Help!! Major Career Change Advice Needed

[mad4mady]

I am not sure what I should do. I do not want to involve my family at this point because I don't want to totally freak them out.

A little background. My husband and I just bought a home. I am not working because I am in a full time credential program. This is a huge strain on us financially. I will be done with the credential in May 2010.

So I will begin my student teaching on Monday but, for the last two weeks I have lost complete interested in teaching. I don't know what happened but I just don't feel excited about it anymore. I received my ba in psychology and had thought I would go into counseling but decided to go into special education instead after I had been a teachers aide for 2 years. Now, I feel like I may have made the wrong decision.

My options are (1) keep in the program, go majorly in dept and hope that I am happy with teaching after I am finished. or (2) I have found 4 jobs that I am very qualified for at the community college that I am interested in, they are in the student services department. I could work there and then go back to school part time when my daughter gets a little older as a masters student for counseling psychology and hopefully work my way into a college counseling position after graduation. Taking one of these jobs if I get them would pull us out of the finical debt and we would be very comfortable. I would however not have as much time off to spend with my daughter because of less vacation time.

When I think about the second one I get really excited but, I feel guilty that I have spent the last year taking courses towards something I may not finish. And I am afraid that this is going on because I am getting cold feet or something.

Help!! Very Confused

Thank you Megan

[Rowansmama]

It's always been baffling to me that we're expected to go to college and pick just one thing to do with our lives. Our interests change all the time as we grow and get older, so why shouldn't our career paths change too?

Personally, I don't think you should feel like you have to finish the program if it's no longer what you want to do. Especially if it's going into debt for something you don't want to do.

My first year of university I was doing journalism. After about 6 months I realized it was NOT for me. I switched majors and lost my scholarship. Was that crappy? Yup. But at least I didn't waste more time doing something that wasn't interesting for me.

SInce you asked for advice, I'll give mine I think you should take one of the jobs and get the debt paid off. Then, once you've had a chance to step back, decide how you want to continue. Things are always more difficult when you're under financial stress, so maybe once that weight's off your shoulders, you'll be more sure about what path you want to take.

Good luck, whatever you choose!

[dawningmama]

I agree with Rowansmama. If you are no longer interested, then move on. Count yourself lucky that you figured it out now and not after you incurred more debt and then felt obligated to work in a field and be miserable.

Good luck!

[meemee]

may 2010? that's what just another few months. i would definitely finish it. you never know where you might get to use it. stick to it. and get it done.

unless you are really, really unhappy there.

you have just bought a new home. life changing. just hang in there a little while longer and see how you feel. i am just a little concerned that because of the new financial situation your interest has gone down.

i would hang in there for at least another month and reasses. and see how you feel.

change is always a possibility. it is always there for you. but first make sure why you want to make the change.

[stefka]

I'm going to chime in as a professor in a credential program. Obviously, if you really, truly have no interest in teaching, you should leave. Teaching is way too demanding a job to deal with if you don't love it. BUT... you also mention that you start student teaching on Monday. Is it possible that you are really nervous and/or sad to be starting an intense part of your training where you'll have less time for your daughter? You mention that you've felt this way for 2 weeks, and I know people often have a very unexpected mix of emotions prior to starting student teaching. If you've disliked your time in k-12 classrooms thus far in your program, or if you've felt this way for a long time, then there may not be any point in continuing. But if it just came on recently, I might consider that it's a case of nerves, and that you may really love it once you start!

Good luck with your decision.

[beebalmmama]

Considering you will finish so soon and you haven't yet started the student teaching, I would suggest you hang in there and finish. I would think student teaching would give you a better sense of whether you will enjoy teaching or not.
As others have said I wonder if it is a case of nerves or the stress of the new home/ finances etc that have made you reconsider. I am not a teacher, but have a degreee where I was teaching environmental education. I freaked out about my practicum semester where we were practice teaching. I don't think I realized what I would enjoy or not enjoy about it until I was actually doing it. It really surprised me.

I also have a friend who is a teacher who chose the profession for summers off and her dh was a teacher. She didn't love it or feel passionate about it, but now that she has a daughter I know she has reconsidered how long she may end up teaching because of the benefits of vacation times and family time.

Just because you choose to teach now, does not mean that several years down the road you can't go back for the masters towards something else.

[mad4mady]

I appreciate all the responses. So I have been student teaching for a little over a week and still feel the same way. So I have defiantly decided that this is not for me. I have applied to 4 different jobs that I am very excited about. I have a meeting to talk to my advisor this week. I am planning on finishing some of the courses for the semester but, then ending the program after that. I think I am going to work for a while and then try to go back and get a masters in counseling. I have meditated about it a lot and feel very comfortable about my decision. I have talked to my family and we are all good with it.

Thanks for all the help! Wish me luck!

Megan