Sean's Schooling

S

econdary Education – English: my major. I made a promise to someone some months ago that I would get back to school. It was a promise I’d made to several people over the years since high school and put off again and again for various “reasons”. It wasn’t until I made this last promise that I realized truthfully that I didn’t have reasons for putting it off, but excuses.

My opinion of school and education in the United States is well-documented. I’m vocal in my dislike of the entire system—school in the United States does nothing to evolve the mind and mental capacity of our youth. But there are avenues offered by college that aren’t offered to the ordinary citizen, and these avenues provide a rich experience for the studious.

Being back in school is both painful and a joy. The costs of education and the financial anchoring of the student should be a crime. It is extortion; it is robbery; it is bribery; it is homicide. Financial Aid offers benefits, a little ease, but you’re still responsible for the cost of education. There are systems in school and Financial Aid that can leave you worse off by not telling you everything upfront knowing they’re protected just by telling you after the fact. Many people are unaware that they can refuse any Financial Aid they’re awarded and do not need or will not use.

I’m a full-time student. My schedule covers Psychology, Algebra & Statistics, Education 101, Education 102 (Field Experience), and English 101 (Distance Learning). For all of the things I enjoy about my college experience—I’m equally as frustrated.

I enjoy Psychology and everything it entails. I dislike Algebra & Statistics and the unbelievable repetitiveness of the content. I love Education 101, although I feel at times I’m being told bold-faced lies. I’m not yet even started with Education 102 but I am looking forward to it. English 101 is a mix of enjoyable and unpleasant; enjoyable because the focus is writing and unpleasant because the focus is often-times on evaluative reading & writing.

The things I disliked about grade school are still prevalent—the repetitive work; the unpleasant focus on evaluative reading & writing with works and topics I have very little interest in. Yet I understand not everything we’ll ever encounter as readers, writers, or any other profession will be enjoyable.

However, I enjoy the environment and the casual relation you can develop with a professor. Foul language can be as prevalent as clean language and you can laugh and feel comfortable. I enjoy the scheduling being able to fit my own wants opposed to the strictly suitable for staff in grade schools. There’s a comfortable nature that is missing from K-12 in the United States, and you can find it in college.

Secondary Education – English is my major. My focus is on becoming an English teacher in a high school, and eventually earning my professorship. My goal is to educate, not school. If that means deviating from the curriculum which I’ve been told is permitted if an approach is approved, then so be it. My degree is Secondary EDUCATION – English. And you’ll learn here on Don’t Laugh, People in the coming days that Education is a goal Han & Luke strive for.