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Posted

So here is my situation:

 

I currently work a time consuming job 50 hours a week on average at a 60-65K salary in the midwest.  I turn 29 in a month, and I recently just had some life chaning expereinces that made me realize that going for a B.A. in the liberal arts would be a foolish way to spend the next few years of my limited off time. I also certainly have no intention of doing a B.A. in the liberal arts in my 30s.  God, how depressing!  I have an assoicates from a college that covers all the gen ed requiremtns and a foundation for science majors (did 2 semesters of Calc and some physical geography).  I'm quite happy with that achievement.  Currently I'm at a huge state school (20,000 plus students) that is not even in the top 100 in the country.  I have no intentions of ever returning to this school in my life due to rising tuition costs and my age. 

 

So here is the kicker, I've been trying tooth and nail to get my classes withdrawn (past the withdrawal date), supporting even letter heads from my work stating a change in work hours.  Yet the administration at the University denied my appeal.  Needless to say, this had me tensed up for a while.  But why should this be?  If this were Wal-Mart University, would I really care?  Of course not.  Why do I care so much about this?  I know it's not rational to go with this education path, so why would I limit myself to 4 hours of sleep and hardship for something that has no future? 

 

Thoughts or insights?

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

When I feel this type of anxiety take hold I think about the movie fight club and think about how hard it must have been to have let go. The scene where tyler durden asks everyone in the car what they wanted to do when they grew up, and how jack faught to get the wheel from tyler.

 

I am married and have a three year old child. I work tirelessly in IT paid half because I need the experience. I am enrolled in a career college (think devry) in a bachelor's program. I understand your pain, yet it feels like that self destructive letting go of the wheel will bring a new world of opportunity.

 

If they choose to deny you that, what other choices lie hidden deep in the cracks. What sunk costs are hiding hidden costs. I know the only thing holding me back is fear of the unknown.

If you want to get deep in thought one day, draw a matrix of all the possibilities you forgo when you attende school. There is mastery hours of doing something, moneuu you can earn in the here and now. It just takes seeing it.

Posted

So are you looking for a refund from the college?  Is that your complaint?  It's not clear from your post.

 

If that's the case, you shouldn't burn stress over the money.  It's a triple-penalty, you lose the money, you don't get the classes and you get to be stressed and tired.  Try to drop the last to minimize your losses.    You don't want the classes so that's fine.  If you want to try and get the money, pester the university with constant requests and appeals but don't expect much.  Do so heartlessly with just the intention to annoy.

 

Or if they haven't invoiced you, consider just not paying.

 

On the college decision in general, a liberal arts degree only gets you your first entry level job and then nobody ever cares about it.  So unless you crave the knowledge (and college isn't a great place to acquire knowledge) than just happily bail.

 

IMO.

Posted

Oh, refunds only happen in the first 2-3 weeks, and even then it's not a full refund.  Yeah, it's 4,000 out the window, which is about 3-4 weeks of pay.  It is a bitter defeat, but seeing the results from others who were ruined by the humanities, I think I got off pretty easily. 

 

I've seen the grad students and seniors debate at the university, and I'm not very impressed.  I was only really in awe when attending the lectures on metaphysics and language by professors.  Scary smart.  Then again, why are Harvard doctorates teaching at a lowly ranked state school that admits just about anybody? 

Posted

 I was only really in awe when attending the lectures on metaphysics and language by professors.  Scary smart.  Then again, why are Harvard doctorates teaching at a lowly ranked state school that admits just about anybody? 

 

That's the only job they can get!  If Harvard releases x many scholars on metaphysics every year and the one Harvard position is taken, they have to teach elsewhere.  There's not much market demand for metaphysics except at churches.

Losing $4K isn't bad.  It's crummy but isn't enough to change anybody's life here in the US.  Easily survivable.

 

I just sold my house for $125K less than I paid.  Once it's gone, you probably won't miss it.

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