At an older friend’s house she has a sign in her basement over her laundry machine which reads: “Don’t let school get in the way of your education.” Next to this sign is a poster of a gigantic, overweight basset hound smiling happily. These two separate images are forever engraved in my mind as one. It almost feels like the gigantic basset hound is the one delivering these words of wisdom. So today, as classes near an end and I begin to register for spring semester, I am beginning to feel those words more than ever.

I was in the math lab earlier discussing the one math class I would need to complete my degree. Unlike most areas in school, I felt small and slightly pathetic, as math is not an area I excel in. The student in the math lab picked up the textbook used for the low level math I needed and said in a rather off-hand way, “Yeah, don’t worry. This is idiot math. I’m sure you will be fine.”

I didn’t jump in to suggest, “Actually, I’m one of those idiot math people.” Instead I felt slightly defensive and wanted to say, “You may have your math but at least I have my humanities!” Which would have been an entirely ridiculous, unnecessary statement and so I kept my mouth shut.

As I review the situation in my mind my thoughts return to the words: “Don’t let school get in the way of your education.” I guess this is how I am feeling right about now.