Grad School Dreams

A few days ago I put together a document I've called "Grad School Dreams." In the spring of 2013 I'll graduate with a Masters of Education (M.Ed) in Urban Education. Many people would just be content with that, I realize. Most would think they were done, had accomplished enough, and move right on to family and life and stuff. I just don't know that I'll be content when I'm not in a formal learning community. I nearly withered away in the past two years, and think daily about how I cannot wait to be back in the classroom as a student. I recently sent the following paragraph to a friend via an email:

I'd love to get a MA in just liberal arts or something broadly applicable like that. I love sociology and psychology and anthropology but don't necessarily want a career in that, you know? Maybe a MFA in English and Writing? I need to start actually putting together that book idea I have. Anyway- I want one of those degrees that people don't know you have, and then when they find out, they are like "wow, she's pretty educated, huh?" Not for them though, silly. For me. So after this M.Ed and my MA or MFA, I'd love to just shoot for the moon and get a PhD or EdD. The University of Illinois at Chicago has a PhD in "Policy Studies in Urban Education" and an EdD in "Urban Education Leadership." Sounds good, right? Gah, but what about the MA in "Curriculum Studies" or the M.Ed in "Reading Specialty" at DePaul? Or the JD/MA in "Comparative Law and Education," or the PhD in "Cultural and Educational Policy Studies" at Loyola? Or or or. Now that I've written you an entire paragraph filled with letters... I'll knock it off.

Just so everyone knows, I fully understand that much of this may not happen. As I detailed in my last post, life gets in the way. I might decide that after the next year, I'm finished. I could be completely done with my higher education, and I realize that this would not be a bad thing. A BA and an M.Ed is nothing to be ashamed of, certainly.

But for now... I dream.