School Daze

After years of indecisiveness, I went back to school on 01/24/11. Well, okay, let me explain: I already have my BA. I went to Loyola University New Orleans and double-majored in Classical Humanities/English Writing with a minor in Philosophy. I had thought about attending law school after that, and I did pretty well on the practice LSATs, but I was majorly distracted after Hurricane Katrina. Several minor health problems, one interesting career at UPS, and a bad relationship later, and here I am: back in school. Funny how things work out.

For the longest time, I had no idea what I wanted to study. Sure, I have a great job, but I really don't want to make a career out of it; I could be content there, but I wouldn't be 100% happy with my life or what I was doing. I've always felt motivated to do more, to make some kind of difference in the world, no matter how small. When I came to terms with my Asperger's, I finally realized what I want to do with my life: I want to study autism and make a better future for kids who have been diagnosed with an ASD. Unfortunately, I don't have a background in child psychology from my undergraduate days, so right now I'm taking an undergraduate course called Infants, Children, and Adolescents. I'm also taking a graduate course called Introduction to Behavioral Intervention in Autism. Once I complete these courses, I can officially apply to the program that will lead to my MA. I'm pretty excited; it feels great to be back in school, and even better to be working towards a goal.

So, where am I going to school? UMASS (Lowell) online. Which is funny, because my BFF obtained her MA at UMASS, although she lived in Boston and attended classes on campus. The course work is fairly demanding for each class, but it feels amazing to be back in school and focusing on a subject that's important to me.

Oh, and despite my lack of scientific prowess, I've done really well on my exams... all three have been 90% or above! I can't wait to tackle more classes and earn my MA.