SO I completed my first two weeks back in school. It felt like getting punched in the brain. For eight hours straight.
I decided to enroll for higher education in the hopes that it would equip me more for the technical, business side of things, which I admit I am very poor at. I had previously dabbled in many other things (a writing workshop here, a cooking class there), but this was my first real attempt enrolling for a master’s degree that both applies to my course and applies to the work I’m currently in.
Let me tell you, when I got the first class assignment, there was much internal screaming going on. I had been un-educated for so long I guess I’m dazed by having to, once again, set aside a chunk of my time to do research and synthesis. For all the students reading this, I feel your pain again; assignments should be outlawed in any form. It does nothing but destroy the student’s psyche and turn them against each other Lord of the Flies-style. (If it wasn’t obvious, I’m kidding.)
If you’re my professor and have just stumbled onto this article, I just have to say: Prof, it’s not you, it’s me. I’m the one with the baggage. Cool-off lang tayo. Pwede pa ako magbabago.
All kidding aside, I liked that the atmosphere was very collaborative; we all wanted to siphon as much as we could from our different industries and see what we could apply to our line of work. Even if I was one of the youngest in the class, I’m glad my classmates were very accommodating. Personally, I’m thankful for that; I don’t have the time or the wherewithal to engage in “I’m better than you” competitions with anyone.
I was extremely excited to be the dumbest person in the room. Yes, dumbest, for all you who think I didn’t get that right. With the broadness of experience all my classmates showed, I was prepared to just shut up and absorb it all, but class participation is part of my grade. I’m approaching this with an “empty cup” mindset; I dump out all I think I know in order to open myself up to new experiences and insights.
All in all, if I can take home one or two “nuggets” every single class, I think I win already. There’s still a long way to go before I can say “I graduated—again.” But I plan on enjoying this every step of the way.
Well, at least until we get to Accounting class. Then my classmates will see that, like Jon Snow, I really know nothing.