(no subject)
I've been thinking a lot about education lately, especially higher education, as I begin to think about where I want to go after college. And mostly, what I'm thinking about right now is how unfortunate it was that Muhlenberg does not attract, nor does it praise having, a larger student-intellectual population.
I've met these people very sparsely throughout my student career here at the 'Berg - most of them seem to hide out in the English department. Half of them seem to have graduated and to have slunk off into other corners of the world, having private tertulias and not inviting moi.
I think the reason I feel so lonely at Muhlenberg is that I don't have this intellectual group of friends. They existed in high school - in Tom, Colin, Carolyn, Bruce, Allison Yantz...and when I went to college, I meant to find that sort of environment. I realized very quickly how much my finances, despite my high grades, would limit my choices - and I almost regret to say that my intellect went to the highest bidder.
Now, I know by the same token I was lucky to have the finances that I did. I see many of my friends and acquaintances who were stuck at schools even less beneficial than Muhlenberg, who were stuck in the state, and who never had the opportunity to even think of attending a private liberal arts college. And I feel I've at least attempted to make the best out of the education I could afford, but as I near graduation I realize more and more how wrong of a choice Muhlenberg was for me.
It has been a great choice for other people. I have seen many of my friends succeed by naturally being attracted to departments which house Muhlenberg's academic strengths. Certainly the Spanish department was not one of them, and this is mainly what has aided my disillusionment with the College.
So, now that I start to think about graduate school, I realize that I can no longer let cost limit my intellectual potential. I am afraid that my previous choice of school has already limited me in how far I can move up the academic ladder. I am putting blind faith into trusting that a school that breathes intellectualism will be the school that accepts me.
If not, I am afraid that my potential will be wasted.
I've met these people very sparsely throughout my student career here at the 'Berg - most of them seem to hide out in the English department. Half of them seem to have graduated and to have slunk off into other corners of the world, having private tertulias and not inviting moi.
I think the reason I feel so lonely at Muhlenberg is that I don't have this intellectual group of friends. They existed in high school - in Tom, Colin, Carolyn, Bruce, Allison Yantz...and when I went to college, I meant to find that sort of environment. I realized very quickly how much my finances, despite my high grades, would limit my choices - and I almost regret to say that my intellect went to the highest bidder.
Now, I know by the same token I was lucky to have the finances that I did. I see many of my friends and acquaintances who were stuck at schools even less beneficial than Muhlenberg, who were stuck in the state, and who never had the opportunity to even think of attending a private liberal arts college. And I feel I've at least attempted to make the best out of the education I could afford, but as I near graduation I realize more and more how wrong of a choice Muhlenberg was for me.
It has been a great choice for other people. I have seen many of my friends succeed by naturally being attracted to departments which house Muhlenberg's academic strengths. Certainly the Spanish department was not one of them, and this is mainly what has aided my disillusionment with the College.
So, now that I start to think about graduate school, I realize that I can no longer let cost limit my intellectual potential. I am afraid that my previous choice of school has already limited me in how far I can move up the academic ladder. I am putting blind faith into trusting that a school that breathes intellectualism will be the school that accepts me.
If not, I am afraid that my potential will be wasted.