Friday, July 16, 2010

I have no idea where my school journey is going to take me. I started school to get an education, not to learn a trade. This leaves me in a bit of a quandary when people ask what I plan to do when I graduate, because I don't have an answer. At least, not an answer that most people would find satisfactory. I could go to grad school, but that still leaves the question open as to what my intentions are after yet another graduation. Why doesn't anyone seem to understand the value of an education unless it is immediately going to produce a lucrative career upon completion? The education itself is the goal, the end result, the reason I go to school. I don't have to know where it will ultimately take me.

Right now I am hoping it will take me to Ecuador next year. The Spanish department takes a group of students on a four-week trip each spring. This year they went to Spain, next year is Ecuador. Students stay with a host family and go to school each day, with three weekend outings planned. I'm dreaming of ruins and food and foreign adventures! I'm constantly thinking about how I can make this happen. It means my husband will be on his own for four weeks, which will not make him happy. It means I will be unemployed for a month and probably in search of a new job when I return. It means I need to save now for the expenses of the trip and I will need to have at least a month, or more, of expense money saved to cover my period of unemployment. Oh, and I also have to be accepted into the program. That part is actually the least of my worries. I have the prerequisites as far as the grades and the classes, I just need to apply before the group is filled. In fact, I think I'm going to need to apply as soon as the fall semester begins, even though the trip isn't until next May. I'm trying not to get too excited, just in case I don't get to go. But if you really want something, why not do try to imagine all possibilities that could make it happen? Just like going back to school as a non-trad. Make it happen.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Th trip sounds great - hope you can make it happen.

Caz said...

Many people don't understand about the achievement of gaining an education. I recently went on a "mother's weekend", where another mum asked me why on earth I was at uni! I was mortified - so I replied, "Because I can"! Many people have told me not to worry about where it was going to get me, because you just never know. Ecuador would be so exciting - it sounds like such an adventure. Make it happen, girl!

Anonymous said...

Just to add to Caz's comment, and although I don't really like this phrase (it's over used on reality TV) it's more about the 'journey', decide what to do when you get there (the degree).

shorter college said...

That's is quite a trip of a lifetime. I think it would be great to join it although it need so much planning in advance. Goodluck with that. I think a lot of people are motivated by the fact that they will have more money once they graduate from college and not on learning like you are. Kudos to you.

Tigger said...

I think the reason so many of us 'mature' (I use the word loosely...ahem...lol) students go to uni later on is - because as said previously, we're not necessarily doing it for the a particular job but because we can, because we WANT to be there, not because we're 18 and we think we should or our parents expect it. It's a great journey and personally I've learned so much about things not necessarily linked to the degree I just did