Somehow, I’m always swimming upstream. This time, as everyone else is getting ready to go back to school, I’m just entering the book-free zone.
As one of this summer’s big goals, I finished an educational certificate I’ve been working on for a number of years. Reaching the finish line is satisfying, but I’ve gained more than a piece of paper and a pile of very dull textbooks. I’ve learned to value some of the lessons that come with knocking around the business world, because I was able to transfer those skills to school. As they say, old age and trickery will beat youth and speed every time.
Take charge of your own experience. Or, to put it another way, work smarter and don't be so overwhelmed by authority. When I went from high school to university years ago, I was an obedient lamb who accepted the instructors and materials set before me. This time, I hunted down alternate textbooks, tutors and auxiliary materials almost as soon as I started each course. How much I got out of the class depended in part on seeking out extra resources.
You are the consumer. This meant advocating for myself, being the squeaky wheel, and demanding the quality of instruction I felt I'd paid for. Ultimately, the person you need to be nice to is you. There is nothing to be gained from enduring a bad situation.
Don’t waste my time. If something is going to eat away hours of my life, I want it to count. I don’t have to like it, but it should do something for me.
I could go on, but you get the picture. The university experience has changed a lot. With new technology, distance education, and simply more students per class, I couldn't afford to be a passive vessel waiting to be filled with knowledge. I had to go after the information I wanted to know.
Why am I talking about all this on a writing blog? Perhaps because there are so many encounters in the publishing industry that remind me I’m still a student here, too. And, what skills I transferred from business to school can be applied equally well to authordom: be prepared to speak up, find the resources required, and make sure every effort counts.
There's more, too. Pack emergency food. Tests are closer than they appear on the calendar. Know when to celebrate and, um, deadlines don't go away just 'cause you pretend they aren't there.
Believe me I tried.
