u/Amazing-Act9567

Hi everyone,

I'm writing because I'm feeling a bit lost and hoping to find someone who has been in a similar situation.

I have six years of experience in marketing. However, I have been unhappy for some time and now feel completely drained. I got into this field because I needed to earn money quickly (so I did an MA in Business Management), then, during the course, consumer behavior intrigued me; and lastly, I didn't have exposure to other paths.

I am really interested in political science and social anthropology. I want to study power structures, cultural evolution, societal changes, etc. Those topics seem worthwhile to me.

The problem is I have no academic background in this area. I've just started reading about it, but I'm not sure what I still need to learn.

I'm looking for:

a) A mentor who can help me figure out if a Master’s is an option for someone without a social science background. What should be my first step? While I am waiting to start my masters, how can I gain some experience, should I do certificate programs, etc?

b) I would also love to connect with individuals who are also transitioning from corporate work to academia or research.

I’m tired of feeling like I’m just moving money around. I want to do something that matters.

Thanks for reading.

I am a 34F and I have been with my boyfriend, who is also 34, for 7 to 8 years now. His parents knew me as a "friend" until recently—now they know we are together and think that we might get married soon.

Even before my bf told them about our relationship, his parents were always going gold shopping for me. I've generally managed to politely steer out of these offers, but last week they bought me a gold necklace for his sister's upcoming wedding, and I did not want to be rude always and so couldn't say no. They have also inquired about my ring size frequently for our engagement.

I don't interact with his family otherwise, but they insisted that I join them on a recent 3-day trip to help with his sister's wedding planning and shopping. On this trip, they asked my boyfriend why my feet are darker than the rest of my body (was I unwell?) and said my clothes are "too simple"—though they've never had an issue with my western outfits or modesty, so their judgement seems more about style/status/glamour than conservatism. I don't know if this came from what I wore or from the clothes I pointed to while wedding shopping. Later, they started insisting on paying for clothes I would wear to his sister's wedding.

Some friends said that this is all normal care and welcome gestures. But I'm wondering if this is genuinely our culture, or if it's boundary-crossing, colorism, conservatism, or even superstition disguised as concern.

Has anyone else here faced something similar? How did you handle it?

Happy to clarify anything if you have counter-questions!

TL;DR: My boyfriend's parents, who I barely know, are always buying me gold and making comments about my skin and clothes. I don't know if it's genuinely our culture or if they are doing this because they are conservative or superstitious.