Higher Education
by So I'm at a crossroads...
Over the years the Watchtower has given us the advice to get sufficient education, with the intent on having a career that will further our service to Jehovah. While my parents supported me in my decision to go to college, they also wanted me to stay local and figure out a way to do it without going away to school or spending a ton of money. I went to county college part time while I home schooled my last 3 years of high school, then transferred to NJIT for 2 years. I ended up with a B.S. degree in Computer Technology and a minor in Business Management.
When I started working for a college I was given an opportunity to enter an online 18 month graduate program at an 85% discount, at the end of which i will get an MBA. Each class is 6 weeks long with a one week break between classes.
I managed to convince myself that it would be worth it to have the degree, because it is online so I can set my own schedule, I thought I could probably get most of the work done during work hours, plus because the cost of it would be next to nothing especially compared to what I would be paying if I didn't have this job. I really don't believe in higher education as far as the value of what is learned in the class, but I do think that if you have a degree, you are more likely to get a job or make more money. And it's not that I'm concerned about making lots of money, but I don't want to end up like some of the brothers in the hall who are in their late forties or fifties and still have to work like dogs just to make ends meet.
However, after the Kingdom Ministry school yesterday though I'm pretty sure that I should drop my classes. When they have the articles in WT talking about education, I've never been one to diss the article or even disagree with it. I agree, I think higher education is a crock and that students really don't learn that much from it. You definitely learn most of what you need to know on the job, but like I said before, a lot of companies look down on you if you don't have the degree. But even though I'm not paying a ton of money for the class and it's not taking up tons of time, it still is added stress every week and I can't honestly say that it's taking some time out of my schedule and at times I have made it a higher priority than it deserves.
I'm thinking I may just try to get some certifications that will help me keep my job and do it better. That will be a lot less of a time investment and may pay off more. At the KM school, one of the speakers quoted somebody who said that MBA degrees really aren't really helping people get jobs anyway. And lastly, I have to really look at what my motivation is for the degree anyway. I really want to do things right by Jehovah's organization and set a good example for the younger ones. I also want to make my family proud, but of course my worldly relatives won't understand my decision.
I really don't care about furthering my career, and maybe I do have sufficient education as I stand right now. I haven't made my decision yet but I should make it soon. My current class ends this saturday and the next one starts the next week, so I should decide now whether or not I should withdraw.