Capital Furs

Alright. So I dunno. I feel like ranting a little (and someone I don't know said I need to post more, so why not?) I've been talking to people who, like me, are in university. I'm in my second year, and I'm getting by I guess. I'm not struggling more than the next. And I find psychology absolutely fascinating. If I had the time I'd do some in-depth research into this field... that was meant to be taken with a tinge of irony by the way...

More importantly though, my rant: there is WAY too much emphasis on being super smart and getting a fancy degree in our society, and I don't like it. I don't have to be a psych student to know that everyone is good at some things, and bad at others. Take me: I'm good at talking and taking in facts. One of my last subjects of research was Zimbardo's Prison Experiment. Scary, but fascinating stuff. So I boast having such an interest in psychology, so I must be a great student, right? Not really. I'm terrible at studying. Listening to a prof when they're interesting is fun, but if I'm not engaged, I won't absorb it, and looking back to my notes and books... I just can't focus. I'm not the only one with this problem. I've seen quite a few others struggling with school... badly. And it kinda makes me angry.

Here's another thing: You know how EVERYONE says not to stop going to school because you'll never go back. And it's because of EVERYONE telling me this that I took my semester as per usual, despite knowing I've had a lot of crap flying around. Biggest problem was I wasnt able to score a job last summer, so I'm living off what my dad gives me, which gets me by, but doesn't give me much leeway, and the charity of others now and then, which I hate because I owe them and I can't afford to pay them back. Instead I'm stuck in two classes I have no interest in at all which I took simply as electives, and two I find interesting enough, but quite heavy, and through all this I'm STILL trying to get rid of my apartment due to my financial situation. Potential subleasers are flakey as all hell. The reserve is even worse: I've been going through the paperwork since july, august and I'm still waiting for a physical test I'm so worried I'm going to fail.

But let's narrow in on what I feel needs complaining about: I know why school is important: education is good. Knowledge is power. Yes. But I don't think the level of schooling which is pretty much being pushed on us at points is really for everyone. Really, I'd love if I had taken even just half a semester off, play some piano, earn some money, hang out with all the awesome people I know and am just getting to know now. But it's so important I keep to the regiment thrust upon me by society. And there's no way I can get any decent work that would allow me to indulge into my psychological interests without getting that damned degree... and even then I wonder if my marks will suffice. I consider myself an intelectualist, but I don't consider myself particularly intelligent. I dunno. I just kind of wish university wasn't such a big deal in our society. I mean hell! I have a sister in college right now. She's WAY smarter than me, straight A's in professional writing. But I've heard scary rumours that she could have trouble getting work because she'll only have college.

Well I guess this is just kind of a shout out to all those who are struggling in the academic world. I know I'm not the only one. But what's to be done? *sigh* Life never ceases to be needlessly complicated if you ask me. Maybe I'm lazy. Maybe I should have been a sailor, a fast-talking vagabond, a starving artist, but here I am in university, and I kinda wish I could hit the pause button. Anyone else feeling this way?

It's all about the piece of paper.

I don't intend to use anything I'm learning right now, though it's fun to drop Psych. bombshells on people. The H. B.A is so I can get into the teaching program, that's all :P

I pull A's and B's and I'm happy with that, but we'll see what happens!

We all float on.

Alright already we'll all float on, alright!

the problem with academics as i see it is that academics is writing about doing things, or things happening, not doing things, or making things happen.

its not evil. the world needs paper pushers. definitely not this fucking many, but we need a few. its just a different slice of society, thats all.

meer put it well. we all float on.

Aweh SR <3 Seetheart <33333

Totally agree. Geez my highschool teachers are all "In University...." blah blah blah and they tell us how it's like entering the gates of Hell >.<

True Story, I met a girl who got A sociology degree at university and was looking for a job. All the social working places she applied for didn't accept her. (Some even told her that they'd rather her have a college diploma so she had a practical education and shit)

Now she is on her way to Algonquin to gain that practical knowledge....I think she scrapped the whole idea in general and went to Dental shit xD


Regardless, SR, your rant is heard <3

College education is weird. Personally I'm really happy in my feild because even though I might not be enjoying some of my classes, learning all this stuff gives me the ability to research what I actually am interested in on my own, and in my case gives me insight on how to solve certain problems I might come across in ways I hadn't thought of before.

Taking advanced classes in database management techniques has rarely been useful to anyone, but knowing how to index information to enhance the time it takes to query a large amount of data is useful to know in my line of work. It also helps me understand articles I might read here and there.

But tell us SR... why are you in University? I know personally it's my parents that pushed it on us (My sister and I) because they knew we were capable of doing it.

haha... this was originally a rant made for the friends I know struggling, but yeah.

By the way I see it Meer, you're probably better fit for academics in the sense that you have a practical use for it, and are capable of going about this usage. So really, it works for you, and that's great.

Ramses- - Exactly! Just... exactly. And of course we'll float on guys ;p I'm just ranting because I like to!

And yeah Benji. Sounds like you were better equipped than I was. When I was in NS, we had all the local unis and some trades stuff and colleges talk to us. Which is cool, but all I heard is "You should join us because we're cool!" "You should join us because it's practical!" and of course, as all things it was all hot air. So I went by my own means.

Which brings me to Pooshie. Why I'm in university. That's a very good question. See, when I was in NS... specifically where I was I saw a lot of crap. And I guess it's who I am but I'm used to people talking to me when they need someone to talk to. And I don't mind. Makes me happy when I'm of help. So I decided maybe I'll try psychology, so maybe I can learn to help people better, maybe become a councilor, or if I did very well in school a clinical psychologist... but really I don't think I'm the right kind of guy for that. But that's basically why.

It's not -always- a good idea to study what you're passionate about. Most of the time it isn't actually. You might want to try becoming a volunteer for certain organizations though. The distress center for one.

yeah. It's what I've considered... I want to take some time off to do stuff like that... I'll have to wait till the end of this year though at least. I think I may next year.

Do they have psychology classes at night? Dropping to part time might be viable too. As much as it's important to have the actual piece of paper, having university classes under your belt can also look good on a resume if worded properly.

I'm glad I went to university. It definately taught me "how to think" so to speak. I seriously see the world differently and I'd say in a better way thanks to university. That said, I find it funny though I have to go to college after so I can get a job. The peice of paper I get from university is worth 20,000 dollars in theory, but it's really worth near 0 practically.