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Going back to school for my Masters

After much debating, researching, and comparisons I have decided to go back to school for my MBA. Wooohooooo! LOL

And I am terrified. Why? I am scared of failure. Big time. I am scared of struggling again. I went through my undergraduate college years as a single mother working part-time gigs and still managed to obtain my Bachelors in Industrial Engineering. So why be scared now? Well now I have a career....a full-time position with many responsibilities. I am still a single mother who's 4 year old is having behavioral issues at her private school. A 4 year old who is starting to wonder why other kids have fathers who pick them up from school and she doesn't. (FYI her dad is an a-hole who wants nothing to do with his child...he has never even seen her........his loss)

Will I be able to handle the pressures of a engineering career, raising a 4 year-old, and pursuing my Master's degree and still accomplish all the goals I have set forth for myself? As long as I have God at my side and in my heart, I believe I will complete any journey I set forth on. It may get real trying at times but I have gone through worse.

Ok........enough pep talk........now to the nitty gritty.

I researched the MBA programs at my alma mater and some other Florida schools. I was looking for the following:

  • online program or one with a schedule that would compliment work and daughter
  • low cost
  • length of program is 24 months or less
I chose a school that would be the best fit for me and my situation. NSU has a 18-month online MBA program. It will cost about $25K total to complete (which turned out to be $15K cheaper than the other colleges). I spoke to an advisor and he said that I needed to complete my application and FAFSA and have my official transcript sent to them by June 1. If I can get all that done by then I will start classes on July 2. (WOW! I'd be back in school in like 3 months.....).

Well I just completed my FAFSA online. I am going to complete my application to the university in a few minutes. And tomorrow I will handle getting my official transcript from UCF and sending it to NSU.

Unfortunately the company I work for is a small company (only 50 employees) and does not offer tuition reimbursement. So I will be responsible for paying for graduate school myself. This didn't sit well with me since my whole financial empowerment plan was to get out of debt, especially regarding my student loans. But a good friend reminded me that getting my MBA will give me access to a higher income bracket. So basically it will payoff in the long run. And I wont have to pay on my student loan until I graduate. That saves me $141 a month for 18 months ($2538 total). I am debating if I should direct the extra money towards my savings or towards paying off my student loan.

I am real psyched. Its a huge step but definitely in the right direction. I am of course staying with my current company and taking full advantage of the flexibility.

So now I have the following goals set for myself:


  • Pay off credit card debt by December 2007
  • Lose 140 pounds by Feb 2008
  • Buy my first home by March 2008
  • Have my MBA by summer 2009
  • Make $80K or more by the end of 2009

Keep me in your prayers.

Comments

Ronald Coyle said…
Do you have a lot of outstanding loan debt from your Bachelor's Degree?
Dimples said…
marketrman,

Unfortunately I still do. I have about $30K in student loans. Going for my MBA will add approximately another $25K to that. I am researching any scholarships, fellowships, or grants that I may qualify for. So hopefully I find something that will lessen th amount of loans I will need to take out

Dimps

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