I started teaching English for real money this fall semester. Changing careers has been my plan for a while, and this was the big transitional moment. I quit nursing and started teaching. I was good in my field of nursing and at grown a lot professionally. I had a poster presentation at a national conference. I sat on an advisory board. I worked on committees, wrote policies, and published articles in newsletters. I had developed a strong understanding of health care systems and how these things work.

Changing careers is hard. Did I ever think about this? I did think going to school while working was hard. Sometimes my school work was hard. But honestly, I didn’t give enough though to how little I know about the systems in higher education. I went to a staff meeting where legislation, funding, enrollment, and learning outcomes were discussed. And I didn’t know about a ton of their acronyms. I don’t know so much. It’s been a while since I felt so clueless. I’m trying to learn about a new organization in a new field with all new people. Not to mention plan for two classes I am teaching for the first time. Wow. I’m beat after the first week.