OT: College

From: Dwight Elvey <elvey_at_hal.com>
Date: Thu Jun 29 23:45:45 2000

Sellam Ismail <foo_at_siconic.com> wrote:
> On Thu, 29 Jun 2000, Stan Sieler wrote:
>
> > Re:
> > > While I work as a non-degreed engineer, without personal
> > ...
> > > Find a way to stay in school.
> >
> > Agreed. While I'd hire Dwight in an instant (if we were hiring),
> > and while we have at least 2/5 of our programmers who don't have
> > college degrees, I'd say: get that degree!
>
> Aw, this is all hooey. If you do go to college, study cool stuff like
> philosophy, literature, the physical sciences, psychology, math... And of
> course party a lot and chase after your prefered sex.

Hi
 I guess I'd have to put more emphasis of taking courses that
you thought mattered over getting the degree. I don't know if
I'd choose the same things that Sellam would choose but then
he isn't me and I'm not him. I think he would still choose the
right things because he felt they were right and not because some
idiot consoler thought they were right.
 I should have noted that although I take extension courses, I
don't take them for credit. I'm not there for a A or a C. I'm
there for the understanding that I feel will make me better able
to deal with the things I come across. I know when I am making
progress or not, the grade doesn't. That is why it is important
to realize that the things that are right for Sellam may not
be right for me. I wouldn't tell him what was right for him
but I might show him the path that I found.
 The point is, don't stay in college for the degree. It does
have some value but if that is the only reason you are staying
there, it isn't a good enough reason. It may get you a job,
that you may not have even been interviewed for otherwise but you are
not likely to stay at that job for long. One of two things will happen.
You will either realize that isn't what you wanted or your employer
will realize that you were not what they wanted.
 Don't stay in college because I told you so. I just think that
you are missing the real reason for being there. I just suggest
that you look for that reason before you make other judgments.
If you treat college like a chance to look into those thing that
you feel will expand yourself, you can't loose. The rewords
of learning go way beyond monetary gains.
 Find what knowledge you are looking for in college and take course
towards that goal. If you happen to get a degree along the way,
OK fine. If not, you still have the knowledge.
 Just an opinion and most have one.
Dwight
Received on Thu Jun 29 2000 - 23:45:45 BST