Education

It is funny as a graduate student, or maybe just as a person with a strong belief in education and self-pride, to sit in class, or at the bus stop, or on the bus and listen to the conversations of other students. “I hope I can just come to this class, not take it seriously, and get an ‘A’” were the words out of one girls mouth in my 400-level stats class. It will be interesting to see how long she makes it in this class. Or, “I went to the concert last night but don’t remember any of it…I just had a bowl of top ramen to help with my hangover.” Sure, I was there once and into the whole scene of being away from home and staying up late. I can admit that I have never been to a concert and not remembered it, or wanted to slack off in a class but still get an ‘A.’ I’m not judging these students or trying to be critical, it’s just so VERY interesting to me. It makes me wonder what these people want to do in their lives. Who knows, they could make a great social worker or doctor someday…I just hope they have a change of heart before they cut me open 


I do not want to belittle anyone who feels that a college education is not for them. (The man I love is a high school graduate and proud of it that he has found a great job and has a house, all without a college degree). It is just interesting to me that people to set out to get a college degree and then expect it to be given to them or expect it to be easy.

I have always valued education. It was just how I was raised, you could say. I never thought anything about it, really. I go to class, I work hard and give it my best, I do homework in a timely fashion, I ask questions, and that was that! This was the case from my first school experience in Kindergarden through elementary school, through middle school, on through high school and college at WSU, and now in my graduate studies here at UM. I do not know how I would succeed otherwise. Sure, there are times when I don’t really have to give it my best in a course to excel (for example when I did the sixth grade work in fifth grade, and then again when I was in sixth grade, or in my freshman level nutrition class that I took as a senior at WSU), but I still go through the motions-class, homework, exams, clarifying questions, etc. I just enjoy gaining knowledge, and I know that it will “pay off” in the end-I will find a job or career that I like, use the skills and knowledge that I have acquired over the years, and settle down with my family. I guess I could say “different strokes for different folks.” This is just one case where I can’t imagine being a “different folk.”