pondering

I have been pretty busy the past week, but that is not why I have not been posting. I am trying to decide what I want to do with my blog. Somehow I feel into the 'Dear Diary' route and I know I do not want to do that. I hate that. If I get into that, then writing feels like a chore and I want to write to release among other things.

In the mean time I let anyone out there read the personal statement I had to write for class. It is mostly about why I wanted to do a master's degree and what I expect. So enjoy.

A Personal Statement

I have always been a knowledge seeker. Even as a child, the jobs that appealed to me the most were those that seemed to ‘know everything’ and so for the longest time I desired to be a teacher or ‘imparter of knowledge’. As my wisdom of the world grew, my interests developed, and I knew more of myself. I could not be happy standing in a classroom day after day merely passing on knowledge, though I still see it as an important aspect. (Knowledge that belongs to one person is worthless.) My main career interests now point towards in the vague direction of medical sociology.

Things I know I like: medicine, sociology, people, the well being of everything from a person to a community to the world. My future is somewhere in this list. I think it may lie in public health, possibly developing educational programs or policy. I am trying to find out more to lift the fog that veils it. To this end and others I decided pursuing a Master's on sociology would be a very worthwhile endeavor. My background in sociology is weak; a master’s degree will increase my knowledge and be a step towards pinning down my career. Should a doctorate be part of my path, this will also help me attain it. There are none, if any, cons to me getting a masters degree.

I know University. I did my bachelor’s here. I think that will give me an advantage while working on my master’s. I already feel comfortable here and do not have to adjust to living in a new place. This frees my energies to mapping my career, figuring out what I will do after finishing. I hope to find faculty with open doors, willing to guide, and who do not mind answering questions. The prospect of attending conferences and being immersed in sociology culture is thrilling. I think the other graduate students will form a family, helping each other and providing a complaint department. With them I will find people who can truly sympathize with my experiences.

My chief concerns during this period are finding research I can participate in and financing not just school but life costs. I hope I will not have to choose between putting gas in my car or food on my plate. I will be ecstatic if my income can cover both of those and some entertainment expenses. While I am not certain research will be part of my long term career, it is something that I greatly desire to participate in during graduate school. To be a creator of knowledge would fulfill one of my personal goals for my life. A lack of funded projects in my area of interest may hinder this. In the end, I expect to be satisfied and become a more rounded, well-defined person by completing my masters at University.