You know, I almost always agree with Bridget, but not this time! hah.
My parents didn’t have the means to support me into adulthood, nor could they help much with school. They therefore told me that while I could do anything I wanted for work, I had to pick what sort of work I wanted to do first and tailor my education around it. Sure, I …
You know, I almost always agree with Bridget, but not this time! hah.
My parents didn’t have the means to support me into adulthood, nor could they help much with school. They therefore told me that while I could do anything I wanted for work, I had to pick what sort of work I wanted to do first and tailor my education around it. Sure, I could major in English or history — if and only if I had concrete plans regarding how to use that degree.
This was some of the best advice they ever gave me and I’m grateful for it every day. I think that putting the work first and deciding about school based on that is definitely the right call, as sometimes going to college just for the sake of going to college turns into idolatry of class markers. Also, I now have more or less the minimum amount of debt and school necessary to perform exactly the work I love.
So while I try to be MUCH nicer about it than your friend, I am definitely with the people who roll their eyes at history majors! Although it is WONDERFUL (and lucky, to be honest) when it turns out well! And I am glad it did here. We obviously need history teachers!
But doesn't this approach devalue the love of knowledge? The joy of discovery? Life is about so much more than work. I studied abroad in college, learned a couple foreign languages, and I barely use them at all to make any money in my l life now, but I absolutely treasure those experiences looking back now as a 45 year old. They greatly have enriched my inner life and give me something more to pass on to my son.
I don’t think it does, since while the Venn diagram
of “love of knowledge and joy of discovery” does sometimes overlap with “getting a degree” I don’t think it’s a very *large* overlap.
I’m very much for the love of learning for its own sake and a life of the mind outside of work. I just don’t think higher education is the best means to that end, especially not if it leaves one with tens of thousands of dollars in debt, and *especially* especially if it leaves one with tens of thousands of dollars in debt and no good career prospects.
For instance, I decided I wanted to learn French circa 1998. I never pursued formal education beyond high school classes, but I’m conversational in French, can follow French podcasts, and can read French newspapers and modern novels (Victor Hugo and Proust are still beyond me). Because…..I just kept learning French. Because I value and love the French language.
You know, I almost always agree with Bridget, but not this time! hah.
My parents didn’t have the means to support me into adulthood, nor could they help much with school. They therefore told me that while I could do anything I wanted for work, I had to pick what sort of work I wanted to do first and tailor my education around it. Sure, I could major in English or history — if and only if I had concrete plans regarding how to use that degree.
This was some of the best advice they ever gave me and I’m grateful for it every day. I think that putting the work first and deciding about school based on that is definitely the right call, as sometimes going to college just for the sake of going to college turns into idolatry of class markers. Also, I now have more or less the minimum amount of debt and school necessary to perform exactly the work I love.
So while I try to be MUCH nicer about it than your friend, I am definitely with the people who roll their eyes at history majors! Although it is WONDERFUL (and lucky, to be honest) when it turns out well! And I am glad it did here. We obviously need history teachers!
Prudence is a virtue :)
But doesn't this approach devalue the love of knowledge? The joy of discovery? Life is about so much more than work. I studied abroad in college, learned a couple foreign languages, and I barely use them at all to make any money in my l life now, but I absolutely treasure those experiences looking back now as a 45 year old. They greatly have enriched my inner life and give me something more to pass on to my son.
I don’t think it does, since while the Venn diagram
of “love of knowledge and joy of discovery” does sometimes overlap with “getting a degree” I don’t think it’s a very *large* overlap.
I’m very much for the love of learning for its own sake and a life of the mind outside of work. I just don’t think higher education is the best means to that end, especially not if it leaves one with tens of thousands of dollars in debt, and *especially* especially if it leaves one with tens of thousands of dollars in debt and no good career prospects.
For instance, I decided I wanted to learn French circa 1998. I never pursued formal education beyond high school classes, but I’m conversational in French, can follow French podcasts, and can read French newspapers and modern novels (Victor Hugo and Proust are still beyond me). Because…..I just kept learning French. Because I value and love the French language.
That really doesn’t require 100k of debt.