It has begun.

So, as the summer gets close to its end, so does my career in Corporate America. Time will tell (painfully, to be sure) whether this was a good decision or not... But first, let me get you up to speed. For the past year, I have been a web application developer for a midsized financial company in the Midwest. It is a cushy job: loads of vacation, great pay (55k+), and never more than 40 hours a week. On top of that, the actual work I am doing is not half bad, either. So, why would I be giving that up to go back to stress, homework, and Ramen noodles? The real answer probably lies close to an inability to 'grow up', 'settle down' and get over the wonderful life that was Saint John's University, but I will try to convince you of something a bit less pathetic...

I want to do something unusual. I have yet to run into any actual hardship in my life, and spend too much time watching movies and reading stories about people who do amazing things. So, basically, I am full of dreams that I can't possibly fulfill. But, I think that is the point. I am not ready to give up; I like the chase, the potential of what I could be. I read news stories about scientists trying to save the world, or of newly minted millionaires coming out of Silicon Valley, and I want to be them. Staying where I am would be a good life, good money, but overall unspectacular. The way I see it, money is like a bell curve; it's only interesting when you are on the sides. (translation: I could be making 40k or 90k, and my life won't change a whole ton. I would just have more/less stuff. If I couldn't afford rent, or could buy a small island, that is when it starts to get interesting...)

So, what was the logical next step? Who knows, but I chose Graduate School.

Anyway, at a later point I will talk about how I got into school, but for now, know that I am enrolled in the Graduate Program in Computer Science at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. I was lucky enough to be offered a fellowship with the National Science Foundation which will have me working closely with other graduate students from various disciplines on environmental topics. They are paying for my schooling, and giving me $30k a year stipend. When I know more, so will you.

Lastly, I will be most likely studying Data Mining, or specifically Spatial Data Mining. I had a class on Data Mining as an Undergraduate, but it has been almost two years, so it will be like starting with a clean slate.



Upside: I have five years to figure it out.
Downside: Can my dreams last that long?