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Neither of my parents finished college, and for my mother in particular a degree--any degree--was the Holy Grail, something that in and of itself would open doors. This is not quite true. My parents did the best they could with what they had, but they couldn't teach me what they didn't know. Learn from my mistakes, Grasshopper.
Some degrees, like engineering, nursing, and an MD, are aimed at particular careers. Some, like most of the social sciences, are not, so you have to be more creative in what you decide to pursue. Some people seem to have a knack for figuring out how to work the system, some have to be told and shown by example (mentored), and some (like Bush and McCain) are actually "born into the system" and think the rest of us are stupid because we can't climb the same mountain they were born at the top of .
I was one of those people who could have benefitted from a mentor, but I had no clue how to find one, utilize one, or even recognize one. I was raised to believe that I had to do everything by myself and ask for no favors. This was a mistake, although it has meant that at least I expected myself to be self-reliant, which is not a bad thing. I had a lot of self-confidence knocked out of me early on (before college), which is a bad thing. Some things you can learn from books, some things are harder.
I knew how to find the lowest-level jobs to support me while going to school (sales clerking, house cleaning--nothing wrong with those at all, except they are dead ends) -- I didn't know that you could get internships and work-study assignments in career-related fields. I didn't figure that out until decades later. This is the one thing I would change if I had it all to do over again.
Internships pay little, and some of them pay nothing at all. Look for the ones that pay something, if you have already given up paid employment. Since you are already 31, you may find this hard to adapt to, or maybe since you are readjusting your life around school anyway you won't have too much difficulty with it. Go to your college's Financial Aid office and look at the listings for work-study, paying attention to the openings in departments where you have an interest. By the time I finally asked about becoming an English TA (Teaching Assistant) in grad school, money was tight and the departmental chair said with regret and chagrin that my record showed that I had already made it that far without financial assistance and the slot they had would have to go to someone who needed it more. I thought I would throw up.
If you don't have a departmental advisor, ask the person who is supposed to be your academic advisor how to find someone to talk to in your intended major. My academic advisors were useless to me because I did not know how to ask questions or seek help; I didn't even know how to change majors. The history professor who signed off on my course plans never looked at the difference between my grades in English (almost all As) and those in History (Bs and Cs) and suggest to me that I should change majors. Duh. But how was he to know, since I was too embarrassed to ask?
You are interested in political science as a possible major, you are very interested in Democratic politics, and this is a hotly-contested political year. If you are not already working in your local Democratic headquarters, get a move on. You will meet people, and some of them will be the local movers and shakers in the party. While you are working away for The Cause, take on the harder and more creative volunteer jobs. See how you like that world. If you are in a city, all the better. Find out who is being paid to do certain tasks, and ask how they got into it. The advance-men get paid. The staffers for your state and national congressional representatives get paid, as do the staffers for the local city council and board of supervisors. Speech writers get paid. Make friends, and stay in touch after November. Ask your congressional reps if they have any internships for Older Students Returning to College, or whatever the current buzzword is.
Your local community college is a really good place to start school again, btw. The fees are low (although books are high) and you can stay where you are for the time being. You can try various things. If yours is anything like the one my husband teaches in, older students are looked on with favor because of their life-experiences and their focus and determination.
I got a BA in Asian and Pacific History, although what I really liked to do was read the literature of those cultures in translation. I went into grad school to pursue an MA in English, but dropped out before I was done in part because of money but mostly because would have had to pass a written exam in a foreign language and I was truly terrible at every language I ever tried but my own. The *other* thing I would change if I could is to start with Spanish in high school and simply keep taking it over and over until it stuck. Why Spanish? Look around you. I couldn't have known that 40 years ago, but I do now. -- To my surprise, when I got to grad school my worst struggles with grades were over, except for the foreign language thing. It turned out that I was in the field I had loved best all along, and the hard work was not a struggle but a joy. Major clue.
Years later I returned to graduate school the week I turned 47, in a subject that absolutely thrilled me. (I was months into it before I even realized that foreign language requirements were nowhere in the syllabus.) This time I finished my MA, and then went on to write a dissertation and get a PhD. Mythological Studies with Emphasis in Depth Psychology is a field that has no intrinsic career value -- I ended up teaching part time, but I was past the point of wanting or needing to build a different career, which was a good thing for me. Most of the others used this time of academic reflection and writing to deepen the careers they were already engaged in: being psychologists, film makers, writers, artists. Others began to publish for the first time, and began to lecture and teach, hold workshops, and so on. This is all very different from what you are looking for at your age. I guess I just wanted to acknowledge that I did finish.
Pick what you love. Keep at it. Try different things. If Poli Sci isn't it after all, but social work or teaching is, the same advice for finding mentors, internships, and work-study opportunities still applies.
Happy birthday. I am going to be 61 in a few weeks, and just thinking about you at 31 starting this adventure is exciting. Check back in with us, will you?
Hekate
:hi:
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