Sunday, February 17, 2008

Making a living gets in the way of actually living.

Tonight I have mentally given up the idea of continuing my return to college. If this feeling continues, I will never get my college degree. For the most part, the lack of a college degree has not held me back from making a good living through my career, but it is frustrating that I never actually got the diploma.

My return has been a noble effort to study and learn history, a subject that I am interest in. It takes time, however to be a student. By time, I mean several hours a week for each credit hour of class. The specific recommendation is two to three hours of additional reading, writing and study for each hour of class. For older students who are out of practice, those numbers are minimums. That adds up to more than twelve hours a week for my one history class, a three credit hour class.

But I also need time for exercise, downtime, conversation with my wife and everything else I want to do in life. An 8-hour-a-day job that is only 8 hours would help, as would a normal person’s commute. I have neither. Last week was even busier than usual at work and one of my commutes was twice the already long amount because of an ice storm. All of that is a mental drain that interferes with the concentration needed to take a college course.

This is so frustrating and depressing, especially because I liked the professor and a couple of my classmates who were also history majors. The worst part of all of this is that at present, making a living gets in the way of actually living.

I will probably get past the mood I’m in tonight and try this college thing one more time, in the fall. That gives me seven or eight months to reprioritize my entire damn life. Wish me luck.

7 comments:

Ian said...

I'm feeling your pain, Bernie. On top of my day job and night job (writing and parenting), I've decided to try to shortcut my way to my next degree, which entails studying for CLEP exams. When I will find time for this I do not know.

Ian

Brenda said...

I can relate! My husband, Frank, came close but never got his degree and I'm realizing a need for an advanced degree. But, like you, I'm already struggling to fit in exercise, family time, etc. Just covering for Frank on the homefront while he took a class and lab last semester was rough! Still, I know we'll find a way to better organize ourselves ... and I know it won't be easy!

Terhune said...

I understand Bernie. I juggled a full time job and school and family and it was hard to get back in the swing of school with so much more added in regard to school. It took me a bit longer than I had hoped but eventually I did finish up my degree and I know that you can manage it too.

Terhune

Bernie said...

Ian - One thing that will probably help you during those times when your schedule gets crazy is that your next degree will help you on the job and career front. That is very motivational.

Brenda - I bet your positive attitude will get you through. I'm fairly organized but not as much as I need to be to do all of this. My biggest time-waister is my 2 hour daily commute, which sometimes is even longer. If one thing goes wrong in my schedule, the whole day/week is thrown off. I just haven't figured a way around that yet.

Terhune - I just read your site - you're a History teacher. Cool! Thanks for the encouraging words. I am optimistic that I will eventually get the degree, but my blog will be called 60-something or 70-something by then.

Synchronicity said...

is it possible to do some courses on-line? i am thinking about going back for something or other and then i think to myself, "are you crazy?" but then another part of me thinks i could do it...slowly. so don't give up. make it work for you somehow.

Bernie said...

Yes. In fact, this was an online course. At UMUC (the adult education part of University of Maryland) you can get entire degrees online. There are some great and famous universities in your state - I bet some of them offer online courses. It takes a different kind of discipline, but the flexibility makes it worth it. Eventually I'll be able to say that from a better point of experience.

Terhune said...

I actually took most of my classes online. It was very flexable but you have to be a good time manager and when they give you a deadline..its a deadline!!