Hello,
This week I would like to share with you a video that I recently watched on YouTube. It's called "College Conspiracy":
Now while I must admit that I have not watched the entire hour-long video, I would highly recommend taking a look at the first three minutes or so. First of all, I feel that the combined voice, background sound, and graphics make this quite a captivating clip that draws viewers in. Although the producer of this video does use figures and statistics that do not necessarily represent all of the colleges in the U.S., the underlying message that I have taken away is that we are all trained (programmed, shall we say) to achieve well in school so that we can one day make it to college, and then go on to having a high-paying career. And I would agree with this statement to a certain extent.
As I am nearing the end of my undergraduate degree, I definitely feel as though there are certain things that have lacked in my education thus far (and others that have surpassed expectations, of course). When I started university, my Grandpa told me that if I learned nothing else, I would definitely learn to think this year. That, I believe, is entirely true. I learned to think. And write academic papers. But in terms of 'hard skills', I do not feel as though I possess that many. I may have learned to lay bricks on volunteer trips to Guatemala and El Salvador, but this does not mean I could go build a house on my own tomorrow. Perhaps this is because I am not in a program leading to a professional designation such as a doctor, a lawyer, or an engineer. So this means that I must find my own way.
The video also talks about the rising cost of tuition and other fees (such as textbooks). Oh boy, is this ever something I know about. Since I have been in university (4 years), tuition (including ancillary fees) has risen from approx $5,000/year to approx $6,000/year. That's a $250 increase per year! This coming year, I will also be completing a field placement in Peru, and this has quite a few additional costs associated with it. To give you an idea of the money that I am trying to earn/fundraise over the next few months:
Return flight: $1,500
Travel and health insurance: $300
Vaccines: $250
Living costs (incl. accomodation): $4,380
WUSC Field Placement Fee: $3,000
Tuition: $6,000
Total: $15,430
Alright so my living expenses in Peru will definitely be less than those here in Waterloo (or last year when I was in Lyon), but it is still quite a hefty amount to pay when you consider that I will be unable to work during those 8 months and that I am currently in school and therefore unable to work full-time.
So this semester, we are fundraising! Our class is coming together this semester in order to fundraise to help cover the costs of our field placements. We have branded ourselves INDEVOURS (get it? INDEV for International Development and a play on the word endeavours). You can check our out blog here: INDEVOURS, or find us on facebook or on twitter. Our goal: raise $30,000 this summer (just over $1,000 per student, or less than 10% of what our field placement will cost). Will you help us?
I'll keep you posted with upcoming events and the progress that INDEVOURS is making. Have a great week!
Sheila
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