Last week’s guest writer talked about pursuing higher education, that it would be fulfilling and help you attain a better future.
While, on principle, I agree, I don’t agree whole-heartedly, and I felt like I needed to add a bunch to that.
Now, you may be thinking, “Brittany, you’re pursuing higher education. How can you not agree that it’s the right move?”
First, for the future I feel God calling me to, I needed the higher education. I applied for many jobs in the publishing field and never even received an interview. Now that I’ve taken three semesters of my master’s degree, I realized that—as much as I’ve always loved editing for people—I had a very rudimentary idea of what editing really is. I wasn’t anywhere near ready to enter into this field with true skill.
Second, knowledge isn’t everything. Yes, it’s good to learn. But pursuing all of the degrees in the world will never be enough to bring you fulfillment.
Third, not everyone needs higher education to learn what they need. There are so many people who don’t enjoy school and who don’t learn in that environment, and yet college and university is pushed so strongly to every high schooler. Though they aren’t as prevalent as they used to be, there are still apprenticeships for different fields such as electricians and plumbers. There are a lot of different jobs that can be learned this way. Yes, you’ll start low person on the totem pole, but you can earn your way up. If it interests you, pursue it.
So what will bring you fulfillment if this doesn’t?
Finding purpose.
I’ve been seeking my own path for a very long time. Do I regret following my own path? Absolutely not, because I’ve met some truly amazing people along the way and my bumpy road has taught me so much about both myself and the world around me.
Now, though, I feel like I’m finally settling into the purpose for my life. No matter how often I have to do any sort of editing, whether it’s for class or for a publishing house, it fills my mind with joy and peace and I know I’m doing what I was made to do.
The same comes in when I’m writing.
Writing is one thing I will never pursue with higher education. Of course, my degree is a master of publishing and writing, but I’m not taking any courses on how to write novels. That’s a God-given gift that I don’t need rules from academia added to confuse me. Will I mess up? Of course, but it will come together.
I’ve talked about finding purpose before with this blog post. Read it if you want to know more of my thoughts on it.
Earning money, gaining degrees, getting a title. None of it will bring you fulfillment. No matter the amount, none of it will ever be enough. You’ll just add something new to chase because you didn’t feel the way you thought you would.
So: pursue the degree if it’s right for you. But don’t feel like you have to do it because the world expects it.
It’s your life.
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Brittany Stonestreet 