It’s Thursday and I’m Crafting my Life! November’s theme is learning. Because we’re always learning, but especially so when we decide to take our lives in new directions. This week I’m going to talk about traditional education.
I am an engineer. I graduated from an accredited engineering school in Canada, and I worked as an engineer for 10 years. My university degree was my key to that field. Without it, many doors would have been closed to me. With it, I gained credibility and status within my chosen profession. I needed the degree to get the job, much like if I had been a doctor or a nurse or a teacher or a lawyer.
Engineering school was very much like high school in that the course of study was extremely structured, and the goal was clear. In your first year you took these courses, with room for one elective, to be chosen from this list. In the second year, you did those courses, and completed your first work placement. While it took some people longer than others, there was not a lot of wiggle room in your coursework. And the end result was that you would be an engineer – there’s really no other reason to go to engineering school.
Partly because I was young, and partly because of the level of structure, I approached university very much like I’d approached high school. I was there to graduate and move on the next phase. I was not there to find myself, or explore the meaning of life, or spend long afternoons debating politics on the quad. And I already had a boyfriend, so I wasn’t there to meet someone. I did what I had to do, and didn’t spend too much time considering why. The purpose of Math 251 was to add a checkmark to the list of courses I needed to graduate, not to expand my awareness of the world of differential equations.
I have mixed feelings about my approach to my education. I’m disappointed that I focused so much on the end, and so little on the experience. But, in my defense, an education in the sciences is by its very nature less introspective than an education in the arts. There is a right answer on a math test. I did my best to find that answer, and I generally succeeded, managing to win enough scholarship money to cover my tuition every semester. What I lacked in a well-rounded educational approach, I made up for by earning a degree with excellent career prospects at no expense to myself. I can’t exactly complain about that.
Now my daughter is kindergarten, embarking on her own educational journey. My goals for her are actually easier to define than my goals for myself. I hope that she remains curious and continues to love learning. I hope that she gains the necessary skills to live a full life with many choices. I hope that she learns how to co-exist happily with her peers. And I hope that she finds studies that are personally fulfilling and interesting to her. As much as I feel that my engineering degree has served me well, my experience of getting it was not what I would call personally fulfilling, and it did not contribute to a love of learning. If I don’t want that for my daughter, why would I want it for myself?
I think the answer centres around why we go to school. Some people believe the purpose of education is to instill critical thinking, or to create well-rounded individuals, or to expose us to new ideas. Others believe the purpose of education is to give us the skills we need to find a career. There are valid points in all camps. There are strengths to every approach. And there are better fits for every individual. But there is no clear winner, and most people pursue an education for more than one reason, anyway.
If we can’t all agree on the purpose of education, and we all have different learning styles, then we can’t create a system that works for everyone all the time. But that doesn’t mean that an education is useless. It also doesn’t mean that we should just accept the status quo. We can make the best of the situation we’re in, work to make it better, and recognize when the fit is really not working – regardless of our educational level. Sometimes we stick it out and are glad we did, sometimes we walk away and think it’s the best decision we ever made, sometimes we write letters and collect signatures and effect real change. If you can tell when to do which, well, you probably have life figured out.
In the end, no experience is wasted in life, no matter where we end up. I may not be a practicing engineer right now, but I use my degree every day. It is part of who I am. Just as the time I spent in elementary school has shaped me, and the time I spent in high school, and the time I spent in summer camp. Math 251 didn’t make my heart sing, but it made me who I am, and that’s the bit that matters.
Are you using the degrees and diplomas that you have? And how did earning those honours impact you? Would you choose the same course of study if you could do it over again? I’d like to hear your thoughts!
November’s Crafting my Life series is about learning. On the last Thursday of the month, which just happens to be the 25th, I will include a link up. To participate, write a post on learning anytime in November, or track down a post you’ve written on the subject sometime in the past, and add yourself to the list. Then read everyone else’s ideas and thoughts and be inspired! Check out the link-ups from January, February and March to get a feel for how it works.
I have an English degree with a minor in History. I sometimes question the sensibleness of going that route since really, what can you do with an English degree except be a teacher?? And I KNOW I never ever want to be a teacher.
But then I realize that my degree allowed me to think and question and wonder. It forced me to branch out of my comfort zone for certain classes, to read things I normally would have never picked up.
I do wish I’d been able to enjoy my university experience more. I wish I’d taken part of the school activities more and been part of that world completely instead of just going to school for my few hours and heading home, never lingering on campus. There is a definite university experience I missed and I kind of regret that.
At age 7, I knew that I would go to college. That’s how my parents raised me– to believe that everyone goes to college (even though at the time they didn’t have university degrees). I went to a two year junior college, three hours from home, right after high school graduation. I loved it. What I hated was the uncertainty of my future. What would be my ultimate major and minor? Which university would I transfer to? What would be my future career? At the end, I decided to transfer to the university near my hometown. I lived with Mom and Dad and drove up to school. I chose that university because of its German and European Studies programs. I loved my minor courses for European Studies, but I remember dreading going to the German classes. I had the opportunity to study abroad in Germany for one semester, and in doing so a few things happened. 1. I learned a lot about different cultures 2. I learned about my own strength 3. I met my future husband in person (we had met through the Internet beforehand) and 4. I learned a lot of German. After studying in Germany, I was able to successfully graduate with a major in German and a minor in European Studies.
What has that degree done for me? Practically, not very much. My mistake was that I didn’t plan for a career. My plan was to get a Bachelor degree, then apply for a Master program. The problem was that I didn’t want to get a Master’s degree in German. I didn’t qualify for any graduate programs that I was interested in (the economy wasn’t helping with the “worst recession since the Great Depression”). I wasn’t ready for a Master’s in Education although I might have been accepted if I had actually applied. So, I was working at the IRS, a stable job with good pay and benefits, but it had nothing to do with my education. I was being so wishy-washy that I decided to start a family. Today, I have resigned from my government job and am staying at home with my daughter, but I still have the same uncertainty of my career/education future as when I was 19. What I do know is that I can help my husband teach our daughter German and I can communicate with my in-laws. I often joke that I went to university and graduated with a MRS. degree (meaning that I got married). What I might do as far as a Master degree or whatever, time will tell. Anyhow, I will never regret going to college (university) and will encourage my daughter to pursue at least a 4-year degree as well.
I use my diploma every day. Even as a stay-home mom for the last decade I was able to bring my career home with me, by the way that was NOT by accident. I chose this career (graphic designer) for several reasons, one of which was it’s portability.
I approached school as you did, to get the checkmark on the prerequisites right up until I found Graphic Design as a career choice. In highschool I was ll about keeping my options open. I took every class that I thought could save me some time in College. And I took my grade point average VERY seriously because I wanted grants and bursaries to save me some money in College too. I wanted to be an industrial engineer, but I didn’t want to move to Eastern Canada to do it. So I chose teaching… the first couple years of college I was all about filling up those courses with all the course that they wanted me to do, and I wanted an “A” in all of them. Alas, the College Program kept changing the prerequisites for 3rd year! So when I found myself 96th on a waiting list for a prerequisite class, I looked for an elective that would be “easy” and fun. I chose “design” thinking it would be drawing patterns. I stumbled upon a life-changing course that brought out a new feeling of passion and challenge that I’d never felt about school. It was a subjective, fast paced and demanding course.
So I dropped the wishy washy education program and changed to 100% Applied Arts – Graphics Option. We were made for each other! I could be creative but still follow strict rules for composition and layout construction AND be paid for it! The teacher was a nut case. Firey temper, unreasonably demanding, slave driver! That made him satnd out from any “art” teacher I had ever had before, and I loved that. Our class started with over 90 hopeful artists, by the end of 2 years only 12 graduated.
I never got caught up in the “experience” of school either, it was always about getting approval for me. I had my dear and true friends, and a boyfriend eventually. But that’s now what school was for to me.
My boys are only there for the social perks. They are not “good” at school and have a less-than-positive attitude about work and grades and what the teacher thinks. A completely foreign idea to me!!!!
I keep hoping they see the potential to enjoy trying harder, but I may be dreaming.
*pol’s last post … fun candy times
Finally — I don’t have to say “um, what Amber said”.
In some ways I regret that my degree was so wishy-washy and non-career-oriented (B.A. and M.A. in Comparative Literature) but my university experience was amazing — critical thinking was almost completely new to me after years of dutifully reading and regurgitating the ‘correct’ answers. I really stretched my thinking and writing, I lived in residence and met a lot of really interesting people, I was far away from the home for the first time and learning to deal with that, and I broke up with my boyfriend halfway through first year so that future was wide open too. I sort of wish I’d gotten help for my depression and anxiety sooner than I did (I was well out of university when I did) because that would have made some of it easier, but still, it was great. The one thing I would encourage my kids to consider is that, if they do get a four-year basic degree, to consider a college course afterwards if they don’t already have a concrete career path — in case they don’t marry well like their mother did (ducks to avoid stuff thrown at her).
allison’s last post … Hallmark it aint
Of course, we need learn a few basics in order to get by in the world. Once those are covered, and while they are being covered, education should be about critical thinking and instilling a sense of curiosity, exploration, imagination, creativity and wonder.
I want to go back to school just for those reasons, not to be a Corporate Communications Consultant or a PR bigwig for the Feds.
I came to my own university degree and college diploma in a very roundabout way. Actually I kind of got lost in university and did do some thinking, but in retrospect not the right kind. Not the kind that comes with the life experience we don’t have the benefit of yet. I am using my education and have built a solid career of it, but if I could go back I’d do it very differently.
Christine’s last post … Dream a little dream
My experience is the complete opposite of yours Amber. After high school I lived in South Africa for a year. I came back to Canada lost as to what to do with myself. I started my BA in 1997 and if all goes well I will complete it in 2011. I love my mom and dad, but I fault them for not guiding me when it came to deciding on an educational path. To be clear I say I fault them, but I totally forgive them and I also realize I am who I am because of the route I have taken. My education has totally been this broad look at the world and myself. I will complete my degree with BA English Major, but I have always taken classes that really excited me: ocean sciences, film studies, children’s literature, Shakespeare, web design, horticulture, Canadian Theatre, Spanish, Japanese. The reason my degree has taken so long to complete is because I have gone to cooking school, backpacked through India, rode a motorcycle to California, had babies and started a business along the way.
What would I hope or advise for my children? Honestly I would like to see them have a skill/trade/ profession before navel gazing and studying just for the fun of it. These days as a busy mom it is extremely challenging working to complete my degree. When I do I will be proud of myself, but lets be honest, its an arts degree. What do you do with that? I might hope my kids are more like you and go for it and get an education that is practical, that leads to a career where there is demand.
As a side note my sister graduated with a Masters of Divinity from Harvard this spring. My family is extremely proud of her. She worked hard for it. With her degree she also earned a hefty debt. My younger brother is an electrical apprentice, making 5 times what my sister does and has his education subsidized by the government.. Who looks smarter now?
I guess its all about balance, we hope our kids will temper practicality with passion. But I also don’t think we always get to choose. It’s hard to fight who you are and I think a lot of us are hardwired to do what we do. A scientist cannot wish himself artistic, and an exceptionally talented artist cannot necessarily force them self to be a doctor.
OK enough late night rambling for me.
I’m not directly using my engineering degree now, but the first jobs I had led to what I’m doing now. It all worked out well. I expect my boys to go to college and admit that I’d love for them to study engineering, but that’s really up to them. Another thing to keep in mind is that if they choose to study something that isn’t really financially lucrative, they need to not attend a school that puts them/us deep in debt. There is a practical aspect to this all too . . .
Lady M’s last post … The Indomitable Ms Burke
Yes, yes, and yes. My degree didn’t earn me a career or a job (which I had back then before I went back to university anyway) or any money, but I do feel that it’s totally earned me that critical thinking and culture without which life is pretty flat. To say it with the ancient romans, education is that famous “grain of salt”.
Francesca’s last post … crocheting for my shop
I learned so much during my university years, whether because of school or despite it. The funny thing (funny/sad) is that I had enough credits to do either a major in creative writing or political science and I chose the latter because I thought it was more practical. Little did I know. I really regret not sticking with the creative writing, not for the “piece of paper” but for the support, the built-in writers group, the surrounding of like minds. I didn’t have much in common with the poli sci folks – I was in it to learn and they were in it for pre-law, mostly. On the other hand, the life experience I gained by graduating with political science and working in retail for 6 years, it informs my writing and the way I deal with people.
I have taken other courses since leaving school and since being in the workforce (and laid off a couple of times) – mainly exploring journalism and counseling – I think the best thing about the traditional learning model is the way it exposes us to people of all kinds and all interests. It’s another avenue that broadens our horizons and help us find our path, whether it’s because we go “oh hell this is the wrong path!” or we follow some kindred spirit to another, better path for us.
clara’s last post … Gone Daddy Gone
LOL! definitely not using my degrees these days (too bl**dy expensive to re-do them here in Canada, and for what?) though my suturing skills and orthopaedics wizardry come in useful for the crafting, the research degree for critical thinking, and the in practice experience a good prep for retail AND mopping up after spills and thrills.
I certainly don’t regret my degrees – they’ve opened a lot of doors, in my head, socially and employment. Neither have I abandoned them completely as I’m hoping to explore different aspects of them in the future. I definitely do not regret my times at university – although my initial degree was very much fulltime and not about expanding consciousness, it was the first time I had lived away from home – I met fascinating people and learned a lot about myself and what I wanted to be. My second degree got me started in evaluating life and what I wanted to do and thinking critically about my subjects.
If I could do it all over again I probably wouldn’t alter the path …. except I would take a year out after High School to break the continuous education I found myself in, and I would think more deeply about a career plan. I’m only just career planning now at this stage in my life. I will be encouraging my son to approach his higher education in this way too.
pomomama aka ebbandflo’s last post … SPT Thursday 4th November- portraits of the artist at work
Hi Amber,
I read this post the other morning, and I’ve been thinking about it all weekend… now I come back & you’ve got 2 new posts, you are a machine my friend;-)
So about the education question, sheesh, well I am about as right brained as you seem to be left, degree wise at least. Mine is in Theatre, so yes I can say I use it every day keeping all these boys amused;-)
I am married to a software engineer, and we are parents with such different backgrounds, that our goals for the boys can sometimes cause um, interesting discussions. We do agree that we want the boys to love to learn, so that’s half the battle I suppose. And we realize that each of our sons is completely unique, and that what may be best for one, won’t work at all for another. Homeschooling, for example, is a HUGE daily topic in this house. This is the first year we’ve put our 2 older boys in public school. One is thriving, and one is getting lost in the shuffle… and is bored to tears. We’re actually considering something that we didn’t think would be possible, homeschooling one only… at least for this year. It’s such an enormous decision though, and as different as Steve & I are, we’re both losing sleep over it equally.
So, that’s where we are with our educational musings right now…
Michelle’s last post … This Moment