So, the society that has been regulating human behavior for centuries told me that school is important. They also told me post secondary education is the key to bridging success. While I still believe in the extensive benefits of furthering education, I am concerned that the recipe for obtaining success may not be as clear-cut as some might suggest.
With a $40,000 student loan, I feel a far cry from success, and without negating the value I attribute to my undergraduate studies, in some ways I still feel cheated. To, all my academic enthusiasts, I missed the part in your "higher education" slogans that said having a bachelors degree in this day and age can be considered almost analogus to a high school diploma!
Uggh...How frustrating to know I toiled earnestly--4 years of rigorous curriculum to be afforded the same opportunities as high school graduates. Koodoos to OSSD's, but the truth that noone tells you (if they did, I didn't want to believe) is that having a BA with no specialization is simply not enough to be considered competitive in this employment market. Hmm you'll quickly find yourself seated right next to that friendly new immigrant.. (MASH UP MEDIA)
Thank you to my recent LSAT prep course for enlarging this perspective. I was disturbed by my instructor's constant reminder,
"Ok you guys on the LSAT, you must read for structure, not content".
To, me what she was really saying was "Ok guys for the the LSAT you must forsake the tutelage of your undergrad, and begin adapting to a learning style that will really equip you for higher learning".
Four years, several hundred articles and now 1,600 dollars later I am finally learning to read for STRUCTURE. Smh. No one could have copied me on the memo, or was there?
conspiracy in higher learning.....
University, like all other institutions or entities responsible for disseminating information provides you with what they want you to know, and you receive exactly what you pay for; the basics in education. They are not required to provide you with anything more then your money will pay for. A bachelor degree can literally be equated to a basic car wash! Yup I said it... just enough to get you clean, but not enough to really shine. To do that you better get that Ultimate car wash, ---Masters /Phd.
For the purpose of preserving the status quo, we are led to believe that only the smartest of the smart should pursue careers in law or medicine. They plant the idea that standardized testing such as the GMAT, MCAT or LSAT are based on aptitude or natural wit, while in actuality these tests are learnable theories of critical thinking.
It is unfortunate that for most of us, we disqualify ourselves before we even try, assuming we do not have what it takes or that we are just not smart enough. I seek to disspell this myth entirely, God has equipped us with a sound mind, and the ability to do all that our minds conceive. Tests, such as the ones mentioned above historically have been designed to exclude particular groups of individuals. Over priced prep courses offered through private instruction exasperate this disparity; most minorities due to financial constraints cannot even afford to access the resources used by their counterparts to get ahead. And if for those who can afford it, you're often working so hard to pay for it, you barely take any noteworthy advantage.
BUT, this is not for us to despair, while we may not have access to benefits of the elite, we have the profound intellectual capacity to learn and inspire. This, coupled with a strong work ethic, and keen sense of determination will take you beyond your dreams. Life is limit-less, so secure the right opportunities and use the barriers which impede, to motivate your success.
I leave you with, W.E.B Dubois "to know a lie while living its contradiction" is to have a double consciousness.
NDG... sending you love..
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