We're all in the same boat, and Robin, that was a great reflection!
I found myself identifying with each of the four stages, even though I'm not self-employed, nor an artist. For me, the biggest advantage of leaving academia is the opportunity to focus on our personal growth and development. Academia and the industry force us to be specialists, but the world outside demands us to be generalists and polymaths.
“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.” — Robert Heinlein
i'm currently a philosophy student, neck deep in reading assignments, but the question of what happens after i graduate has been haunting me for quite a while now. i just know i'm going to miss pure philosophy discussions and seminars, and that kind of academic rigor in the classroom.
that being said, i'm still looking forward to how my studies develop after i complete my degree. what sort of systems would i develop to incorporate learning into every day life? how would i learn to prioritize my responsibilities? all good stuff that i haven't quite got a handle on.
A wonderful piece of writing and something that I could relate to as well. I passed my driving test last year at the age of 54, after my wife decided that I needed to do it. I had already passed my motorcycle cycle test 12 years previously and thought that it was all I needed.
At present my time is spent either working or studying for various professional certifications, which leaves precious little time for anything else, there is a part of me that would love to retire and spend my days sitting in coffee shops reading or jotting down my thoughts in a notebook in preparation for writing a literary masterpiece but, for now at least it will have to remain a dream.
Wonderfully written, unexpectedly relatable to the some of the finest details. This earned a little cackle when I got to the part about gaslighting yourself into never driving - I, too, only got my license at 24 after lying to myself that I would never drive those coffins on wheels anywhere ever. A clear post-academia mind & a decent amount of money later that changed drastically; the whole ordeal coincided with what I believe to be my beginning of life-long learning. Reading this felt like reading my own thoughts and I thank you for it. I may revisit it when I'm stuck romanticizing my university days again. Best of luck on your learning journey. I would for sure love to hear more about it in the future :)
Agree with the "worth of academia" narrative. One of the biggest accomplishments of my studies was the change in mindset. In my non academia family there was a mindset of: "You can't do this, so you can't do that" or "I don't know how to do this". At university I learned: Well, you cannot do it yet, but let's sit down and think about this issue, how could we solve it? What would be a plausible way? How could the mechanics of this puzzle must likely function? Can you read about it? Is there a source? Can you ask someone?
Basically: A can do attitude. A friend of me said: I used to say "I cannot do it". Nowadays I say" I cannot do it, yet"
I remember the 1st time visiting an airport and there was a picture of the tower: serious white collar men in shirts with headphones and a desk full of screens and lights in front of a bluish evening sky while big planes are coming in. I was baffled, I wanted to be an air traffic controller! So I told my dad and he looked at me worried and said: "Well, but for this you need to speak English!" and I was like: Damn, if I only could speak English... Well, what can you do.
This haunts my parents until today, subtle, in so many areas of their life. This: But I can't do it! Attitude. From times to times I tell them: but did you try? Or I coach them a bit: sure you can, come on, let's do it together.
I tell my daughter: You can to almost everything. It is just work.
But remember: being able to do something does not mean that you are entitled to do it. You can learn how to be an astronaut, but to get out of space you need the support of other people. And THIS you do not learn much in academia. Character development, networking etc. My biggest after academia learning field.
Academia is great but you cannot learn how to life a good life at the University.
Well... Maybe still mostly in the field of philosophy, though :)
I'm 22 and still don't have my license... my excuse is I'm hoping to travel for the next three years... driving is a problem for future me... graduating next month and I'm very sacred :)
We're all in the same boat, and Robin, that was a great reflection!
I found myself identifying with each of the four stages, even though I'm not self-employed, nor an artist. For me, the biggest advantage of leaving academia is the opportunity to focus on our personal growth and development. Academia and the industry force us to be specialists, but the world outside demands us to be generalists and polymaths.
“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.” — Robert Heinlein
i'm currently a philosophy student, neck deep in reading assignments, but the question of what happens after i graduate has been haunting me for quite a while now. i just know i'm going to miss pure philosophy discussions and seminars, and that kind of academic rigor in the classroom.
that being said, i'm still looking forward to how my studies develop after i complete my degree. what sort of systems would i develop to incorporate learning into every day life? how would i learn to prioritize my responsibilities? all good stuff that i haven't quite got a handle on.
A wonderful piece of writing and something that I could relate to as well. I passed my driving test last year at the age of 54, after my wife decided that I needed to do it. I had already passed my motorcycle cycle test 12 years previously and thought that it was all I needed.
At present my time is spent either working or studying for various professional certifications, which leaves precious little time for anything else, there is a part of me that would love to retire and spend my days sitting in coffee shops reading or jotting down my thoughts in a notebook in preparation for writing a literary masterpiece but, for now at least it will have to remain a dream.
Wonderfully written, unexpectedly relatable to the some of the finest details. This earned a little cackle when I got to the part about gaslighting yourself into never driving - I, too, only got my license at 24 after lying to myself that I would never drive those coffins on wheels anywhere ever. A clear post-academia mind & a decent amount of money later that changed drastically; the whole ordeal coincided with what I believe to be my beginning of life-long learning. Reading this felt like reading my own thoughts and I thank you for it. I may revisit it when I'm stuck romanticizing my university days again. Best of luck on your learning journey. I would for sure love to hear more about it in the future :)
Agree with the "worth of academia" narrative. One of the biggest accomplishments of my studies was the change in mindset. In my non academia family there was a mindset of: "You can't do this, so you can't do that" or "I don't know how to do this". At university I learned: Well, you cannot do it yet, but let's sit down and think about this issue, how could we solve it? What would be a plausible way? How could the mechanics of this puzzle must likely function? Can you read about it? Is there a source? Can you ask someone?
Basically: A can do attitude. A friend of me said: I used to say "I cannot do it". Nowadays I say" I cannot do it, yet"
I remember the 1st time visiting an airport and there was a picture of the tower: serious white collar men in shirts with headphones and a desk full of screens and lights in front of a bluish evening sky while big planes are coming in. I was baffled, I wanted to be an air traffic controller! So I told my dad and he looked at me worried and said: "Well, but for this you need to speak English!" and I was like: Damn, if I only could speak English... Well, what can you do.
This haunts my parents until today, subtle, in so many areas of their life. This: But I can't do it! Attitude. From times to times I tell them: but did you try? Or I coach them a bit: sure you can, come on, let's do it together.
I tell my daughter: You can to almost everything. It is just work.
But remember: being able to do something does not mean that you are entitled to do it. You can learn how to be an astronaut, but to get out of space you need the support of other people. And THIS you do not learn much in academia. Character development, networking etc. My biggest after academia learning field.
Academia is great but you cannot learn how to life a good life at the University.
Well... Maybe still mostly in the field of philosophy, though :)
I'm 22 and still don't have my license... my excuse is I'm hoping to travel for the next three years... driving is a problem for future me... graduating next month and I'm very sacred :)