This is right on, Bonnie. I have a MAGAT friend who is always denigrating people with college degrees because he thinks WE think we're superior. Well, if it means we learn how to evaluate the world based on facts and logic versus conspiracy theories, maybe we are. We should all learn how to do that by the time we graduate from high school (if not sooner.) I earned my degree piecemeal - a few courses in Germany when I was in the Army, two years of community college, a 12-year gap, then a year at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington where my political views did a 180 in the Power in Perspective program. I finished up my remaining semester at age 55 while working as a park ranger in Big Bend National Park, Texas, via the University of Maine online. None of my educational goals had to do with earning big bucks. Rather, I wanted work that used my artistic, writing and photography skills. A degree has been invaluable in obtaining decent paying federal jobs, but more importantly it expanded my mental and social horizons. I wish everyone had the opportunity to do at least two years in a good community college. It not only helps one become a good citizen, but it can also help one become a good human being.
Two points: I almost lost it with a temporary boyfriend of our older daughter when she was at Texas Tech. He snottily questioned why it was worth the cost of a degree to become a teacher. Dumba** (He was from Kansas, and apparently, the flying monkeys that raised him went with a discount education for him). Secondly, somewhere in my early to mid 50s, I found myself getting stupid. Fortunately, my employer offered a tuition reimbursement program, and I earned my Master of Journalism a few months shy of my 60th birthday. I did learn some fun facts to know and tell, but the out-of-comfort-zone interaction with young people and the confidence of remembering how to learn and grasp and apply new concepts are irreplaceable. BTW, 4.0 (my GPA for my bachelors had to overcome a 1.8 first semester).
That's ambitious, and well done. I have no idea how I would fare if I went back to university. I wouldn't want to bet on achieving 4.0. Tip of the hat to you for having done it! And for recognizing how much more you got than fun facts.
This is right on, Bonnie. I have a MAGAT friend who is always denigrating people with college degrees because he thinks WE think we're superior. Well, if it means we learn how to evaluate the world based on facts and logic versus conspiracy theories, maybe we are. We should all learn how to do that by the time we graduate from high school (if not sooner.) I earned my degree piecemeal - a few courses in Germany when I was in the Army, two years of community college, a 12-year gap, then a year at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington where my political views did a 180 in the Power in Perspective program. I finished up my remaining semester at age 55 while working as a park ranger in Big Bend National Park, Texas, via the University of Maine online. None of my educational goals had to do with earning big bucks. Rather, I wanted work that used my artistic, writing and photography skills. A degree has been invaluable in obtaining decent paying federal jobs, but more importantly it expanded my mental and social horizons. I wish everyone had the opportunity to do at least two years in a good community college. It not only helps one become a good citizen, but it can also help one become a good human being.
Beautifully put.
You didn't stop. You're persistent. I love that.
Two points: I almost lost it with a temporary boyfriend of our older daughter when she was at Texas Tech. He snottily questioned why it was worth the cost of a degree to become a teacher. Dumba** (He was from Kansas, and apparently, the flying monkeys that raised him went with a discount education for him). Secondly, somewhere in my early to mid 50s, I found myself getting stupid. Fortunately, my employer offered a tuition reimbursement program, and I earned my Master of Journalism a few months shy of my 60th birthday. I did learn some fun facts to know and tell, but the out-of-comfort-zone interaction with young people and the confidence of remembering how to learn and grasp and apply new concepts are irreplaceable. BTW, 4.0 (my GPA for my bachelors had to overcome a 1.8 first semester).
That's ambitious, and well done. I have no idea how I would fare if I went back to university. I wouldn't want to bet on achieving 4.0. Tip of the hat to you for having done it! And for recognizing how much more you got than fun facts.