Thoreau, the Waiting Game, and a Rant about Our Education System

I am going to be that person and say, “I can’t believe it’s already Halloween! When did that happen??” But seriously. I have now been in New York almost exactly 9 months and it has flown by; yet looking back it feels like I’ve been here forever. Funny how that works. Such is the quandary of an energizer bunny-esque lifestyle…

I divide my time here into two different phases: internship and post-internship. February-June I was essentially slaving away 10+hours a day and still managing to have a social life (I got very little sleep); August and onward my life has been the exact opposite! I have dedicated myself entirely to searching, researching and applying for jobs. But this also means I have a completely unstructured schedule and more flexibility in my free time (I get plenty of sleep these days!). I got to soak up the last bit of summer and have enjoyed the brisk beauty of the fall. =]

A consequence of this drastically different lifestyle is how much time I have to THINK. Analyze. Ponder. Soul-search. Self-reflect. I stay home all day, doing the job thing, applying like a madwoman (incidentally, I’ve gotten really good at writing kickass cover letters). So naturally, I spend most of my time with just me. I feel like Thoreau…in the city. But it has gotten to the point where my mind is going a million miles a minute, my head is spinning, and I can’t make it stop- I was awfully close to insomnia. Yet, I also have spurred this ideation that has led me to learn A LOT about different industries and possibilities, and may have planted the seed for my future plans… It is incredibly overwhelming at times (most days), although I am grateful to finally start piecing together all my knowledge and experiences. For once in my life, I feel ready to take the ‘next step’. Or the ‘real world’ (which has abruptly made its presence felt).

But for now, The Waiting Game. I have applied to a nearly unconscionable number of positions within the past 6 weeks; some I want with every ounce of my being, many I’m genuinely enlivened by, and others I would take for the experience (and, of course, the paycheck). I have not been particularly picky; I have cast the net wide in hopes of landing something meaningful, relevant, and that will contribute to my career aspirations (not that those are entirely clear…). What is positively frustrating, though, is how stagnant the economy still seems to be, ESPECIALLY for "recent graduates." But with so much competition, it is hard to articulate and convey exactly why my EDUCATION and internship experience is pertinent and efficient. Which brings me to my most recent disillusionment and unbridled frustration with our educational infrastructure and the piecemeal education reform discussion.

I won’t get into the philosophical discussion regarding what the purpose of education is, however I will posit that its objective is to enable individuals to make informed decisions in order to make a living and contribute to society. The problem is that “making a living” changes in meaning, but the education system has not adjusted accordingly. Maybe 50 years ago the education system fulfilled its objectives in a society where careers and industries were not as fluid, and choosing a major really did equate to choosing a career path. But today- more than ever-the need for collaboration, transfer and applicability of skills, and development of practical skills calls for a serious reform of an outdated system that no longer provides a majority of students with proper capabilities.

In fact, most “majors” do not provide much practical skills training at all, focusing too heavily on the theoretical aspects and ignoring the applicability of said knowledge. The system still functions from the perspective that studying a specific subject (your ‘major’) for 2-4 years is sufficient for a job in that field; that there is no other knowledge necessary for you to be prepared to enter the workforce. My biggest frustration is how egregiously limited (and theoretical) our secondary education is. Yes, one needs to have mastery in a specific field, but one also needs to be a well-rounded individual with a broad knowledge base and skill set (including soft skills). Critical thinking, emotional and social intelligence, financial/business knowledge, social impact awareness, effective communication, combined with a focus on practical applicability (through mentorship, substantive internships, meaningful classroom projects that relate and directly impact the outside world, etc.) is what a comprehensive education ought to look like. Instead, we have compartmentalized, excessively theory-based education with little focus on practicality, applicability, or soft skills development. 

But the system is currently producing incredibly educated (albeit not very well-rounded) individuals with untapped passion and knowledge in a specific field, yet very few actual practical skills; those are expected to be developed upon obtaining your “first job.” The nefarious twist is that due to the saturation of the market of highly qualified job seekers, experience is absolutely critical. Yet, the ‘millenials’ have not been given such training, nor have they been advised to obtain it themselves prior to graduating. And thus ensues the (unpaid) internship culture that further delays individuals from developing financially stable lives or meaningfully contributing to society (i.e. the fundamental goal of education). 

I personally would have liked to have been exposed to the infinite possibilities of INTERCONNECTEDNESS among fields of study, rather than pigeonholed into isolated disciplines.