If navigating a global pandemic and starting a brand new job completely remote wasn't enough to contend with in 2020, I decided to go back and start a part time college degree online. I'm easy on myself like that 😜!
I'm studying for the DCU Bachelor of Arts in Humanities (Psychology Major), a Level 8 honours degree programme. You can choose how many modules you do every year (I choose two this year, the maximum per year is four), and you have up to eight years to complete the course. So very accessible for anyone who has other full time commitments. I also found it be more financially affordable than some other options out there.
I've worked in customer facing jobs since I was 13, and have developed a real curiosity for people and why we act how we do. Psychology was such a natural interest area for me, and as this course is part of the DCU Humanities department, it's also giving me the opportunity to take some modules in Philosophy which are equally fascinating.
I've taken accredited part time courses over the past number of years, so I'm not a stranger to adult learning. But this was a step up as a degree course, going back to learning how to reference again after a 11 year break isn't easy can I tell you!
Three main things that I am realising from the experience so far:
There is a difference between an opinion and a perspective
How to disagree agreeably
The power of critical thinking
I'd love to expand on these more for you..
There is a difference between an opinion and a perspective
Everyone can have opinions. And we're entitled to them, our brain worked hard to create them. But we need to remember it doesn't make them gospel truth. Our opinions are based on your thoughts, experiences, perception and judgment about the world. It's different from having a perspective. A perspective is backed up, not only by your thoughts and opinions, but by data, research and investigation (reliable sources). I think it's an interesting thing to remember, and ever harder as social media and the internet splays out so much information in the guise of knowledge. (Highly recommend watching the Social Dilemma on Netflix for an eye opening account of this).
2. How to disagree agreeably
Affirm or deny. Agree or disagree. Argue the effectiveness or not. Everywhere in academica, you're encouraged to take a stance and debate it with others. I feel like I'm learning to disagree agreeably again! (Again when you consider the vile trolling and online bullying that is rampant online right now, a skill many of us could do well to develop). Why is disagreement so hard for some of us? I think it becomes a lot harder when the topic someone is debating with us is our parenting choices, lifestyle or career, which can be so entwined with our personal identities. A debate on them can feel like a personal attack on our whole self. Going back to college has allowed me to see that we can differentiate our viewpoints and who we are as a person, making "let's agree to disagree" a lot more palatable and pain free.
3. The power of critical thinking
View everything through a critical lens, rather than take it for granted. In recent years we've seen the power of social media and how problems have arisen from people just implicity believing what they see on these social media channels (conspiracy theories a case in point). College has really got me thinking about where we source our information. It is easy for anyone to post on the internet (this blog being a case in point!), so we have to be able to figure out who/what is credible. In college, you need to consider the validity of your sources, and back up your opinions with reference to accredited sources. It's been a really positive shift for me to critically evaluate the information I consume, not just believe what we're told.
I hope you've enjoyed my 3 quick lessons from going back to college. And remember: never stop learning because life never stops teaching.
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