UNITED STATES—My grandparents once told me no matter how much education you have you can always learn more. I have two Bachelor Degrees; one in English with a concentration in film studies and another in Psychology, a Master’s Degree in Sociology and now I’m working on my Doctoral Degree in English. I told myself after pursuing graduate school I was done, but the opportunity for a Doctorate transpired and I told myself: What do you have to lose? If anything you gain more opportunities in terms of career advancements.
Teacher, lawyer or filmmaker; those were always my top choices in terms of doing what brings me joy in life. The lawyer things dissipated more and more while pursuing my undergraduate degree. Filmmaker is at the top and will always be at the top. I think about it every day and the ideas that fire off in my head are endless. Teacher, that one is rising more and more as of late because the notion of sharing my knowledge and teaching is just something I have a unique passion for and if I can do it at the collegiate level which is a strong possibility it’s an even bigger plus for me America.
Right now my course load is heavy people. I mean I’m reading like a 100 pages plus of material if not more each week. Hello, I am an English major so reading is fundamental, but at the same time, it is something I’m used to because I did it so much as an undergraduate. The problem with reading a lot of material in a short time frame is being able to comprehend the material you’re reading.
For me I have trouble really understanding material if I’m NOT fully interested in it. If it is something I’m interested in, I can master the material with the snap of a finger, but if I’m bored with what I’m reading or it just doesn’t grab my attention, it is almost like I have to read the material twice (trust me I absolutely hate that) to comprehend what I need to know and eliminate all the stuff that doesn’t matter people. For example, Shakespeare: the man was a genius, but his literary writings are so frustrating at times. People have no idea how difficult it is to comprehend Old English. The way Shakespeare spoke and how people chatted during that time frame is current English, but with a twist that forces you to decipher the language.
You might have to read it two to three times before you fully comprehend what Shakespeare is saying and what he actually intended. What does that mean? For some education or learning comes easy for others, it might be a slight struggle. The key is to find that one little nugget that catches your attention and use that to further understand what you are currently learning. Some things are going to come easy, others will require a bit of work from you, but don’t give up.
In grade school, middle school and high school, I didn’t have to study much. With college that was a whole new ballgame, where I had to set time aside to study and really focus on my studying. No more watching TV or listening to music while reading or writing notes. I had to put myself in a mental state to focus on the material on hand. Not always easy, but it makes a ton of a difference when you are dealing with material that may be slightly complicated and difficult to grasp.
My plate is heavy, but each day is an adjustment and I learn what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, but there are always ways to navigate when you feel the stress load is much larger than you expected.