I’m not really sure what I’ve done with my newfound free time these past four weeks during winter break. My Monday nights were free. My Wednesday nights were free. Suddenly, the empty refrigerator had a reason to be filled – there was time to cook and to eat a homemade meal. I took a week off work and my husband and I spent seven semi-relaxing days with family over Christmas. I read for pleasure, played the Wii, interrogated my sister’s new love interest, cleaned the house and repeatedly checked my email to make sure that I hadn’t missed some UCI function or pre-class reading assignment for Winter quarter. My inbox stayed empty. I slowly learned to relax and enjoy my first real break since Christmas 2006 – my final pre-FEMBA holiday.
Going to Grad School was a decision made on a whim but was actually years in the making, quietly simmering somewhere in the back of my brain. I’m a learning junkie – one of those rare kids that actually LIKED going to school. I had graduated college, worked a few jobs, and knew that I wanted more. I just didn’t know what that really meant. Nowadays, it means long days of work, then class, then back home to spend a few precious moments with my husband before I pass out exhausted. It means learning tools and tactics that I get to apply every day at work. It means lots of reading, lots of writing, and lots of group work. But it also means pride and satisfaction, both of which I feel when I experience tangible results in my everyday life because of my FEMBA courses. This is the “more” that I had wanted.
Yes, free time is less prevalent in our lives. Yes, we are tired at the end of a long day of meetings, emails, homework, and lecture. But we’re a different breed than most. We thrive on constant movement. We’re used to juggling jobs, families, school, and a social life. We can’t imagine going back to school full time – because this planet won’t slow down for 2 years while we get an education. We want it all, and more importantly, we know we can achieve it all, even at the expense of a little sleep. We know our lives and careers will be infinitely better because of our actions today. This is what being a FEMBA student is all about.