Where I learned things and inhaled books at a furious rate? Yes. Where I was successful academically? No.
this post was submitted on 08 Dec 2025
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Never let school get in the way of your education.
Caveat: I’ve said this brashly to several deans, when it seemed appropriately inappropriate, and while a few are now good friends, the others acted troubled and now seem to avoid me. That is, YMMV. Some lifer academics may not understand when you disregard the only rubrics they know.
I did a lot better in college before I had to drop out because of lack of funds. But most of my academic career was failure after failure.
If you mean grades, I’d encourage you to disentangle your own retrospective self-evaluation. The point is learning, which is ultimately a personal journey. Grades are just an institutional proxy for learning outcomes, and when some students can afford private tutors when others have to work third shift to remain enrolled, the currency isn’t fungible. That is, grades are buttons and bottle caps. Learning, curiosity, discovery, and knowledge, for its own sake, is the only true currency in education.
It's definitely grades. But that's coupled with the fact that I grasp concepts pretty fast and can understand how things work generally at s glance. The minutiae I can grasp if I am interested (it's novel), but my brain will actively jettison information it doesn't think I need or doesn't think is useful.
If I couldn't learn I wouldn't be able to do any of the trades I've been successful at. But I do see what you mean.
Looks like you need practice to go together with that theory your brain thinks is useless.
Yeah, or hands on use. A use case where the theory is applicable.
I mean, making joints out of the pages of books doesn't magically make you smart, you gotta read those pages first
Is the help me part when you get a postdoc or still phd candidate?
Yes.
No, it's when you are finished with your first postdoc and trying to get a faculty position.
Bro, I am making pre-leased Camry money now
First day at the office dealing with all the narcistic sociopaths utilzing the knowhow of my doctorate in engineering.
I learned this much:
I learned the education system is a lie.
3 times they bait and switched me:
-
From standard grade chemistry, promised to educate on chemistry, the whole periodic table, etc... Higher chemistry, they trained us to be industry drones, focusing on hydrocarbons only.
-
From Art & Design 1st year college, promised to educate on art, all art... 2nd Year, knitting. (WTF).
-
From Computer Art 2nd year college, promised to educate on all computer arts... 3rd year, web design. (WTF).
I gave up on formal education after that (~ a decision that was further confirmed by other fails noticed in that last year).
In the following year, I learned more on my own with an internet connection and a library card, than I had learned in the entire prior 14 years of formal "education".
Stay curious.
I imagine this experience varies wildly depending on school
I've learned the same, but I've concluded the following: there's a proper path for everyone, but there aren't enough educators to give proper guidance in finding your path. If you can and are willing, I would still recommend the formal education. It's finding your own path of growth that's the difficult part.
Strong anti-intellectual vibes to this one.
You guys had a peak?
Yeah - I was in top form... when I started. Then it was all downhill from there.
The old slip n' slide. Classic.
I worked for about 25 years. Was very worth it getting an education. But today... I dont know. Looks like endgame capitalism kills society.
Surely there will always be a job market for people who know as much about chlorine-argon biosynthesis of semi-compatible carbon lattice polymers withinn a Larson-Chekov matrix as I do.
15 years later: "Hm, we are actually looking for expertise with the Anderson-Palmer reagent matrix."
Me for about a decade before going fuck it and learning a trade
Hindsight: Wish I had.
Foresight: Still can.
I feel like the downward trend after the peak is accelerated if you are specifically studying philosophy.
For me, it was the 1st year of high school, but I'm not an academic (yet hopefully).
I agree with this, but just because I was around people my age with lots of free time
Freedom doesn't work when the people around you aren't free