Dropping Out »

It may take me another 2+ years to graduate from college.

I’ve been a bit frustrated for years now. Though doing things I enjoy, I feel like my life and passions have been on hold so I can do the responsible thing. I want to finish what I start, and I want to help people, and I want to do it right. I basically put college on hold for two years to co-lead FnC–I couldn’t take upper-level classes at the time because I didn’t have enough time for more intense study or research. Then I got a full time job so I could afford to get married and subsequently start a family. Throughout it all, I’ve tried to balance school with the goal of getting a degree, and all along the way my writing has been on the back burner. It was what I ultimately wanted to focus on, but these other necessities took precedence.

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By
Matthew – Oct. 21st, 2009

Dropping Out – Part 2 »

When April and I were first getting together (longer ago than I thought… 4 years now? 4.5?), I was questioning the value of a college degree. I had decided to pursue a career with Computer Services at Missouri State University, and the IT industry doesn’t seem to care a whole lot for degrees. Experience and knowledge were important, and demonstrable expertise were far more valuable than a degree or even a certification. Therefore, I was considering laying off the diploma-track and pursuing certs to make myself more attractive to Computer Services.

April was adamantly against that pursuit. As she put it last night, until very recently she has had the college diploma on a pedestal. People ought to pursue and achieve it, and those that didn’t were worse for it. I pressed her on this years ago, pointing out people who were perfectly happy and content to work jobs where a degree was not required, and I asked why, in their cases, should they get a degree? She didn’t have an answer, but maintained it was important.

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By
Matthew – Oct. 22nd, 2009

Dropping Out – Part 3 – Conclusion »

I believe in taking responsibility for myself, so I recognize that this situation is no one’s fault but my own. I failed to read the degree audit correctly, and I failed to ask for help sooner. That being said, I don’t think there were many options for helping me–the classes I needed weren’t offered at night, and if I had realized three or four years ago that I needed so many upper-level classes and that they would only be available during the day, I’d have quit college as soon as I got a full time job.

I met with my advisor earlier, which was really helpful. As frustrated as I am with all this, it is difficult to see anything other than black or white. Either I can drop out, or I can put my nose to the grindstone and push through two more years of classes in which I am not interested in, wasting my time. Lora proposed a middle-way.

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By
Matthew – Oct. 22nd, 2009

Do we all need a college degree? »

Frustrated by an employee’s pointed questions about my studies, I spent some time writing and exploring my own thoughts on the subject. This blog entry is the result.

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By
Matthew – Nov. 23rd, 2009

The Writer’s Circle »

At a reading last Friday, I caught a glimpse of what might have been if my choices had been different than they were. I’m not sure I would have been ultimately happy, but I perhaps would have been more content than I am now.

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Games
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degree, education, future, Poetry, possibilities, reading, religion, writing
By
Matthew – Nov. 25th, 2009

So long, Heartbreak. Hello Dreams! »

I realized tonight that it is simply not worth it to keep deferring my dreams for little to no return on that investment. My time is more valuable spent elsewhere.

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By
Matthew – Feb. 9th, 2010

One of my fears »

I don’t want to be this guy. I don’t want this to be my life. I want to pursue my life, and soul, and happiness with the time I have, now, not later.

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By
Matthew – Mar. 1st, 2010