Change of Plans?

Tara just wrote a post about being unsure of what she wants to do after grad school, and if she wants to pursue a career in the field she went to school for. It made me think of what I'm pondering this week - not as heavy as she, being in her last year of school - but still thinking about my path ahead of me possibly changing from what I thought it would be.

I sat in on my first grad school class this Wednesday - Public Personnel Administration, just one of the required courses for an MPA and my Certificate in Public Management (CPM). It was a typical first class - intro to course, intro of students and professor, and overview of syllabus. But during the class, I was excited to see two girls I knew when I was an undergrad - one I spent the summer in Spain with, and one I hung out with at parties and girls' nights with my roommates.

The girl from my Spain trip, Nora, is very smart, cool, funny, and passionate about public service and causes she cares about. So when we chatted on Facebook during the class, you can imagine my shock and disappointment when she said that she was finishing her MPA, and totally regrets doing the program! Here is our conversation:

• Nora: Are you an MPA student?
• Kris: I'm starting with the CPM, and hope to continue with the MPA. I still need to take the GRE this summer to get into the full MPA program. How do you like it so far?
• Nora: I hate it. Don't do it. Seriously.
• Kris: What?! Tell me you're kidding. Seriously.
• Nora: No, I honestly hate the program and regret getting into it.
• Kris: Why? What's bad about it? What do you wish you did that would be similar?
• Nora: I've had 2 professors that are "part of the program." The rest have been doc students, no organization to program, ZERO direction and professional guidance, and I honestly don't think I've learned anything useful. No joke.
• Kris: Damnit! My work pays for my tuition, and my classes have to go towards a specific program, so maybe I'll just stop with the Certificate... ugh.
• Nora: Well if it's free, do it.
• Kris: Well they get tuition, I pay for books and fees, but I don't want to waste my time on a crappy program. I'm glad you said something... I'll have to look into some different programs.
• Nora: Seriously, I would get out of it if you can. But then again, there are some people that really like it. I'm just not a fan AT ALL.

It kind of got me panic-y. I mean, I trust her judgment, so I was like, if this is a crap program, what do I do now? I thought I had it all figured out!

I didn't get too upset, though, and figured it is just one person's opinion. So for now, I will continue with at least the CPM, while investigating the program with a critical eye, and once I'm done with that, see if I want to continue on to get my MPA from ISU or find another path. Not the end of the world, but just an eye-opener to once again remind me that although I like to make plans and think I have it all figured out, things can change and that's ok. I can deal.