Students who excel in academics sometimes find themselves ignoring the value of extracurriculars in rounding out their education and helping them develop skills that make them marketable in the work force. I have always had the exact opposite problem. And looking back, I have gained experience and skills following my own interests and projects that have fulfilled many of the roles of education in the first place. It is my intention in this article to show what I have accomplished and how I have gone about accomplishing it, and show how my story can be a case study for the Edupunk movement — how I have gained an education while actively avoiding my degree.
Preliminary Exploration
As I have reflected on my experience in college, I see my extracurricular experiences as more connected to the goals of my educational pursuits than I previously realized. I've drafted out an initial narrative of what I have done, and am looking to tighten its purpose and make it more solidly applicable to wider questions about education.
Relevance
I have engaged in a unique way in digital humanities, which has led me to create work that has led to genuinely tangible results. I have gained experience and skills that will help me in my career, as well as which has rounded out my liberal arts education.
Format
Narrative essay, using my story as a case study for the Edupunk movement.
Outlet
Digital Humanities Quarterly
Curation
I have begun to curate selections from my podcasting experience (including unpublished mess-ups) to give a sample for the type of work I have done.
Social Proof
People often ask me about my unique college experience with podcasting in my spare time. The school paper published a profile of my efforts. I see my experiences largely through the lens of my weaknesses as a student, but have recently begun to see my experiences in terms of something positive (not just "fun"), and perhaps my experience can help provide a thoughtful critique of traditional education approaches. As I have hinted that I will talk about my experiences, several students have expressed interest in knowing my story.
Next Steps
The next step is to jump in the critical conversation surrounding Edupunk theory, and make application to my own experience as a student. Then, to continue working on my draft and see which parts of my narrative are most useful for making the commentary and point that I am hoping to make.
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