Spilling the beans

“Just because I don’t have a background in something, doesn’t mean that I can’t potentially get it…”

As obvious as this statement is, it took a mini-epiphany of sorts to finally see the “obvious.” However, it wasn’t one of these ground shaking moments with skies opening up and blinding light pouring down on me, but a rather calm realization, as I sat in front of my computer day after day, browsing job listings.

I am considering getting a second degree in Economics. Despite the fact that my “inconsistencies” are well known (and well documented in this blog), despite the fact that I have a tendency to get excited over a wide array of topics and disciplines, this is not a passing whim of mine, but quite a logical decision that I came to gradually. I need to learn economics because economic development is what I am most interested in. I need to have a good working knowledge in economics, since every job that truly interests me requires such background. I need to know economics if I want to carry out work of certain kind of depth and magnitude that gets me giddy with excitement. I do need that background if I ever decide to get a PhD (which most likely be somewhat related to Public Policy). I also want to learn economics simply because I truly enjoy the subject, even if my exposure to it up to this day has been rather limited.

So for the last month or so I have been thinking about every little aspect that this decision contains and trying to find out as much information as I can about what studying economics entails and where I should go to study it. Since then I have met with my advisor a couple of times, talked to a number of professors, PhD students and administration at Brandeis and elsewhere, discussed it with family and friends. And despite certain quite legitimate reservations that some of them expressed, the amount of support that I received has been incredible. It makes sense, any way I look at it.

Now comes the question regarding where to go to study it. One thing I am certain about is that I do not want to be at Brandeis anymore – I think I am done with Brandeis for the time being. At the same time, if I rather not lose any more time and start this fall, I have missed the deadlines of many programs that would be more or less appealing. And since the only place I would rather be at this point is Richmond, and that Virginia Commonwealth University is located in Richmond, I decided to take a look at what it has to offer. And what do you know – its business school does offer a degree in Economics. Master’s degree, that is. On top of that, the school has a rolling admission (the deadline for turning in an application for fall isn’t until July), is relatively inexpensive (it’s a public school after all) and chances are I will qualify for in-state tuition. Given the fact that both my GPA and average GRE score are higher than VCU average, and given the fact that I scored ridiculously high on the quantitative part of GRE (surprising, since I am, after all, and English major) and these are scores that would count most, chances are I will get accepted. Also, another curious fact – VCU ranks higher in Economics than… Brandeis. Not that I’m concerned about rankings anyway (more on that will come later, I suppose).

Next week I am meeting with the admissions people at VCU to discuss what it is going to take to get accepted into the program. I do know that I will have to take a few undergraduate courses (including Calculus) before I could move on to graduate ones. And although I have a rough estimate that the whole process will take about two years, I will know for sure after I meet with them.

What happens with Brandies then, you might want to know? As much as I would like to say “whatever” and “screw it,” I did, after all, invest tremendous amount of resources (and time) into my current degree program. I am also about to finish all academic requirements for the said degree. Quitting the program this late in the game would not be all that great of an idea, after all. For now, the tentative plan is that if I get accepted to the program, or get the green light to start the undergraduate courses, I will take a leave of absence from Brandeis, get a degree and training in economics, which in its turn will allow me to get a job out of which I will write a thesis for Brandeis. I do realize that I am taking the longest possible option that I could ever choose to finally get a degree in International Development. But at the same time, I think the process is well worth it, especially since it will leave me with two degrees that will nicely complement each other. And since, as one of my dear friends kindly pointed out to me that the only people who hire “development professionals” without quantitative or economics background are Peace Corps (those who know me know what I think about Peace Corps) I think I am making a sound decision. An added bonus - high marketability of Economics degree that will give me a whole lot of options besides running around the world and trying to accommodate one stubborn donor or greedy consultant at a time.