In which I defend my degree-lessness. And whine.

I have six years of higher education to my credit, but no degree.

Although my grades at MHCC were only just above average, when I left MIU my GPA was comfortably over 3.5, and last term at WWCC I made the president’s list.

I’ve taken musical performance classes, operatic training, music history, vocal pedagogy, music theory, sight singing and ear training, basic piano, basic rhythm, and music composition. I’ve taken physics overviews, world history, classical Greek literature, composition, poetry, and in-depth courses on the American Transcendentalists. I’ve taken courses on Linux, Windows clients and servers, security standards and protocols, and am in the process of completing CCNA 1 – 4. There are probably hundreds of other courses I would be interested in taking for their own sakes, whether they’re related to music, English, or networking or not.

I like school and historically earn above-average grades. I like to learn and I like to think. What I don’t like is the year or more of stupid pre-reqs that one must pay for in order to qualify for a degree.

If I were to take them, I’d be eligible for not just one piece of paper, but two or three: an Associate’s in Music Performance, a BA in English, and, next June, a one-year computer science certificate.

Why didn’t I ever complete those 100-level courses? Because I was never interested in spending a year taking dumb classes. I spent twelve grueling years in public school, so it follows that I can read, write, and add well enough to balance a checkbook. Why should I pay hundreds or thousands of dollars to prove that I can do what my high school diploma already says I can?

So the school can charge me for the classes, I think. There’s no other good explanation. Anybody qualified to enter a college or university in the first place is qualified to pass those courses ipso facto, so why else should they exist? Why should a music or English or computer science major have to pass Writing 101 or Personal Finance?

I’ve always approached higher education as a way to learn stuff, which makes me a fail at paper-collecting. But, I have to admit, not having the ability to put some initials on my resumes pisses me off, because I’ve spent more time in school than a lot of people who interview me for jobs – and probably got better grades than they did – but my lack of degree probably gets my applications regularly round-filed! ARGH!

If I didn’t already have $40k in student loan debt, I’d probably just do it: spend six or nine months taking a bunch of remedial courses and then trying to find some institution to confer some sort of paper upon me. Sadly, what I really need to do is go back to work when school lets out in June and my UI benefits run out.

Unless somebody out there wants to subsidize my education? I could totally stand to finish up an undergrad and embark on a graduate degree! I love school! Whee!

Um, in other words, this: