Higher Education

Man, it must be my luck, but it really gets on my nerves when people tell me that getting my degree was waste of time, money and effort. Believe it or not, I've actually run into many people who think I've wasted my last four years earning a history degree, as it has no visible, vocational skills associated with it. Many people roll their eyes and ask if I plan to teach, as if the rest of the professional world was somehow cut off from me.

I think every degree is useful, regardless of its academic subject matter. You see, the process in which you earn the degree teaches you many practical skills that every person will benefit from throughout their entire life.

For instance, I had to write an undergraduate senior thesis in order to graduate. It was an independent research project that had to fall between 50 - 70 pages, use a variety of sources and feature different writing methods associated with historical literature. I had to develop my own private schedule and meet deadlines that my professors established for me. I can safely say that I wouldn't have been able to pull it off, had I not learned imperative skills taught to me in classes that I had taken prior to my senior year.

I learned how to effectively manage my time, balance a heavy work schedule, and maintain my composure to meet my deadlines with the best work possible. I also understood how to take multiple facts, create them into a cohesive argument, and tailor my argument for my target audience so that it may find my position more logical. These are the same abilities that any company or institution would find useful in the work place.

Now, higher education isn't for everyone. And, to those who gathered these skills without attending such an educational institution, I'm very happy for you and applaud your success. What gets under my skin are those who tell me that I've wasted my time.

Okay, rant done.