why school
many times it seems like i’m not learning anything useful in school, applicable to someone who has been working in IT for a dozen years already. at first, it was learning to program and learning processes, then documentation and workflow. now i’m learning some basic nuts and bolts of how computing works, which is neat but doesn’t seem immediately applicable.
i was reminded last month that maybe school isn’t about tools or skills but instead about access; access to explore new ideas and figure out what you want to do. maybe it’s about getting pointed in the direction you’re interested. maybe it’s about teaching you to think about problems differently.
i’m nearing the end but still don’t feel like i have a direction. i’ve been reading the acm and sigcomm periodicals for ideas and inspiration. some graduate-level classes look interesting but i’m burned out with school. although, i feel when I pause, i won’t go back.
the pause is inevitable as i follow through on a commitment to my wife but the duration is undecided.