Like probably several others on this blog, I went to an expensive liberal arts university (the very same one in fact!). With a big stress on the words "liberal" and "arts". Not so much "university". Or so I thought.
I spent the first couple of years halfheartedly trying to fulfill the few requirements there were. To this end I took and managed to pass both physics and astronomy. I am eternally proud of this fact. But that's where the facts end and the bullshit begins: I was an American Studies major, the most liberal major of them all. (To my credit, I think I was possibly the only Amst major who chose the department because I truly honestly was interested in the subject and methodology, and not just because of the flexible attitude they had towards credits. Although damn, that helped a lot) and I created my own major which was nice then, and continues to be nice now because it takes quite a bit of time trying to explain what a concentration in Nationalism & Transnationalism is exactly, so if I'm ever in an awkward social situation with nothing to say, I can always play that one up. But I digress....
Annnnnnyways, I finally have a job that makes me really pretty happy. (Word to the wise: I've discovered that most people don't actually like you when you're happy. My popularity at potlucks has plummeted since my depression began to wane...) and a lot of what I do at my job is write and edit grant reports and letters and briefs and stuff.
And I realized all of a sudden that, contrary to what I always thought, I actually owe any success I have to my liberal arts education! Even though I wasn't sure how those film and lit classes were going to ever help me, I'm starting to think that maybe in some strange way, they will. It turns out, the art of talking things up is surprisingly valuable! Which is awesome, because that's pretty much the only thing I know how to do at this point. So there you go. A public service announcement to anyone who is as lost as I have been:
Do not lose hope; become a grantwriter.
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4 comments:
This ties in well with my and Erica's realization last night that being smart, competant and having a pleasant personality is really all you need to get ahead in the working world. That is, you don't necessarily have to be dedicated or interested in what you do. Or even that great at it. So I would credit the aforementioned uncredited expensive liberal liberal arts college for honing my smart/competant-ness and getting made fun of for reading Little Women on the playground in first grade for my generally pleasant personality. I would also blame my parents for my getting made fun of for reading Little Women on the playground in first grade, but I digress...
The ability to think on your feet and analyze situations is absolutely useful... especially for figuring out how to do as little work as quickly as possible-- which I have also learned is the goal of the working world.
noah. I am reading your comments on your computer... but you're not here. very, um, postmodern? I learned about that in $$college$$, too.
yes, having gone to a public high school, i don't know what "synthesize" means.
i learned how to be a straight talking, sharp shooting, to-the-point type of girl who gets the job done and can defend herself from gangs.
then i went to a private college and paid to lose those skills. go figure.
Julia, I would trade all my years of private girls school education to watch you shoot straight from the hip and defend yourself from gangs. I'm picturing 21 Jump Street meets High Noon meets Mischa Barton in this last season of the OC, set in some sweeping mountainous North Carolina scene, with you karate chopping gangmembers while getting the job done and telling it like it is. you GO girl!
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