School?

Yea, I know, I'm being introspective again. Deal with it.

The past few days I've been rather strongly feeling that I would like to go back to school. I used to be in college, but due to issues like not getting my schoolwork done, I never actually finished. My major was English: Writing, with a minor in Philosophy at Winona State University. I doubt I could use that as any sort of base to build on however, as I was on academic probation when I dropped out (or was it suspension? I honestly don't remember which).

Regardless, the past isn't really the issue here. The future and the present are. Financially, I wouldn't be able to afford it without financial aid. If I could do that, I'd already be signed up to take online philosophy courses with Dan Fincke, which is cheaper than actual college courses for college credit (check that link if you're interested in philosophy, and learning about it with an actual Ph.D. who's left the usual college scene behind; I highly suspect it's worth it). So, I'd be putting myself into further debt due to student loans. This is probably a bad thing, given that I'm still paying on the previous student loans, and Mrs S.T. and I are trying to expand our family.

There's also the job thing. I still want to study writing and philosophy, and that's just not a promising career path. That's the kind of path where you have to work at something else while hoping to get a break. On one hand, that's perfectly fine. I don't want to go back to school to get a different job, I want to go back because I enjoyed the schooling process, and would like to improve myself in my areas of interest. I would even look forward to some of the electives, as my interests are not confined to writing and philosophy (psychology, social sciences, etc). On the other hand, it doesn't seem like a wise decision to go into debt simply to satisfy that itch for learning. That's an expensive itch to scratch!

There's also the pride factor. Depression and laziness kept me from finishing my schooling the first time around. I'd really like to prove, to myself at least, that I can earn a degree. I'm not proud of how my time at WSU ended, though I do realize that it was the right decision at the time. I was not in the right head space to continue with the classes (even if the administration would have let me). To that extent, I suppose the past is part of the issue here.

So, to sum up, reasons to go back include: self-improvement, further learning, and pride. Reasons not to go back: debt. Oh, I guess that's only one reason not to. Too bad it's such a big one.