Hello all who still take peeks at the cyberworld of our shared past - I seek your advice.
Here I am at University of Vermont, after a long yet fruitful battle with a parasitic infection. Chronic pain and indigestion were the main symptoms that caused me to withdraw from Oberlin, after which I took a year off for medical reasons and then transferred here in order to make the transition back to academia. The healing process is incredible, as I'm experiencing a vitality and clear-headedness that seems wholly new and distinct from an 'old' self, if such a thing can even exist. It's involved a lot of different practitioners and doctors from all ends of the medical spectrum, and I must say, my protocol has been quite in-ter-dis-ci-plin-ary in nature.
And so, I got all excited to apply to Oberlin again, in hopes of transferring back: the time spent at UVM and the help I needed from nearby doctors has been exhausted, and I'd say I've recovered to a certain degree. But during the application process, I became a bit intrigued by other institutions (as I am a sophomore now only), and applied to 5 other colleges, one of which was Deep Springs. And...I've just been accepted.
But after having visited the campus, gotten to know the half of the kids I may spend the next 2 years with, and completed the rigorous application, I have my doubts. Perhaps I've grown too old for such a thing (I'll be 23 by the time I'd finish)? Is the unique academic and intellectual attention and autonomy worth foregoing the Oberlin education and social atmosphere I worked so hard to retrieve? Is it worth prolonging my undergraduate education (I'd have to get my degree elsewhere after 'graduating' from DS, effectively stretching my Bachelor's degree between 4 separate institutions) simply to engage specific educational ideals that I hold? Do I need this specific institution to embrace those ideals?
Furthermore, and a bit more to the point, am I torn only because of the status and sense of elitism this mysterious place harbors? Is prestige, in the long run, even tangible? For any who read this, what is your experience with the supposed merits and benefits that accrue from attending an institution that is highly regarded? Does it really make a difference? Or is our education really, no matter where we go, entirely 'what we make of it'?
I can't tell whether I have doubts about Deep Springs because it really is the 'wrong' place for me to go next year, or if my fears surrounding it only reflect its potential in helping me truly grow not only as a student, but a friend and community participant. After all, the relationships I'd find myself in seem inevitably intimate and challenging.
I know that, all in all, this knot needs unraveling on my own accord and with my own effort, but I thought it couldn't hurt to ask advice from a circle of peers that played a most formative part in the burgeon of my intellectual career. You all really inspired me in many ways that summer, and it's clear that my interest (and concerns) with Deep Springs is deeply embedded with my Nunnian roots. Any thoughts? I need to let them know by April 15th, just in case you're reading this after that date. Best,
Henrik
