It's An Interesting Feeling

In December of 2009 I had finished my final exam for my BSc. in Chemistry. Not wanting to yet enter the workforce and wanting to see something of the world, I had already decided to go to Korea. The waiting game was on.

Over the entire period of time I was to muse on what type of job I would want and where I would want to live. I spent some peaceful months avoiding real life; a respite from the harsh schedules of academia. I'll admit that I did not give my future much thought during that time. I was content to simply do nothing and enjoy what little nothing I could for so short a time. Then Korea came and I had finally discovered the answer to one half od my question. I knew where I wanted to live.

I had a fantastic time for the brief period of it I spent there and it taught me that I want to live in Eastern Canada. Doing what was the only other question I sought an answer to so I returned to pursue it.

In the time since I've been back I've applied for a boatload of Chemistry jobs but met with little success, not willing to move to Toronto or beyond. Eventually the funds remaining from my trip were running dry and I could afford to tarry no longer. Therefore, I took any job I could find and "any job" turned out to be a call center.

I'll own that the particular call center I worked at was one of the best ones around. Compared with others, the work and schedule were child's play. Still, I found that I did not like it and the stress it placed on me was considerable. So I left, though it may not have been the best call economically for me.

Around the same time I had a realization that, although I loved Chemistry and everything I learned in the degree, I didn't want to work in the field itself. I wanted something different. Something highly social that still made use of my scientific method and penchant for numbers. I decided that I wanted to take business.

There were two things barring my path: a prerequisite in some type of Economics class and the General Management Admission Test (GMAT). The Economics course is hardly worth mentioning for all the ease of it. The GMAT was way more of a bitch. But it was a bitch of my own creation.

Most people afford at least three months to study for the GMAT test, or at least that's what all the supportive literature says. I had given myself just over three weeks. Was I being crazy? Hell, no. Was I being cocky? Oh god, yes. And sure enough, with so little time to complete it, I achieved my goal of attaining the required score for my MBA program and beyond. I sure do like my ego boost.

So now we're here. It's upon us. Tomorrow I begin a two-year program that was almost two years in the making for myself. Will it be everything I want it to be for me? I sure hope so. I'm looking for a job I'll actually want to do when I come out of the program. This seems like my best bet. But, like anything, only time will tell. It's been a rather interesting road to this point, full of things I could never have predicted. I imagine that it'll be an even more interesting road as the stakes are raised again and I must rise to the occasion as I have so many times before. All in all: It's an interesting feeling.