Pursuing a second degree program

[sajei1015]

I'm currently a graduate student (a 4-year program) who's expected to graduate in two years. I'm also extremely lucky to have a scholarship paying for all the academic fees. I have a part time job with the same university and it pays for my living expenses. Starting this academic year, my credits will be drastically reduced and I want to take this opportunity to take extra credits. I'll be paying for the units myself but that won't be a problem at all. I had the choice between two programs which caught my attention.

First, I asked the Yi: "Between A and B, how should I decide to choose which one?"
The response was: 43.3 > 58
I think there that there is danger here but I mustn't act rashly. Doing something will nevertheless produce results.

Second (in hindsight), I asked "Should I even pursue a second program?"
The response was: 4.1 > 41
I receive this as leaning towards a "No" or that I have to sacrifice something else before pursing the second degree.

 

[my_key]

First, I asked the Yi: "Between A and B, how should I decide to choose which one?"
The response was: 43.3 > 58
I think there that there is danger here but I mustn't act rashly. Doing something will nevertheless produce results.

Your decision should be based in being true to yourself and then the decision, whatever you make, will resonate a joyful quality.

Second (in hindsight), I asked "Should I even pursue a second program?"
The response was: 4.1 > 41
I receive this as leaning towards a "No" or that I have to sacrifice something else before pursing the second degree.

4.1 speaks to that as yet unsure part of yourself. You might need to consider things a bit more. Remember, you decide what path to follow. Be clear though about why you make the decision, If you shackle yourself now then longer term the consequences could feel very restricting for you.

...or it might mean something different for you.

Good Luck

 

[Liselle]

Why are your credits being reduced halfway through your program?


43.3 changes to 58. 58 is about communication, being open, and exchange. 43 is about making a declaration. (The story behind 43, if I understand correctly, is that a messenger appears before the king, brandishing a token as a sign of his right to be heard. I think the point is the messenger has come to ask the king for something, make some sort of request or demand. He has to get the king's attention, make the king listen.)

So both 43 and 58 are about speaking, but 58 is a lot more about friendly discussion and exchange. The Image says it's like communication between friends. ("Lakes joined together: Opening. A noble one joins with friends to speak and practise together.)

Do you think there might be clues just in that? Are A and B different in some sort of class-participation way?

43.3 is the specific advice. Think about the messenger again, trying his best to make the king pay attention. If the king isn't, it's a problem. The messenger might be an envoy sent by his town. He may have had a long, hard journey. He certainly won't want to go back and tell everyone, "Well, the king was busy chatting and fiddling with his shoelaces and might not have heard me..." So he might have to be a little rude with the king. This won't please the king, and will cause a lot of raised eyebrows and gossip in court:

'He walks alone and is caught in the rain.
He is bespattered,
And people murmur against him.' (Wilhelm)

But, when you cast this line, Yi's saying this is not wrong to do. The advice is to be "firmly resolved," as Wilhelm puts it:

'The superior man is firmly resolved.
He walks alone and is caught in the rain.
He is bespattered,
And people murmur against him.
No blame.'


What about the first part?
'To be powerful in the cheekbones
Brings misfortune." (Wilhelm)

Hilary says this means, "You could locate your power in your cheekbones: you could be hard, rigidly unresponsive, concentrating on the face you present to others."

It sounds to me like the whole line text says something like, "If you mostly worry about what people will think of you, that's pitfall. If you are resolved to get your point across, people might be annoyed and gossip about you, but so be it - it's better than pitfall.

(I don't really understand the exact words, "Powerful in the cheekbones." What would we say nowadays that might mean the same thing? "Hard-faced," maybe? Here it says this: "(of a person) showing no feeling or sympathy for other people." That isn't quite the same, but maybe if we think of it as sort of shutting down and being expressionless. 43.3 doesn't seem to want you to do that when faced with unfriendliness, it seems to say to keep declaring.)

Now that I've typed all this trying to explain it to myself , what does it mean for your question?

I don't really know. Can you tell if one of the programs is more likely to lead to 43.3 kinds of things, and how do you feel about that? Again maybe some sort of class-participation difference?

Maybe 43.3's meant to be a criteria, in other words. You asked, "...how should I decide to choose which one?" If one of them's likely to be more 43.3-like where you have to be assertive to make your point, is that the atmosphere you want, or not?

 

[Liselle]

You did also ask whether you should do this at all, though. I don't know - it probably depends on what caused you to ask this. As My_Key said, what doubts are you having and why? (That's why I asked why your credits are being reduced in the first place. I don't know anything about graduate programs, but if your credits are drastically reduced but you're only halfway done - I don't understand that.)

It also depends on how Yi means things, what angle it's coming from, what direction the conversation you're having with Yi has gone in. In other words 4 to 41 could be a direct answer to the question, but it might also be Yi saying hold on, work on the first reading more first... or something.

 

[sajei1015]

If you shackle yourself now then longer term the consequences could feel very restricting for you.

I still have time. The admission exam for either program doesn't end in three months anyway. I'll wait and see.

Why are your credits being reduced halfway through your program?

The last two years are mostly dedicated to externships, observations, and thesis so we're not spending a tremendous amount of hours in lectures. I also took some later courses early on but the thesis had to be conducted in two years regardless.

Are A and B different in some sort of class-participation way?

A is an undergraduate program with everything I want to learn.
B is a masters program with some of what I want but I feel like everything is going to be rushed here.

what doubts are you having and why?

Partly, I may be wasting my time I could be spending in furthering my career instead. I could use the money to move around, perhaps or something else, really. My ability, the time, or the cost is not an issue but I'm wondering if there are other avenues I can spend them on.

 

[Liselle]

The last two years are mostly dedicated to externships, observations, and thesis so we're not spending a tremendous amount of hours in lectures.

But you are supposed to do these other things. How will you have time for them if you take a bunch of classes? Do you mean you wouldn't do externships and a thesis, you'd give that up?

 

[sajei1015]

you'd give that up?

No, not at all. Time is no issue, not in the slightest. I got a lucky in all three. Not only am I doing an externship in the university (the institute is attached to the university, but is not controlled by the university), it also happens that it can technically count as observation and I can ride my thesis along with it.