11:10 p.m. | 2003-10-30 My College Career. (It Took 14 Years To Complete; I Think I�m Entitled To Call It A Career.) A lot of diarists talk about college, in one way or the other. Youngsters are trying to decide whether or not to go, and if so, where? when? how? Some of you are in college. Some of you are paying the way for the youngsters. Many have been to college � whether they completed it or not. There�s lots of talk about returning to, continuing or leaving college. Some love it, some hate it and some are indifferent. My college story is a little bit different. Not unique, for sure, but not the typical experience. First, I have to go back to high school. I come from a long line of educators, so it was expected that I�d go on to college. I was always a good student, so aptitude wasn�t an issue. However, when I graduated high school at 17, I was living with MyDad. My mother had remarried and moved away. As soon as my graduation ceremony ended, MyDad put the house up for sale and started packing. A couple of months later, he moved to Germany, leaving me behind to start my �adult� life. I believe that�s when I finally graduated from the School of Hard Knocks. That�s a whole different diploma there. Just saying. Priorities suddenly became clear. First up was food, shelter and� well, food and shelter. However, before I could really get a handle on that, I ended up in the hospital (sans insurance) where I had emergency surgery to diagnose an organic (heh) infection. My debt from the School of Hard Knocks? Over $10,000. I�m forever grateful to the taxpayers for footing that bill. FOREVER GRATEFUL. By then, I had turned 18, had a high school diploma, and old but reliable car, and absolutely no work experience, excepting a short stint as a dishwasher (at 15). Finding employment became essential. I started where you start� with a minimum wage paying job at fast food. A couple of years later, I still didn�t know what I wanted to do, but I did have a life altering moment while cleaning the multi-paned windows of a fast food joint. I can still remember it clearly. In fact, since I was cleaning the outside of the windows, I believe I said it out loud. It went like this. I don�t know what I do want to do, but I know what I don�t want to do. I don�t want to do THIS. That�s a defining moment. In order not to do this, and to make some money I could actually live on, I needed an education and more experience. And, let me tell you, I know how to pinch a penny, but I also know that you can only pinch it so hard before it runs away screaming. Really. Oddly though, I was skeered of college. I honestly have no idea why. I was pretty much a straight A student � except for a rough year or so in high school � and got in trouble mostly over my smart mouth, rather than my school work. Hell, MyDad was a teacher. Learning didn�t stop when I left school at the end of the day. Oh no, not at all. Every moment was a learning moment. And, you know, I�m really grateful about that too. Anyway after I started reading a set of encyclopedias to entertain my brain, I decided that I�d first try a night class at a local adult school to see if I could do this �formal� learning thing. I didn�t know what class to take though. However, they had this new invention called an "ATM machine" and I figured that, before long, computers were going to show up in the workplace and in the home. (I probably should�ve been a fortuneteller. Or a gifted weather forecaster.) So, I decided to take a computer class. I was really nervous the first night of class. I hesitantly started the first lesson. A couple of weeks later, I had done the whole course and the teacher started making up new lessons just for me. After I finished those, he called in a youngster he knew who was attending the local community college and studying computer science. Between the two of them, they convinced me that I needed to take computer science classes at said community college (CC). I signed up for a summer course of Computer Logic. I scored 100% on every single sheet of homework, every quiz and every test. If nothing else, I�m logical. Too logical I think, but it has its benefits. Since I still had to continue providing food and shelter for myself, I kept working and took classes at night. To recuperate, I took summers off from school. That�s how my 2-year degree in computer science became a 6-year process. Workwise, I went from fast food to retail (briefly) to an office job. I had a couple of clerical-type jobs before I landed a computer programming gig. I hadn�t completed my degree yet, but back then, a whole lot of people didn�t have degrees. That was when data processing (information systems) was performed by geeks with no social skills. I was their ambassador, translating geek into lay terms, and sometimes, street terms. As the years went by, I realized that I wanted a broader undergraduate degree � more interaction with people and less with the machines. My wonderful boss at the time recommended that I complete an accelerated college program and brought in a student of such to advise me. The college was fully accredited but designed for people who worked fulltime during the day. Under the program, you complete a semester in a month � including the full amount of class time and the equivalent coursework. It was a grueling schedule � 2 nights a week from 5:30pm-10:00pm, one 8-hour Saturday and one 4-hour Saturday. Additionally, for every class, excepting math-related courses, you had to complete a term paper (in 4 weeks), and give a presentation. That stuff was outside of the normal homework, quizzes and tests. Finally, it was EXPENSIVE. Way expensive. But, since I was �old�, �poor� and �smart� (good grades pay off eventually), I received grants that paid about � of the costs. The rest was covered by employers and myself. Of course, I kept my day job to pay for all my normal living expenses. You know, that whole food and shelter issue. However, with the accelerated program, I was able to complete my degree in Business Administration in about 2� years, rather than in 8 years. On a side note, I�m really just a good student. That doesn�t mean that I�m smart though. Just that I love learning, have excellent inborn study skills and a steady dose of self-discipline. Apparently, I wasn�t done learning. I applied to law school. The night program, of course. Then I learned what EXPENSIVE really meant. No scholarships or grants for night students, and it was a private school. I only borrowed enough to pay for tuition and books. I�ll finish paying that off when I�m 65. Or, when I win the lottery. (Note to self: start playing the lottery.) And, that�s with an Honors at Entrance (all first year books paid for) award, and several small scholarships I received due to grades and whatnot. Law school kicked my ass all over the place. As did my day job � I worked at a couple of law firms. In the end though, I did well academically � quite well actually � and gained even more work experience. More importantly, my ego as a student was shattered and then glued back together. In a haphazard kind of way. I might be �educated�, but most of the time, that�s not really evident. It was during this phase that my fibro fully manifested. I was misdiagnosed originally, under-medicated most of the time and experienced some of the most severe pain in my life. But, it was worth it. To me. The education, not the pain. Just to be clear. Ironically, I only attended my high school and law school graduations. I was too busy for my other two graduations. Notwithstanding the fact that I received high honors from the first and graduated summa cum laude with special honors from the second. I really didn�t care about all that because I was worried more about, well� food and shelter. Honors, schmonors. You can�t feed a family, er, I mean me, with fancy pieces of paper. In fact, I�ll lay you odds that I was eating about the time my various classmates were walking the walk. I don�t know for sure, but it�s a good bet. Or maybe sleeping. Could�ve been sleeping. It�s a toss up there. Anyway, I missed all that stuff you guys talk about. No parties, fraternities, sororities, football games, school government, dorm rooms� whatever. I don�t even really know what I missed. But, I�m learning about it from you. That being the universal you. It alternately sounds fun, depressing, cheery, oppressing, stressful, joyful and all kind of stuff I don�t know about. Here�s what I DO know from MY experience: School means a lot more when you�re learning about the field you�re actively working in. When you learn something one night that you have to implement at work the next day, well� it means a lot more. When you either fund, or have to find funding for your education, you tend to pay more attention in class. Math is a lot easier when you�re an adult, working fulltime and running a household. Math is just problem solving. Suddenly, the �word problems� sound really, really familiar. Solve for x? Just x? Not for x, y and z? Seriously?! I could have spent 14 years coming home from work and watching TV. I didn�t and I�m glad. Super stupid people have college, and law, degrees. It�s not all about brains. College seems to be much easier when you�re older. However, [some of] your classmates are more annoying. Super smart people don�t always have degrees. In fact, some of the smartest people on this planet are self-educated. A formal education can be a boost, but it doesn�t make you smart. And, it can make you an arrogant, self-righteous asshole to boot. (I sure hope that last statement was an observation and not a sudden insight.) No roommates = no home problems. (Well, for me. Some of you don�t like to be alone and all.) Working fulltime, going to school at night and running a household is not conducive to love relationships and/or creating a family. It�s possible, of course. But, not typical when you start at 20 and end at 35. This entry is probably the closest you�re gonna get to a �bio� for quite a while. If you�re looking for that, I�d suggest that you just print this out and keep it handy. Cuddle with it, if you want. Just saying. That goes double for you Leebo. Don�t be thinking that I�m gonna give up secrets just because of your good looks. Oh no. Not a chance. Oh, and by the way Leebo, those aren�t gang signs I�m throwing at you. Those are feudal signs, Buddy. Feudal. On a final note, Leebo is probably starting to realize that naming me as his arch-nemesis was a short-sighted move as I can be really annoying. I�m expecting a restraining order at any moment. But, just to note, free speech is a RIGHT in this country, not a crime. Annoying as it may be, it�s not risen to a criminal level. Yet. your thoughts? seed flower