Year of change
I just paid the tuition for my last semester. I had mixed feelings as I was writing the cheque: excitement because the end of the program is near, discontempt because I have to pay $2,500 for
one class. I tried very hard not to think about my sister who is doing her entire MBA for twice that amount. The Quebec government has always been incredible in promoting post-graduate studies. I don't know that those tuition fees are sustainable anymore (what kind of salaries can they offer teachers?), but there's a big difference between the price of education in Quebec and in BC. As far as the MBA programs are concerned, a sixfold difference.
I have been more attuned to events happening in my life over the past few years. One thing I noticed is that I seem to go through a year of change every three years. I don't have much to justify this for 1999 and prior, but 2002 was definitely a year of change for me. It was the year when I traveled a bit (Mexico with Marc and a first vsit to Vancouver), when I lost my job at Nortel, applied for a job out West, was offered a really interesting position at a start-up in Burnaby and decided to move across the country. 2005 was another year of change: the start-up ran out of money, I contracted for a while and then found a job with my current employer, traveled to Europe, started a few pre-requisite classes for the MBA, went back to being single again.
2008 is already building up to be another year of change: I'll be done with the MBA I started back in Montreal (I did the GMAT and completed three courses at Concordia before leaving for BC), over five years ago. Annie and I are also planning to travel later this year. Are other changes looming? Probably, but part of the fun of these changes is that some are unexpected. The key is to embrace them as they come. Life's too short to be scared of change.
A fun aside: on Thursday, the Chinese New Year, my colleagues and I were chatting about Chinese horoscope and signs. One of my colleagues, who is born the year of the Dog, said his year was going to be really bad, according to this one horoscope he read. Everyone then started looking up their own horoscope for the upcoming year. I was born the year of the Tiger and this one horoscope I found online said that my year was going to be filled with professional and personal changes (good changes for those born in the spring or summer), as well as more travel. You know
me, horoscopes are not my thing, but this was a fun coincidence, don't you think?
one class. I tried very hard not to think about my sister who is doing her entire MBA for twice that amount. The Quebec government has always been incredible in promoting post-graduate studies. I don't know that those tuition fees are sustainable anymore (what kind of salaries can they offer teachers?), but there's a big difference between the price of education in Quebec and in BC. As far as the MBA programs are concerned, a sixfold difference.
I have been more attuned to events happening in my life over the past few years. One thing I noticed is that I seem to go through a year of change every three years. I don't have much to justify this for 1999 and prior, but 2002 was definitely a year of change for me. It was the year when I traveled a bit (Mexico with Marc and a first vsit to Vancouver), when I lost my job at Nortel, applied for a job out West, was offered a really interesting position at a start-up in Burnaby and decided to move across the country. 2005 was another year of change: the start-up ran out of money, I contracted for a while and then found a job with my current employer, traveled to Europe, started a few pre-requisite classes for the MBA, went back to being single again.
2008 is already building up to be another year of change: I'll be done with the MBA I started back in Montreal (I did the GMAT and completed three courses at Concordia before leaving for BC), over five years ago. Annie and I are also planning to travel later this year. Are other changes looming? Probably, but part of the fun of these changes is that some are unexpected. The key is to embrace them as they come. Life's too short to be scared of change.
A fun aside: on Thursday, the Chinese New Year, my colleagues and I were chatting about Chinese horoscope and signs. One of my colleagues, who is born the year of the Dog, said his year was going to be really bad, according to this one horoscope he read. Everyone then started looking up their own horoscope for the upcoming year. I was born the year of the Tiger and this one horoscope I found online said that my year was going to be filled with professional and personal changes (good changes for those born in the spring or summer), as well as more travel. You know
me, horoscopes are not my thing, but this was a fun coincidence, don't you think?
Labels: MBA, personal thoughts
1 Comments:
At 4:42 PM,
Anonymous said…
Dear Mélissa,
I wrote a first long comment, which was lost when I pushed a wrong key. Oh well, I have to be more familiar with the net. What I want to tell you is that I only believe in horoscope when the say positive things about my future. But chinese horoscopes are fun. As you are of the year of the tiger, positive things should happen in spring and summer. Changes are often good and always stimulating. Trust me, I have been through lots of them in my long lifetime. Keep well, your blog is a lifeline for us here in Quebec.
Your grandparents
Monique & Al
Post a Comment
<< Home