Returning to Graduate School After Teaching for a Year

I was originally sad to leave teaching because I love it so much, but...as the school year went by, I have been more eager than ever to become a learner again. When I came back to Chicago, I knew I had a lot of bases to cover before the start of the school year. First, I needed to finish the moving process before I could worry about anything else. Next, I needed to get two job so I could pay for my course tuition and rent. Once that was settled, I could register for my courses.

The first step was easy. Camden's family helped us move everything from his old apartment to our new apartment, and I severely under-packed my belongings from Philly because I knew we would not have the time or space to unpack them. Camden's stuff was the priority and I had no issue with that at all.

I searched for almost a month before I got a job. One fell into my lap and the other came from a previous connection. My first saving grace came from my university's poorly worded leave of absence policy. The person who helped me get readmitted to DePaul put me in touch with someone looking for a graduate tutor and I got hired on the spot once again. This position would grant me free tuition, but I still needed to pay my bills.

I spent hours at the marble high-top counter in my building's communal area cranking out as many cover letters as I could. Despite my efforts, it wasn't until I reached out to a friend for a referral, then hired on the spot again at my interview. At this point, I was feeling pretty happy with myself. I would soon come to realize that I would be working 6 days a week for the unforeseeable future.

Even though I only work 5 hours a day, I have to go straight to class two of those days. I'm almost never home, and when I am, I just want to sleep. Working and studying full time is exhausting, but I still would choose this life over my Fulbright. As an academic tutor for my fellow classmates, I felt a lot of pressure to be great in my own assignments. Admittedly, I still could have done better on some assignments, but I try to give myself grace knowing I only get one day to myself each week. Higher expectations for myself might suck in the moment, but I am proud to be able to look at my finished work and feel confident in what I have produced.