Academiaphobia

So...... the time has come, K is just getting ready to graduate school and it is now my turn to start AGAIN! I am freakin out or a more likely term having academiaphobia. I have been working in the field of "social services and substance abuse" for over 12 year now SHIT!! I have been working towards my degree for about ten of that. OBVIOUSLY I have taken some very large breaks, to you know be an irresponsible 20 year old, buy houses, have kids, adopt kids, and then as a family we decided it would not benefit our family if K and I both did school at the same time.

I have gotten comfortable, if you could have a degree for experience I would have it three times over, and the experience I have has continuously offered amazing career opportunities for me... Not enough career opportunities though, it really is all about that piece of paper and for me it is going to have to include a Masters Degree. I started school when I was 18 and for years worked towards my degree in Criminal Justice until one day I realized that to be punishing and punitive was not going to work for me, in addition to the fact that I had several crime scene investigation classes and criminology that took me to the crime labs where the decision was made that there was NO way in hell I could look at the morbid things I saw there every day. The thing that really set me off was the lower arm preserved in a jar of formaldehyde saved to compare fingerprints etc. at a crime scene, I still have not gotten over those Heebie Jeebies. So my major quickly changed (which ALWAYS adds time in school and since I have been working full time I have only gone to school part time, mostly because my social life is also important to me. Anyways I digress.

I will be starting school on August 28 to finish my Bachelors in Human Services and Management at the University of Phoenix. God it is soooo expensive but it will shorten the time that I have left to get my degree by about 9 years total if I include my Masters Degree in Professional Counseling and I justify it by the fact that in that 9 years I will miss a lot more time with my kids, and the $$ I will make after my Masters will far outweigh the cost.

It is a bit intimidating though, K is so amazing in school she has done online, she is almost a straight A student and she has done all of this with 2 wild kids. I admire her sticktuitiveness and only hope that my commitment can be half of what she has shown. The only thing I have going for me is that she is my wife and she is so supportive. I already give 110% to being a mother, wife, friend. I am hopeful that school will easily fall into my line of priorities!! I will just keep a positive attitude and remember that the years will pass regardless of if I am in school or not so I might as well keep my chin up!

I can't help but have those first day of school jitters it feels like elementary school. I will be going to school one night a week on Tuesdays from 6-10 pm and then have a study group at least one night a week. What if I forgot how to be smart? What if I forgot how to be interactive and social in a school setting? I doubt I did and I am sure it will all come together. I feel like I should get to go "back to school shopping (hey maybe I can use that angle on K :)).

Addendum: Now, I know some of you reading this (Twins and 2 Moms) have done full time school and raised kids and survived so I will follow your example and bust a move!!