The whys and wherefores. ... and some serendipity

About 3 years ago, my job got ugly and I got restless, and I started looking to make a change. I rapidly discovered that my extensive experience did not, in a hiring manager's market, overcome my lack of formal education. In my then early-30s, I was already, frankly, embarrassed to have still not done anything about not getting a degree, so ... I made a change.

Under the theory that whether I went to school or not, in 2 years I'd still be 2 years older, I sucked it up and enrolled at my community college. Unsurprisingly, I loved it. Weirdly, I kept it a secret from my family (which, being single and 1000s of miles away is relatively simple).

Time passed, I kept on keeping on, and I got my AA. Step one: complete. Time for another change.

Somewhere inside my head, getting an AA isn't really considered 'getting your degree'. Oh, it's fine, and it's a step in the right direction, but ... it's not really 'real'. 'Real' is a bachelor's degree ... which is also the minimum expectation of an educated adult. ... unless, you know, you're doing fine without one? I don't know. It's the standard I apply to myself, at least, if not to others.  I attribute this attitude to my up-bringing, but, frankly, no specific reason for this comes to mind.


So, step two: get my bachelor's. 

After a false start with the local state college, I decided (after being accepted and registering) I did NOT want to 1. Drive an hour each way for class; 2. spend time with college students; and 3. spend all my other spare time driving AND hanging with college students for the apparently de riguer team projects. Shortly thereafter, a co-worker and I got to talking about her degree program, from a branch of Stetson University that does a Saturday-only program for working adults. In late Feb I applied. I started the 2nd week in March. Added bonus? It's apparently the #3 school for business in the South. 

One of the great things about the Stetson program is the constant reinforcement of the path to a higher degree: many, possibly even most, of the Executive Passport students go on to get their MBAs, frequently with Stetson. I wasn't initially interested, but a year or message-reinforcement changed my mind. I took the GMAT and started receiving recruitment information.

Around the same time, after a year of hearing about the international program (field trip to China! MBA classes in Austria!), a school-friend and I signed up to do the 10 days in China, which had the extra incentive of allowing me to finish my degree in July last summer. I'd be a fool not to go! And ... since I was graduating and eligible, I thought, why not go to Austria, too! I applied and was accepted to the MBA program, and registered to spend my two weeks. 

As my first trips abroad (not counting childhood trips to / through Canada and adult trips to the USVI), this was a major change to my vacationing style. I had to get a passport! And a visa! And international currency! In Austria would have to navigate public transit in foreign cities all by myself! Heady stuff! 

During this time, I started receiving emails from a school in Germany. Get 2 degrees in 11 months! AACSB certified! Live abroad for a year! Frankly it sounded too good to be true, but I did some research and .. it seemed to be legit. And, since I was going to be in Austria anyway, why not go see it in person? The timing was a little off (right in the break between the last class leaving and the next class starting), but, hey, I'd be wandering around the region for 3 weekends so, why not?

So, summer came. I spent 10 days in China. I finished my undergrad. I headed off for two weeks in Austria, with side trips to Germany and Switzerland. ... I landed in an airport not speaking or reading a single word of the local language (hint: at a bare minimum, learn the written words for Exit and Terminal so you can at least leave the airport.) 


Like most Americans who get an opportunity to go abroad, I was hooked. I wanted to go back. Suddenly, instead of vaguely planning to go to grad school, I was actively pursuing quitting my job and living abroad, if only for a year ... and longer still hasn't been ruled out. 

.

In November 2010 I applied and was accepted to the 2011/12 cohort for the GISMA full-time MBA program, a joint venture between Purdue University and Leibniz Universitat Hannover. Running mid-August through mid-July, at the end of 11 months I'll have a degree from each school. And then everything will change again.

In December I received my scholarship package (1/4 tuition. good, not great).

And, now, I'm in the count-down. In four months I'll no longer be working. In four months and 1 day, I'll be Hanover-bound. And in a year and 3 months, I'll be done with the program, waiting for graduation. In the space of 5 years I'll have gone from having "some college" to obtaining an AA, a BBA and two MBAs.

I'm changing my life.

What follows is .... what follows.