SCREW IT I HAVE NO TIME FOR TITLES BUT HERE IS THE DATE - Friday, December 3rd, 2010

I want to be a writer. I've never been able to say something like that with such confidence, but I know that i've always loved writing, reading, and language. It comes naturally to me. I love writing funny things in my free time, and if I could, i'd make it a full-time job (if it paid). I've also been interested in medicine for as long as I can remember, and I don't just want to curb my writing with comedic, creative writing. I want to be a medical writer, and write about health news, and the different pathologies of the human body because it's beyond fascinating. My goal is to work for a company full-time, writing whatever they want me to write, giving me data to transform into eloquent passages, or even just my own section in a newsletter or something.

However - and here's the kicker - what do I go to school for? There's no "medical writing" degree. Well, at least not here. There are a whole bunch of online workshops and whatnot on the AMWA (American Medical Writer's Association) website that I could attend, but I still would have no official credentials from a school.

So, I am pursuing my English degree right now. That's going to take me 4 years in itself. What I CAN do is ALSO major in Health Science, or Anatomy (if offered). That would require me to become a double major, and I honestly don't know if I have the tenacity (or money) for that.

I am soooooo nervous about all of this. I've gotta do extensive research on what credits transfer to which school, which school can offer me the best curriculum, and how I could possibly fit all of this into my life, when I work full-time (and HAVE to work full-time to help support myself and Michael). Could I possibly afford to rack up about $50,000 - $60,000 worth in student loans, and is it even PHYSICALLY possible for me to take on 6-7 classes at a time? Would it be worth it? Would I run myself crazy into the ground if I tried to tackle this? Also, will there be job opportunities for telecommunication (I don't plan to leave Hawaii, ever) when I graduate? I have no idea. And that's what makes me completely bonkers.

In about a week and a half I will end my first semester back at college, taking less than 12 credits. I only had 3 classes this semester, and I'm already stressing about my time schedule. Could I really make time for twice the workload? Twice the academic workload and still take on 40 hours at work? Plus i'm sure i'll need to take opportunities like internships and programs along the way. Is this possible for someone like me? Can this really be done? I don't know. I guess I won't know until I try. Do I have the courage to try?

I'd have to be diligent and dedicated. If I do decide to go down this route - one thing is certain - i'll have to see it through. I won't be able to skate by with half a degree here, and half a degree there. I won't be able to let "real life" get in the way of my studies - which means a slew of future outings and getogethers declined. I'll probably lose friends - the life of a professional student is nowhere near as glamorous as it sounds.

Another option is to continue pursuing my degree in English, but minor in Health Science. I'd have to contact several admissions counselors at different schools, to see if that's even possible. I'm actually leaning toward this route, and have a school in mind, but that would still be an enormous toll taken on me. Why is life so difficult?

(This was the first picture that popped up in google images when I typed in "argh" LOL)

Sorry for the somewhat depressing and stressful topic. Your regularly scheduled verbal diarrhea will shortly ensue!

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