School Woes

This week, I was accepted to work in the Toddler Lab next semester. "What does that mean?" Basically every Tuesday and Thursday I'll be working from 7:45-11:15 with kids aged 18 months to 3 years old in a preschool-like setting. Technically they're too young for preschool (and there's a specific 'preschool lab') but that's at least the general idea of it. I'm really excited for it. That's a fun age group and while I have no doubt that it will be tough, I'm also really looking forward to it.

After receiving this announcement, I went ahead and started looking at the other classes I'll need to take next semester. I'm an Early Childhood/Special Education major. After graduation, I'll be licensed in the state of Idaho (and I can become licensed in other states) to work with children from birth up until the 3rd grade in a variety of different ways. My degree is incredibly flexible and has opportunities in teaching (in both mainstream or special education classrooms), preschool, daycare, or more specific training in the special ed field. There's a whole heck of a lot that I can do with it. The problem is...I don't know what I want to do.

One of the most commonly asked questions up here at school is "What do you want to do with your major?" And honestly...I have no idea. I know it's the right major for me. Without a doubt, I am solid on that point. I'm very excited about it. I just don't really know how I want to use my degree in the real world.

This coming September will start my fifth semester and the beginning of my junior year of college. That honestly and truly blows my mind. I don't feel like I've been here this long... and the fact that I'm almost done kind of makes me a little nervous. College is a very nice limbo between high school and the big scary real world. To think that I'm halfway done with this very comfortable limbo stage is intimidating. I'm going to have to leave the bubble of Rexburg and venture out into the real world and get like a REAL job. Weird...

I guess one of the hardest things to wrap my head around is the fact that I don't really have any plans after graduation. I probably should. I probably should have like 'big life goals' or something adult-y like that. I feel like I've got a pretty good grasp on my grad plan and the classes to take between now and then. That much, at least, I feel like I understand. But after graduation...I got nothing. No idea of what I want to accomplish or what field I want to go into...

Thinking that far into the future stresses me out anyways. I probably should focus on this semester and passing the classes that are in front of me here and now. Let's be honest and just say that making up a week and a half worth of work for 6 classes is definitely not an easy task. Nor is it enjoyable. I'm not a big fan of it. We're barely at mid-terms and I already am worn out. The idea of doing this for 4 more semesters... UGH. No bueno.

So I guess for now I'll keep working on the homework that I have now and (hopefully) the higher level classes will point me in the direction of what field I want to pursue. Idealistically, around the time I'm getting ready to graduate some Prince Charming-esque figure will show up and be fabulously wealthy so that I'll never actually have to enter the work force haha. I kid, I kid. Marriage will come in it's own time frame and I am more than happy to enjoy life as a single woman before having to deal with engagements, fiancee/husband drama, wedding plans, mortgages, bills, etc etc. But that's a topic for a whole other rant...