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When is the Right Time?

Posted on : 23-11-2008 | By : Frank Eliason | In : Living in Philadelphia, Personal

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2

For years I have said that I needed to do certain things in life, but always allowing other things to take precedence.  One of those things was finishing school.  It has always been important to me, but life has always sent curve balls, or at least ones that I used as an excuse.  To me having this accomplishment is not about career advancement because I believe if you work hard you can get whatever you want.  It is about the life experience and being able to discuss ones own life experiences to create better, more well rounded individuals.  It is also a great opportunity to learn more and develop new interests.  So what have the excuses been?  Well they have been going on for the past 12 years.

 

When I was in school I was probably not the best student.  I was alway more dedicated to work and friendships.  I actually found many of the classes to be too easy and not challenging.  I always enjoy a good challenge.  So I completed 2 years and then moved into the working world with the intent to go back.  I was successful very quickly.  I think this has to do with work ethics and the ability to retain information easily.  As I continued to grow I decided it was time to consider returning to school.  At the time my wife and I were just about to be married.  I decided to wait after that.  Of course then we were buying a house and moving.  You guest it, wait until after that.  Shortly after moving into our home my wife was pregnant with our Angel Gia.  So I decided until after she was born.  Since she was premature she was in the NICU for 3 months.  After that I was dedicated to her and making sure my family was cared for.  As life was normal, when Gia was 2 I started thinking about school again.  But then right after her 3rd birthday she was diagnosed with cancer which we dealt with for 1 year until her passing.  Then I was not in the mood for school.  The next think I knew it my wife was pregnant with Lily so I found more excuses.  They continued with the Robyn.  When I switched jobs and started to work in the city I decided it was perfect for returning to school.  It is now a year later and I have not started.  But now is time to make this happen!

 

So the first is to decide where is the best place for me.  Living and working in the Philadelphia area I have a number of great places to choose from:

 

  1. Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania – Outstanding school and a place I have always wanted to attend.  It is very expensive but a well respected degree.  But would they accept someone like myself?
  2. Drexel University – Drexel is really known for engineering, but they have broadened their offerings and have worked to create an online program that is a leader in the profession
  3. Temple University – Another really good business school that has created many of the leaders in the Philadelphia area.  This school has a campus near my home as well as one close to work.
  4. Villanova University – This is where my wife and many of her family members attended.  It is a little out of my way, but if I could live the dream and move to the main line area it would be perfect
  5. University of Phoenix – I have heard good stories from adults going back to school and selecting their program.  It is geared toward working adults so they know the importance of time.
So they are the selections I have to chose from.  There are probably many others too, especially in the Philadelphia area.  What I would have to look into is credit transfer, life credits (always worth asking about!), and costs.  I am lucky Comcast does have a good education program.  At the same time I am not looking forward to the initial outlay of funds.  Of course I have to make sure I do not use that as an excuse.  
So why do I write this post today?  Well I am sure my many friends will make sure I remain focused on this goal.  I read somewhere that for those trying to accomplish tasks, pressure from online friends can be a great help.  Have you procrastinated on something that you really want to achieve?  Have you used social media to make sure you accomplished it? What recommendations do you have for me?  You can also email me at work frank_eliason@cable.comcast.com if you have helpful advice.