Liberal Arts v. Trade Schools

No job offers yet. I guess there’s still time. In the meantime, I question if I made a mistake with my liberal arts degree. Would I have been better off getting a specialized or vocational degree? Would I look good in plumber overalls? Hell yea!

Liberal Arts degrees provide students with an overall education. It prepares them not just for their career, but for the world. No one likes being forced to take Intermediate Statistics or Child Psychology if they are a biology major; however, by knowing more than their core subject, they are better equipped to be a well-rounded citizen.

Trade schools or universities with no general education component prepare students for a specific career track.  Examples are art schools, air conditioner repair certificates, and vocational programs at community colleges. Rather than expend energy on classes that have nothing to do with their future, students enroll in courses with a stronger focus on their major.

RA Training: What's on your "Hell No" List?

After several meetings, our committee is only slightly closer to a concise training plan. The last time we met, we engaged in the usual ResLife brainstorming sessions where one person stands at the front of the room jotting down every inane idea we feel comfortable shouting out. As with every other meeting before, the suggestions start serious and quickly devolve into outlandish and immature.

Training Theme Announced: Hunger Games

Sorry readers for the extended absence. I wish I could say I was busy tutoring under-privileged youth in the inner city or that I volunteered to rebuild houses in the South with Habitat for Humanity. Nope. I was just hung over from indulging in too many laps around my empty hall while screaming, “I’m FREE!!” Now it is back to the grind of preparing for RA training, which commences in less than three months.

Today, I received the training theme. Since we usually follow the pop culture trends of the year, I was not surprised to see Hunger Games. Hopefully, Lionsgate will not hunt down the department and sue the pants off of it for copyright infringement. Oh who am I kidding, I really want that to happen—a lawsuit would be entertaining. However, Warner Brothers never showed up when we used Harry Potter three years ago, so my hopes are not high. Anyway, I digress.

Luckily, I am on the training committee so I can geek out with my Hunger Games knowledge which has grown exponentially since I discovered how hot Gale and Peeta are. For the summer, I will be updating you all on how we are incorporating our favorite book/movie about vicious children murdering their peers into our training schedule. I have plenty of ideas and cannot wait to share them. I may even reveal a few door decs for your viewing pleasure. Check back often, and may the odds be ever in your favor!

Participation Badge Generation

As my residents move out this week, the more I hear from their parents. Today, I had to endure a one-sided conversation from a father whose daughter was leaving after having a less than stellar semester. He told me that his daughter, Laura, is so confident in her abilities that she is actually surprised she is not the top of her class or best friends with everyone on her floor. According to her father, Laura has never failed at anything.

After listening to Laura’s father rant about her terrible roommate and horrible professors, I walked away thinking about today’s generation. I realized that Laura is not accustomed to hearing “no” or failing at anything, because she is of the Participation Badge Generation. This is a group of students who, in Little League, received a trophy just for playing. They were told by their parents they could be anything they wanted to be when they grew up. This generation was always protected by mothers who overly praised their mediocre children and fathers who argued with anyone who disagreed.

RA Banquet: It’s that Time of the Year!

Okay, yes, I have been a little cranky lately and my posts have reflected that. I blame the Mayans. In honor of a positive day, here is my blog post:

Tonight, I got dressed up in my Saturday best and headed out for the end-of-the-year banquet held at the campus’ special event building—nothing but class for my department! I was pleasantly surprised to find that all fourteen of my RAs had arrived before I did, which meant they were on time. They looked very snazzy in spring dresses and freshly pressed suits.

"Shackled by Debt"

My blog title comes from the first picture in the Huffington Post article, “Obama Administration, House Dems Push to Prevent Student Loan Rate Hike”. The picture embodies what many students already feel—that they are unable to envision a positive and prosperous future thanks to the overwhelming student debt they have. This article (found here), reports that Rep. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) are working to prevent the doubling of the Federal Direct Stafford Loan rate from 3.4% to 6.8% come July 1, 2012.

Opponents to the rate freeze argue that by not raising the student loan interest rate, it would cost tax payers close to $6 billion.

Sadly, I am a card-carrying member of the “Shackled by Debt” Club—a dubious honor I wish I never had; hence why this topic makes me so angry and disillusioned. When I was a junior in high school, my mom took me to every college fair in our area. She pushed me to pick the college that had the perfect fit for my social and academic needs, rather than on the price tag. Like all parents in the late 1990s, she assured me that a quality college education would be worth it in the long run. So what did I do? I got a Masters in Education—at times like these, I wish I had been an accountant instead.

Memo: My Boss is a Chump

Today, I came to the conclusion that good bosses and a positive work environment belong in the same category as unicorns and calorie-free ice cream—things that don’t exist.

Even since I admitted that I was ready to move to another institution for a different experience, those around me have taken pleasure in polluting my work space. They revel in telling my boss the fictional rumors they create—they lie about me leaving work early, yet forget to tell him how I attended a program with a 101 fever. They also neglect to mention how they spend their entire day playing Words with Friends or posting pictures to Instagram, all while I am busting my hump to get my work done so I can go home at a decent hour.