So, I am alive. Not by much, but I am alive. So here is the scoop. I have a very different perspective on my time here in texas, and here is why, Everything has changed. I have changed my degree to a Masters in Chemical Education. So yeah, pretty different than a Ph.D in Chemistry, but it is a much better option. So here is the when, the why, and the what the heck.
Well, I switched to Masters about 2 months ago, and have just been really busy and I am just now getting around to telling everyone. It took a good couple of months to switch, and a trip to the temple to make sure I wasn't making a bad choice, but it is now done, and I am in the thick of my new degree.
Why, because I recently admitted to myself that I hate research. Don't get me wrong, I dig playin' around in the lab, but research is just to much for me. It can get really, really discouraging. Needless to say, a 10 percent success rate on reactions is pretty good in chemistry, and I was not diggin' that. Well, I have always wanted to teach, and I came here to get a degree so that I could do just that. So, switching to chem ed means that I will still be able to do that, I will not have to kill myself doing something that I hate for the next 3 or so years.
So what does it all mean. Well, it means just this:
I will be done in one year
The research I do will be an educational project, and will be done in the fall/spring this year
I will be taking classes again, and I am now
I will no longer be stuck in a lab all day
I can tutor more, which means a little more money
I will still be teaching labs each semesters
I will teach in High School or community college instead of a university
I will now retain more of my life because I will no longer inhale braincell killing chemicals all day
Overall, I am HAPPY.
I have been a bit less happy than I used to be due to hating research, and once I admitted that to myself, I have new life. Man, I actually like waking up and going to school in the morning. Well, ok, so I still don't like waking up, but I like going to school.
Well, I have been taking a class this summer, an educational technology class, online. I hate online classes. I have never really liked the idea of an online class, but now I know from experience that I am not a fan, and it is even worse because it is summer. I have had to learn more about excel, I learned filemaker pro (a database program) inspiration (a content mapping software), and I am now learning dreamweaver, (a webediting program). And all this in just 4 weeks. It has really kicked my butt. I have also had to teach lab twice a week, and do the labs as well, so I have been quite busy. Rachelle has been alot happier due to the fact that I am no longer miserable.
So, all in all, we are really busy, but happy. It is a good life, supposing I survive this class.
