The "education for education's sake" folks of today are either autodidacts or else so-called, and pejoratively so, "career students." O, the tragedy! the horror! of a person enriching their intellectual and interior life...and not for monetary gain!!
It may be that God has sent you to make Wisdom's way straight in the universities, and here you are on the edges of society, the Substack wilderness, preaching the Gospel of True Education and baptizing them into a better pedagogical way. I'm thankful for your optimism re: the future of universities and I hope that it comes to pass sooner rather than later.
Thought provoking. Thanks to Ben K for bringing me here. I have always wished I could go to school forever just for the sake of learning. I never had a job in mind when I started school, I just dove into what I loved. I suppose I made it through at a good time. It’s sad to me that kids looking at degrees these days are expected to know where they are headed.
Back in the 70s, my dad used his GI Bill benefits from the Navy to get a masters degree in special education. I've always been proud of the fact that he valued both the education he received and finding meaningful work for the benefit of others. It gave us both a decent life (he came out of poverty) and an example to follow.
I feel you man. I kind of went backwards from you. I went to college in my early 20d, living thin so I could pay for it. On paper my parents made too much money, in reality I got no help and was living off of tips at the coffee shop I worked. My state collage was exactly that, a purposeless diploma mill for midwits. I was struggling and getting nothing of intellectual or spiritual value so I quit and joined the military and went on some Afghanistan adventures. I got a better education towards my writing reading between patrols than I ever got in college.
Did you buy any chance come across another Coast Guard cadet in the UP with the surname of Mighell? He would have been serving in the Sault Saint Marie station. I knew his father well, and before he passed at the age of 42, he was one of those "guys" for whom the entire higher education system was a promise that never actually materialized. He spent years working on a bachelors degree at a state college in hopes that he too could get that magic white collar brass ring.
Your writing is special and gorgeous. While I have almost zero in common with you as far as the background of my life, I somehow identify with the spirit of your thoughts and words. Finding hidden talents such as yourself is truly heartening.
This is definitely interesting to read, speaking as someone who went through the university system on the almost opposite end of the spectrum (very old school on a full ride). Most of the students were, of course, simply treating the school as a necessary prerequisite to white-collar work - just something they had to do on their way to a comfortable career in the City. Or perhaps part of their journey to a secure sinecure in the byzantine bureaucracy of higher education.
But there were also plenty of students who chose their degree on academic interest and a love of learning above anything else. We tended to congregate in certain subject areas - plenty in History or Classics, a fair number in Mathematics or Linguistics, almost none in Political Science or Economics. Probably an inverse correlation to the "real-world usefulness" of the degree in question. What was definitely not present was the quiet despair or exhaustion you point to. All of the students were serious, in their own way, and also confident in their ability to succeed. Even the bloated uni administration was largely made up of people who weren't fat and took some pride in their work.
There are some up-and-coming schools that are seeking to return to the pursuit of wisdom instead of straight-up credentialing. One is Luther Classical College, set to open in 2025. Don’t know if you’re a Christian, but the reading list for LCC is amazing.
The "education for education's sake" folks of today are either autodidacts or else so-called, and pejoratively so, "career students." O, the tragedy! the horror! of a person enriching their intellectual and interior life...and not for monetary gain!!
It may be that God has sent you to make Wisdom's way straight in the universities, and here you are on the edges of society, the Substack wilderness, preaching the Gospel of True Education and baptizing them into a better pedagogical way. I'm thankful for your optimism re: the future of universities and I hope that it comes to pass sooner rather than later.
Has anybody commented on the size of that tub for that tiny shack!? What luxury!!
You should write a book
The scene in the admissions office... astounding prose
Thought provoking. Thanks to Ben K for bringing me here. I have always wished I could go to school forever just for the sake of learning. I never had a job in mind when I started school, I just dove into what I loved. I suppose I made it through at a good time. It’s sad to me that kids looking at degrees these days are expected to know where they are headed.
Back in the 70s, my dad used his GI Bill benefits from the Navy to get a masters degree in special education. I've always been proud of the fact that he valued both the education he received and finding meaningful work for the benefit of others. It gave us both a decent life (he came out of poverty) and an example to follow.
Incredibly thoughtful and exquisitely well written. Great job, Andy. I look forward to reading more.
Just a wonderful post again. Recommend https://www.whatwilltheylearn.com/ for those figuring out what colleges are actually providing.
Hi Andy, Knew you on Twitter but quit, so can't reach you there... thought you might really enjoy this book and this author. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1448217245/ more about him here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Graham_(author) cheers
Wow, this is great! Thanks for sharing. Perhaps I'll pick up a copy and review it this winter.
I feel you man. I kind of went backwards from you. I went to college in my early 20d, living thin so I could pay for it. On paper my parents made too much money, in reality I got no help and was living off of tips at the coffee shop I worked. My state collage was exactly that, a purposeless diploma mill for midwits. I was struggling and getting nothing of intellectual or spiritual value so I quit and joined the military and went on some Afghanistan adventures. I got a better education towards my writing reading between patrols than I ever got in college.
Did you buy any chance come across another Coast Guard cadet in the UP with the surname of Mighell? He would have been serving in the Sault Saint Marie station. I knew his father well, and before he passed at the age of 42, he was one of those "guys" for whom the entire higher education system was a promise that never actually materialized. He spent years working on a bachelors degree at a state college in hopes that he too could get that magic white collar brass ring.
Your writing is special and gorgeous. While I have almost zero in common with you as far as the background of my life, I somehow identify with the spirit of your thoughts and words. Finding hidden talents such as yourself is truly heartening.
This is definitely interesting to read, speaking as someone who went through the university system on the almost opposite end of the spectrum (very old school on a full ride). Most of the students were, of course, simply treating the school as a necessary prerequisite to white-collar work - just something they had to do on their way to a comfortable career in the City. Or perhaps part of their journey to a secure sinecure in the byzantine bureaucracy of higher education.
But there were also plenty of students who chose their degree on academic interest and a love of learning above anything else. We tended to congregate in certain subject areas - plenty in History or Classics, a fair number in Mathematics or Linguistics, almost none in Political Science or Economics. Probably an inverse correlation to the "real-world usefulness" of the degree in question. What was definitely not present was the quiet despair or exhaustion you point to. All of the students were serious, in their own way, and also confident in their ability to succeed. Even the bloated uni administration was largely made up of people who weren't fat and took some pride in their work.
Different worlds
Sharing‼️
There are some up-and-coming schools that are seeking to return to the pursuit of wisdom instead of straight-up credentialing. One is Luther Classical College, set to open in 2025. Don’t know if you’re a Christian, but the reading list for LCC is amazing.
https://www.lutherclassical.org/
Also, I really enjoy your writing. Thanks for being here.
I enjoyed this. Thank you for sharing.