Filling in the Holes
Looking back on my academic career thus far, I am beginning to wonder about all the things missing from my education. Someone should have pulled me aside as an undergraduate and said: "Look, you'll really regret it if you don't take any English classes. Probably the same for history, philosophy, psychology, biology, and religion. Your bizarre affinity for the Russian language not withstanding, being multi-lingual in useful languages would be an asset. Feel free to branch out at any time." I truly wish someone had said that to me. Because now, I do regret all of those things.
I think it's not simple to go back, though, and develop even the most basic, broad understanding of one of the fields from which I am now so far removed. I cannot help but look at the amount of time it would take me to learn conversational French and wonder if that time wouldn't be better spent working on another paper. Or forming a new collaboration with a colleague in my own field. That's what my advisor (and, frankly, the rest of the faculty here) would tell me to do. And how does one learn history while on a time budget? I can probably still recite the US Presidents in order (thanks Ms. Cleary!), but even the highlights of the van Buren administration now elude me. I don't need a book detailing the economic developments leading up to the fall of communism in East Germany, I need "High School World History for Dummies." Those are harder to come by, in my experience. And while my "Learn to Speak Italian in 10 Lessons" CDs are very entertaining, I cannot say that I have developed anything more than a repertoire of vaguely useful phrases. Linguistically, the language eludes me.
These topics are nothing, however, compared to my illustrious career in biology. I have not taken a biology course since 9th grade (circa 1990). I check with my biologist and doctor friends every so often to make sure we're still believing in this whole DNA thing, but beyond that? I'm seriously deficient. It's a travesty. And yet, where do I begin to fix that?
Our higher education system just seems so odd to me sometimes. We become so specialized, so focused on one narrow topic that other things seem just to fall by the wayside. And I don't necessarily think anymore that this specialization is to our benefit. I'll have my Ph.D. in under a year, but all that will mean (in a practical sense) is that I studied one tiny thing, really hard, for a long time. You would think that a Doctor of Philosophy might actually know some philosophy. But in my case at least, you would be wrong.
I think it's not simple to go back, though, and develop even the most basic, broad understanding of one of the fields from which I am now so far removed. I cannot help but look at the amount of time it would take me to learn conversational French and wonder if that time wouldn't be better spent working on another paper. Or forming a new collaboration with a colleague in my own field. That's what my advisor (and, frankly, the rest of the faculty here) would tell me to do. And how does one learn history while on a time budget? I can probably still recite the US Presidents in order (thanks Ms. Cleary!), but even the highlights of the van Buren administration now elude me. I don't need a book detailing the economic developments leading up to the fall of communism in East Germany, I need "High School World History for Dummies." Those are harder to come by, in my experience. And while my "Learn to Speak Italian in 10 Lessons" CDs are very entertaining, I cannot say that I have developed anything more than a repertoire of vaguely useful phrases. Linguistically, the language eludes me.
These topics are nothing, however, compared to my illustrious career in biology. I have not taken a biology course since 9th grade (circa 1990). I check with my biologist and doctor friends every so often to make sure we're still believing in this whole DNA thing, but beyond that? I'm seriously deficient. It's a travesty. And yet, where do I begin to fix that?
Our higher education system just seems so odd to me sometimes. We become so specialized, so focused on one narrow topic that other things seem just to fall by the wayside. And I don't necessarily think anymore that this specialization is to our benefit. I'll have my Ph.D. in under a year, but all that will mean (in a practical sense) is that I studied one tiny thing, really hard, for a long time. You would think that a Doctor of Philosophy might actually know some philosophy. But in my case at least, you would be wrong.
posted by Meredith | 4:37 PM
7 Comments:
Well, I guess that's kind of the point if you do a liberal arts kind of school for undergrad. But really, what freshman is going to care about someone's advice for going broad? I too realized too late that I should have taken other classes (OK, like physics).
Wasn't it Cecil who drilled the U.S. Presidents in order into our skulls?
There's a fair amount of history and philosophy you can pick up through pleasure reading. (You just have to find an intersing one, unlike the puppy on the Reformation I picked up for a plane ride three months ago and still sits on the table, taunting, always taunting... where was I?) The language thing is tougher, although I have a couple of friends who just pick up phrase books and learn that way.
I never had Cecil! I feel left out. I had to take American history by myself my senior year. And it was taught by Ms. Cleary.
i think this is such a common problem. but then--look at me--i am the opposite side of that coin: i know a tiny bit about a TON of things and am an expert in nothing. i have at least three careers and two utterly different types of education under my belt. and what has it gotten me? my work is meaningless, and you may one day change the world.
I also had Cecil, possibly with Craig, and can still recite my presidents. This has not helped me in my career path, however.
Being educated a whole lot on one thing is the joy that is you doctoral people! That's why we look to you to teach us in that one specific area. Only Craig would pick up a pleasure reading book on the Reformation. Reformation of what? I have no idea what he's talking about. I'm still pondering Harry Potter. :o)
You don't understand how completely devoid of reading material the Savannah, GA airport is, young lady. It was the only thing not involving liberals hurting America, someone moving someone else's cheese or the DaVinci Code. The ever-so fascinating Protestant Reformation won by default.
Craig, that's when you pick up a copy of In Touch Weekly....silly. It must be hard to have to be all academic all the time. I'm certain I couldn't handle it.
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