Back to School? Maybe?

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Blogskeeping first, then blogging: I've seen a lot of blogs doing "ask me anything" types of things to introduce themselves to all of their new readers. I'm not really sure anyone wants to know anything about me, but if you want to ask me something, go for it! I'll see if I can get enough questions to make a post out of it in a few days. 

After months of dead ends in the job hunting world, I'm seriously considering going back to school. Again. The idea has always been in the back of my mind and I think I have always figured I would end up back in school at some point. I enjoy school. I enjoy learning. I feel like I am completely unmarketable at this point. That is hard for me to swallow when I look at how much time I have already spent in school and have racked up in student loans. I'm immensely proud of graduating from Vanderbilt, but was it worth it? Pride wise, sure. It's one of the few things I can say I'm proud of in my life. However, that degree really has not done much for me professionally. I wish I would have known that social studies teachers are not exactly in high demand. I wish I would have known that if you are female and you aren't a coach, you more than likely will not be teaching social studies in high school. I set out to teach government and psychology. If I were teaching those subjects, I think I would love it. The two years that I have taught were in middle school geography. I don't like middle school and I'm not particularly great at geography. Therefore, I haven't enjoyed my teaching experiences at all. And if I'm honest, I don't think I've been very good at it. I think it's partially due to the grade and subject matter, but what if I just wasn't meant to teach at all?

When I graduated from college, I had been accepted to the University of Tennessee's graduate program in social work. I was planning on moving to New Hampshire with the guy I thought I was going to marry a few months after graduating, though, so I didn't attend. That was an epic mistake. I worked a couple of jobs in entry-level mental health positions and found it incredibly depressing.  Every job opportunity dealt with the "system" of DCS, DHS, agencies that weren't accomplishing much, etc. I didn't want to see neglected and abused children every day of my life getting screwed over by a system that sucked. I felt like if I continued my education in psych or social work, that was where I would end up. Eventually I made the decision to pursue my M.Ed. and teaching certification. Another awesome decision by me, right?

I have now found so many jobs that I think I would enjoy that require a MSSW or MS in Counseling. Jobs that I would find rewarding. Jobs that aren't like the ones I held in the years between college and grad school. UTK now has their MSSW program online, too. I don't know if it is something I should pursue or not. I'll be 32 this summer and I want to sign up for at least 2 more years of school? More student loans? Hell, I'm never going to be able to pay off what I have now. But in doing so, I might be able to find a career that I enjoy. Well, finding a job in general would be a plus right now, but I digress. If things work out with the Captain, then I'll be moving in a few months. That makes the program being offered online a huge advantage, but will both of us being in school full-time be a problem? (He's hoping to go to Naval Postgrad next year.) I'm terrible at making decisions. My track record for poor decision making doesn't help matters any. I have to do something, I just don't know what. Maybe I can fulfill that dream of being a Tennessee grad after all?