Starting Over...

The Race Is On

Well, it looks like I'll be "starting over" yet again. I just received a letter from my boss that her ability to fund me as a full time employee will end June 2008. She said could fund me part time for an additional 7-8 months after that. She also offered me a reference and said she'd understand if I wanted to find another position. At least I know pretty well in advance, a luxury I haven't had in the past. I made sure to tell her how grateful I was for that.

I just have to silence the little voice in my head that keeps telling me I did something wrong and am not valuable as an employee. Truth is, I've been here less than a year (my 1st anniversery is the 25th of this month) and the next junior tech has been here nearly 6 years; the lab manager has been here for 11 years. When funding is tight, the tech with the least seniority goes. End of story.

Now the question is: What do I do?

The end to my full time status in my current lab will end right around the time my lease does. I know I do NOT what to work in another university lab. The idea about moving to North Carolina to get an industry job seems entirely doable, but then I remember that I don't much enjoy the work I have the most post-college experience with. So that leaves graduate school. I've been looking into the Environmental Science Program at UVA for a couple of weeks now and know the admission requirements.

My To Do List for Grad School:

*Have some idea who I'd like my faculty mentor to be.

*Take GRE's (I'll need a score of 1250 so there'll be much test prep beforehand.)

*Collect two letters of reference (One will be from my very well respected boss. Score! Hopefully, it won't matter that she's in a totally different field.)

*Have application, letters of reference, GRE scores, and undergraduate transcripts submitted to the admissions office by Dec. 1, 2007 to guarantee consideration for all types of financial aid.

*Cut expenses and find second job to save money. That will also mean cutting out sit-down restaurants (I can't afford to tip) and cutting down on fancy coffees. I don't spend much on anything else. I really like my healthclub membership and what to live in a pet friendly apartment next year. Those two things will increase my living expenses.

*sigh* Here we go again.