{"id":1488,"date":"2020-10-06T14:30:52","date_gmt":"2020-10-06T14:30:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.sandiego.edu\/solesadmissions\/?p=1488"},"modified":"2020-10-05T23:21:15","modified_gmt":"2020-10-05T23:21:15","slug":"returning-to-school-after-a-significant-time-since-completing-undergrad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.sandiego.edu\/solesadmissions\/2020\/10\/06\/returning-to-school-after-a-significant-time-since-completing-undergrad\/","title":{"rendered":"Returning to school after a significant time since completing undergrad"},"content":{"rendered":"

A blog post by PhD in Education for Social Justice<\/a> Student Ambassador Hannah Mesouani<\/em><\/p>\n

Coming back to school after some time off can be quite a daunting task. In the five years that I took off between my undergrad and pursuing my Master\u2019s in the Midwest, I worked hard and picked up some fun hobbies – yes, watching TV is a hobby, don\u2019t @ me – and got to choose my own bedtime even with demanding job expectations. Still, I decided to dive back into all things academic on a part-time basis and, to quote Tiffany Haddish, <\/span>she NOT ready. <\/span><\/i>As a low-income immigrant, every hour I worked <\/span>had <\/span><\/i>to result in some kind of money and ability to keep a roof over my head. I knew that furthering my education was a worthwhile investment in my future, but I still had to survive my present and keep a job that asked a lot of me.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unbeknownst to me, until the first time I tried it since coming back to school, those all-nighters were a thing of the past. I just don\u2019t have it in me anymore like I did when I was a teenager. Now, I know I am still relatively young, but 11 pm is bedtime or I\u2019m not seeing my desk at 8 am for work. I began my program part-time and ended up achieving enough balance in my personal life that I could complete my final year as a full-time student. Still, on my graduation day for my Master\u2019s Degree, my academic advisor said to me, \u201cI really didn\u2019t think you\u2019d make it,\u201d a sentiment he shared with me before on numerous occasions. Good thing I love a hater.<\/span><\/p>\n

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What I love more, however, is the community I have found at SOLES. I love my cohort and my professors who motivate <\/span>not denigrate<\/span><\/i> me. I look back on my slightly younger self and wish that I could have told her the following:<\/span><\/p>\n