(no subject)

[altarflame]

I've been thinking how much I want to go back to school. I think the thought came to me from a combination of all the classrooms people on tv are sitting in, the law school students in booju_mooju who look down on stay at home moms, and Shaun enrolling at FIU to work on his Bachelor's. But really the more I think about it the more I want it for reasons less ridiculous than those. I LOVE writing papers, listening to lectures, participating in discussions. I was one of "those kids" in all Honors, Gifted and AP classes who graduated in the top 10% with full paid scholarships (and a new baby). I've never (read: still don't) regretted dropping out freshman year to devote myself to Ananda, but now I'm thinking about how sweet it would be to even just take one class at a time. Just a chance to get out of the house and use my brain once or twice a week, for something other than how to get poop out of the carpet or what to do if I'm out of baking powder. I mean I always say I want to be a chaplain when the kids are grown up; if I get a psych degree it would work towards that, and also allow me to do all sorts of interesting things like teach/sub classes, work in a rehab facility, do social work, etc etc. I wouldn't want to work outside of the home (or take a full course load) before my youngest was...I don't know...10? And of course it would be contigent on where everyone was with homeschool/how much I was needed. But it would be cool to not be STARTING on an AA at 40 or something. Plus the cost is so much less prohibitive when taken gradually.

Grant is somewhat ambivalent about this, I think because he already has less education than me and had never had an interest in "higher" education. It was weird for him sometimes when I was spending 11th and 12th grade writing research papers, taking field trips to book fairs and plays, taking the ACT, etc, and he was sitting around at home/starting his computer business. But he is all about philosophical discussions and current events and once devoted himself rather wholeheartedly to mastering chemistry - it's so easy for me to imagine coming home and reading to him out of textbooks, having him quiz me, telling him this or that and us talking about things. It makes me sad, though, to think that anything I would want would displace him or make him feel inferior. I have so much respect for his talents and priorities - they are, after all, how we live.

Alright I told Ananda we would do this craft from "Your Big Backyard" today while the babies napped and Isaac just spontaneously fell asleep in the living room so now our minutes are counting down...

Comments

[aelf.livejournal.com]

Do you know about http://ocw.mit.edu/index.html ? It's free course materials from MIT. If you just want to dip your toes in, it might not be a bad place to start.

I'll probably always be taking classes. I want to finish my BS in CS, then I want to get my MLS or MLIS. If I could do my PhD in Philosophy of Language or something similar I totally would. Unfortunately the local univerisites are all about ethics. Blah. Someday I *will* finish law school, but it gradually creeps lower and lower on my list.

My husband hated school. He graduated HS early to Get Out, and took the courses at art school he wanted, then stopped. Seriously, who hates art school?!? He doesn't understand my perpetual student-ing because it would drive him nuts. But he accepts it's a hobby of mine thank goodness! :)

[corin13.livejournal.com]

community college is so cheap. if you get the federal grant you probably won't havet to pay anything out of pocket.

I want to go to a real class too, but for now I have to settle for "helping" dh with his online classes.

[julierocket.livejournal.com]

I think that sounds like a great idea... a little 'you' time, and a chance to stretch your brain. Are you looking for just a class here and there, whatever interests you, or are you looking to build up to a degree?