- My thoughts on university degrees!
I realise that starting a new blog on the first of May should never be called "2013, post 1." Honestly I couldn't think of a better title and didn't want to be constrained to a particular category of blog posts.
I've now been out of class for over two weeks and it feels like a life time since I was in a lecture hall. The horrible truth is, this is far better for me. I enjoy the ease of doing an unskilled job without deadlines or targets and the joy of working with easy going colleagues.
Since my return to higher education, I've always had success being my goal. I was even at the point of looking at people who had just left high school to work minimum wage somewhere as being stupid or undriven. It took me a while to realise that was me about a year ago, but that's another blog!
I've been so wrapped up in this mind frame of always striving for success, but now that I'm on a break until September I can finally put that to rest for a while. I honestly don't think I've ever been so relieved in over a year. This is the first time since December 2011 that I haven't had some kind of coursework looming over my head and I've never been happier. I don't want to have to leave university and be saddled with more of this every day without getting a break at summer. Why can't I just continue the way I am living right now?
To be honest, I live quite luxuriously for a student. I go out when I want to. I buy people drinks. I take Lily out for dinner. I don't have any financial difficulties even without a student loan. Okay, that's a lie. I do get a whopping £975 loan a year...
But still that's nothing to scoff at. The idea of tuition fees is a distant unfathomable concept I can't quite work out and never will have to.
I'm washing away from the subject, but basically it's the same old story I seem to be coming back to at the end of every trimester, but slightly different this time. Do I want to stay at university? The short answer would be no. I live well now, I don't really want to have a 'real' job anyway, but I can see why I might want to stay.
Now that I am actually typing it out, I am reminded of my driving license. Did I need it at the time? No. Do I need it now? No. Will I need it for the next two or three years? No. Will I need it when I want to have a real job, a house, a family? Maybe.
I get the feeling my degree will be the exact same. I'm not ready for an office job. I don't want one. I want to go to my easy job, work hard at it, come home, go out, buy myself stuff... These are all things I don't need a degree for.
Currently my facebook news feed is cluttered with "Finally finished university!" and "Going into the real world" updates from people who stayed at university unlike me. I feel like I grew up quite quickly after leaving university for a while. I don't regret leaving at all. What I do regret is what I did while I was supposed to be at university. The dreaded World of Warcraft years... I've got a bad habit of veering off course with this post. Maybe it's because I haven't done one in a while.
I could throw lots of excuses at why I'm not finishing my degree this year like I should have been, but none are very good and would just make me sound childish. Neither of my parents have degrees, but they are both very selfless.
Mum works part time and when she's at home she devotes all of her time to my brothers. She gets about an hour to sit down at night before going to sleep about nine at night to wake up again at six.
Dad works crazy hours. My job is monotonous and boring, but his sounds even worse. Hours on hours of driving at constant speeds. At least I have the freedom to wander around and talk to people. When he's home at the weekend he's always working on... well something! I have no idea how he has the stamina for it.
Would they be able to provide the same life style for their children if they had degrees? Certainly. Would they have more free time? Probably not. I have a few friends who say their parents have bought them flats. Undoubtedly the parents would have degrees and to encourage their children to get one too, they bribed them with flats and expenses to continue to be paid. Do these parents live better than I do? I sincerely doubt it. I'd imagine these jobs are full of stress and coming home must be the best part of the day. I can honestly say I enjoy my work, even if it is unskilled and boring.
But success isn't measured on how much I enjoy my job, it's whether or not I can support the big things in life. Is minimum wage going to be enough for me to get a mortgage? Or support a family? Or pay my tuition fees if I want to start a new course?... Maybe! It would certainly be a struggle, but it's livable. In Oxgangs I was surrounded by jobless families. The ex and her boyfriend are now parents. Neither have jobs (although one has generous parents) not even minimum wage ones, but will probably live quite well.
Have I come to a conclusion on this thing? No, not really. Sorry for wasting your time! Like I mentioned earlier, it's been a while since I have done one of these so rambling should be expected. I believe when I have my degree, I'll be happy and whether I do something with it or not is completely unrelated - just like my license! Just another shiny badge I can bring out every now and again to impress someone or maybe the rare opportunity to use it. Honestly, what's it good for? One, two, maybe three interviews?
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So I've just finished my proof read and I think this is one of the few worthy pieces I've ever written for a blog! Hopefully I'll be a fountain of inspiration and continue blurting out endless posts of experience and knowledge!
