our ever-tiring battle with education

[Hayat]

ever stopped and wondered why its worth it?, ever wondered when will it end?, these questions have constantly been popping up in my mind lately, it seems we are in a ever-tiring battle with education, and its most certainly weighing me down.

 

couple of days ago, a family friend asked in his usual colloquial line "so halimo, waxbarashadi iyo aadi yaa-rayee". with an depressing tone i had to admit "wee-laiga raaye". you see i have always been up for that "miss-independent and educated title". but for a women studying is not a befitting occupation, its seriously too much. reality wise guys can experiment with education, but ladies take it from me, house -wife is the occupation we should all seek. i am this close of considering being a full time mom, studying is taking its toll on me, usually i am a flamboyant persona, now days you will see me with no less then a sad look. but what is it with this obsession of ours- for me it started from the day i considered a bright future- with these constant headaches and feeling of life being sucked right out of me-i don't think there is "brightness" at the end of the tunnel. so i have decided that i am going to give studying one last chance- i am only giving till the end of this year- if it doesn't work out-hello the first fella that walks in that dooor~i will take you on!!

[N.O.R.F]

"so halimo, waxbarashadi iyo aadi yaa-rayee"

:confused: I'm assuming its something along the lines of who is winning?

 

I think education is the key to your future. Being in a good enough position to do pretty much what you like is a good thing. You can get your qualifications then make your decesions as things pan out. You can not say i will work or be a house mom as things are never that simple. Finding a balance is the key.

 

I havnt done anything for 3 years and i feel brain drained, need to find an MBA/MSC to keep me on point :cool:

[Valenteenah.]

I'm guessing you are in or about to start your final year? Hey, it's not just you, everyone struggles with it. Depression and doubts are part and parcel of the student experience. Ask anyone who’s been to uni (well, anyone but those weird geeks that got all their work done on time and actually enjoyed the experience). The important thing is to keep your eye on the finishing line. Surely, you don't have that much longer to go? (You know how quickly time flies). And then once it's behind you, you can move on to the next struggle.

 

Don't fool yourself into believing that there is an easier route out there (in this case finding a faarax and becoming a housewife) for you. Nothing valuable is easy. Whatever you end up doing, it will be a struggle (that much you can be certain of). It's just how life is. Now, what makes it worth your time is achieving something you really want (whatever it may be).

 

Curiously, I had this very same conversation with my younger sister some months ago. She was adamant that she couldn't handle the stress and pressure and that it was making her chronically sick (this much is true...she's been ill with poverty for some time now). Basically, she wanted to drop out of Uni although she only had one more semester to go. As you can imagine, I was all ready to get on the train to her city and strangle her with my bare hands before bludgeoning her to death with my mobile phone but, alas, my selfish parents wouldn't let me! They wanted to do it themselves. There were tears (mum), threats (me), more tears (dad), even more threats (me again)...waxaan ku idhi there hasn't been a bigger crisis in our household (well there has, but that's neither here nor there).

 

Where was I? Oh yes. I can't quite understand why young people still think getting an education is a choice. It is not. It's a real necessity. At the most basic level, a degree is the difference between earning less than £10,296pa (Minimum wage is £5.50ph now, isn't it? I'm multiplying it by 36 core hours per week for 52 weeks, not counting any overtime, holidays or A/L) for back-breaking work in a shop, supermarket, restaurant or warehouse and earning £21,500pa (see here

and here for info on graduate salaries) for sitting in an air-conditioned office doing little to jack. A degree is also the difference between securing a promotion once you are in a good enough position and being stuck at the same level for eons.

 

For example, say you and your colleague are doing the exact same job and are as good as each other, except she has a degree and you don’t. Even if you have more experience, you can bet your last banana that should an opportunity for a promotion arise, she’ll get it. Why? Because the company will feel that your colleague is more of an asset, she has the potential to succeed in the higher echelons of the organisation due to her educational background than you would. Of course, it might not always be like that. Some people succeed without much of an education, but when you consider the fact that you are female, black and Muslim... Well, let's just say every little advantage helps, eh?

 

 

To end this long, rambling shame of a post, your education is an investment in your future (whether that future is in paid [job] or unpaid [home] employment). Don’t play with it.

[-Serenity-]

^Will you please zip it? There is nothing wrong with being a housewife or wanting to be one. Infact, I think it’s the better choice to aspire for than sitting in a stuffy office and getting diabetes from the sedentary lifestyle office peeps lead.

 

Education (especially university education) isn’t really all its cracked up to be because it neither guarantees the job you want :mad: or gives you the real tools you need in the workforce. The only thing university seems to guarantee (and take it from a recent graduate) is that you’ll forever be stuck in the rat-race of trying to find work, working for money and still ending up in debt.

 

What’s the alternative I’m proposing here? Kick institutionalized education to the curb! They don’t teach you jack in the classrooms anyway (Imagine my shock at finding out I’m under skilled for most jobs in my field!). Find what you really enjoy, self-learn and do your own thing! It maybe the road less traveled (Robert Frost) but in the long run, it’s the only road worth taking. A close friend of mine constantly tells me that there is only one risk in life – and that’s not to take one. So if you feel like university isn’t for you, don’t bother with it. But do not resort to being a housewife because there seems to be no other option, there always is.

[Valenteenah.]

Yes, discourage her, why don’t you? After all you already have your degree; you can afford to be disappointed in it.

 

Of course a degree alone doesn’t guarantee a good job (these days you need an advanced qualification to compete, although even an MSc alone isn’t enough for some jobs), however, imagine the difficulties you would be having if you didn’t even have that lousy first degree. You would be truly shafted.

 

It’s a tough world out there, and that’s why your main objective should be to aim for more, rather than less. Qualifications, experience, skills… you should be adding to them constantly, expanding your capacity and improving your chances. Stagnation isn't a good thing.

 

The main advantage of institutional education is accreditation. No one cares whether you can remember or apply what you were taught; the important thing is to have that piece of paper that says you have done it. You can ‘self-teach’ all you want, but unless you have some documentation to back up your knowledge first and foremost, you won’t even get the chance to demonstrate your skills.

 

Inanta jar ha ka tuurin, you mean cow.

[Che -Guevara]

Amelia...You are so right. fours of school did nothing to prepare me for my current job, but I do believe school does actually open your eyes dat's if you are there to learn something and not just memorize facts so one could pass a test. It might not have prepared me for the workforce, but I did gain a great of deal of knowledge while also sparking my curiosity even farther.

 

Vibe...Just don't make haste decisions. I do believe you will succeed at things as long as your heart is in it. Always look out for number one!!!!!

[-Serenity-]

This is the difference between you and I Val, you’ve the ‘need to prove yourself mentality’. I, on the other hand, don’t feel like I need to prove anything to anyone. Qofna razq’gaaga gacanta kuuguma hayo but yourself and the sooner we realize that, the better our chances of gaining self sufficiency (and real financial security..aaaah!).

 

p.s. What my degree has got me is a mentality that I need to work for some1 else to make a living!

[Valenteenah.]

* What your degree has done is broaden your horizons. It's shaped you and you are proud of your accomplishment. I'm sure you would have done it again even if you have no interest in using it, the only difference is, you might have picked a more interesting degree to read.

 

I don't have a need to prove myself. I have a need to improve myself.

 

 

*[Edit] Fine, I'll be nice! But you know, I was referring to your "p.s. What my degree has got me is a mentality that I need to work for some1 else to make a living!" comment. A fib, that it was. It's given you the skills to work for yourself as well.

[-Serenity-]

Val, no lies or even tongue-in-cheek comments from me. I didn tell the girl to quit school and become a bum (if it was a choice, I would - beach bum to be specific. What bliss. What a life! ). I just told her that a degree is not the only option in life to get ahead if thats your aim. Infact,I encouraged her not to give up on the only thing that matters - learning (which you can easily, thanks to these corporate-slave-mentality assembly lines we call universities)

 

So bugger off now, will ya? You're starting to sound like my father. He told me to apply to pastgrad now, before I loose my zest for studying. Ha! I told him to stop burdening me with his 'work for somebody and gain more skills that you dont even like' mentality.

[xiinfaniin]

Originally posted by Amelia:

^Will you please zip it? There is nothing wrong with being a housewife or wanting to be one. Infact, I think it’s the better choice to aspire for than sitting in a stuffy office and getting diabetes from the sedentary lifestyle office peeps lead.

 

Education (especially university education) isn’t really all its cracked up to be because it neither guarantees the job you want :mad: or gives you the real tools you need in the workforce. The only thing university seems to guarantee (and take it from a recent graduate) is that you’ll forever be stuck in the rat-race of trying to find work, working for money and still ending up in debt.

 

What’s the alternative I’m proposing here? Kick institutionalized education to the curb! They don’t teach you jack in the classrooms anyway (Imagine my shock at finding out I’m under skilled for most jobs in my field!). Find what you really enjoy, self-learn and do your own thing! It maybe the road less traveled (Robert Frost) but in the long run, it’s the only road worth taking. A close friend of mine constantly tells me that there is only one risk in life – and that’s not to take one. So if you feel like university isn’t for you, don’t bother with it. But do not resort to being a housewife because there seems to be no other option, there always is.

^^I am beginning to like that attitude (with a slight objection to the sentiment against being housewife, of course ) . It’s such attitude, and that positive outlook of life, and not necessarily skills, that would benefit us the most. That’s not to say however education is meaningless exercise---far from it. But it is to say education is just a mere means to succeed in life.

 

As for Vibe’s frustration with school and her uncertainty of what comes after this tedious and hectic college experience, kheyr I would say! You need to understand my good sister that getting education means giving yourself a reasonable competitive edge in harvesting the yields of successful life. There are many factors in achieving a stable life and education is one of those factors. You need it. But you also need the power of positive thinking. There’s nothing like it. Vent if you will, but don’t you doubt your educational path. The struggle has just started for you!

[Som@li]

I am advising Vibe not to give up education, carry on and struggle, there are many reasons why people go for education , financial securities one of them.

 

I know there are times you go to a point wher u feel u can't take it anymore, but always there is away.

 

good luck

[Som@li]

dp

[Sharmarkee]

Vibe,

 

Any loaded faraax in your neighbourhood?

 

If yes: well then hook-up with him, and if he's Mum tries to intervene punch her at the face.

 

No: start fishing now, to hell with education and student poverty

you rather be a rich house then a poor student.

 

look inaadeer Tony Blair won the whole election just by repeating few words: "education, education, education", bingo that made him a prime minister overnight. if life is poker play your hand well and as good Xiin said Positive attitude is the factor here and makes a big difference.

Allah macaaki and go for it, and friend of mine used to say always: "Caydhii ma bukooto" means nothing to lose but everything to gain.

[Captain Xalane]

Originally posted by Sharmarkee:

Vibe,

 

Any loaded faraax in your neighbourhood?

 

If yes: well then hook-up with him, and if he's Mum tries to intervene punch her at the face.

 

.Educating oneself is one long journey and the principles we attain from it further pushes us to the extremes.Honestly the sisters are struggling these days and soon we might see a whole bunch of eedo xaalimo and habaryar jawaahir being called doctors and other titles.

[underdog]

Originally posted by Valenteenah:

I can't quite understand why young people still think getting an education is a choice. It is not. It's a real necessity. At the most basic level, a degree is the difference between earning less than £10,296pa (

Minimum wage is £5.50ph now, isn't it? I'm multiplying it by 36 core hours per week for 52 weeks, not counting any overtime, holidays or A/L

) for back-breaking work in a shop, supermarket, restaurant or warehouse and earning £21,500pa (

see

here

and

here

for info on graduate salaries) for sitting in an air-conditioned office doing little to jack. A degree is also the difference between securing a promotion once you are in a good enough position and being stuck at the same level for eons.

Caveman mathematics (assuming 10yr term with no inflation and no deduction of income taxes)

 

if the yearly cost of education is 14730 (pounds per year) source

 

*Total cost of 4 year education = 58920 pounds

*6 years of working at 21,500 per year = 129,000 pounds

*Total after deduction of education cost = 70080 pounds.

 

The other guy worked straight thru 10,296 for ten years = 102,960 pounds.

 

Sooner or later, someones gotta figure out that we're not ALL cut out for the intellectual life....who's gonna dig the ditches and mop the floors? (oh wait, there's Philipinos for that)... The point is, trying to crawl thru the education system is admirable but not everyones gonna make it... and some of those who do make it and get those degrees will fail to put them to any use.

 

Too many angles, too many factors.