Back to School

The school across the street started the 2004/5 school year today. Some schools in the state started a week or more ago. This seems very early to me; when I was a kid, we didn't start till after Labor Day. In fact, the school system I went through (in State College, PA) still starts the day after Labor Day.

Several people were talking about this at the Company Where I Work today. We all remembered starting later when we were kids.

In honor of the occasion (across the street if not in Central Pennsylvania) I thought today would be appropriate to respond to a web meme from a few months ago. This was posted in the Saturday Slant on May 1, 2004:

You’ve been offered a full college/university grant, all expenses paid, for the school and study program of your choice. You can go to any school, anywhere, and study anything you want, without a single cent out of pocket for education, materials, or cost of living. Would you take the offer? Where would you go? What would you learn? Would you pursue a course of study related to your current occupation, or would you explore something all together new? Get your pencils and notebooks, let’s go back to school.

It's funny; I used to rather like school. I went through 12 years of public school, followed by 4 years of College, half a year of a graduate (MS) program in Forensic Science, and two years of a graduate program in Microbiology. Then I got out with an M.S. in Micro.

Sometime later, someone asked if I would ever consider going back for a PhD and I quipped "Only if they offered me a non-thesis option". As the years have passed, I realize that I have vanishingly small interest in going back to school for anything.

Spouse and self took some American Sign Language classes at the loval Community College back in 1985-86. I took them for credit, even though the credits didn't mean anything to me. Rich took them Pass/Fail. I didn't mind the credit aspect but what I did mind was the location. It really took me a while to get used to sitting in a College classroom. I had to make some psychological adjustments. I really Did Not Like being there.

I "did" school. As long as I stayed in the system, I probably could have stayed longer. But once I got out, I realized I do not want to go back. I don't want to make the time that a study program would require; I don't have the stamina or the interest any more. I have other things I would rather be doing. Even if I didn't have to work for a living, I can't imagine a reason for my wanting to go back to school. That chapter in my life is closed.

Back to School ( in category Gemisch/Gallimaufry , Memes & Prompts ) - posted at Tue, 31 Aug, 16:42 Pacific | «e»