, and I am Judging, which in this particular case means that I make lists and I like to plan things and what not. The introversion makes sense, and it also explains why I'm a better tutor than teacher.

Four, I needed to make some changes in my course of study. I made the decision pretty much by the Friday or Sunday of Thanksgiving Break, but I held off on a final decision until after my second career counseling meeting where I discussed the results of the various tests with the career counselor. (It's an example of the T in my personality: I wanted all the facts before making my final decision, since it was, after all, pretty momentous for me.) The results summed up and confirmed what I had already been thinking: I was far more interested in writing and mass communications and law than in teaching.

So, what did I decide to do? I dropped my secondary education major, knocked off the teaching endorsement from my history minor, and added a journalism minor. Doing this shaved an entire semester from my time left in school--an entire semester! (I did have people ask if I did this to get out of school sooner; um, no, because I'm not even sure I'm ready to be entirely grown up.) So I am officially an English major with history, journalism, and honors minors. I got this arranged Monday evening and Tuesday morning. I sent in my request to change my major and minor, dropped classes for next semester I no longer needed, added classes I did need (and had to go to Records for them to computer-wrangle me into one that said I didn't qualify for that I did), and informed my adviser.

And how do I feel about this?

I FEEL GREAT. I feel more free than I have in a long, long time. At least a year, if not more. I've been in an excellent mood that I can't completely describe except that it's similar to when I got my ears to clear for the first time in scuba diving, or when I chose to keep Sabbath rather than go to a band contest. It's a combination of feeling that I'm on the right road--even if I have absolutely no clue where this road will lead after I graduate. I'm on the verge of another adventure, and I'm excited about it.

-Ashlee