CONGRATS Class of 2013!
I myself am part of this graduating class, and I guess that I’m proud that I made it after four years. Though, if I am honest, I’m not sure college is worth its price or the experience it provides. Professors are sloppy, TAs are clueless, and the administration is completely out of touch. There is undeniably a cleavage between the idea of college and what it actually is. I’m sure most people are completely satisfied with their experience. These are the people that chose classes based on easiness and not interest. These are the people interested in the grade, not in the content. If you are one of those people there’s no need to keep reading. However, if you find intrinsic value to learning then college was or will most likely be a disappointment and you may want to keep reading.
I have no regrets. I think that the manner in which I overcame my trials and tribulations in college is extraordinary. Most people end up taking a semester or two off if tragic event after event keeps occurring. I made it without ever being given one day off. Undeniably, I grew as a person, but outside of the classroom. All the professors I could have potentially enjoyed were threatened by me. For example, in my Lyric Poetry class, I asked the professor if I could do my own translation of Rimbaud and his response was “yes if you want to be self-aggrandizing and obnoxious”. That is one of many examples of professors being completely unprofessional. There was also the different kind of inappropriate professor. For example, when I went to talk to a professor about my grade at the end of class and he whispered into my ear about some ex-girlfriend of his being “tight and on the pill”.
I’m a young woman who loves learning and sees true beauty and value in knowing. I never cared about grades even though I’ve been on the Dean’s list practically every semester. The only change that the actual college experience induced within me was disillusionment. At the end of the day, you are just on pawn amongst many contributing to the university’s revenue. Being disillusioned has its perks as it has opened my mind to many of the deluding beliefs one has about society entering college as 17 year old. However, once establishing that, you realize that you have just contributed to maintaining the university system as one of it’s members.
There is no moral to the story. This unending cycle is pervasive within every sector of society. No change is going to happen overnight and that’s OK, but that doesn’t mean I have to respect college degrees and I don’t. I’m just impressed I made it within the expected time frame with no help and a handful of obstacles. A little bit like running a marathon with a broken leg and still crossing that finish line.
