May 12
17
Her father went to Oxford, but she chose CollegePlus and CLEPs
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CollegePlus – May 2012
My Dad Went to Oxford and I Didn’t – Here’s Why
By Jasmine Baucham
When I was ten years old, my family and I moved to the UK.
It was a year full of firsts: first time living anywhere but my beloved Republic of Texas, first time being home-educated, and my first time realizing that my parents weren’t just “mom” and “dad.” They were deep individuals with hopes, dreams, and plans for the future that, while they encompassed the lives of me and my younger brothers, weren’t simply centered around their children. My dad had always dreamed of going to Oxford, and now, in his early thirties, he was finally getting his chance. He was getting a degree that would sound impressive on any resume, an experience that would enrich his life and ours.
So, when people who know my dad find out that I’ll be graduating from Thomas Edison State College . . . it gives them pause. Here I am, bequeathed with a rich educational legacy from two intelligent, well-educated parents, and I’m “CLEPing” out of subjects left and right, missing out on the classroom dynamic that has come to define college education, and trading the prestige of my parents’ alma maters and a degree that speaks for itself for a degree that I have to explain. Constantly.
My dad’s degree is prestigious. It says a lot about who he is. He’s intelligent, distinguished, driven, and passionate. But I didn’t choose that degree.
I chose CollegePlus because, two years after graduating, I started laying out long-term plans that would be greatly aided by my modest English degree. I want to teach English lit, and my degree opened doors for that. I also want to look into getting my teaching certification to open more doors and broaden my horizons.
I chose CollegePlus because I believe young people are capable of learning autodidactically (needs to be a word, so I’m coining it) and that, if you work it, you’ll be exposed to more avenues than you ever dreamed of through a CollegePlus education!
Click here to read the complete article.