I Think I Have Made A Momentous Decision (The Parents React)

So after my previous post, buoyed by my new plans for my life and a shiny new sense of "purpose", I told my parents of my plans and they were both very supportive and encouraging.


IF YOU BELIEVE THAT THEN YOU NEED TO GET YOUR HEAD CHECKED.


To say that they were disappointed might be a bit of an understatement. In a complete reversal of my expectations, my dad actually listened to me put my case forward while my mother literally yelled me out of the room.

First I approached both parents separately, a strategic move I felt would guarantee me a chance to hear their individual views without one parent influencing the other. It is always best to do this with my parents because if you allow them to combine their "powers" they are like Voltron--sharing one head--and individual thought or opinion gets buried under their "united stance". Apart, it is easier to have a conversation with them. My dad was first. When I told him he was silent for some time while I listed my reasons. Then he sighed and gave a few perfunctory arguments before letting it go. Or so I thought. He called me on the phone later in the day to talk with me "in greater detail" about the plan.

My mother's response? Well let me just share some quotes from her "talk".

You're lazy! Thats why you don't want to go to medical school!

Its your life...

You're making a big mistake.

MBAs are all over the place. You can even get one online from Kaplan, it only takes a year of school anyway.

90% of the people unemployed today have MBAs!

That last one really had me scratching my head since she had not told me she worked for the Bureau of Labor Statistics and had information regarding unemployment in the US. (I'm being sarcastic here)

After my dad had some time to "ruminate" on the subject, he came back to me and asked pertinent questions like: "What if you lose your job at age 50 like so many people did during the recession. Then what?", "What is your plan to get in?", "Have you looked at schools?", "When will you apply?", etc.

<---The cake I plan to buy my mother when I graduate with my MBA and have a great job, Amen!
(I might even use my first paycheck and hire a skywriting plane to write this over our house)







At least my Dad asked real questions.

I think I understand where this is coming from--well my dad at least. My mother is on some other level, its not like I am asking her to pay for it!

This is typical Nigerian mentality. If you don't go into medicine or law you are wasting your time. I have tried to explain that we are not in Nigeria anymore and that it is actually possible to have a career that pays well without being in any of the two "big" fields. Its just unfortunate.

I KNOW that the only way for this switch to be worthwhile is if I end up in a kicka** MBA program. I need to get into a school that is so awesomely awesome that when you look at the rankings page there is no need to click "next" or "scroll down" to find the name of my school. I KNOW THIS. I am entering a field where name is everything (almost). When I made this decision it wasn't with a plan to end up at Walden University or Kaplan University (not that there is anything wrong with them...okay there is). Sadly, the only MBA program she is aware of that is of any importance is Harvard. While this is a big name, in the event that I ONLY manage to get in at say UC: Berkeley--Haas or Duke--Fuqua, she will probably be sad and embarrassed and tell me to commit suicide.

I am annoyed--although unsurprised--that my mother has so little faith in my ability to make decisions. She is telling me I'm lazy because its only two years of school? Do MBAs not work hard?! Its okay, the best way to solve this problem is to get into a top school and get a great job after. Its just sad that I have to wait that long to be able to tell her "I told you so!".