Will Work for Tuition

So as many people know my assistantship situation in my graduate program has not gone exactly according to plan. Let me explain: So Catie, Lindsey Anne, and myself were scheduled to have meeting with the Dean of Students and our supervisors. Going into I really just thought we were getting some information on the school, a bit of an orientation to our new grad positions. I never thought that we would be blindsided with the news that as of next fall we would no longer be GAs at Georgia Tech due to massive budget cuts. It is really funny and ironic because the day before I was complaining that I was not enjoying the drive to Georgia Tech and that the traffic was unbearable. The next day I found out that in a few months, I would no longer be driving it. So lesson learned--Don't complain because you never know when your wishes will be granted. But I digress. This startling news has really complicated my life in the last four months or so. I have had to redo my resume, get back into interview mode, and begin that whole process that I thought I was through with. At times I felt that the Georgia Tech GA's were getting the short end of the stick and were left out in the cold. We already have to drive to Atlanta, struggle with our schedules, and now we have to find a new position. NO FUN. Hopefully I will get one so that I do not have to leave this program.

After interview weekend a few weeks ago, I thought that this whole assistantship thing was done causing me problems. I interviewed with four offices and most of them went pretty well. I think that I have a good chance to get offered a new assistantship because they wouldn't throw a current student out....would they? However a few days ago, the assistantship struck again. All the cohort members are going through internship interviews for this summer and I was really excited to get three offers. My top two were Shorter College in Rome, GA and Florida International in Miami, FL. I really liked both offers, but was leaning towards Shorter because of their program format, their school type, and that it was close to Athens, so that I could see Jessica a lot. I was ready to call Shorter and let them that I was accepting, but then thought that I should ask the faculty if it was ok that the internship ran a week into classes. That is when it happened.

The faculty said that missing class was something that could be handled, however because I am getting a new assistantship in the fall it would look bad if I missed the first week of my new assistantship and any new GA training that may take place. The faculty said it was my choice, but they were "strongly" suggesting that I look at all the options and consequences of my choice. So though I had found, I what I thought was the perfect internship, the assistantship took it away. Though I do understand that my new assistantship will be paying my bills and tuition, so I understand where the faculty were coming from. Don't get me wrong I am so excited to be at FIU this summer, but I am so going to miss Jessica a lot. That is how life goes though, the assistantship got me again, hopefully for the last time...hopefully.

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