Thoughts about the future

[amalthia]

Tonight with my shoulders, neck, and back aching...I'm giving a lot more thought to my future and career goals. Back when I was in college I thought getting a desk job would be the best thing ever, like since sliced bread. :( I'm now realizing that because I do have a desk job that it physically hurts to try and read fan fiction, work on music videos, or write. earlier tonight I had to cut a conversation short with a person I love chatting with because I was in pain.

I must not be taking enough breaks at work or maybe the keyboard really is too high on the desk but the bottom line is I can no longer enjoy the activities I love because of the type of work i'm doing. (i'm totally blaming the bad desks...though the boss says he's going to install the keyboard holders...and I'm really hoping that helps take away the majority of what's causing me pain) Basically the desk is too high and the chair doesn't go high enough for me to not strain my shoulders reaching for the keyboard and mouse. I know what's causing the problem and yes in a month or so we should be moved to new desks...but in the meantime ouch... :(

So back to my thoughts about the future. Not this year or maybe not the next because I'd really like to finish paying off the cars but I'd like to start getting a graduate degree. Originally I thought library science (but they don't have any schools in Houston) so I figured Education. it hit me that teachers kind of have it good (of course I am looking at the greener grass at the moment) They have a lot more vacation than just about any other okay paid career in the US, they aren't stuck standing or sitting all day, you get to interact with kids (which could be good or bad depending on grade level), and basically it's a respectable job with decent benefits. and best of all summer vacations! :)

I'm still planning on getting a graduate degree before my brain atrophies...but it's becoming increasingly clear that education may not be a bad field to go into.

Now what I don't get is why is it that in school, college, and after three years of trying to find a career that I never seriouslly considered teaching? I mean it's not like I haven't heard from many people that it's a good job and VACATIONS. Maybe I'm resistant to good advice? Or maybe I was just worried that I'd have to talk to a bunch of brat kids all day? Though substitute teaching for elementry and even middle school wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I think I was actually kind of good at it.

I'm trying to think of the negatives of being a teacher because for the longest time anyone mentioned becoming one I immediately pushed the idea out of my head and kept on trying to find something better. Only I'm realizing that I haven't thought of anything better and i'm not exactly getting any younger.

I kind of wish sometimes that I truly had a calling from a young age. I swear i'm the most wishy-washy person ever when it comes to making decisions that will affect the rest of my life. (or at least a few years of my life)

Comments

[hooloovoo-too.livejournal.com]

So you don't know me from Adam, but I usually lurk your journal for the SGA recs. I read this and thought of my solution to this very problem:

I do webdesign and network teching for a living, which sometimes means working with other people's computers. And sometimes they have desks that are way too high for the health of my hands. A good solution I've found is pulling some slack into the keyboard cable, then moving the keyboard off the desk and sitting it in my lap. That gets it low enough that it doesn't kill your wrists and forearms to type at it. Just a suggestion. I hope you feel better, though!

[amalthia]

sadly, I've tried this before but a lot of what I do also involves a mouse...however I think it bears further experimentation. :) I don't think I need the mouse right next to the keyboard..seriouslly if they wanted us to work more efficiently they would have provided more ergonomic desks and keyboards and mousepads.

[palebluebell.livejournal.com]

My brother and his lady are teachers. They're in Japan teaching English at the moment, so I sent the boy an email asking what he thought of teaching. I asked him if he enjoyed it, and what he thought about the lifestyle and what it was like stress-wise. He said this (you've probably already had all this advice, but it can't hurt):


i like teaching but i also like the sound of my own voice so its a good combination.

teaching has some really satisfying moments but in general u do it for the lifestyle.

as long as u get a good school with a good behaviour management system its ok.get a bad school and anyone would quit.

u can also travel with a teaching degree.japan/england and prob anywhere

some people hate it.u must enjoy talking in front of people and doing preparation is extremely important!

moneys ok.not great

[amalthia]

I don't have any troubles talking in front of groups. :) It has a lot of potential. :) um thanks for letting me know about your brother. :)

[daybright.livejournal.com]

I have lots of teacher friends, my impression is that they never leave their jobs, there is preperation, papers to read, parents calling and problems to solve. Although it is also my impression that it´s quite fullfilling when done right and it´s usually very diverse and ofcourse there is the vacation time.
I recently found out about the horrors of a desk job myself after working 10 years in a bookstore were you are running all day long and never sit down. I started understanding why people go to the gym, desk jobs are very hard on the body.

[amalthia]

i've only been at this deskjob about 2 months..i'm going to the gym but it doesn't help as much as I was hoping it would. I started lifting weights hopign more muscle would help support my spine or something.

I worked security and my body never hurt like this, though it helped that I was able to sit down when I wanted or walk around and patrol the building. (if it paid more money and didn't have crazy hours, it would have been the best job ever.)

[cynonymous.livejournal.com]

Here through friendsfriends with an FYI:

A couple of years ago, the University of North Texas's Library Science program was offering classes in Houston on Saturdays on the UofH campus. I think they offer both the online option (with the first class meeting face-to-face) and regular weekly classes. You might want to check it out and see if they're still doing that.

[amalthia]

I'm looking into that option as well. :) i'm not married to any plan at the moment...actually being a public school librarian has a lot of potential too. just not sure about the job market.