Old School is the New School

I've got some exciting news that I would like to share. And, let me get this out of the way first - No, I'm not pregnant.

I will be attending school next fall at Idaho State University in Pocatello. It's been a long time coming. I have thought a lot about what I want to do with my life and what kind of person I want to be. I have been seeing a therapist and I feel like now is finally the right time for me to go forward in obtaining my bachelor's degree. I got my Associate's from BYU-I way back in 2002. I was looking at getting a second Associates degree to become a drafter and found out that I could transfer almost all of my credits and get a Bachelor's of Applied Science!

I feel like this is the perfect degree for me. I have a sister who got her Bachelor's in Technical Writing and I have a brother who Minored in Graphic Design for his Bachelor's degree. AutoCAD strikes a balance between the two. I will be able to create blueprints and 3D models for engineers, architects, construction and more. I have taken several graphic design classes and I know my way around Photoshop and several other computer programs. I think that this would be such a great specialty for me to pursue.

I have been praying and fasting about this decision for a month or two and I had some of my husband's family over (interesting side fact about my husband's family - he was adopted as an infant. He's both the youngest of 17 kids and the oldest of 4 kids) for dinner a few weeks ago. One of my sister-in-law's was discussing the new home that she is building and how their architect couldn't do the drafting so they had to have it outsourced. There is only one draftsman in town capable of doing the work and he is so back-loaded that they might have to go all the way down to Provo to find a company to do the blueprints for their home.

I had never considered becoming a draftsman (draftswoman?) before but we talked about how fun it is to see an idea become something more tangible when it's drawn up and you can visualize it - like on Property Brothers and other renovation shows. I have loved renovating our home and considered going to school for interior design but there are no programs near where we live and I felt like the job opportunities for interior design would be very limited and sparse. I considered the Construction Management degree from my Alma Mater, but I'm honestly not that interested in becoming a manager or general contractor. I continued to search the internet and looking at all the programs that my local colleges had to offer. When I stumbled upon the "Computer Aided Design Drafting Technology" page on the ISU website, I felt immediately excited and nervous.

I have a meeting with the programs recruiter and another one with a college adviser tomorrow. Wish me luck!