Artist above: Vladimir Manzhos
“Ultimately, the decision is about whether a degree will put you in the best position to reach your personal goals, and that’s only true in rare cases these days.” – Gary Vaynerchuck
Last year I pulled the trigger and decided to go back to college at twenty-seven years old, now twenty-eight. It was a decision that I had put off for almost two years but I felt confident I knew what direction I wanted to steer my life in terms of career.
Here I am two years later, wondering if I made the right move.
As time went on and I began telling more and more people about how I am going back to school, I kept coming across the same universal answer, “good for you.” Some people my age had said it (not many), but mostly it was the people older than me that seemed to be thrilled.
The more I heard it, the more I noticed that the response began to bother me. On one level, I sure as hell didn’t have the same sense of enthusiasm as they did. And on another, I couldn’t help but ask myself, “is it though?”
See, in my eyes, I felt stupid for coming back to school. Contrary to popular opinion, all I could think was, “damn; you couldn’t even figure out how to make it on your own that you have to go back to school and pay these schmucks 12 G’s a year to learn what I could probably learn online for free. Are you that lazy, Justin?”
Simplification of a complex issue; yes, Karen, I’m well aware.
On one level, this is nothing more than pure ignorance. However, one also has to acknowledge that there is some truth packed in there, which is where the rubber meets the road.
There is no right or wrong when it comes to “is school right for me?” Instead, we need to be honest with ourselves when we think about this question. If we can do this without our emotions getting involved––through an objective lens––we can systematically breakdown a question of this magnitude with ease.
To help with that, this blog is going to be broken down into three main sections, and four sub-sections, as we explore this clusterfuck of a situation:
- Knowing your why behind going to school.
- Understanding that one should only go to school when their area of interest absolutely requires a degree.
- Illuminating the cracks within the college system.
But before we begin anywhere, we need to turn our attention inwards.
KNOW YOUR WHY
Guys, I’m so sorry.
I know like 1 out of every 5 of my blogs always circles back to “knowing your why,” but I can’t help it. It’s such an important concept. Across the board, it is safe to say that this question could, and should, be applied to every area of our lives.
When thinking about if school is the right move for us, we must start by asking ourselves “why am I going?”
What is it that you want to do with that overpriced piece of paper when you’re done? If you don’t know, or your parents are making you, or you’re going because that’s what you do after high-school, or because it’s a career that will make you a lot of money, then we need to pump the breaks.
If any of those were your answer, then it might be a smart move to reconsider going in the first place. Or even cut your losses before you give over more money, and more of your time to a system that will chew you up and spit you out if your “why” is built on a flimsy foundation.
Bold fucking statement, Justin.
I know. But it’s the absolute truth. Out of the 61% of people who earn a two-year or four-year degree, 39% said that they are unsure if it was worth it to go to college.
Let’s take a minute to properly digest this shit sandwich that was just shoved down our throats. More than half of the people who went and got a college degree basically said, “welp, that was a fucking waste of time and money!”
Think about that!
That 39% are most likely the people whose parents made them go right after high-school even though they didn’t know what they wanted to do because who in God’s name actually knows what they want to do at eighteen years old.
(cricket chirping fills the room)
Or the rest of that margin was most likely misled or didn’t know why they were there in the first place.
This is why knowing our why is non-negotiable.
Let alone the amount of money we could save by not going to school for something we didn’t truly have a passion for; we would also save our time––easily the most precious commodity we have to offer the world.
Well, fuck you, Justin. Now what am I supposed to do after you deconstructed my entire world you asswipe?
Travel, stop calling me profanities, and read.
Read a lot. Read as if your life depends on it because, well, it does if your ass ain’t going to school, buster.
TRAVEL BUGS GOTTA TRAVEL
(I don’t even know what that title means, but I went with it. Fuck off.)
In my early twenties, I came across a quote that changed my life. You’ve probably seen it before, but this was it: “A smart person learns from his mistakes, but a truly wise person learns from the mistakes of others.” Instantly, something within me unlocked, and like a crackhead looking for his next hit, I ravenously began asking everyone older than me (40+) what they wish they would have done differently if they could re-do their twenties.
Travel more and started saving (taking better care of their bodies was up there too). Those two answers came like clockwork. Somewhere between smart and wise, I took the traveling sentiment to heart as the notion of saving flew right over my head.
I won’t bore you with my hiking escapades, but the life experience that I got by throwing myself into the fires of the unknown that comes with traveling is something no degree could have ever given me. Easily the best thing I could have done for myself in my early twenties.
Important side-note:
I would be remised not to acknowledge the fact that I went to college directly after high-school. The job that I got paid for those travels, which may have been hard to pay for otherwise. This kind of contradicts everything you’ve read up until this point, but hear a guy out.
No part of me wanted to go to school. Me and school work about as well as a peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich works.
Exactly.
Right after high-school, I went to college for massage therapy. Unsure if I was even going to like it, it seemed like a better option with more opportunities than getting a Liberal Arts degree merely to get a Liberal Arts degree.
Luckily, it turned out I dug it a lot, and in two years, I had a degree that got me a job paying more money than I knew what to do with at the time.
Some of you might be thinking, “well, how I’m going to pay for extensive traveling with a minimum wage job?” If you want something bad enough, you’ll find a way to make it happen. Even having a good job like that, I still had to work my ass off to make those trips possible. (I also took a whopping seven months off of work for my first hiatus so take that into consideration.)
If this is a route that appeals to you, but money might be an issue, then I suggest reading Vagabonding by Rolf Potts, or The Happiness of Pursuit by Chris Guillebeau. Both are excellent reads and in-depth guides on making traveling a possibility if one is on a budget.
Speaking of reading, read a fucking book, you twat.
DISCOVERING WHO WE ARE
Hands down, one of the coolest things about our early twenties is that it is a time where we begin to figure out who we are. We finally have a chance to “break the mold” of the image we so tirelessly tried to keep afloat throughout high-school. College can still share similar characteristics of this, but it is a chance to start anew.
For this reason, it is in our early twenties when we begin to figure out what it is we genuinely like and dislike. It is also a time where we are easily influenced and still have a reasonable degree of malleability.
Perfect time to lay a solid foundation for our next stages of life?
What?! Who said that?! Jimmy, was that you? Well, you bet your sweet ass it is you handsome son of bitch.
This is where reading comes into play, and, more importantly, advocating for one’s self.
Make no mistake that you are a sponge during this period. To not take advantage of this time by devouring books (self-help and psychology mainly, but not exclusive to), audiobooks, and podcasts like they’re going out of style warrants a kick to the dick or a punch to the tits.
If you do not end up going to school, use this time wisely, and don’t fuck it up, fucker.
IT CAN’T ALL BE BAD
I know up until this point, it seems like I’m bashing the idea of going to school. I’m not. Well, not entirely. I’m bashing the idea of going to school if you don’t know why you are going to school or that your motives are fickle.
There is most definitely a time to go to school, and that should only be when what we want to do requires a degree. Ask yourself, “can you do what you want to do without getting a degree?”
If the answer is no, we bite the bullet and do what we were put here to do. This is us answering our call to action, and that call to action will ask for a sacrifice. But, if the answer is yes, then school can fuck off.
Exhibit A: If I could work with people the way I want to work with them, without needing a degree in psychology, my ass would never touch foot on school grounds. But, unfortunately, I can’t. I have to “play the game,” so to speak.
Exhibit B: Going to school for massage therapy. You can only massage people if you are licensed. There is no other way.
Happy ending jokes aside, I think it’s essential that we beat twenty dead horses if that’s what it takes for us to drive this notion home. Going to school should only be necessary when there is a specific objective in mind; doctor, lawyer, teacher, scientist, etc.
THAT’S IT.
Will school help you learn a great deal in some of these fields that don’t require a degree? Absolutely. But is it necessary? No.
So, if I would learn a lot by going to school for said career, why wouldn’t I go?
I’m fucking glad you asked, Carl.
There is going to be a lot of bullshit that comes with school––which we’ll close out this blog with––and if a degree isn’t vital for you to do X, then why put yourself through the bullshit?
Why waste time taking extra classes that have absolutely nothing to do with your intended major when there are a plethora of ways to hone in on your craft outside of school?
Or why put yourself in an enormous amount of debt when the degree doesn’t make a difference in whether or not you get the job?
What you could potentially accomplish in those four years––if you utilized your time correctly––is unimaginable. You could take workshops and seminars or do online courses for mere peanuts compared to what you’d pay for a four-year degree.
This is what advocating for ourselves looks like. We follow the breadcrumb trails of only the things that enthrall us.
At one point in time, there was no way around school, but things are changing. Colleges know this––matter of fact, they’re shitting their pants over it.
Whether it’s ten years, or hundred years, colleges are going to die off. It doesn’t take getting a Ph. D. to see this.
There are too many other ways to make it now-a-days.
I mean, shit, chicks are earning over $90,000 a year by selling pictures of their feet. I can’t say it’s going to add much value to their lives, but what do I know?
(To my fellas out there, don’t even think about it.)
Just because all these new avenues hold potential for us to be successful, it doesn’t mean it will be any easier. It might even ask more of you as it’s now all on you to make sure that everything works. The possibility is there, and it’s a possibility we should strive for.
Do we want someone ruling over us? Or do we want to rule ourselves?
*HUGE CAVEAT––WATCH OUT FOR THE CHARLATANS*
This one is big, especially in the “spiritual” community.
As I think seminars, workshops, online courses, and specialized schools are going to be the future of learning, they are ten steps ahead of the game and are already praying on those who are thirty steps behind.
Because someone offers a service does not mean they have your best interest in mind or are proficient in the area themselves.
It is your job to weed out the fucking rats.
Do your research.
Check their past.
Ask them the tough questions.
Do they do the work themselves?
Do they walk the walk, or are they just another pretty face with charisma duping you out thousands of dollars as you buy their snake-oil?
Thankfully, as easy as it is to spot the rats, it will be even easier to spot the real ones.
Knowledge will be oozing out of their pores because this is what they live. Their craft is hardly a craft as it has become part of who they are. Yes, there will be an itinerary list of their accomplishments, but more importantly, their failures will be right there as well. They will let you into the humanness of who they are.
REWRITING THE BULLSHIT
Now that we have objectively looked at both sides and hopefully have a solid foundation that will help us make an informed decision, I want to end with the real reason I wrote this blog.
I wrote this because I was at a point where my frustration with the school system had finally reached a boiling point.
Things need to change, man. Simple as that.
Two years into school, and there’s so much that doesn’t make sense: the deception, the greed, the thievery, the archaic system. Sadly, enough to make anyone second guess if this is the way, and even worse, discourage them from ever starting.
And this is nothing new.
Do not let it seem like I’m spouting information told to me by our homeboy J.C. (Jesus Christ) himself.
No, everyone knows this. It has been going on long before I decided to bitch about it on a blog and unfortunately will go on long after.
Unless,
unless it doesn’t have to.
Maybe we can begin to re-write the game.
As utopian of an idea as it may seem, I believe things can change. Maybe not for us who are currently in the system. We’re already fucked (sorry, guys). But if we start calling out the bullshit now, maybe we can begin to help the generations below us.
Too often, I’ve talked to people about everything wrong within the education system (elementary through college) only for them to agree, but then go on with the conversation as if the thought of change wasn’t even in the realm of possibility. “It is what it is” is usually the mentality that follows.
In all fairness, I don’t even know if the system can change. That’s a job for people much smarter than me to work on. But it’d be a damn shame if we didn’t at least try.
That’s what this is.
What may seem like a daunting task can be dismantled if we remember one simple fact: all we have to do is play our role.
Real change is going to take place from within the system. Again, this is not my job, but I can sure as shit play my part by writing about it.
If something doesn’t sit right with us, it is our duty to speak on it. It is our duty to do something about it. We don’t sit around hoping that the next generation of boys and girls will fix what we weren’t brave enough to face.
So here’s some bullshit that I feel needs to be rewritten:
It doesn’t sit right with me that I have to spend years taking classes that have absolutely nothing to do with my major (audio engineering, Spanish, math, statistics, geography, etc.). Again, for a situation like I’m in, I think school can be a plus with all the experience that one would get by interning––an experience you can’t get anywhere else.
But why do I have to waste years taking unnecessary classes? If we do have to play the credit game, why can’t we take only classes in the fields that neighbor our major?
It doesn’t sit right with me that I have to put more time and energy into those same classes, which leaves me no time for my psych classes––the classes that I’m going to school for!
It doesn’t sit right with me that I paid the same cost of tuition when my ass sat home during covid as I did when I was on campus. Actually, that’s a lie. We got like, $300 back which is basically a slap in the face.
It doesn’t sit right with me that I have to fight tooth and nail to get into the psych classes that I want, only to be told that the classes are full, “but maybe you can take this runner-up class.”
How about no fucking runner up classes? Let’s start there. How about we get to take exactly the classes that we want. You’re not doing us a favor; we’re paying you guys, and to pay someone that much money only to take classes out of convenience is absolutely unacceptable.
And it doesn’t sit right with me that I have to sit here and play this stupid game to help people.
Ah, but like any good business, you can’t go messing with the flow of income. And at the end of the day, that’s what a school is––a business.
This is the sad, cruel game that one must play when dealing with school.
HUNGRY GHOSTS CAN NEVER BE FED
I often think back to our earliest ancestors and how bartering was their way of means. A method of life that worked well, but only worked up until the point that you got fed up trading your chickens for coconuts.
Now we need a middle man in this equation.
Hmm? What would be the perfect middle man?
Silver?
Gold?
Trinkets?
Inherently no real value, but their shiny qualities are enough to feed into our ‘deep evolutionary roots.’ For now, this works, but in the end, is unsustainable as they are a limited resource.
Great.
Now we’re back to the drawing board looking for an even newer middle man.
It would have to be sustainable and easy to come by, not something that we have to dig up from the earth. Maybe something we could make…
I know! We can use paper and we’ll call it money!
Yes, we need trees, but fuck it. Trees are dime a dozen and ain’t nearly as hard to come by as gold and silver, am I right? Tear those bitches down! We can even make up its own value! (Cryptocurrency and bitcoin are next in line FYI.)
Perfect. Money; “the most universal and most efficient system of mutual trust ever devised.“
This was fine as a system of this sorts was needed to accommodate the rise in human numbers.
Along the way, humans lost themselves to greed, though. We began losing ourselves to the darker energies that can take a human over if one is not careful. We started taking more than we needed––we craved more.
In Buddhism, there is a concept known as “hungry ghosts” and refers to an individual who is tormented by desires that can never be sated.
This wanting more is a hungry ghost that can never be properly fed. And unfortunately, what we’re dealing with across the globe with these universities, are hungry ghosts that can never be properly fed.
They’ll always want more. Day in and day out they will keep trying to take more than they need. But until the people who work within the system realize that by not speaking up on what’s unjust, they’ll only continue to feed these hungry ghosts with insatiable appetites.
Maybe change won’t come for a while, but we keep trying. We keep showing up and doing the work hoping that even one person can wake up from our words alone.
“Now we see everything that’s going wrong
With the world and those who lead it
We just feel like we don’t have the means
To rise above and beat it
So we keep waiting (waiting)
Waiting on the world to change”
– John Mayer, Waiting on the World to Change
Edited by: Patricia Hendriks
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