Day 4,184—12 Years in Education!—

 

This was a good run this morning! First, I saw an orange cat and then a deer running swiftly through the night. Seeing animals in the morning always makes me smile.  

        This is my 13th year going to college. Most of that was as a part-time student while working for a publishing company after I graduated from college with my B.A. in English. For the past 5 years, I have been pursuing a second master’s degree and taking additional classes. In all that time, I never once had the kind of issues that I am having at my college now, where my advisor and my professors go from indifferent to hostile as opposed to advocating for me and the university.

        I am taking it in stride and doing the right thing by bringing my issues to the proper people. But I was thinking about it today and wondering why college has changed so much compared to when I first started going 21 years ago. Maybe it was always like this, and I was just lucky before. I remember having an issue with a teacher during my second year of college, but I brought it to the attention of my department head, and the issue was quickly resolved. Besides that, I recall having an issue with a teacher, which I brought to his attention directly, and the issue was resolved. Never have I been treated by adults who are supposed to advocate for me so poorly in a university setting.

This is just me reflecting. I am not about to do a “why me?” I am sure plenty of people have been treated worse and for longer, but that doesn’t change the truth of my experience and how it has caused me to pause and reflect.