College Girl

If a man empties his purse into his head, no one can take it from him.
~Benjamin Franklin

Last semester I decided to reenter the learning world. I had been debating the issue for quite some time. I have a career that I love and really did not see any reason for it. However, I have always wondered what I missed by going the vocational school route. Honestly, I do not think too much was missed.

I look at some of the essays that I am reading and wonder what I am missing. Why does the writing have to be so fancy and high level. Half the stuff I am reading I do not understand and this is a Lit in Pop Culture class! Shouldn't I be able to at least read the stuff if it is pop culture?

Then there are the discussion boards. These things make me doubt my intelligence some days. Classmates are going on and on about deep issues involved within a paragraph of the thing I could not understand. Then I sit back and wonder what am I missing? Am I not sophisticated enough to understand Cyborg Techno-babble Political Feminism?

At that point I sit back and realize smarts have nothing to do with it. Everyone's thought process is different and the same person who can decipher this insanely long article of no meaning probably cannot tell me how a four cylinder motor works or how to make Grandma's Chicken Dumpling Soup. Time to stop beating myself up on the smarts thing. So what if I don't get what they are trying to make me see. I am taking away something from it even if it is my own unique spin.

7 comments:

Wilmaryad February 20, 2010 at 10:26 AM  

I so hear you about that! College reading selections shouldn't be verbose, ambiguous and plain boring.

Is it to make students think they got their money's worth and that overpaying for education is justified?

We don't pay for college in my country, so enduring such readings is really for a good grade, period.

Smart girl, remember that your take on these "condensed thoughts and reflections" can shed the light on areas/points overlooked by many in your class, including your own teacher. ;)

Wilmaryad February 20, 2010 at 10:27 AM  

Wait, my comment WAS as verbose as those readings. Ooops, I just betrayed my ambivalence towards academia. Hah!

Bruno Laliberté February 20, 2010 at 2:12 PM  

brave of you to go back. as i'm nearing the half-century mark... i find the neuron activity is not as strong as in my youth. and i don't miss school at all. was not the happiest time for me. but i do remember a time back in college, where we had to pick one of our photographs ans write an essay about it. i took it to the extreme, arguing about the oppression of church and its archaism. pretty sure it gave the teacher a giggle or two, as the pic showed simply a statue of christ in a cemetary, in the midst of winter. beautiful picture but empty argument. it just sounded good. but what i said was also true, just not directly represented by the picture. and that's pretty much how i feel about all that bla0bla-bla. most people that can talk pretty usually end up as politicians, lawyers or insurance people. none you can trust too much, usually...
:D~
HUGZ

Andrea Leigh February 22, 2010 at 11:04 AM  

Really can't agree more. I keep biting my tongue so that I don't overstep myself. Which is funny since this semester is strictly online classes and it is highly unlikely I will meet my classmates, but you never know. Really not 'P.C.' enough for the one class. Really though, Socio-Political-Feminist-Cyborg-Technobabble. Should forward the essay on in hopes that someone can actually tell me what any of it means...

Wilmaryad February 22, 2010 at 12:07 PM  

Why don't you post the essay on your blog as a post? That way people can maybe give you "Aha! moments" :)

Bruno Laliberté February 22, 2010 at 6:56 PM  

i'm with wil...
post it, or if it's hosted somewhere,
link it. as far as i'm concerned, since english is only a second language, i don't know if i'd be of any help with this, as i might miss a subtlety or two...
but it should be fun to read anyway. just the title sends me reeling!!!!
:D~

HUGZ

Anonymous March 5, 2010 at 8:59 AM  

Exakt richtig


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