Thoughts...

[lithera]

Okay. Something a little more serious...

Some of you know that I'm planning to go back to school to get my Master's degree. I was thinking about going and getting a Master's degree and becoming a school counselor. This sounds like a very good idea and it excites me to think about doing it. I also know that it would be very stressful, though possibly very rewarding. I would certainly have a higher danger of burning out. Today looking through the Department of Education page for UW, I saw that they had a new program. This one interests me too. It's a very exciting thing. It's Cognitive Studies in Education. Essentially I'd be studying how people learn in all situations. How do people learn at work, how do people learn in museums, how do people learn in classrooms, how do people learn with computers? This field excites me too. I love the idea. I've always been interested in it.

For your perusal, if you're interested:
http://depts.washington.edu/edpsych/

The links to both programs are there. There isn't much on the counceling page.

My questions to you are (bearing in mind that, yes, I know it's ultimately my decision):
What do you think?
What would your reasons be for or against either program?

I've written to both asking for information.

Thanks in advance for any conversation, thoughts or advice I get from this.

Comments

[priest.livejournal.com]

I would go with the learning how people learn program. The counsel program you would be able to guide people to their possible chosen pathway, but you would be providing them with a new outlook, where they want to go, you would be their gatekeeper, to a new land. The study how people learn on the other hand, allows you to see how they learn , allows you to analyze them and see how you could best help them it is easy to see that you want to help people but this way you could always see how someone might be frustrated and show them a new way to learn, to turn that light bulb in their head on, I mean that is what I would do, if you were asking me.

[fireballof3.livejournal.com]

Personally, I think the councellor thing is infinately more marketable.

The learn about learning thing sounds like a big fat setup to getting a PHD

[julzerator.livejournal.com]

learning how people learn would be an awesome thing. hee!! I know of many consultants that teach training departments of big companies how people learn to make curriculum better in the long run.

Go for your dream.

Never give up.

Live.

[crispengray.livejournal.com]

Learn what you want to learn.

If you can market it later, and make money at it, great, but the best way to learn something is to make certain it's something that you WANT to learn.

My Dad told me once, "The secret to success in life is to find something that you'd pay for the privelige of doing, and then finding someone who will pay you to do it." If you want to learn, learn. Your friends will definitely support you.

[seanb.livejournal.com]

First, two obvious things to say:
Pursue what interests you. Your best defense against burnout will be your own love of what you are learning.
You should probably do a lot more research into this Cognitive Studies in Education program before you take the plunge.

Now, onto some less-obvious thoughts:
The less well-known degree will be more difficult to market. Every job interview, I've had to explain my major (Applied Computer and Mathematical Sciences, Discrete Mathematics and Algorithms pathway) to potential employers. Usually, I end up simplifying it to "Applied Math".

Have you read any cognitive science books? One book I've enjoyed before which is usually categorized under CogSci is "Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid" by Douglas Hofstaeder (I probably misspelled that last name). I think my copy is currently at Prairie's ex-boyfriend's house, and I have little hope of getting it back.