Not right now, as I’m broker than broke. The bureaucratic nightmare of reapplying for federal aid, necessary loans, to schools, the possibility that I’m still not mentally capable enough, not willful enough to overcome my disabilities in order to thrive in a learning environment… Higher education in the U.S. is also just such a racket. International schools still charge absurd prices for foreigners, especially from the U.S., because they know they can. There are so many universities to choose from, some programs deemed more prestigious than others, some degrees that mean everything and some that mean utterly nothing. It’s a chaotic, confusing mess and I’m mortified of the prospect of dealing with it again.
On the other hand, I need a goal. A purpose. Passion. Something to move me forward rather than just being stuck in a dead end job I can barely tolerate just to continue living paycheck to paycheck. When I first tried college, I studied anthropology and I loved it. I just couldn’t keep up with the course work, or the physical labor of getting to class every day (20 minute walk to and from class, had class ~3 times a day, all hours apart). I became an alcoholic and barely made it out alive… by flunking out. I also absolutely despise gen-ed courses like algebra, science, etc. when they don’t specifically pertain to my field of study and it makes it very difficult to stay motivated to not fail out of them.
Idk. I have ideas brewing in my head about what I could do with a degree, specifically an Anthropology-Korean dual major, or anthro major Korean minor. I could write a counter-ethnography dispelling the hegemonic western, liberal orientalism regarding the DPRK from shit like “The Cleanest Race”, with specific interest in DPRKorea’s nuclear program and the way the people view it, especially when it comes to their nuclear power outside of the purview of western mouthpieces, like the nuclear power electrifying their nation. But I’m also a white Amerikan. Do we need more white Amerikans writing ethnographies? Could I accidentally wind up contributing to the orientalist hegemon I despise so much? At a personal level, could I even survive if I pursued this path, or would I simply die a destitute, ridiculed anthropologist?
Just something I’ve been thinking about. I’d like to know comrades’ thoughts.
Oh it’s disgusting. I was just thinking about it. As a younger person I wanted to hang low and get the f out of amerikkka in time, but I was disrupted by adults like that, they don’t respect my wishes.
And it’s been a very painful thing. They don’t get what they want from me, there is no way for them to do that as I have absolutely not allowed it.
And I get nothing productive for myself. Think of all the better things you can do with that sort of money and time.
Boomers need to understand it’s not the 60s anymore. Unless you have connections or are super lucky it’s a losing game. I’ve come across articles that show even STEM grads are having a hard time finding jobs. Keep standing your ground and living your best life G 💪
Gary Roth talks about this problem in The Educated Underclass: Students and the False Promise of Social Mobility if anyone needs some academic research to prove how bad the situation is.
Another thing that winds me up is that in that time of growth in the West, boomers were able to do well without a degree. A degree / trade qualifications just decided how cushy the job was.
Thanks for that, I’ll keep that on hand if I ever need to dunk on some boomers lol.
Yeah they really had it made, so much so that they never had to learn anything else and are mentally stuck in those times, telling young people to " just get a job" as if that will solve all their problems. It’s infuriating.
it’s my feeling that the boomers have lost their right to run society now, they can have some advisory roles but most of the time they are just full of it, regressives
The future belongs to those who want to make a better world for humanity and the planet, and if boomers are onboard with that great, if not they need to retire!