Occupational Studies

So what do you do?

How many times have you been asked this by a complete stranger? My father’s standard response was “I herd sheep.”

He didn’t think it was anyone’s business. Next they’ll want your academic credentials and GPA. It’s assumed everyone goes to school to manifest their life. Not so. Education opens your brain so you can think for yourself. Then you’re ready to start the real project. You, not what you do.

I held some crazy ass jobs. Many were in higher ed where I saw the story behind the scenery. The ability to benefit is a guideline for students to see if the cost of a degree correlates to a viable salary. It also measures the candidate’s access to resources needed to complete the program. Long story short. That ain’t happening. Higher education is big business. The cost of a Bachelor’s Degree from Columbia University is $278,754.

Occupational Studies navigates pathways that lead us somewhere we never imagined. The twists and turns of my career did in fact shape me, but they’re not who I am. Most of the time I spent in higher education exposed me to some shenanigans. The ability to benefit didn’t necessarily pertain to a student’s success as much as the school’s wallet.