All paid for. No worries when I graduated. That was 1987. What I did learn all to quickly was my major wasn’t going to get me far. I needed a graduate degree. Back then Social Work was only beginning to pop up as a major and for graduate colleges the pickings were few. And in cities. I’m not a city gal. Neither here nor there because a graduate degree didn’t just mean living in a city it meant paying for something I knew I had no way to pay for. Probably because my grandfather had so generously paid for college I had no understanding of student loans, not even their existence, and there was no way my parents would have helped me.
So I entered the professional world knowing I’d have to start entry level(no biggie) making a non-living wage.
Side note: Those same jobs I had in the late 80’s and early 90’s virtual pay the same now as they did then. WTF! Given that the bachelor’s level degree costs five times more than it did then – well do the math – you don’t even have to just use your imagination. IT’S FUCKING NUTS!
Where was I going with this?
My path in Social Work went from group homes to becoming part owner in a fishing tackle and bait store from 1991 – 2016.
Making even less money. Woo Hoo that is not really a call of triumph, maybe a call to someone should have warned me? Or I should have smartened up? Or What the Hell Were You Thinking? Something along those lines? I got to work for myself. Let me just say it has advantages. It also has a hell of a lot of disadvantages. People who really think it is the balls, good for them, but don’t go into it thinking you have ultimate freedom over your life. You are tied in many ways to many things just as you might be working for a cooperation, small business or civil service, whatever. The Entrepreneurial spirit, working for yourself, is not for everyone. I’m still doing the small business thing but I can never fully embrace the Jack-Of-All-Trades life like some. Doesn’t mean I’m a failure but it also doesn’t mean I’m a success. Life is complicated and so is business and your working life.
Seriously there was a point.
My daughter will be graduating college a semester early if everything works out as she planned.
She’ll have a degree in Fine Art.
I hear you laughing.
Don’t.
If you honestly think that is a waste of money, you are mistaken.
For one she has talent. She also has no delusions that creating art will be her full-time career (at least not to start). What she does have is student life, real life, job, and social experiences she never would have had if she’d finished high school and took a job. She has blossomed in maturity and responsibility tenfold in three years. I could not imagine having spent the money more wisely. Granted she has loans to pay back. Maybe, and this is a very slim maybe, she’ll feel differently once she is in the big wide open world on her own – but I don’t think so. I think she recognizes as I do that college gives you so much more than simply a book smarts education.
She told me the other day that often she is faking her confidence.
I laughed because that is one skill I have never been good at. I reassured her that faking is only a step towards confidence. Never underestimate its power. It is a step towards success.
I understand that college is not for everyone. I get that some people would feel that the benefit is not outweighed by the cost. There is certainly caution when it comes to the money. I’ve heard don’t accumulate more debt than your potential first year’s salary post college. That might not be realistic for everyone but I think it is a fairly smart consideration. Considering the skill my daughter took into college and the ones she is coming out with I have all the confidence that she hasn’t greatly overshot this goal. I believe she will do just fine and not for a moment will she regret taking the time and opportunity to attend college.
I also believe that taking a year off before starting college, postponing or what have you, might make sense for some. I suspect the people with money more than any other portion of the population believe this. It is a privilege most cannot afford. The notion though that by taking that time you will be better able to define your goals and set down to career building is preposterous in my opinion.
Sure there are people who enter college with very clear career goals. I was surrounded by them, I was also surrounded by others like myself who thought they knew, and many who had no clue (perhaps not even declaring a major until the sophomore year). The idea that you can know so clearly seems rather silly to me. Just like anything you learn as you go. Often what you thought isn’t the reality. Often what you liked morphs into something different. And paths appear that you didn’t see before. The direction we head is not the one we expected. There are people who can keep themselves to tight courses and never veer. There are still plenty of people who have parents or relatives that did the same job their entire lives but that isn’t the norm like it once was.
The hardest message for me to convey to my daughter is that college isn’t about knowing exactly where you are going once you are out. That is a scary thought but the reality is once you are out things might change. The world has changed. How we go about living, breathing and being is just as likely to change as not. Being rigid won’t help you. Expecting things to go your way won’t either. Having the ability to adapt is the greatest skill you can learn, finding that out sooner rather than later is a gift. I think college has the potential to offer that to students, if they are willing to consider the possibilities.