What have I done with my college degrees? That is the question. To this, there must be an answer… Read on.
I obtained two undergraduate degrees from Shepherd University. One of these was a degree in Business Administration, a Bachelor’s of Business. The other degree I received was a Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology.
After undergraduate school, I went on to law school at the University of Baltimore. Although I had applied to and had been accepted at more than one law school, I chose the University of Baltimore because they had two other graduate degree programs which I knew I additionally wanted to pursue. The second semester of law school I added in the Master’s in Applied Psychology degree. The third year of law school I added the Master’s in Business Administration degree. So, at one point I was taking classes in three different graduate degree programs. Immediately following graduate school, I studied for the bar exam and passed, becoming a member of the Maryland State Bar Association.
So how have I used these degrees? I must say, that I went to school for knowledge and opportunities. It wasn’t so much about getting a law degree to become some famous, rich lawyer, or about getting an MBA to head up some frothy company making seven figures and working day and night. I just wanted to learn about the world and have some choices. I thought if I learned about the law, business and people I would have a really good start in doing what I wanted to do. However, I just wasn’t sure what it was that I wanted to do.
Right after passing the bar exam and becoming admitted to the Maryland Bar as an attorney, I found out about mediation. Mediation is a process where individuals or groups with an issue try to come to a resolution, without having to involve the courts or other formal procedures such as arbitration. Mediation is done for all sorts of cases, many of which come from the Courts. Mediation can be used for custody disputes, property disputes, contractual issues, personal injury cases and more. Most mediators happen to be attorneys or therapists, but some also come from other fields such as business. I happen to have all three of those degrees!
I always knew that I didn’t like the legal process, because one side wins and the other loses, and sometimes the best thing never happens because people fight for their rights instead of their interests. It became immediately clear that mediation could be something I could really believe in, and a way to genuinely help people. I have always considered myself a peacemaker, so this was something perhaps for me.
As I delved into the field, I found it incredibly rewarding. Think about meeting with two people and helping them figure out how to share time with their child on a regular basis instead of having to fight with lawyers in court. I also found out that this was something I was good at. Many of my cases seemed to reach agreement. I seemed to have a knack for getting people to really open up and discuss the issues.
However, mediation doesn’t always pay the bills. It’s hard to get enough cases to make a living. So, I supplemented my income by teaching college part time as an adjunct professor at Shepherd University. I had gone to undergraduate school there, and the professors knew me. This gave me the opportunity to have some freedom creating interesting special topic courses in the psychology department and criminal justice program. I taught four classes: psychology and the law, criminal psychology, forensic psychology and conflict resolution. I taught for three semesters. This was hard work! Each class was only offered once, so I had to create coursework for each one, such as tests, projects and lectures. I spent about 20 hours per week for each class I taught. The money wasn’t great being just an adjunct professor, as one is only paid per class taught instead of a salary. I did find teaching itself to be greatly satisfying, especially when students would tell me that they really learned something in my class.
The third way I have used my college degrees is for writing. I love to write. It is a passion of mine and has been since first grade. I used to write small books when I was five years old! I have been writing for Associated Content for about three years, and have almost two million page views for my articles. I also write for one other website. It seems that this is another talent I have, and something I find interesting.
I write on all kinds of topics, not just ones I studied about in school. However, my schooling gave me a good knowledge base from which to expand. My experience teaching and mediating gives me more to write about. Interestingly enough, I also write alot about travel. I didn’t learn this in school, but the schooling helped. For example, learning to think logically in law school has allowed my writing to improve, especially when I write how-to articles. Learning about people with my psychology degree helps me understand how to write in ways that people will understand.
Although my college degrees did not lead me to traditional venues such as becoming a lawyer or a CEO of a company, I find them very stimulating and motivating. I enjoy mediating, teaching and writing. I hope to continue to use my college degrees in these three areas, to share my knowledge with the world, whether it be helping to resolve issues, sharing my knowledge with others through teaching, or allowing others to share by reading my writings.
