Leaving Academia — 3 Reasons Why

Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

Here we go! Been waiting to write this and it’s now the right time! It’s been almost a decade of lecturing.

Academia has been seen as the pinnacle of intellectual achievement: a world of ideas, discovery, and teaching. So they say…

The truth?

Academia was never about intellectualism or critical thinking…in fact thinking is too tiresome.

Ideas? Forget it. No one listens or reads. Closed minds, ignorance and plain stupidity. The Great Divide is real.

Discovery? More like conformity and boredom.

and lecturing…..has become so mundane, so predictable…more importance on the aesthetics of a presentation vs. the content itself.

More emphasis on allocation of marks for exams, mid terms and quizzes all amounting to NOTHING…..

University Management Sucks

It ain’t nothing but a business. Money talks. Character and authenticity out the window.

Administrative bloat and ineffective leadership have turned universities into businesses

How?

Metrics, rankings, and profit — not knowledge, not skills

Plenty of time is wasted using metrics, taxonomies and calculations. Time one can use to read or reflect is substituted with more documentation on lesson plans, absurd learning objectives and outcomes….

and what’s worst?

Students Don’t (Never) Read

Instant gratification. Grades are EVERYTHING.

Who cares about books or literature?

Lecturing is supposed to be rewarding, but when students come unprepared, disengaged, or focused only on grades, joy becomes frustration.

Need I say more? I think I’m at the end of my rope.