Peace Corps

So, long time no see, WAY long time, since he below post is all about how I took the GRE and that triangles really suck. Well, I'm still pretty bad at math, but in the mean time I have had a LOT of things going on in my life I feel the need to let all of you beautiful people know about.

Firstly: the GRE is no longer a big deal since I decided that I will not be going to Grad School next year. I want to have this second semester to boost my GPA and I also think that the experience of having a summer internship will help my chance of getting into a school of my choice as opposed to settling for something that I may not really be into.

Secondly: I had the thought to join the Peace Corps, then I applied and last week I interviewed and now I'm in. I know that sounds like a whole lot going on in a very short period of time, and you would be right int thinking that. I was told by everyone and their mother that I should be patient and be willing to wait since the whole thing takes so long, but I went from primary application to nomination in around a month.

Secondly part A: I have been nominated to serve in sub-Saharan Africa withing the Health extension of the corps. Now this could change since at the end of last week I realized that the departure date I had given my recruiter was wrong and that I would need to bump things back a month. Now you could be having one of two reactions to this. The first we will call "My Dad" which would be something along the lines of: "Thats not that big a deal since they could just send you over a month late, if they really want you they will figure it out." OR you could have what we will call "knowing how the government works" which would be more along the lines of: "There is no way in hell they are going t do that, and in all likelihood this is going to change where I end up and when I go there."

Here is the reasoning behind this train of thought: for a two year "deployment" with PC you have exactly 3 months of in country training before you are sent to your work site to work for the rest of your time. Another fact to note is that each individual country only gets sent out once a year. Meaning if you are going to Madagascar you will leaving on this certain day in this certain month and that is it until the next year. To delay my departure date and meet up with other volunteers for a month would not only be missing out on 1/3 of my training but also missing out on the critical social and mental adjustments that go on in the first month.

So anyway, I am waiting to hear back from my recruiter as to what happens now, since I have the sinking feeling that the original nomination was for something in August, and I now can't leave until September.

All of this is due to the fact that my residential college requires that I have a "Field Experience" aka internship before I can graduate. I assumed, since this requirement can also be filled with a one month study abroad, and because there is no specific timeline listed on their website, that this could be done in about 2 months. Of course I am the idiot that didn't ask about it until it was too late, but I found out last week that it actually has to be 14 weeks at 35hrs/ week. Anyway, I'm hoping I haven't just blown this whole thing, and I am also hoping that my recruiter doesn't think I'm doing this because I don't like my placement (because I really do!)

Okay, more later, have to pay attention in class now.

~The Ging