Monday, September 24, 2007

I had the back-in-graduate-school dream again

I have a set of recurring dreams that haunt me because I feel they point to my culpability.
This morning, I had the back-in-graduate-school dream again.
You see, I abandoned two different Ph.D. programs and I feel guilt about that. I do have one completed grad degree under my belt, whee.
Can I help it if I have the nervous system of a cat, and the latest thing in front of my eyes distracts me from what I was doing?
I got interested in other things, and left two programs, after having completed all the necessary classes but before finishing or writing up much of my research.
I feel I used those programs, by being able to add to my fund of knowledge without much personal cost, and subconsciously or whatever, must go back and redeem myself.
I don't really want to go back to graduate school. I'm getting some enjoyment from what I'm doing now, and it's of benefit to more than just me, I feel.
I just feel I have wronged two degree programs, and should make restitution.
Yes, I've already made some donations to the schools involved.
Every time I wake up from such a dream, I feel relieved that I didn't really go back to school, that it was just a dream. I don't have that much sustained interest in what I was studying, anyway, perhaps, and wouldn't want to take the spot of a more worthy individual.
Why couldn't I just have a fun "hot" dream instead, or the flying or floating or jumping dreams. At least it wasn't the airplane crashing dream, though.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Molecular biology, eh? Smarty pants. Don't feel bad, I never finished undergrad, and I probably never will. I think there comes a point where the benefits of continuing down the path we have set for ourselves outweigh the benefits of having the piece of paper. And experience can speak volumes.