~Turkish Proverb
It’s still surprising when Life tosses me an opportunity for a rethink (but at least I’ve stopped ducking or dropping them, eh?). Now, I see them coming out of the corner of my eye and field them easily, being sure to keep my eyes and mind wide open for what I know comes next— <switching metaphors> Signs pointing in a new direction.
Blessed are the Sign-makers
It’s no good sharing with y’all what’s on the signs. They’re meaningless without the context of my entire Life-to-date. But I do want to share my thanks to my Sign-makers: Becky, James Hipkin, Jeremy, Kelly, Shawn, Sterling, Wendi, and others—and especially Brett—for what they’ve written. In the comments here, in Twitter, and on their own blogs, their words have been bright humongo signs with glitter and bells stuck on. Thankfully, they all point in the same direction :D
The right road turned wrong
Which is all to say, I’m taking the next two semesters off my Master’s program at Capella University and don’t intend to return.
The University Road isn’t “wrong” of course, just wrong for me. And while it used to be right for me, it’s surely the wrong road now. There’s no call to turn back, though. I needed the classes I’ve taken and I’m better off for having taken them. But I’m not continuing down the paved and finely landscaped University Road to the Land of Advanced Degrees. Metaphors aside, Capella hasn’t changed, but a recent rethink revealed that my goals have changed considerably, and so have my needs and my situation—plenty enough reason to pause my progress, think things over, and make a new plan.
I went back to school for all the things I wasn’t getting from my long habit of trial-by-fire learning. As you can imagine, that was great for getting me through the task at hand, but it left my work open to unanticipated, and therefore unresearched, issues and problems. I went back to school for four things a university environment promises that my self-teaching obviously didn’t deliver—theory, structure, community, and credibility. And Capella keeps the promise: 1) They select the most awesome textbooks, 2) the course syllabus is always solid, thorough, and challenging, 3) the online school environment encourages collaboration, and 4) in the end they give 3rd party proof that I know what I’m doing in my specific, chosen arena. Except, like Dan pointed out recently, Capella is a career-oriented school and I don’t have a career path anymore. So while the textbooks and structure still work, the community and credibility areas are lacking for me. The other learners all have “real” jobs and busy lives, and while courseroom interactions fit into their schedules, casual exchanges outside of class do not. And for me, a degree is flimsy credibility at best. It’s a great piece of paper for securing a promotion, ensuring a raise, or getting to the next level of education…but it ain’t a portfolio, it ain’t a track record of success, and it ain’t social proof. Collaboration without community. Credibility without street cred. Clear signs for change. So I’ve worked out a way that better suits my situation, my goals, my needs and ME, while still getting the education I want. It will be just as challenging, far more fun, probably just as effective, and cost a helluvalot less.
The wrong road, made right
There is, and was, nothing wrong with being self-taught. But I wasn’t going about it the right way. My old task-based knowledge-as-needed approach left icky gaps, but an approach reflective of formal education will do me just fine:
- Theory University bookstores, Amazon reviews, and expert advice will help me select the best textbooks for my topics. Ideally, the texts will provide comprehensive background on the topic, a detailed glossary, and point to additional free resources online.
- Structure There are plenty of well-organized guides with nibble-sized instruction and practical examples, such as the “…In 24 Hours” series. The ideal text will take me step-by-step through projects where I can easily manage my progress, pick up theory along the way, and validate my work as I go.
- Community I’ve met more helpful, encouraging, community-minded people in 2 months on Twitter than in all my years at Capella (I got a grad certificate in Instructional Design for Online Learning before trying a full Masters). Also, there are topical forums full of experts (certified and otherwise) who have made a personal commitment to welcoming folks and answering their questions. I’ll be on my own, but never alone.
- Credibility After reading on social proof for bloggers [thanks @ittybiz!], I knew I had to make a change. A degree isn’t worth as much in the blogosphere as rank and ratings. The clincher was seeing how Alexandria Brown gathered her experience, success, and media proof for cred. A degree was mission-critical when I was trying to get out of my cubicle and into an office, but now I’m making a place for myself online. No one will see me study, but there will be plenty of proof that I have.
Where ya goin’?
But really, this isn’t about me. It’s about all of us heeding the resistance we tip our hand to when we delay, hesitate, waffle, and procrastinate. This is about taking a moment to STOP and rethink our journey before we take even one more step. This is very much about taking the “Last Exit Before Toll” ramp. This is very, very much about not approaching an armed checkpoint without the proper papers. But most of all, this is about looking for—and paying attention to—the many signs that tell us: 1) we’re on the wrong road, and 2) where we can find the right one. Sometimes I stop to find I just need different company for the journey. Other times it’s better shoes! This time, I needed a different map.
Et tu? Are you on the right road? How do you know?
Photo credit: Crystl
