Degrees...

Topic for the morning: degrees.

Does having a degree make someone: Smarter? More knowledgeable? Have a higher IQ? More responsible? More educated? More well rounded?

I don't have a college degree, in fact, I dropped out of high school the DAY I turned 17. So, I missed out on nearly 3 years of high school - THREE YEARS. When I started college four years later I placed in college classes. What exactly did I miss? I mean, high school is suppose to prep you for college, right? Yet, I hardly went to high school and still made it directly into college - again, what did I miss? What were they going to teach me that I "needed" for college? Apparently nothing.

Then, let's go a step further...

College degrees. Don't get me wrong, people who go through college and get institutionally educated - yay you!!! I'm not saying it's a waste of time, money or emotional investment - I'm just saying it's not for everyone. Also: don't get me wrong, I think there are specialized fields that one MUST be institutionally educated for, such as medicine. Obviously, I'm not making a statement and assuming it applies to everything or everyone.

I work in corporate America. I meet with executives. I analyze multi million dollar transactions. I analyze market quotes and ensure we are within limits. I mean, where would a degree have benefited me?

If you asked me when I was 9 - 12 years old what I wanted to be I would have told you a writer; asked me when I was 14 I would have told you an aeronautical engineer; asked me when I was 19 I wanted to join the Navy; asked me when I was 20 I simply wanted to travel the world and be a citizen of the universe; asked me when I was 25 I wanted to travel the US exposing the political opinions of people (with Tammy :)); asked me when I was 26 I wanted to run my own IT business so I could live on the beach in Cozumel (again with Tammy - yay MOTI :)); when I was 33 I wanted run my own greeting card company and make them all artistically by hand; ask me now that I'm 35 I just want to be happy, a writer and live my life to the fullest.

When I was little I remember thinking to myself: My goal in life is to be able to hold a conversation people from every facet of life.

Have I achieved this? I think so.

I think back through all the experiences in my life and I was able to do some pretty cool stuff. Traveled so much when I was younger. Worked in great places and met some awesome people. At no point in my life did I feel the "great need" to get a degree. I went to school and started because I simply love learning - LOVE IT!!! but the degree was never a goal to fulfill me. I enjoyed taking classes in college that made me happy and I wanted to learn about - I could be a professional student - ha!

I never felt that an institution should grade my intelligence. I don't know why. I feel like my life experiences with my constant need to learn provides me a well balanced status that many will never get to obtain. Am I weird for this?

I think anyone can read a book and take a test, and do it over and over again until they have reached their mark - 120+ hours. And you know what, I have bought calculus books from Barnes and Noble and read them at home because it interests me - not because I have to. Or read about literature and philosophy - because they INTEREST me. Even economics interests me. I learn to truly learn - when I learn something it pretty much sticks, I don't learn to pass some paper test. I learn to build my knowledge base in life. I also learn through experiences. I learn from cultures and religions. Not just books. Books can't put it all in there :(

I know that through my corporate career I was passed up for promotions because I didn't have a degree and the hiring manager found out quickly that the one with the degree was a dumb ass - in fact the manager's husband said that when you look into her eyes all you can see is the back of her head...hmmm. This passing of the lenster happened on many occasions and it was a little frustrating but I realized that it is what it is.

I can't make people look at me differently and that's okay. I know at the end of the day that my lack of degree doesn't give me a deficiency.

I am extremely smart, knowledgeable, high IQ'd, responsible, educated and well rounded. AND I can sit at the table with people from any facet of life and hold a great conversation. The beauty of it all is that attained all this through my own desire not because I paid someone to teach me. Desire - maybe I can get a degree in desire :) Now that I have a PHD.

Anyhoo - education come from many factions: books, experience, common sense, etc. I can't judge someone by a piece of paper on the wall.