Thinking...

                I do a lot of thinking, and usually that either gets me into one of three places. Either 1) I end up in a fit of uncontrollable laughter and seem crazy to everyone else, or 2) I find myself in a serious amount of trouble from a bad idea disguised as a good idea, or 3) I somehow manage to make a bit of sense in a rather intelligent way. I particularly like the prospects of number three, but rarely does that ever happen. Especially if it’s in the middle of a Socratic seminar and I actually have a decent idea behind the garbage I’m trying to mask as English.

Getting back to thinking, sometimes I think about what would happen if I were born in an area that wasn’t as nice as the United States, at least, not as nice in terms of education. I actually don’t believe that we as a country are doing a very good job in terms of education in general at all, but what if I were in a place that was far worse? I doubt I would have the same opportunities that I have now, and I wouldn’t have the same drive to do well academically, which would lead to a rather crummy occupation. The facts stand for themselves: people who go to college are better off in the long run. Sure, you have the cost of tuition (which sometimes seems ridiculously high and insurmountable) but with the job that you get – maybe due to the fact that you have a degree – you can easily pay back those debts. In reality, which would you rather have: no degree and a dead-end job or a degree and a boatload of opportunity to change jobs within the fields and limitations of that particular degree? The answer for the majority of us is relatively easy and apparent.

I suppose that the best plan of action is relatively clear: strive to be the best you can be, do what you are capable of but insure that you will be able to happily live with your choices, and be extremely thankful that you live in a country where opportunities for higher education are in excess and always evolving.