The finest minds of my generation.

One of my classes is a 3000-level political science class. (They use thousands at VT; I have no idea of why. Maybe all colleges do so. What do I know about colleges?) This class is intended for third- and fourth-year students, and is consequently populated mostly by upperclassmen, largely political science majors. On Tuesday, my fellow students struggled to define “freedom.” Today, it had to be explained to us who Hobbes, Oliver Cromwell, Calvin, Henry VII and John Locke were. The concept of a time without government was presented. We were asked to think about the origins of leadership and government, and the idea that morality stems from something other than an all-powerful deity. This was a notion that was obviously distressing to some.

What the hell? What have these people been doing for the past three years? Or, for that matter, for the rest of their lives? This class is considered difficult? Compared to what?

We had our first homework assignment due today. A response to the following:

What does Locke mean when he talks about the “natural law?” How can there be a law without a government? Why does he argue that humans are equal under this natural Law?

We were only supposed to write a few sentences and, of course, answer the questions. I thought I’d try and get something more out of this, since I could write out the expected response in 2-3 minutes and learn nothing from the exercise. So I went beyond the requirements, writing a half a page or so, comparing this concept of natural law to the social structures and standards of primate groups, as observed by Jane Goodall, and e-mailed it to the instructor last night. I asked him about my submission after class today. He said, simply, that I should only answer the question, and do no more. Oh, well.

I managed to escape taking 1000-level political science courses this semester, and instead I have two 3000-level and one 2000-level courses. The one and only 1000-level course is my philosophy course, the time spent in which I’ve already resigned to being forever gone. Unfortunately, I am required to take four (!) 1000-level political science courses, the introductory classes that are reputed to be necessary to obtain a degree in political science. This sounds like a sort of a hell. I wrote to the head of the program a couple of weeks ago, seeking an exemption, but I’ve heard nothing yet. I’m thinking of taking all of them next semester. It will be the easiest 12 credits that I’ll ever get, and that will make it all the easier to fit in another 6-9 credits in the same semseter.

It just sucks that I’m wasting my time in these classes. I’ve looked at the course catalog. There are genuinely challenging, stimulating courses that are hypothetically available, if I could only get permission to enter them and manage to seize a spot. It’s really only disappointing because it’s exactly what I knew would happen, and it’s a big part of why I didn’t go to college for many years.

We are told throughout our formal education that it really gets good, and it really starts to count, just a little bit up ahead. In kindergarten, the teacher says that things get serious when we enter first grade. Throughout elementary school, we’re told that we’ll really have to study, use cursive, write in pen, etc. when we get to middle school. In middle school, we’re told that our work in high school counts towards what college that we get into, that we’ll have to take exams, that it’ll get really hard. In high school, we’re told that it’s all just to prepare us for college, that our time spent the continuous parade of busywork will pay off, because we’ll get into a great college and then things will get really serious. College is where it counts. Of course, it’s doesn’t. Because here, everybody’s preparing for graduate school. And the graduate students are preparing for their PhD, which is the really good stuff. They’re told. So just hang in there, keep your chin up, do the busy work because, hey, it’s all going to pay off in just a few years.

I guess I’m done waiting. I know now that it’s just not going to happen.

Published by Waldo Jaquith

Waldo Jaquith (JAKE-with) is an open government technologist who lives near Char­lottes­­ville, VA, USA. more »