Higher Educaton

by franklin J 32 Replies latest jw friends

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  DevonMcBride

  My JW friends sister received a scholarship to attend Penn State Unversity and she turned it down. Idiot!

  Devon
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  Lutece

  Never has this been such a sore subject for me than it is now. I work so hard trying to support myself and I've come a long way learning on my own, but much of the struggle is caused by lack of a college degree. I have all kinds of strengths and experience, but some employers won't even give you an interview if you don't have a degree. This is for work where it's not necessary to do the job, but they prefer to see you wanted to "better yourself" I guess. I was completely discouraged from even thinking about college and even though I was considered "gifted" by several teachers when I was younger, I was never told to dream of a career, that the system wouldn't last long enough to worry about such a thing.

  Now, I realize I could go to school now, but it's just not practical. I'm raising two children and just starting to see an increase in my freelance work, so it's going to get better, but this year has been hard emotionally. I work three times as hard and see less results, it's enough to make you doubt yourself, especially when you don't have the college degree that seems to be included in every job posting (even for the simplest of positions). I write for my local newspaper and have a column with them, create and maintain websites for large businesses and other writing assignments as I can get them. I've done that on my own, out of a desire to succeed. I'm just sick thinking of how it might have been had I been encouraged and supported by family, friends and dubs to "be all I could be". I was sitting at a black tie affair last evening where the guest speakers were James Carville and Mary Matalin. I was a reporter and I was able to interview them. I had to ask questions about their books and other non-political topics because I didn't want to show my ignorance of politics (another thing I never developed a taste for due to my jw upbringing). Not that I blame this totally on being a dub, but it certainly put a mental block in place for me where politics are concerned. Later in the evening, I was sitting with the other reporters from the tv news and a radio station and everyone was talking about their college and joking about something (I missed the first part of the conversation) and I laughed at someone's comment and he asked me what school I went to. I suddenly felt small (and usually I don't let things bother me like that) but I just said "school of life baby". Turns out our honoree for the event never even graduated high school and he turned out to be a very successful area businessman. Hearing about his determination, hard work and believing in himself, it was a great reminder to me that it's what you do with what you have that's important. Thanks for letting me spill all of this out, feels good to share.........

  Anne
• 

  DanTheMan

  four years of education packed into two with a value of zero.

  brilliant take on home-schooling, Stacy Smith. You're pretty darn sharp for a 20 year old.

  There was a KM article that came out a few years before I left about higher education. It was sooo heavy-handed about the only acceptable reason to go for higher education being so that one can "do more" down the road. It was one of those bullying articles that got me thinking...
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  Mutz

  Hew nedes hyer ejukashun wen tha wotchtowar and awayk kontayns tha ekwivalant of a digree korse??? :)
• 

  herk

  Anne,

  Thanks for your post. You write in a way that touches the heart. Your story is very much like my own. I'm sure it's like that of many others. God bless you for your fine attitude while putting up with the hardships. Like you, I appreciate the example of the honoree who became successful despite the setback of not having a college education. I wish I was there when you interviewed Carville and Matalin. Despite their sharp political differences, I think they're both delightful persons who really know how to stimulate an audience.

  Herk
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  Joker10

  There are many studies, but one JW-only study DID show that they are more likely to be high school graduates.
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  Phantom Stranger

  That study must have included GED and Home Study certs, if it wasn't done before the trend towards home study.

  All of the JWs I knew who bailed on high school for pioneering, etc., passed their GED, to statistically I think they cound as HS grads.
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  Joker10

  The average Witness with only a high school education is probably better educated than others with similar amounts of schooling, because Witness children are very shaped-up, and are expected to study and get good grades. This is supported by performances on the 10-word vocabulary test included in the General Social Surveys. Active Witnesses score as well on this test as do members of the general population who have attended college and almost as well as those who have graduated?inactive Witnesses do not perform nearly as well. In addition to being better students when they are in school, this may also reflect the emphasis the Witnesses place on speaking and writing. Observers believe that Witnesses in Africa and Latin America are substantially bettereducated, and more apt to have technical training than the average citizen

  (Penton, 1985: 273).
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  proudassmonkey

  Witness children are very shaped-up, and are expected to study and get good grades

  i was expected to study the watchtower. never for school
• 

  herk

  Joker,

  You're due an apology in that this post as I originally wrote it mistakenly attributed to you something that Penton had written. Nevertheless, I do think the way you express yourself generally is inconsistent with your view that you receive superior guidance from the WT Society pertaining to secular education.

  Herk