The Karate Kid, Balance, Degrees and such...

So here's the thing... I've been on my new job for four weeks now. I'm losing some of my IT skills, but I'm picking up new ones. I still don't feel like I'm in charge of the box office, but my managerial skills have been put through the test.

I keep watching the Karate Kid movie and although I feel stupid for saying this, it has taught me something that I need to do to make it through this new job. Mr. Miyagi's whole purpose in teaching Daniel karate isn't to be able to defend himself against bullies; although that is a major reason. The most important reason for Daniel to learn karate is to learn balance; balance in life, balance in relationships, in everything.

I think I have spread myself too thin over the years and I haven't achieved that level of balance that I need to live a happy life. I've been working on my bachelor's degree for three years now and I don't feel any more intelligent or even knowledgeable than I was before I started. I'm at the point where I don't like it anymore and I almost feel resentment for having done it. My original goal was to get the degree so that I could teach. Then the rules changed. I may not be able to teach now without a masters. And everyone is trying to tell me that I have to get one. I don't think so.

From what I've seen, there is a certain amount of disrespect for those of us without a certain level of degree. I almost have my bachelor's. But when you work in an educational institution, one of the first things people ask is "where did you get your degree?" as if that is the defining aspect of your life. Heaven forbide you don't have a degree and people will either devalue everything you say or they will make it their personal mission to save you from your own ignorance. The fact of the matter is that not every job requires a degree and not every person is cut out to go to college. There are a lot of jobs that require non-traditional education, including and especially the IT field. What I've seen in recent years is IT people being treated like dirt because, in general, they don't have degrees. But when someone with a degree has a computer problem, suddenly the IT person is a genius. There's definitely a disconnect.

But it's not my aim to complain about the educational snobbery that I've encountered. I guess I needed to vent. It is my last semester of classes and I truly want it to end soon.