COLLEGE:
Let me see, my approach to higher education has been somewhat dilatory. I always knew where Boise Junior College was located by the Boise River across the Julia Davis Park. I drove past it dozens of times but had no close acquaintance until many years later it had become Boise State University.
The summer I spent after graduation, I was 17 and too young to officially work. One day I hoped on the bus to go from Petaluma to Santa Rose to visit Santa Rose Junior College. I applied and submitted a written exam. Only problem was transportation and the fees. I was flat broke. So I thought, maybe later. Never happened.
A few months after I started work at Fairchild Semiconductor in San Rafael I decided to enroll in some classes at Redwood Junior College. I looked over the stuff and decided on Astrology, Spanish and Art.
Astrology was interesting. I really liked the idea of peering at stars through a telescope on a dark romantic evening. Unfortunately the professor started talking about the mathematics involved in computing azimuth and zenith and other arcane terms. My math skills were poor to phobic so I immediately dropped that class.
Spanish lasted a bit longer, I memorized lists of words, worked on my Castilian accent but never got to conversational stage. Dropped that class.
Art: Much better. I loved it. First project was clay sculpture. My sculpture was a figure of a man swan diving downward. One of the classmates looked over and sniffed, "Oh how cute, a phallic symbole!". Er whut? Next projects involved quarter inch copper wire being spot welded and then being covered with patient newspapers soaked in glue. I made several of these and they were universally ugly. I wish I just kept on welding bits of copper on and that might have looked at least artsy. I put the sculptures in the garden of the house I was renting in Novato. I left them there when I moved out. Hope they brought a good price as scrap metal.
Ten years later I am divorced and back in Idaho looking for a means to survive. I took basic round peg in square hole testing at the employment service. The sorting hat person looked my scores over and pointed out a couple of things to think about. I could become an OSHA inspector (almost as unpopular as game wardens), an atomic lab worker (Have to move to Idaho Falls) and medical record technician. Um what is that I asked. BSU had a two year associate of science degree. I applied, qualified for BEOG and managed to get in line for a small cash bequest and I was off! Best thing I ever did, the degree was extremely potable and paid enough to keep us above the Federal poverty level. In 1978 Idaho that was the equivalent of comfortable. and I had no student loan debt.
Let me see, my approach to higher education has been somewhat dilatory. I always knew where Boise Junior College was located by the Boise River across the Julia Davis Park. I drove past it dozens of times but had no close acquaintance until many years later it had become Boise State University.
The summer I spent after graduation, I was 17 and too young to officially work. One day I hoped on the bus to go from Petaluma to Santa Rose to visit Santa Rose Junior College. I applied and submitted a written exam. Only problem was transportation and the fees. I was flat broke. So I thought, maybe later. Never happened.
A few months after I started work at Fairchild Semiconductor in San Rafael I decided to enroll in some classes at Redwood Junior College. I looked over the stuff and decided on Astrology, Spanish and Art.
Astrology was interesting. I really liked the idea of peering at stars through a telescope on a dark romantic evening. Unfortunately the professor started talking about the mathematics involved in computing azimuth and zenith and other arcane terms. My math skills were poor to phobic so I immediately dropped that class.
Spanish lasted a bit longer, I memorized lists of words, worked on my Castilian accent but never got to conversational stage. Dropped that class.
Art: Much better. I loved it. First project was clay sculpture. My sculpture was a figure of a man swan diving downward. One of the classmates looked over and sniffed, "Oh how cute, a phallic symbole!". Er whut? Next projects involved quarter inch copper wire being spot welded and then being covered with patient newspapers soaked in glue. I made several of these and they were universally ugly. I wish I just kept on welding bits of copper on and that might have looked at least artsy. I put the sculptures in the garden of the house I was renting in Novato. I left them there when I moved out. Hope they brought a good price as scrap metal.
Ten years later I am divorced and back in Idaho looking for a means to survive. I took basic round peg in square hole testing at the employment service. The sorting hat person looked my scores over and pointed out a couple of things to think about. I could become an OSHA inspector (almost as unpopular as game wardens), an atomic lab worker (Have to move to Idaho Falls) and medical record technician. Um what is that I asked. BSU had a two year associate of science degree. I applied, qualified for BEOG and managed to get in line for a small cash bequest and I was off! Best thing I ever did, the degree was extremely potable and paid enough to keep us above the Federal poverty level. In 1978 Idaho that was the equivalent of comfortable. and I had no student loan debt.
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