To PTA or to Not PTA, that is the question.

Whether 'tis nobler to pursue more education or to throw the towel in and work with what I've got?

When I graduated from college I had no idea what I wanted to do and it took me two years to figure it out, when I decided to go back to graduate school at JMU for Master's. At the time, I realized I wanted to work with children in a recreation setting in some sort of administrative while still "hands on" role.

When I graduated from JMU I put my heart first and moved to Florida to be with my now husband, a pilot in the USAF.

I'm not going to sugar coat it, this part of the country has very little opportunity for the specific education that I pursued in my Master's program. I had imagined, as we often do when dreaming about the future, that I would be able to tap into the Air Force's MWR (Morale, Welfare and Recreation for the non-Military) Programming and get a sweet gig working on base in their gyms or outdoor rec programs. However...hello $8.00/hour for entry level and the 2011 to the present total hiring freeze for salaried employees.

So...that's been fun.

I've fuddled my way through several jobs. I won't take you through the entirety of the saga but it's been a a drawn out experience. Finally, last summer I evaluated my options. We're military, we're going to move, and I need a mobile career. As is stereotypical with women married to the military, I had two options: Medical field or Teacher. I opted medical.

I quit my job as a staffing agency branch manager and enrolled in an online program to take the prerequisites for a Physical Therapy Assistant program.

Have you ever taken online classes? I think in my entire higher education I've taken a total of one and it was an internship where I did the actual work in an office and simply tracked my hours and completed a few journal entries online.

Now, after two semesters of online classes I think I can adequately state that I, Christina, am NOT an online student. At all. I am not a fan of the self taught atmosphere, the lack of personal interaction and the "glued to the computer screen for hours of your week" studying. For some people the perks may outweigh the downfalls; I'd rather spend my time getting a root canal.

The online aspect (it would be two more years of online school to earn the degree) combined with the realization that PTA was an interest not a passion (among other factors) has lead me to decide NOT to PTA and to work with what I've got. I have guilt about the wasted money spent on going back to school. However, I think the Anatomy and Physiology and Medical Terminology is never a waste of time or money...especially considering my background.

So...check that off the list...I've decided not to PTA. But what now?