Keith Watanabe * NET 2.0

Which one should I go for? When I first started working out in Tokyo, I considered that I was going to grab an MBA after being in Japan for about 9 years (when my visa would expire and hopefully after a few promotions). Obviously, that's not going to happen anymore. So I'm beginning to look at more short term education plans since I'm returning to the states. The big question though is: which one? Although money is an issue, I think investing in education is critical. I could go for a Cal State Master's degree in CS or an MBA as those programs are not expensive and generally seem decent. The CS MS at some schools are not demanding so having one would be a formal way of saying that I have the experience AND the paper for the money I ought to be making. However, I don't know if I want to go the pure CS route. For intellectual satisfaction, a pure CS MS would be tremendous, but it's also costly and not something I would want to waste my money and time on. Then there's MBAs. At first, I wanted to attend USC's business school. However, I saw the tuition and it's just insane. If I had been able to live in Tokyo for 9 years, I'm certain that I would've made enough money AND probably got the company to pay for the education. If I go back though, that price is just over my head, especially considering that I intend to fix my parents' home up. So I looked at some Cal State programs for MBAs. Some include specializations in IS (information systems) management. That sounds quite appealing since I'll get the best of both worlds (the MBA and computers). The cost isn't great but I'm would have to start preparing for the GMAT. Of course, that deletes 2-3 more years off my normal life, even though many degrees offer courses for professionals. But that really is the point since I'd be splitting my time between my career and education. In those cases, I really prefer just being able to concentrate on one thing, so I would probably sacrifice the job. So what about my dreams of an MFA? My school of choice is Columbia University since they have a program that probably matches my mindset. UCI has a reputable school, but the professors are into a different vision. Iowa seems the same. But Columbia has an interesting distinction not only academically, but also of its location. Since I'm into urban sociology, being in a place like NY City would help inspire my writing just the way SF and Tokyo have. However, the MFA is really a LONG term thing which is more dependent on my pure scholastic satisfaction than anything else. Then there's GIT. Or I should say MIT. Not the one in Boston. The one in Hollywood. Why there? Well, I'm a guitar lover and one of the things I've always wanted to do was learn guitar. But not just learn it, kill at it. If I pick up a guitar, I should be able to play my insanity back and forth on the thing in the same manner as I write these blogs. Although I have a certain understanding of my playing and the guitar, I'm never happy. I don't know if GIT/MIT would satiate such a vacuous craving but it's one of those things that you never can let down. So should I go back to school? My whole driving force of being a professional was to reach Japan. I've done that and am burnt out (although not all my goals are yet complete there). But I've come to realize that work isn't nearly as satisfying as school. Maybe it's my bad experiences. However, I feel the lack of creative output as well as my growth as a person stigmify my life. Still though it'll be hard returning to a situation of scrounging rather than feeling confident that one's job handles most of my practical needs and wants. So should I do it?