Job offer

I've come across an interesting (also flattering) dilemma.

I had just started work today and had to go pick up Taen from the hall at Mayfield West Demonstration. I kinda interrupted some presentation and it was semi-awkward. One of the Stage Two teachers, Mrs Millar, approached me. (I know who she is from prac: she was the psycho teacher who loved to embarrass children at assembly by explaining what they'd done wrong two days prior in front of their whole stage -- go back to uni, lady, and do some 1004/1005: affective filter, anyone!)

...Millar was wearing no make-up. Normally, I wouldn't mention that but I couldn't stop staring at her face -- I was kind of zoning out, trying to figure out why she looked so weird...

Anyway, from the snippets of conversation I caught, she was telling me that I'd apparently been the hot topic of conversation amongst the teachers at Mayfield West. The silly woman thought I was in her class to begin with (I was two classrooms up -- shouldn't you remember something like that?) but that's not really part of the point. Apparently, the teachers had thought I was 'impressive and mature' on prac. Not seeing how they gleamed that considering I only interacted with my classroom teacher but okay, let's roll with it. She said that the teachers were impressed I'd stuck around for 'other projects' and that I'd 'strengthened my ties' with the school by getting a job at WEMOOSH. Mostly, I just needed a job and they gave me one but man, this is all adding up in my favour. All of this combined with the fact that Millars two kids go to my oosh and I get along really well with them has added up to a bunch of teachers thinking that I'm pretty rad.

Millar then goes on to tell me that a few of the teachers aides are leaving and won't be back for '09; they need replacements and would I be interested?

So here's the dilemma.

On the one hand, I could choose to favour uni. In this decision, I would enrol in 4 units next semester as planned and remain with that number. I'd stay on the same amount of income (just enough to get by) and finish up in 4 years. But it would be a really long 4 years with minimal fun due to funds and not much monies saved in the long-run.

Option two is that I take the second job, drop back to... maybe three units or so a semester and work lots. My weeks would be insanely full and weekends probably full of assignments BUT I'd have money again, which would be awesome. Means I could get a new bed, some proper furniture, get to buy new clothes once in a while... the lifestyle sounds awfully appealing. The major downer? It would take me an extra year or two to finish my degree. So I'd be, what, 28 or so by the time I finished my degree. A plus with that? A long time working at a school would establish me enough to maybe slide into work there in the end. A minus is that it's a really, really long time of being a student.

Of course, all of this is precarious because I forgot to ask whether it's even paid work. I'm assuming it is -- surely Millar wouldn't propose an unpaid job for me knowing that I'm working 5 days a week already and juggling full-time uni? Well, maybe she would. I know, I should maybe be leaving off all of these thoughts 'til I find out such an important detail but it's all very intriguing.

Lots of hard thinking to do, methinks...