Back to School

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Hello!

I'm popping in to share with you all some important news. Do you remember back in July when I said I was looking into going back to school? Well, earlier this year I decided to go back. To many people I know this seemed like a very hasty decision, but I have been looking into it for some time.
This past week I started back at the community college I graduated from back in 2017 with the goal of obtaining an English AA degree for transfer. I'm not sure where I'm going to transfer to yet, (I need to talk to a school counselor), but I'm finally taking steps to getting a BA in English. 
I'm taking four classes:  World Literature, British Literature, Humanities 100,  and Introduction to the American Novel. 
I knew there would be a lot of reading, but I don't think I realized quite how much reading there would be. One class has me reading about a book a week. Now, I love reading. I really do. I was the kid who would sneak away from chores to go read a book, but a book a week is a lot for me when there are three other classes demanding my attention. 
I'm taking this as a new challenge. Instead of being deterred by the amount of work, I'm going to raise my standards and see how much I can take before breaking. No, I'm not crazy. I just like pushing limits in safe ways. I'm not the type to go skydiving, bungee jumping or anything of the sort, but I'll push personal boundaries, seeing how far I can go. Not sure if this is a good thing, but I'm sure I'll find out. 

Autumn is less than a month away! Anyone else excited for cooler weather and everything else that comes along with it?
I'll try popping back in later this month, but if I don't know that I probably got buried under homework and I will return as soon as possible.

Until next time...

-Arysta Henry/ Julia Garcia


Comments

  1. Azelyn KleinSeptember 1, 2020 at 9:04 AM

    I hope school treats you well this semester! Those sounds like some awesome courses. I never took World Literature, and to be honest, I'm a little envious. I am also looking forward to fall, especially for the chance to wear fluffy scarves and plant bulbs in my garden.

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    Replies
    1. Arysta Henry September 1, 2020 at 4:45 PM

      Thank you, Azelyn!
      World Literature is interesting. It's my only class that doesn't have a syllabus so I don't know quite what to expect out of it. We've only had two classes so far and it was mostly just introducing ourselves. We were assigned the book of Genesis from the Bible. I found that super interesting.

      Delete
  2. athenaSeptember 16, 2020 at 10:55 PM

    What is the goal with a BA in English? Not to rain on the parade but you couldn't pay me to go back to college in this cultural climate and I'm glad I got my degrees when I did. You seem religious and unless you're attending a religious college you undoubtedly will be indoctrinated into Marxist thought. It's a given these days and it's especially prevalent in the Humanities, like English. (College professor in the family.) Take the syllabi and read the books yourself. Find others who want to start a book club and read the books with you. If you want to write, you don't need a BA. Get that only if you want to be a professor at a liberal college. I'm serious. Unless you have some goal in mind that you know specifically requires a BA in English, I'd skip it, especially now. And transferring later to a 40-50K per year university? That's madness. Religious schools are even pricier. You'll learn more from reading great writers than paying people to indoctrinate you into leftist ideologies.

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    1. Arysta Henry September 22, 2020 at 4:43 PM

      Hi Athena,

      So answering your question, the jobs I'm currently looking at require me to have a BA in any subject, some particularly in English. I'm looking at tutoring and editing jobs specifically, but there are a host of other jobs that require a BA. I do want to write, but like you said, I'm not going for a BA to qualify me to write. I'm doing it for other reasons.

      Delete
  3. athenaDecember 9, 2020 at 6:40 PM

    I have worked in both of those fields and they're not particularly well-paying jobs. To walk away from a four-year college in debt up to one's eyeballs all for some relatively low-paying jobs seems like a risky proposition. You could start your own online business and completely bypass the BA hamster wheel. Maybe do creative writing camps for kids, Zoom style, or in real life if you keep the numbers low--just for one idea. I know two people who do camps for kids, even now during the virus, and make good money because parents are desperate to find activities for their kids to do! Why saddle yourself with SO much debt to get a degree for some relatively low-paying careers? Traditional publishing is essentially dead or dying with more and more authors self-publishing so the editor's role is greatly diminished, if not non-existent. Tutors make about $25 an hour but that will likely not be a full-time gig. You will find your faith coming under attack at a four-year college, undoubtedly, and may even find your grades penalized if you take a contrarian stand or oppose the professor's postmodern progressive narrative. Good grades will require compromising your principles. Sticking to your principles could mean bad grades and a low GPA when all is said and done. (And that’s your best case scenario.)

    It’s best in this climate to make your own way, independent from the "need" of a BA. You don't "need" a BA. Find a way to start your own business, using the skills and passions you already have. My opinion, of course, but I know whereof I speak. You need to have a more realistic view of what higher education is really like these days. You WILL be indoctrinated into socialism, Marxism/communism, critical race theory, etc, even if you don’t think you will. That’s the goal of college these days. Anyone encouraging you to go this route has no idea what’s going on out there in higher education. It’s ideologically dangerous at best and physically dangerous at worst. (I mean, you’ve seen 2020, right? It’s not getting better anytime soon.) I’m sure this isn’t what you’d like to hear but it’s good advice based on solid knowledge and experience. Making your own way means you’re not dependent on a boss. Be your own boss and bypass the machine.

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    Replies
    1. Arysta Henry December 10, 2020 at 12:26 PM

      Athena,
      Thank you for your advice. I promise, I will definitely take it into consideration. I'd like more than anything to be my own boss and bypass college so I will look further into it. I've already met some opposition to my beliefs, but they've produced good and respectful conversation,but I know what you mean.
      Thanks again for your time. I appreciate it.

      Delete

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