Today, a person I have known for less than a week said they understood where I was and that it is often difficult to start over in a new place. I was like ” Que?” Start over? In the year or so since I got laid off from my job in Florida and moved to the Big Apple…hmm, sorry, I mean Jersey, I have never thought about it as “starting over.” Even while in Florida I never thought about it as “starting,” I was laying the foundation for my future, or so I thought. I was working on the roots; roots that would eventually earn me a decent, independent living.

I think drinking the cool-aid regarding the importance of education above all else, was my first mistake. Other than meeting some great friends and eating some horrible late night pizza, I can’t say my formal college education has given me anything more than I would have had, had I relied on my wits, common sense and legs. MBAs are now a dime a dozen and the longer I stay unemployed or out of mainstream employment with an advanced degree, the more that degree will be compared to a GED by the time I re-enter the workforce. I’m not being fair, I don’t really yearn to return to corporate America but I would like the opportunity to reject a great job offer.

I recently started a business and though it is not what I thought I would be doing at this time, I am completely dedicated to it. After majoring in finance and marketing and completing an MBA, I am now making and selling hair and skin care products. Hair and Skin JUNC was started after working at my friend’s salon for a few months. I realized that a lot of the women that came into the salon had no idea what was going into their hair. It wasn’t hard for me to make the leap to try to educate them about the kinds of products that are available and the kinds of products that are possible. Many of the natural oils now included in my line, have been in my hair and skin care arsenal for years, yet I never thought about packaging and selling them (my fault, I know.) A classic case of school getting in the way of my education. I was very focused on getting the degrees. Now, I’m teaching myself chemistry, photography and how to customize WordPress templates (to name a few things.)

I read somewhere that a student from a New York university sued her school because she graduated but could not find a job. I think there is some legitimacy to that claim. After all, there are the years before entering college where you hear that all kinds of doors will be opened once you get that college degree. The thing they don’t tell you is that some of those doors will lead to a small room with no windows. I wish I could get a refund for years spent learning “business.” I would happily spend my refund on photography classes, fashion school or some form of education where I learn to produce tangible goods. As a youth, I was misinformed, no one told me that I needed to find my passion and pursue it and if that included higher education then “whop di doo,” It was always “you need to get an education.”

Having gotten a formal business education, I can now say that I really didn’t need one. So, yes, now I’m starting over and it’s difficult. It is difficult because I now know that all those years I spent in business school could have been put to better use.