I hate the fact that no company will hire me simply because I don't have a degree, regardless of my skill level. Having to pay 30,000 dollars for school, just so I can have a future... I hate it.
And I hate that because I'm a girl, people think that there's no way I can make it as a video game designer. Ohhh, I hate it.
I sympathize with the inadequacy of many colleges, instructors, and degree programs, as well as the improper mindset of many students, all of which can contribute to an unsatisfying or even unpleasant college experience. However, it's not the college experience itself that's to blame. Given the modern ambitions of K-12 education, a higher education is simply indispensible now. It's not about the proverbial piece of paper they give you at the end; it's about achieving a truly collegiate education. That some companies don't care to make that disctinction is a travesty, I agree--as is the sheer expense of college. But beyond those obstacles is something good, a holy grail for thinking people. I can see just by your writings here at the Compendium that you are an intelligent person of wide talents and considerable potential, and eventually you will find an employer who understands the same. Nobody here will reasonably doubt your ability. But, having been to university and having had an enriching college experience myself, I know a little bit about what you are missing. The good universities have something truly unique to offer, a sort of concentrated knowledge across all disciplines that just can't be found anywhere else in a single place. Such depth and excellence of education cannot be encapsulated by a single career. Even if you were to be employed by the most fantastic video game development studio, you'd still be missing out on the most exciting insights into everything from geology to art history.
I can tell you, I've had some bad instructors in my day. But if you navigate those rapids wisely and with persistence, and take classes beyond your major in every subject that appeals, fighting the university tooth and nail if they pressure you to stick with your program and graduate quickly...then the rewards are beyond
Hadriel's Pleasure. I simply would not be who I am today without having had the opportunity to study the theories of the creation of our moon, or the impacts of glaciation on global climate, or the philosophy behind Western religious doctrine. I'm not an astronomer or a geologist or a theologist, but all of those things touch me as an engineer and a writer, every day. As Robert Heinlein put it, specialization is for insects.
Sounds like it's time to affirm your ability through raw determination and passion. They're going to pay for it. But a degree is somewhat important. The problem is not being able to define the scope of your education and having to take certain unsavory classes.
Ah, but ZeaLitY, sheer willpower is an engine--not a weapon. When we get to the point in confronting a challenge where we have nothing to rely upon except our own grit, we have already lost the upper hand, and the going is inevitably tough...which is one of the reasons why willpower is so romanticized. I know a thing or two about having a zealous mind, but there is also the wisdom of working smarter rather than harder. When it's a specific job she wants, Lena's passion--and yours, in your cases--is more smartly employed toward giving her would-be employers what
they want, which for her means getting the piece of paper rather than trying to demonstrate that she doesn't need it.
