Good ridence academia

Spentnineyearsasdirrctirof a college program tried to be supportive and kind

My colleagues and staff ate me for breakfast.

Counselors help but most have little real world experience

I’ve moved to another state the peole here are very kind in general

More traditional less likely to freak if someone is artistic or creative or traditional. They seem more down to earth

I’m not a fan of snobbish academics who sen to thk higher ed is something important

But create a disservice for the students

And just like to be mean to them for whatever reason

I certainly don’t miss it or fit in

[Beingindependent Volunteer]

Glad you moved to a better place

[wallflower_fairy Major Contributor]

Hi Brig,

I'm sorry for what you went through and I'm glad you're in a better place now.

Intelligence is so diverse and unique to everyone that it's impossible to measure accurately in a higher education setting.

For the most part, it's just measuring people's ability to do an exam or write an essay, which is rather limited, although I know they have made the assessment process a little broader and given people more choice than they once did.

All the same, it may only suggest a part of something about a person's capacity or potential, but it's not the whole picture. There is also other stuff to take into consideration like a person's unique life situation which may hinder their ability to perform at their best (speaking from experience here), or put someone at an advantage over someone else.

I can only speak from my own experience and observation, but I think that while the higher education system may claim to provide equal opportunity and access to education for everybody, in practice this doesn't happen I don't think.

Here in the UK, the tuition fee for one year is very high. Back in 2010, the person who would later become our deputy prime minister claimed that he was going reduce the cost of university education. In fact, from 2012, he went on to triple the yearly fee from 3 grand a year to 9 grand. And that's not including the cost of living while studying, or the cost of stationary, etc., so, in fact, the price is much higher. (I hear that in the USA the cost is even higher still.)

In return, we get very little contact (lesson) time, and the only other benefit - apart from the qualification itself at the end - is access to more study resources that we wouldn't have otherwise had if we were learning outside a university system. I also keep hearing of people who aren't able to get a job in their field once they graduate, so they can't even use their degree and are unlikely to ever be able to pay their debt back.

It's depressing, and I think when you weigh the financial cost against the benefit in that way, it just doesn't balance out.

I love my subject a great deal, but the outside stress of it all can sadly spoil the enjoyment I should be getting from it, as I've been not able to engage with the lecture material and learn in a way that's comfortable. Instead, I've just had to churn out essay after essay and it's never my best work, which is very upsetting. I've written about this before, in previous posts.

I've met some wonderful teaching stuff who have really believed in me and really tried to be supportive and encouraging - mainly from my minor subject, the English department; also a few from my major subject, Psychology. They are great people who I feel privileged to have been guided by and I just wish I could have shown them my potential. It's very sad.

Unfortunately, most of my higher education experience has been severely impacted by PTSD (undiagnosed for first and second year) and lack of support for my learning disability (autism) and my chronic health condition (fibromyalgia), despite applying for DSA (Disabled Student Allowance) more than once in first year, only to keep getting rejected for it, and not getting it in place until half way through my third year (a UK undergraduate degree course is usually three years), which I went on to fail due to my health worsening partly as a result of the associated stress. My uni mentor, who was meant to be my main support at the time, was very unsympathetic, telling me I presented as "lazy" when in fact I was suffering with a chest infection that hadn't been diagnosed at that point.

Anyway, now, with the pandemic, and (probably) everything being moved to online, it's only got worse as some of us need access to the library as we need to have a quiet place to study, away from the chaos of home, making the disadvantage even greater. It's likely that by the time the pandemic is over, my time will be up to graduate and I don't see myself realistically completing my degree.

I think a university education is really only worth pursuing for people who are in a privileged position.

So, overall, I would say that I'm sure some of the individual staff working in higher education are wonderful and I've experienced this directly, but the system as a whole has NOT been supportive for me as a disabled student.

But, I guess the academic staff who directly benefit from this system, and who don't really empathise with or care about their students, particularly those who are at a disadvantage, aren't going to have anything against the system, and will easily pass judgement on their students who may be genuinely struggling.

Thankyou for trying to one of the good, caring staff members - it doesn't go unappreciated, believe me.

I'm sure you were appreciated by many students, particularly those who had difficulties, but it's harder for those of us with autism to express how we feel or communicate effectively.

Certainly, I wish I could've expressed more gratitude to the staff at my uni who I really appreciate. So I guess that's why I'm telling you this now, because I couldn't fully express it to them, but I can tell you on on behalf of all those students who probably couldn't adequately express it it to you either, that you would've been appreciated

It sounds like leaving the higher education field, or at least that particular institution, was the best thing for you and for your health, and now I myself am faced with a similar decision as a student.

It's not that we don't value learning or education, it's that the system isn't supportive for us.

Take care and I wish you all the best moving forward.

Xx

[Hidden in reply to wallflower_fairy]

Ur enlightened

That doesn't take a u diversity as im forth gen academia and we should educate

Which is universally available ie the library and in the country glorious book stores

.ur system of education. Far superiirctou to ours

Have to stand up and tell the head master the signjfucancecad. And history of the hundred years war orvtypes of gov

Our people are incredibly superficial and would never survive the oral system

Ur kindness comes screaming through thank u

I hear u about Cinderella being called lazy

So sorry feel badly for u

But Ur right the innate mind has nothing to do with college as someone on a remote island can be well educated

Is ur ckuntry has fabulous craftsmanship. Of old worlfcleveks.

Old world levels .

Old skills and gulilds

And few we go on to college in UK but better educated

College a business. Racket here

Excellent points and clarity of discussion

Helped a lot

May yurvkinness. Kindness come full circle

The k u for the help

[Hidden]

Apologies forcomplainging

[wallflower_fairy Major Contributor in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou for your kind reply Brig. 😊 I really appreciate it. No need to apologise - feel free to express yourself how/whenever you like here - that's what our community is here for. Xx