So I finally have a “degree” in writing. Will that help my overall ability to craft an effective narrative? Who knows. All I know is that after sitting through the ceremony I have no inclination to do that again. All the speakers and trimmings that go with that dog and pony show remind me of change of command ceremonies.
I am not knocking it in an overall context, I get why they are the way they are, but it isn’t for me anymore. I felt no real sense of pride or anything because of it. I felt better the last day of class knowing that I had completed something for personal reasons. It’s kind of hard to explain. It seems I enjoy the work more than the ceremony attached to it.
I guess it was more to see the people I had gone to school with one more time than to actually partake in “tradition”. I believe if I had actually gotten my diploma at the time I might have felt a little better, but we got an I.O.U. and will get the actual thing in a month or so.
In my opinion things like this are just to stroke the ego of the people in charge and for them to invite their friends and to give out honorary degrees and recognition. I mean My first college graduation was better because it was more intimate and catered to the students. In this one it seemed to be more tailored to those in charge and we, as pupils, were just there.
It was an absolute fleecing in presentation. Every turn seemed to be a marketing thing. We HAD to fill out photo forms, even if we had no intention of getting them. The DVD is available as well. Not to mention all the the Alumni memorabilia. Now just toss in all the institutional propaganda and you have a winner.
Is this all bad? Probably not. And for kids just getting their first degrees I am sure it was exciting, like it was my first time or two. But for me it was just over two hours of boredom listening to people I didn’t know and who had little to do with the actual school, I know I didn’t have all the professors etc, therefore there would be some people I didn’t know.
I guess just being a cynic and someone who has been in the world longer than most of my “peers” have been alive has a different view of things. Not to mention all of the “You will change the world” rhetoric was just mind numbing and made me laugh a little. I just wanted to learn to write better. In that area I think I got what I wanted, though it was a pain in the ass to achieve, and not because of the work.
That is a whole fun adventure. I started school and was actually enjoying it, but because I am that 1 in 100 case or weird, those in charge couldn’t seem to do anything and the conflicting information I kept getting throughout my first semester put a bad taste in my mouth. The classes were easy and in most cases fun, trying to get answers regarding all of my transfer stuff and figuring out if I could even accomplish what I wanted was not.
In a way it mimicked a lot of the confrontations I had with higher ups while in the service. Which you can read about in my memoirs. Shameless plug there, but at least its fro me, in my blog, on my site!!!!
In short, if I had to do it over again, I wouldn’t go back to that school, and being a “MASCOT for life!” mean jack shit to me because of the way i was treated.
Ravings of a Lunatic 