Monday, August 28, 2006

The Early Bird Chronicles: Entry 1

Starting this morning, I will chronicling awaking at 5:30am to work from 7:00am-4:30pm to attend my 5:30pm microeconomics class! This should be eventful!

I did it! I awoke at 5:30am and successfully commuted to my office. This is a very big accomplishment because right now I would just be awaking for my normal 8:30am commute. The good news is that I will not have to do this for two weeks because of Labor Day!

I am blogging last week’s happenings and this week’s first days of school at American University. Chronicling how early I must awake to follow through and obtain an education, allows me to track my progress. Blogging is extremely therapeutic because I cleanse my soul of everything that is bothering me.

Friday’s American University graduate orientations were okay. During the graduate economics orientation, I learned that I was the only working economist in both the M.A. and Ph.D. programs! This was a built-in advantage and confidence booster because no one could proclaim me incompetent. In addition, being an economist relieved all of the pressure to perform because grades do not determine whether or not I become an economist. However, as a driven, results oriented woman, I have set higher goals such as graduating with a 4.0 grade point average, receiving Omicron induction, improve my statistical software knowledge and publishing an article (the AEA will publish four new journals next January 2007 and I wish to submit my research). My status also brought me credibility whenever I wanted to have a professor chair my master thesis and independent economics research project. The academic adviser told me to build relationships this semester in order to accomplish all of my research endeavors. My goal is to do just that!

Last weekend while watching the news and stumbling over a NYTimes.com article about the city becoming an educated elite mecca, peaked my interest of securing a CPA license as a bullet-proof backup plan to move to New York and receive my Ph.D. in economics after working here for two years and earning my M.A. First I already have a BA and an MBA prior to relocating and a colleague told me in the galley about how he passed the CPA exam and took an accountant position with another division. Having received my MBA, I knew that I too could make this transition. In addition, NYC is the world’s financial capital and arriving there with two years’ work experience, a CPA license and two master degrees will only boost my profile.

Most of the middle-level, experienced accountants make over $100,000 which will be a big salary increase versus the District. Even though NYC has a higher cost of living, but even my after-tax income will still have more purchasing power than what I do now!

I feel that after landing this highly competitive economist job here (I had to obtain a BA in Economics and maintain a B average, complete the questionnaire, score high on the agency exam [which I took twice], and pay my own way to interview and ace the interview) that I can accomplish anything including acceptance into an Ivy League Ph.D. economics program.

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