So, tonight I was talking about the classes I'll be taking this fall at my local community college (one of which is chemistry which I'm a little nervous about since I've never had a chemistry class before) with my wonderful bachelor's degree holding partner who, in an attempt to ease my anxiety makes the comment "Well, it's just at a community college so the class should be pretty easy." Wrong thing to say honey...
It did however get me to thinking about the general attitudes that people have towards not only community colleges but also to vocational/trade schools. That those of us who go to such institutions are intellectually inadequate and wouldn't be able to handle the academic rigors of a 4 year college or university. This attitude is completely inaccurate, after all if my classes were so EASY then the 4 year colleges and universities in my area wouldn't have an articulation agreement which honors the credits I take at the community college. It is a different atmosphere in a community college of course, but that doesn't mean I don't have to learn the material and learn it well in order to pass.
I remember in high school when I decided to enter the Practical Nursing program at the vocational school how I received criticism, statements such as "Well, you need to go to a 4 year college, anything less is for people who are stupid." and even now when I tell people I'm an LPN and that I've been at a community college taking classes I'm greeted with a concerned expression, a half smile, and a polite nod. A voice bubble might as well pop up above their head saying, "Well, since you're a failure at life and this is all you have, I'll be happy for you." after all since I'm going to a community college it means I can't handle REAL academics.
It may sound as though I'm jealous of those who get to receive a university education and have a bachelor's degree or above and are the same age as myself. And, yes, at times I am jealous because I would have loved to have had the same experience. But that simply just wasn't my path, one day I will "pull my time" in a four year college, my path will take me there, just not yet.
I believe no matter your credentials, whether you're doctorate degree holding FNP or a certificate holding CNA that you should be incredibly proud. Whether you're bachelor's prepared RN or a diploma holding LPN you should be proud. Because all levels of education should be revered and respected and valued. I don't feel ashamed of not already being a Registered Nurse or a college graduate nor do I have any regret at first becoming a CNA and then becoming an LPN because I still am helping people and I am still living my dream and that dream was to be independent. If you're a BSN or an ADN be PROUD of it no matter what your credentials are because you earned them.
College graduates face really discouraging odds. Many are unemployed, many more are employed in something other than their field of study, and many still are up to their eyeballs in debt. My partner for instance has a bachelor's degree yet works in job making a little over minimum wage. That is why I chose the path I did. When I was 17 and I enrolled in the LPN program, I knew due to my personal and financial circumstances that I couldn't afford to go to college just yet, I needed to be self sufficient and going to a trade school and later to a community college would allow me to do that. It wasn't the right choice for everyone but it was for me, and because of that I can pay for my school one semester at a time while minimizing and most semesters avoiding student loans, not to mention a few years head start on 401k versus my peers and that feels really good.
A dear friend of mine always wanted to be a mechanic, her family, peers, etc were not supportive "only stupid people do something like that" so instead she got 2 bachelor's degrees, is jobless, and owes thousands of dollars in student loans. All this because her dream was too "stupid" in the eyes of her parents and everyone else. Side not, I know many mechanics who make more money than I do and they're all pretty happy. I think the attitude that you go to college to "make a better life for yourself" isn't always accurate. We shouldn't be telling our children that they have to go to college in order to be considered intelligent or successful. We should be telling them that in this world success isn't defined by your credentials or where you went to school or how much money you make, it's defined by getting out of life what you make of it and what you want from it. Do what you love people, whether you're a CNA or a Medical Doctor, do what you love and love what you do and be proud but above all else never assume that someone is stupid simply because their education is different from yours.
Whew... feels good to get that out.
Oh and my partner quickly apologized for what he said. Probably had something to do with the fact I spouted off this little speech in the course of sixty seconds after his comment.
Oh I did not say YOU were a hater GM2RN. Did I imply that somehow? I meant that there are some haters who I cannot help and I was giving up trying. If they want to draw their swords so be it. If you wish to join the fray- join away! Feel free!
Fair enough. You didn't quote anyone in your last post but it did seem directed to me since it followed so closely to the one of yours that I responded to.
My parents tried to pull this garbage on me but I explained to them that the job was the same in both cases and it was much smarter to go through a 2 year program and come out debt free than to soldier on for 4 years at a name school and come out fifty grand in the hole, minimum because those were my choices. When they mentioned alternative fields, I still told them 4 years and incurring a massive debt to make women's wages was a very bad deal for me. Then they shut up.
Anyone who says the type of intensive courses that are typical of a two year nursing program are for the stupid has never bothered to sit in on any of those courses. They'd likely be weeping within the first ten minutes. ADN programs are the farthest from easy there is.
I went to university first and then college....university cost me 30000 in student loans (still paying for that and I left university 10 years ago....). I wish I went to community college first. Any way your friend who wanted to be a mechanic should have done it anyway....my mechanic makes 65.00 an hour: )
My parents tried to pull this garbage on me but I explained to them that the job was the same in both cases and it was much smarter to go through a 2 year program and come out debt free than to soldier on for 4 years at a name school and come out fifty grand in the hole, minimum because those were my choices. When they mentioned alternative fields, I still told them 4 years and incurring a massive debt to make women's wages was a very bad deal for me. Then they shut up.
Anyone who says the type of intensive courses that are typical of a two year nursing program are for the stupid has never bothered to sit in on any of those courses. They'd likely be weeping within the first ten minutes. ADN programs are the farthest from easy there is.
Goodyear paid her significantly less than her male counterparts. The lawsuit she filed against them eventually reached the Supreme Court. While she will not ever receive the money that was denied her in the many years she worked for Goodyear, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which is named after her, was passed so that other women will not have to suffer from such inequity. (summary from Wikipedia).
If I remember correctly, the Supreme Court agreed that while the facts were correct as they stood, Ms Ledbetter was not able to receive compensation as too much time had passed since the discrimination. Also, if I remember correctly, part of the problem was that Ms Ledbetter did not realize that she was being paid less till many years after the fact.
I think the poster is just saying that if nursing was male dominated, wages would be higher.
The poster of that comment was born in 1947. If she went to school in 1965 when she was 18, a term like "women's wages" most certainly could have applied to compensation for most jobs that a 4-year female grad would have filled.
I went to university first and then college....university cost me 30000 in student loans (still paying for that and I left university 10 years ago....). I wish I went to community college first. Any way your friend who wanted to be a mechanic should have done it anyway....my mechanic makes 65.00 an hour: )
Um they usually charge that amount for labor- the mechanic only gets a small portion of that. Unless he runs his own business in which he gets it all but has to pay his costs out of that amount. It is like the $130 a visit they charge the insurance company for a home health nursing visit. The nurse only gets about $30 of that.
Wrong thing to say honey... 
GM2RN
1,850 Posts
Fair enough. You didn't quote anyone in your last post but it did seem directed to me since it followed so closely to the one of yours that I responded to.