09-21-2010, 09:20 AM
My wife and I have this discussion about once a semester, usually right before finals when I'm ready to stab somebody with a keyboard. 
In the end we almost always agree that college is what you make it and as such is shaped by what you want it to be.
We both have the same "ideal" of what college _should_ be, but our personal experiences have been very different.
She comes from a very well educated family, graduated high-school early and went to a Hippy/Liberal Arts 'college & conservatory' where she earned a B.A. in classical studies or some such.
I changed high schools at least once a year, and went directly to work. Nobody in my immediate/close family has ever completed college, at any level. Over the last few years I have pulled together a piecemeal A.A. (Programming) taking traditional classes at 5 different junior colleges, and now I'm getting my B.S. from UMUC (with the help of the dsst program).
She wanted to explore the universe of education and immerse herself in an environment of learning.
I want the paper for two reasons. 1) to prove that I can. I'm a stubborn jerk and I will accomplish this. 2) so I can move up in the damn ranks. Having a degree is not as important as it was even a few years ago but it doesn't hurt.
Whether you're at work gaining experience, at school getting 'edukated', spending time with your friends and loved ones, or just reading a book: Your time is valuable. College at any level is a huge investment in time as well as money. If, when you finish your degree, (before any job offers, before the hollywood parades & parties) you can look at that little piece of paper and know that it was worth the time -to you-, then go for it.
I am 30 years old. I make plenty of money to support my wife and myself. We have no debt other than the mortgage and a reasonable nest-egg. I got here with a little luck, a little work, and no degree. I didn't get my first "degree" until May of this year, 12 years into my career.
Every semester around finals I get frustrated and my wife asks me why I'm doing this. Every semester the answer is pretty much the same; because _I_ want this.
What do you want?
In the end we almost always agree that college is what you make it and as such is shaped by what you want it to be. We both have the same "ideal" of what college _should_ be, but our personal experiences have been very different.
She comes from a very well educated family, graduated high-school early and went to a Hippy/Liberal Arts 'college & conservatory' where she earned a B.A. in classical studies or some such.
I changed high schools at least once a year, and went directly to work. Nobody in my immediate/close family has ever completed college, at any level. Over the last few years I have pulled together a piecemeal A.A. (Programming) taking traditional classes at 5 different junior colleges, and now I'm getting my B.S. from UMUC (with the help of the dsst program).
She wanted to explore the universe of education and immerse herself in an environment of learning.
I want the paper for two reasons. 1) to prove that I can. I'm a stubborn jerk and I will accomplish this. 2) so I can move up in the damn ranks. Having a degree is not as important as it was even a few years ago but it doesn't hurt.
Whether you're at work gaining experience, at school getting 'edukated', spending time with your friends and loved ones, or just reading a book: Your time is valuable. College at any level is a huge investment in time as well as money. If, when you finish your degree, (before any job offers, before the hollywood parades & parties) you can look at that little piece of paper and know that it was worth the time -to you-, then go for it.
I am 30 years old. I make plenty of money to support my wife and myself. We have no debt other than the mortgage and a reasonable nest-egg. I got here with a little luck, a little work, and no degree. I didn't get my first "degree" until May of this year, 12 years into my career.
Every semester around finals I get frustrated and my wife asks me why I'm doing this. Every semester the answer is pretty much the same; because _I_ want this.
What do you want?
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