The politics of higher education.

At one time in my history I was pursuing a higher degree. I was going after my masters degree in geography. I had completed my undergraduate studies and decided to play student for a while longer. I was accepted in grad school and then embarked on getting the requirements necessary for me to get my masters degree. Part of the process is selecting your faculty advisor. This is to provide you with some guidance along your path. However what people forget to tell you is this is the make or break decision of your whole endeavor. In this regard I made a mistake. I selected my professor of cartography who happened to be Chinese. One thing about Chinese culture I did not know. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to dishonor a person of Chinese descent. The first year of study we got along fine. I ended up working for him as a graduate assistant and running many of his lab classes. Meanwhile my studies tended to take me in a different direction. I need to change graduate advisors. When I broke the news to him he was offended. He was deeply offended. I had dishonored him in his eyes. I started working with my new advisor but at the same time was being stalked by this gentleman. Anything I did he was highly critical of. When it came to my thesis defense it was very clear he was gunning for me. Even the other professors saw this as a personal attack. I knew then that I would never complete my degree as long as I attended that college. Lucky for me a job appeared. Even though I was in the field of cartography I didn't ask for a recommendation from him. I left college after completing 33 postgraduate units of study. All I was lacking for my masters degree was a thesis itself I took the job and succeeded at it. I don't look back on my time and study is wasted. I learned a lot, both in this subject area, and how workplace politics can impact you.

Take this as a precautionary tale. If you're thinking about pursuing an advanced degree be careful. Little is changed since I went for my degree. You will find yourself dealing with egos. You will also be involved in the conflicts that may exist within a particular discipline on a college campus. One professor might not like another. You a choice may be influenced by that. But overall I say get that degree. If you have a chance to go for an advanced degree take it.

Education

At one time I considered education as the key to a better job. Most of my professors did not see it this way. They told me that an education was much more than that. Now as I grow older I realized they were right. And advanced education beyond your high school diploma is much more than a piece of paper. It is a lesson in how to think critically. It is learning to look for facts and to make decisions based on facts or truth not dogma. I learned my lessons well. What I learned that help me achieve many goals in my life. It has allowed me to face problems and thoughtfully find solutions. Education is very very valuable to any human being. If you want to succeed you have to learn. Things are not going to be handed to you. And if you want to have a sense of worth you must have the ability to do critical thinking. Get that education. Get that degree. Once you have mastered how to learn you will find your life much better.