My name is Professor Lamb, and I am probably more credentialed than 99 percent of the people on the planet. That is not a boast. It may be more of a liability.
I have two bachelor’s degrees—one Bachelor of Arts and one Bachelor of Science—two master’s degrees in very different fields, and a Ph.D. That is before we get to the certificates, certifications, and other pieces of paper I have accumulated.
None of this means I am smarter than 99 percent of people. I am definitely not. It mostly means that I became very good at school.
Most of the time I spent being lectured at, studying, and sitting in classrooms was probably wasted. I have forgotten at least 80 percent of what I learned, probably more. There are entire classes from which I cannot recall a single useful fact. Don’t ask me to account for all the hours I spent studying Latin, German, Welsh, and other languages I never learned to read or speak well, despite honest efforts. I am definitely not a polyglot, despite deep cosmopolitan appreciation for other cultures and languages.
Of course I am not anti-education. Quite the opposite–I’m a Professor of Information Technology after all. I love learning new things, and I hope I remain curious for the rest of my life. I enjoy teaching students about technology, preparing content and planning lessons. Getting paid for this is a true honor and privilege that I do not take for granted.
But “regrets” is in the blog tagline, so here’s one: I wish I had spent more time becoming good at things I loved—developing skills that brought me passion, joy, independence, and the ability to make things useful and delightful. Education can be valuable. Credentials can be valuable. But neither is the same as growth, developing good judgment, or becoming skilled at something that brings you—and perhaps other people—real joy.
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