Ch-ch-ch-changes...

After eight years of studying a myriad of subjects at university, I am no longer a student. I have officially discontinued the honours course I intended to pursue this year and have applied to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts. This has come as a shock to most people with cries of "Oh, but you wanted to do honours" and "You were so excited" echoing around my skull, but the truth is, I never wanted to do honours. I never saw the point, I would need to undertake an additional several years of education to become an historian and, well, I didn't even want to be an historian to begin with. I was just scared. I was scared of who I would be without my student status. I have always prided myself on being an academic, and without that I didn't know where I would stand. I didn't want to disappoint my family and friends. I wanted to be something, I wanted all of this study to amount to something. I was terrified that without university, without all of the recognition and praise I obtain through my work, I would amount to nothing. I wouldn't be able to get a job, I wouldn't be able to be recognised, I would be nothing. I was just scared of pursuing the one career that I thought would make me happy because of what people would think.

I'd love to teach children. I have had a passion for education since I was a teenager and I guess I pursued my own education for such a long time because of it. I believe that education is the most important asset one can possess and I believe teaching is one of the most important and influential professions. I've always wanted to make a difference, an impact on someone's life and I think through teaching I can finally do that. It's taken me a long time to come to this realisation, too long in fact and I am still afraid that I am disappointing those around me. But, I have (and will continue to) applied for the Graduate Diploma of Education (Early Childhood) at several universities for the second semester of this year and in the mean time I am taking a break. I have been studying since I was 18 and it's time for me to get a real job, make some money and socialise with the awesome people in my life.

So, that is where I am at. And I must say, I am truly happy at this point.