Before I started this post, lyrics flashed into my brain. Something, something, something, destination unknown. I quickly searched for those lyrics to no avail. I texted my friend who has an encyclopedic knowledge of songs and asked for their help. They returned with an answer Golden Earring by the band Twilight Zone. Instead of being satisfied, I queued up the song, and listening to it jarred my memory loose. The song does contain the destination unknown lyrics but it is not the exact song my brain wanted me to remember.
You see, my brain has a military bent when it comes to writing this blog. I know it, you know it, the blog knows it. When I used to exercise in the early mornings with the Army while I was at Creighton, cadence was discussed as a motivational partner. Cadence is the military song that is often used during running to keep the runners on beat. I am sure that readers will have seen this in movies or TV shows. The military cadence memory that was jarred loose during the conversation with my friend was C-130 Rolling Down the Strip. The lyrics I couldn’t remember were “Mission uncertain, Destination unknown.”
Long story short, this satisfied the question in my brain, even if it did set me up for a cadence earworm. I will let you know when it finally leaves me.
After this rabbit hole, I was ready to write. Remember, this is very appropriate because School Me Saturday is doing an Alice in Wonderland and the adult learner theme.
Here’s the thing about starting education as an adult learner, it is important to at least have an idea of where you are going. To have an end goal in mind. It might change. That is okay, but it is better to know something about what you want to do.
Not to mention that it is the best use of your resources to have a goal in mind. But at the very beginning, it is all general education that everyone has to take. This is why some people start adult learning at community colleges. For the bang for your buck.
It is absolutely okay not to have an end goal in mind at the beginning of your education. That might come later. And your end goal might change a bunch of times as you settle into the degree that you want.
After all, the Chesire Cat said “If you don’t know where you are going, any road can take you there.”
Any road will take you to the end. The question is how much you are willing to do and how many classes you are willing to take before you have the answer to what is your end game. Exploring is good and healthy.
But, be warned, don’t get lost. As I’ve discussed, it is okay not to have an end game in mind. For a while but eventually, you will have to settle onto something. If only for your wallet.
To make a big circle back to the destination unknown lyrics, your mission in college is to end up with some sort of degree. Hopefully, one that can be used in your career, but that is not necessary. Even as you step onto campus the roads open up to you.
Choose a good one. One that will serve you best. And if you decide that the road you’re on isn’t the right one, pick another. But there will be consequences to changing in the middle of the stream. Time, money, and adulthood tasks that you feel are important.
Life is a trade-off, the roads are not always clearly marked. But don’t get lost.
Dispatches from the Evening Shift 