I had a meeting with my director today (who is now also my direct boss, since my manager recently left), to discuss the possibility of reducing my hours so I can go back to school. I had half expected her to freak out a bit, since there are so many changes going on in our team right now, and so much is up in the air, and there is so much work to be done, but she was totally supportive and enthusiastic. Basically, all I have to do is figure out my class schedule and let her know the hours I want to work, and she'll put the paperwork through! I will probably try to go down to 30 hours/week, because that's the lowest I can go and still get full-time benefits, which I definitely want -- especially the tuition discount! :}
So, now I get to start looking in earnest at classes, since I think I'm going to try taking two this term (biology for sure, and something else). Unfortunately, the GIS class I wanted to take is full, as are a couple of other interesting-looking ones. So I might be looking at something boring like a re-take of statistics, which I haven't taken for about 5 years. Oh, and I need to check with some of the grad schools I'm looking at to see if my science credits expire after 7 years, which I've heard is often the case. If that's true, I may have to re-take a bunch of science credits... yipes! But I'm excited to get this ball rolling, and so grateful that my team and my boss are on board. Hooray!
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4 comments:
Lacey, it's wonderful to see your boss supporting you in this. Isn't it interesting how when one finally decides definitively to move in a certain direction, things start falling into place? I'm sure everything will sort itself out, and you'll find that all your detours have prepared you rather well, if not in the standard way, for what you want to do. Anthropology may not be environmental science, but it IS about people, and I'll bet that to be the best and most effective environmental scientist you can be, having that solid background in understanding people will be important. Says the anthropologist. ;)
That's really good news!
Yes, I completely agree -- my anthropology degree was by no means worthless. It has definitely provided me with a useful perspective for approaching all kinds of problems. Because, really, when it comes down to it, most of the issues that we face in most fields of work involve people in one way or another. :) I just kind of wish there had been some sort of "environmental anthropology" degree or something. :P
Believe it or not, environmental anthropology is indeed a field of study. Probably not as practical as you want to get with environmental science, though. :) (see, for example, here: http://depts.washington.edu/anthweb/programs/environmental.php )
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