Sunday, July 14, 2013

The Degree Is Not The Point

This fall I will be attending my third college institution to attain a third degree. This will be my second bachelors level degree, however; usually by the third degree it's at least a Masters... I guess you could say that I'm truly the definition of a "non-traditional student."

While that doesn't bother me, something else does: I have yet to attend a school for a specific program or reason that I went on to finish. But I can't afford to change paths mid-stream this time, and I'm feeling a little trapped and anxious.


This most recent degree, my second and an AAS, was in Digital Imaging Design; although I didn't intend to get that degree or follow that path when I started there. Originally, I went back to school to learn the basics of life-drawing and perhaps juggle some other fine art and digital classes to flesh out my desire to draw cartoons and comics at a better level. While in the first few classes, I got seriously hooked on design, however, and that steered me down the path I will be continuing this fall.

Similarly, the first degree was a four year stint at a private Baptist-affiliated school for a Philosophy degree. I originally went for a degree in Creative Writing, but that path was merged with Business Writing for a holistic "writing" label, and I bailed for Literature almost immediately... which I then learned how much I hated once I was in my first true lit class. So I bailed again, this time for a Broadcast Communication degree, but it too was chopped; this time because it was discovered that the head professors were romantically involved and embezzling school funds. So I chose to major in the department whose class was the only enjoyable one I had that current semester: Philosophy.

This time I can't afford to switch part-way through and its not that I think I'd want to do that... it's just that the option isn't there for it and that sorta terrifies me.

But the degree isn't the point this time: learning is. And I know that I made a good choice in terms of a place to learn, both at school and in the interning community. I just hope that my desire to jump around and not be glued into one place starts up and makes it impossible to focus and get that degree or work in the field immediately.

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