Not right now, as I’m broker than broke. The bureaucratic nightmare of reapplying for federal aid, necessary loans, to schools, the possibility that I’m still not mentally capable enough, not willful enough to overcome my disabilities in order to thrive in a learning environment… Higher education in the U.S. is also just such a racket. International schools still charge absurd prices for foreigners, especially from the U.S., because they know they can. There are so many universities to choose from, some programs deemed more prestigious than others, some degrees that mean everything and some that mean utterly nothing. It’s a chaotic, confusing mess and I’m mortified of the prospect of dealing with it again.
On the other hand, I need a goal. A purpose. Passion. Something to move me forward rather than just being stuck in a dead end job I can barely tolerate just to continue living paycheck to paycheck. When I first tried college, I studied anthropology and I loved it. I just couldn’t keep up with the course work, or the physical labor of getting to class every day (20 minute walk to and from class, had class ~3 times a day, all hours apart). I became an alcoholic and barely made it out alive… by flunking out. I also absolutely despise gen-ed courses like algebra, science, etc. when they don’t specifically pertain to my field of study and it makes it very difficult to stay motivated to not fail out of them.
Idk. I have ideas brewing in my head about what I could do with a degree, specifically an Anthropology-Korean dual major, or anthro major Korean minor. I could write a counter-ethnography dispelling the hegemonic western, liberal orientalism regarding the DPRK from shit like “The Cleanest Race”, with specific interest in DPRKorea’s nuclear program and the way the people view it, especially when it comes to their nuclear power outside of the purview of western mouthpieces, like the nuclear power electrifying their nation. But I’m also a white Amerikan. Do we need more white Amerikans writing ethnographies? Could I accidentally wind up contributing to the orientalist hegemon I despise so much? At a personal level, could I even survive if I pursued this path, or would I simply die a destitute, ridiculed anthropologist?
Just something I’ve been thinking about. I’d like to know comrades’ thoughts.
I would recommend against it if you primarily want the extracurricular social experience and your finances are limited. However I think if there’s a field you enjoy and the USA university learning style more or less works for you, I think it is perfectly valid to pursue a degree for the sake of learning, as long as you can avoid most of the financial burden.
In-state public colleges can be quite affordable if (1) you avoid the housing and dining system at all costs (they are pretty universally a massive scam in my opinion, as much as I like the idea of centralized dining facilities and cafeterias), and (2) you secure an employee discount. It seems common that universities grant a ~75% tuition/fees discount to faculty and staff, which may be used by them or their family members (some schools have different stipulations). If a family member is not going to switch jobs to help you out, you may be able to seek a part-time classified staff position (NOT a student-employee position) that is eligible for such a discount.
Regarding the difficulty of scheduling and of travelling to campus everyday, you could consider a reduced course load and possibly adding a class or two over the summer term, as well as planning your schedule to only have classes Tuesday/Thursday or MWF. You could also stick to only morning or afternoon classes and only go to campus once a day. This is harder if you have more specialized coursework though.
Hopefully some of this is helpful. Best of luck with whatever you choose to do. Someone mentioned studying Marxism in China, whirh would be incredibly badass if you’re up to it—though I think it’d be hard, unfortunately I don’t think I’d be cut out for it.