Hey fellow Tech Family, strap in because I've found myself in quite the pickle, and it's not the kind you eat. Picture this: I, a humble, wallet-challenged international student, tripped over a magic lamp recently. No biggie, just my daily Aladdin moment. Now, the genie inside didn't offer me three wishes, but the universe did hand me a decision-making nightmare that's almost as good.

On one hand, I've got a job offer on the table from Company1, ready to throw $177K at me for an entry-level Software Engineer role in the city where the hills will definitely get your calves in shape - San Francisco. Not too shabby for a fresh start, right?

But wait, there's more. I'm also on the cusp of nabbing a final interview with Company2, a behemoth in the industry that's dangling the golden carrot of sponsoring further studies for its employees. And let me tell you, I've got this in the bag - because I'm not just any candidate, I'm TOP-G (Top Genie, if you will).

To sprinkle a little more spice into this already zesty salad, I've landed a fully-funded PhD spot at the University of South Florida. My game plan? To merge AI and tunes, creating a symphony of artificial intelligence-generated music aimed at studying its effects on dementia patients. Picture AI meets Beethoven for the digital age - it's AI music therapy, in a nutshell. I kinda want this more 'cause i'm a part-time rockstar, hoping to change how contracts are done in the music industry.

Oh, and just for kicks, I've also got master's offers from Johns Hopkins and Purdue University waving at me from the sidelines, scholarships pending.

So here's the million-dollar question(s) I'm tossing into the Reddit void: What on earth do I choose?

And if I decide to dance with Company2, here's the scoop I need:

Can an employee rocking the OPT (Optional Practical Training) vibe dive into a part-time master's program related to their field, all while juggling a full-time gig at Company2?

If so, how do they manage not to drop any of the million balls they're juggling--How do they juggle both programs?

Is it within the realm of possibility for Company2 to foot the bill for such an academic escapade?

Help a broke, genie-less Aladdin out, will you? I'm all ears for your wisdom, anecdotes, and maybe a magic carpet or two.

Disclaimer: while the humor style was originally mine, I kinda bumped it up a notch with ChatGPT😂

You are free to comment on my original reddit post as well: https://www.reddit.com/r/csMajors/s/YZub7iHdZy

Feel free to connect with me at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chibundu-awandu-013a78201