school is not for me?????

[@tara7261]

I actually dropped out of college. It was the most toxic environment for me. I was in the hospital like twice a semester because I was just constantly sick, I was so afraid of approaching teachers because they were so up their own ass, the social justice environment felt almost controlling, its the reason I was diagnosed with severe generalized anxiety and I literally had a mental breakdown in my last semester. I felt completely suffocated and stuck and I got so depressed that I just kept skipping because I just couldn't be bothered. It's hard trying to make your parents understand that. No matter how many times I say it's never gonna happen, my dad is still pressuring me to go to uni. Right now I'm working to save up money to take a dog grooming course, and once I get good at it I'd like to take a do training course and eventually work in shelters and rescues. I wish we lived in a society where people didn't look down their nose at you if you tell them you dropped out. There are so many options out there, but all anyone sees is uni. So I admire people who continue their schooling, I could just never do it because it Fucking destroyed me.

[@katelynfields2345]

This view of getting degree being the only way to succeed in life is sad and is taught to children at such a young age. When I was student teaching, I explained to a group of first graders that I was going to college so that I could be an elementary school teacher. One little girl said that she didn't want to go to any more school and, before I could say anything, another little girl says "Well, you have to go to college if you want to be smart." School just isn't for some people. There's no shame in that.

[@ArielBissett]

Thank you so much for your comment

[@LastMinuteGuess]

I know so many people who got below average grades who are among the most intelligent people I know and I feel dumb around them even with my straight A’s. College and school is not for everyone and most people probably don’t really enjoy the process, they just love learning in general not exactly the format. Find something that actually gives you meaning. Sorry that you had to experience such a horrible time, I have friends with similar stories. Life’s just too short to not live it the way you want to.

[@APRIL-ii4dk]

Tara Taillon I've been through that..some teachers can seriously ruin your perspective of education while some can bring up the light. But hey life is so much more than education...what and where you find happiness is the ultimate meaning of life.

[@hermionebenson8366]

Tara Taillon I love your plan for dog grooming. That sounds like a LOVELY ambition and profession and I wish you the very best!!

[@divergentgurl1414]

I really like these kinds of videos. Especially since all the topics you choose are always SO interesting and I just love listening to you talk about all the things you are passionate about! I'm going to university in a year so learning things about masters is really cool! I'm also struggling to know what I really want to work as, since I've always wanted to be a writer, but I don't know what to study. I'm thinking about journalism, but I don't know if I will find a good job as a journalist (at least where I live it's hard). If you could do videos about finding your path and your experience, it would be a m a z i n g.

[@ArielBissett]

divergentgurl 14 I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this! It definitely encourages me to do it again!

[@lappybrar9031]

Most universities don't require that you state your major right away, and actually encourage that you state your major in your 3rd year! I just started university in September and am sort of just taking courses that I'm interested in to help me decide where I want to go. Don't worry right now about what exactly you want to study. Take multiple different kinds of english or arts/humanities courses and see what you enjoy!

[@enohar]

I love to see you talking about books, but I also love when you talk about other stuff. Either way, I'll be here to watch. S2

[@ArielBissett]

Thank you!!! It's really nice to hear this :D

[@girlwiththemagicpen]

I noticed a video on your channel about Norway, but I don't understand Portuguese so, I'm wondering, do you live in Norway?

[@lilyturner5840]

Chika Anene She lives in Canada. Sometimes, she visits London.

[@kate-ej7fw]

I would love to watch your educational videos, that’d be great! I love how your channel is evolving with you and your life.

[@ArielBissett]

I don't what they'd be like or when they'd happen, but it's definitely something that's on my mind!

[@sarahhall4107]

The idea of you making free educational videos excite me. I have always wanted to do further education courses espically in English, but never been able to afford it. So chatty educational videos sound great!

[@stripedsweater520]

i'm in my senior year of university and i'm sad real real sad. I feel like I've learned things but have not grasped any of my subjects very well because i'm always moving from one class to another, one assignment to the next assignment to the next essay and readings. My brain is very disorganized and I just feel mad at myself for taking out loans for university and my dad keeps asking do I wanna get a Master's and i'm like no idk after 4 years idk what even really interests me. I don't even like my major. i need a mental break.

[@LissaColleen]

i'm only in my sophomore year but this is how i feel rn

[@jillianunrau2387]

I totally feel this, I'm in my second year and I just feel like i'm not taking anything in and my brain is super overwhelmed

[@MagdalenaMichaela]

I'm one semester away from finishing my undergrad and I understand your pain! Learning is such a great experience; however, the way university is structured, you can burn out really fast. We're all out here rooting for you!!

[@emmmabooks]

i'm so glad i watched this video & i'd be so excited to hear more! i'm applying to grad school rn (hecka nervous) and it's so nice to hear someone talk about what it's actually like to be a student on this course :)

[@LemonSockGirl]

I love this kind of video! Like you said perfect for doing other stuff to. I'm an architecture student so listen to a lot of stuff when drawing and have been working my through your podcast recently!

[@ArielBissett]

LemonSockGirl Amazing! I hope you liked the podcast episodes!!

[@NaomiTheBookLover]

This is why i love your channel Ariel! You’re so unique from other Booktubers in that your videos aren’t just surface level discussions on literature. You dive deep and provide thought provoking content for your viewership! I’ve been wanting to get my masters in English literature as well and this video has been super informative!

[@fashiondina]

I LOVE this style of video. I feel like I got a lot out of it and I'm really happy you made it

[@eleventhclara]

Currently applying to English graduate programs (straight to PhD from my BA because we can do that in the US), so hearing you talk about your experience in your masters program is super interesting to me. I loved this video, so please make more!

[@scottneigh]

Definitely enjoyed this video. Partly that's because I did a one-year humanities MA myself a number of years ago, also with no intention of going on to become an academic, so it was interesting to hear about your experience of that. But I also enjoyed it because it was great hearing your perspective as someone new to academia -- my partner, one of my sisters, and lots of other people I know are academics, so I hear lots of that older, experienced, and somewhat jaded perspective, and I really appreciated seeing it all through fresh eyes, as it were, and with fresh enthusiasm. :) (The one kind of downer note that I would add is that while your peers may all *think* that they are going to go on to do PhDs and become faculty, probably most of them aren't...it's actually really unfair that graduate schools are almost universally not honest about how hard it is, even once you've finished your PhD, to get a tenure-track faculty position, especially in the humanities and social sciences. So many people end up disillusioned and leaving the academy entirely or stuck doing incredibly underpaid precarious academic labour for years and years. I don't have any links off hand, but there is good critical writing out there that's a bit more honest than most grad programs are about how brutal the academic job market can be.)

[@savannalore.]

I’m also in my first year of an English masters with a teaching assistantship, and I completely could relate to everything you said in this video. My school doesn’t have a 1-year track, you are lucky yours does! That’s awesome!

[@asksyealer]

How weird that only so many people do a master's degree at your University! In Belgium it's standard and I would almost say expected to do one. (PhD is another story of course)

[@fredeee]

Nina Same in Germany, it was so strange for me to find out that doing a master’s isn’t as common in other places. To be fair though, we don’t have tuition fees here so I guess that that also plays a big role in why so many people do a master’s

[@alexeirichards416]

FredeReads Yeah, and in America the tuition for for grad school is usually more expensive than it is to get a standard graduates in university. The lowest tuition to get a master's I've seen in my area is $25k a semester, and that's cheap. So it's just not worth it when most companies will hire a graduate degree.

[@LindsayPuckett]

Alexei Richards my masters cost $40,000 (for two years)....my bachelors was $40,000 (four years)! Not to mention all the interest. It's fine lol everything's fine.

[@fredeee]

Lindsay Puckett Wow that’s honestly insane. Here you only pay for administrative stuff so depending on where you are a two-year master’s could be as low as 400€ and wouldn’t really get more expensive than 2000€ in total so that probably really is the reason why we’ve got such a different mentality when it comes to postgraduate degrees.

[@aaaaddddaaa]

It's super expensive, a lot of people wait or get jobs that will pay for it. I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do. as I've seen, the typical price is $20k a year.

[@kk-hs8qi]

yes, yes, more videos!! and ofc about reading as u mentioned. I used to struggle with the same issue

[@rgb1215]

I am glad I found you! Thank you for sharing your grad experience! Looking forward for the TA video! 😘

[@bmontejano7596]

I didn't realize how much I would enjoy these videos. I knew I would like them but I forget how interesting your conversations get for some reason? These are interesting and very educational and I enjoy hearing you talk haha. I would definitely watch more of these!! 😁

[@stacia72310]

I loved this video, Ariel! Props to you for being able to juggle so many things at once! I'm an English education major in my undergrad and I feel like I'm drowning, so I can't imagine doing all of what you're doing at once!

[@adrianaEDC]

I really like this video format. I also really like the idea of "educational" videos. I don't know if you ever watched RonLit before she deleted all her videos, but she made some great "educational" English videos which I loved.

[@natassa9297]

I'm just shy of getting my BA, so no masters for me anytime soon (if ever), but I just gotta say that I'm LOVING university so much?? Like yes it can be very stressful at times, but I find that with each year it gets better and better for me. Like I'm finally feeling as if I know what I'm doing and am actually contributing rather than just listening? Gah, it's been great. Just had to say that, because it really does get better (I dropped out of uni during my first semester and took a gap year, so if someone out there is feeling troubled just know that there's no shame in retrying

[@itscatherinemonroe1]

loved this video and i can 100% connect to everything you said. my mental health was only made worse by college, to be quite honest, since the environment is so harsh and completely killed all the love i used to have for learning.

[@dreammetheworld5755]

Keep making more of these videos. I loved this.

[@sadiaferdous7322]

Hi, Ariel! Thank you for making such an informative video! I am an English major as well and coincidentally, I was supposed to begin my masters degree in UOttawa this fall. It's tragic that I could not. Instead, I have to take a gap year because of my financial situation, but I did get reaccepted to UOttawa for next fall and I'm really looking forward to it. It's just a shame that I couldn't start this time because I'm sure we would have had classes together! It was fascinating to hear you talk about your experience so far because I'm actually pretty clueless about what I'm getting myself into. I didn't realise how small the English department really was until you mentioned that there are only around 12 to 15 people in some of your classes. This makes me feel fortunate enough and it also makes me appreciate getting accepted to the program. I would love to see more videos about your experience as a grad student, as it would definitely help me prepare (I'm not exactly sure how) for my own degree. And yeah, I do agree with what you have said. We really are very privileged to have gotten this opportunity and how it really feels like a small elitist group that keeps knowledge all to themselves. We totally should share all that we learn, and I'm not just talking about English majors, but knowledge in general. How I would love to learn more about literary criticism without having to leave my house! But at the same time, as amazing a resource as the internet is in terms of sharing things, I also believe that there is something fascinating about the whole atmosphere within a classroom. Just sitting in a classroom and learning about all these amazing things that I've had the opportunity to learn over the past 4 years has been a life changing experience. It's just sad that we can't share that with everyone.

[@solros81]

I really like these kinds of more relaxed chatty videos, so I got no problem at all with you making them! Really interesting to hear you talk about school. I'm just getting my bachelor's degree, but still, I have some problems with the academic world. Love learning, not really loving school as much. Keep it up! I bet you're doing a great job!

[@julianamandelli7972]

I love this type of video. Please please keep doing them

[@ingridsantos1841]

Hey Ariel! I really love your videos and don't leave comments very often but I have some things to say. First of all I'm doing a bachelors in computer science and honestly understand how you feel about academia and being a teacher. I have the opportunity of being a tutor and that showed me how much I love sharing my knowledge but at the same time I'm still not sure if I wanna keep studying and do a masters, specially with how little my country cares about professors. Also, one of the most interesting parts of this for me was you saying you'd like to make more educational videos, and I honestly think this is a path I've always imagined for you. You seem very passionate about learning new things and teaching what you know, so if there is someone I know can make this not feel boring, that's you! But I'd like you to consider the fact that not all of your audience is from english speaking countries (like me). One thing I'm specially aware of in some educational videos I've seen about books and english is talking little about historical context and comparing books to english classics in a generic way (so when I dont know the classic book I can't understand the reference). So the broadness of your audience could be a good or bad thing depending on the kind of educational videos you'd like to make and topics you'd like to cover. But I think those are small challenges for you!

[@sofiainez7684]

I love this style of video! I'd love it if you kept doing them :) Also I applaud you for doing so much work & reading, I'm in my first year of my undergrad degree (english) and I thought I had a lot to do... nope

[@AussieGirlAnnie]

I honestly love these kinds of videos from you Ariel! I am still in high school lol so uni isn't a big deal yet, but it's really interesting to hear about it. I wouldn't be doing a degree in English Literature but I love the passion you put into these videos, I love hearing the passion in your voice. Good luck with the completion of your Masters!

[@NaomiTheBookLover]

I LOVE THIS KIND OF VIDEO. maybe you can do a little update each week/month about your masters?!?

[@karakask5488]

I just finished my masters as well and I can understand how you feel (there were four people in my program), there is a feeling of exclusivity to graduate school. But I think that needs to be the be all, end all if that's not what you want. The education is what you make of it. If you are interested in a channel that does what you are talking about doing with your channel, check out The Art Assignment, Sarah Green (John Green's wife) does with art what you want to do with literature. She does great videos about art theory and specific artists (along with fun videos and answering questions about art) that are educational and fun. She gives concise information about what you would learn in art history classes. It might be a good framework for the type of channel that you want to create.

[@paolace1]

Finally!! You are saying a lot of interesting stuff here, finally, I see a booktuber going to a bigger scale, you've got it, Ariel, you keep going that way!!!! It's important that people get to know what it's only available in the academical space of university, just because they don't have the economical sources.

[@epifaniaritagallina8591]

I love school, I love discussing topics and learning but my life is also as yours- working full time and going to grad school and honestly I think having to juggle all this is what gets to me. I wish I could just get paid to go to school and that's what I like about the PHD

[@hilario4724]

I ADORE this kind of videos!! Pls keep on doing them

[@mollyreads2703]

Love this and your more creative content! The fact of the matter is that you're an amiable and entertaining person - whatever you're talking about I'm listening!

[@chilicrab2754]

Actually, there are platforms like coursera and mit open courseware where universities can post lectures for people to see. Some universities also post their psets for viewers to do.

[@sonjawilhelm4318]

I love these types of videos! And I like the ideas you have for future videos too!

[@thingslaurasays9995]

i'm so glad you've decided to keep making videos and in this form. i put this video on while i did the dishes wooo also, as someone who's wanting to do a Masters in English in 2019, i look forward to hearing your thoughts as they develop :) i too, love learning about literature and writing and reading in the ways the university has allowed but also am uncomfortable with how insular and exclusive it is. i know a few inspiring academics who have found ways to remain in the institution and are so active and vocal in non-academic spaces which showed me the kind of academic i'd want to be IF that's wehre my career develops into...... looking forward to the next videos!

[@ard_en23]

I loved this video, Ariel! I’d like to receive my PhD in English Lit to become a professor in the future, and hearing your perspective on the Masters program and your experiences in University-level English is so valuable. Thank you and I am very excited to hear more!

[@Sarah-eh7bw]

The academic environment that you touched on here is the reason I never (or haven’t yet) pursued a masters and teaching, personally. It can be so toxic, almost cultish at times, and all the social justice and action is so self-serving, trite even. I could go on, but anyway great video!

[@bansquared7352]

Hi Ariel, I can't wait to hear what more you have to say about your grad school experience because I loved school! What you said about the politics in academia was a little eye-opening to me because I didn't notice it at all when I did my Master's. Although I absolutely agree that knowledge shouldn't be exclusive to the "elites," I do think that the availability of so many information sharing platforms these days compromises content quality (e.g. inaccurate information is published on the Internet and in print because anyone can do it). Anyway, I love your idea of having a "grad school series"!!! :)

[@rrsypeo]

I would love more educational videos! I actually want every single video you mentioned about master's degrees now xD

[@ashsreadingnook]

I am doing my masters in Education and it is incredibly time consuming. I do not have to teach classes for this masters, but I do have to spend x-number of hours in a high school classroom a week. I give you so much credit for doing an English masters because my English undergraduate is unbearable in the amount of work let alone my masters. P.S. I’m doing both my English undergraduate and my Education graduate at the same time through a special program at my school.

[@pitulinlinlin]

I am almost a teacher (tomorrow I have to send my thesis and I'm literally dying while watching your inspirational videos haha). I am doing my practicum in an elementary school and I really hate the awful moment of marking, specially with young learners. Sometime they are so creative that I feel that I cannot put bad marks, because I will restrict or limit their imagination. At the same time, I am not the official teacher, therefore I have to do what she ask me to do and nothing else. It is frustrating, nevertheless I discover that I really like teaching. I believe that I can unerstand what you feel hahah

[@katiematirne9463]

Loving this chatty video! Your idea to share the interesting topics that pop up in your university classes is wonderful. It gives me class discussion vibes which is my favorite part of an English course. Can't wait to see what types of videos are on the horizon!

[@HannahHodgson]

Whatever you put out we will watch and love. We’ll always be here, don’t worry or put yourself under stress! You inspire me so much. I a, having to take a break from my channel due to health struggles at the moment, but seeing the quality of your content just makes me want to get back in front of the camera! I love books and talk about my palliative illness. Take all the time in the world Hun, take a break - you work hard and really deserve one xx

[@reeselansangan]

I love hearing you talk, Ariel! Any video you do is great! You're so engaging and your passion really shows through everything you say and create! Do more of these please! It's great to get to know you more through these sit down, free flowing videos!

[@vanillatwilight127]

Wow I didn’t know you were at University of Ottawa started my Bachelor’s in English at the same school. I love this video and i hope you make more!

[@EvenStarRute]

I love these type of videos, feel free to take it easy on yourself and just talk to us whenever you need. A documentary for a thesis sounds super cool! Oh, and I believe the name of the booktuber you were unsure about is Mercedes (from mercysbookishmusings).

[@ArielBissett]

Rute Teixeira silly me for saying Mercy!

[@danecobain]

I think we'd all understand if you didn't have time to make videos at all, so hells yeah we're okay with it :)

[@Luis-ej4ei]

17:55 it is the first time I hear such thing wow. Also this video was awesome, don't worry!

[@OutsideTheCloset101]

I am currently getting an MA in Rhetoric & Comp & will be teaching ENG 1301 next semester as an assistant. I graduate in Fall 2018 & currently looking for a Ph.D program in Texas!

[@TheDeer193]

YES-- love these videos !

[@TaylorRaeBooks]

I dropped out of a four year university one semester in. I was basically having mental breakdowns over the price of college and how I was spending so much money when I wasn’t 100% sure what I wanted to do. I ended up going to a trade school, and I have a great job in the medical field now, but I wonder what would have happened if the education system was different in the US. Bleh money. Anyway, education videos on English sounds amazing :)

[@thefrancophilereader8943]

Yes to the insular culture of academia. We need to share our info with non-specialists. I relate so much to your experience in grad school. More of us need to make videos about what we learn. It’s hard for grad students to get encouragement from profs when they want to get non-academic jobs. It’s ridiculous. There are some excellent, intellectually stimulating jobs outside of academia, but academia places a stigma on those jobs. I have a Master’s from a state uni and I’m currently doing my PhD at a private uni in French. Oh, and grading papers and exams is torture. I hate how repetitive it is. I don’t mind giving a bad grade when it’s deserved but I am generous. Make more videos like this :)

[@graydonpanzica330]

Ariel, you could talk about dirt and I'd watch it. The way you speak and present your ideas is such a pleasure to me. I feel smarter just listening to you, and inspired to DO THINGS that I love.

[@alyssaeverett4901]

I loved this video!! It's nice to hear about a person's actual life instead of just their hobby. I FEEL LIKE WE'RE FRIENDS AW

[@sydbap21]

I’m currently in my senior year pursuing an English degree, and it’s sucking the life out of me. I have never been so stressed in my life. I’ve had a really weird relationship with school for my whole life. (I’m trying so hard to not sound ridiculously cocky right now so forgive me) I consider myself to be a very smart person (I hate myself for saying that oh gosh) and I’ve done very well for most of my school career, but I have never liked it or really felt like I was learning the things I needed to. College has been a bit better in terms of learning useful things, but I feel like a lot of the ways we’re evaluated in schools just don’t work well with me. I’m not a good test taker and I am so freaking sick of writing papers that I’m just so frustrated. It’s kind of weird because I always knew I wanted to go to college, but thinking back on it, I never really wanted to, but I felt like I had to, and that’s really unfortunate. Now that I’m a senior and graduating in May (hopefully), people are constantly asking me if I’ll be pursuing my Masters. In my head I’m like, “Hahahahaha you’ve got to be freaking kidding me,” but I usually just say, “No, not right now.” Then they tell me some variation of “I know this person who wanted to do what you want to do and they didn’t get a Masters and now they work at McDonald’s. You HAVE to get a Masters.” I’m just so sick of it. I am so completely done with school. I love to learn, and I plan to continue to watch as many KZbin videos and read as many books as possible to that I can keep learning, but school is not the environment that best suits my learning needs. I don’t know if this comment makes any sense because I have so many thoughts running through my head. In short, fantastic video. I agree with everything you said.

[@SuperBill5150]

I despise the fact that we are conditioned to believe that humility is self-deprecation or delusion. That is another conversation, but I understand not wanting to admit that we are confident in our intelligence. Back to the main subject, I am also a senior at a well known school (UC Berkeley), and I feel similarly conflicted. I've never been one of those people who "loved learning" but hated the classroom. It is not simply that I have loved education. I have always loved academics. I have experienced hurdles. I attended unsatisfactory public schools throughout grade school, but a part of me still loved the idea of taking new classes, building a GPA, etc. But the overall lack of respect for students in the system has really picked away the love that I once had. The way that students are evaluated is sorely flawed. Outside of STEM, the grading is unbelievable subjective. The comments that I have received on some of my assignments are such bullshit, but there is this notion that you only have a right to be upset about the grading if you are failing. I do know that graduate school is different because the grading norms are different, but I will need a break after this year to stabilize my blood pressure again. I am simply sick of professor and graduate teaching assistants who sabotage the learning of their students in the name of proving that they are too brilliant and their courses are too challenging for the average mind. I understand that some people judge you for teaching humanities, liberal arts, film analysis, etc, but we wouldn't be in these classes if we thought that those weren't intriguing subjects. The insecurity and pretension can make academia such a toxic environment.

[@valyang2621]

I love this type of chatty video, Ariel! Please make more!!

[@girlygirl62647]

I love these kind of videos!!!!!! I am currently an undergrad English Major and I do plan to attain a masters and a PhD in English as well. I think it is incredible that you want to share all the knowledge you learn in your classes at university, and I highly support and recommend that you do. Like you were saying about feminist critics, I would LOVE to watch another 25 minute video about it. I personally do not plan on becoming an English professor at the moment, but the reason I want to continue with my schooling is because of how much I love school. Personally, I am the most happiest when I am sitting in a class learning things everyday that I never knew. So, YEEESSSSSSSSS, I would totally love more videos like this!

[@goliazalonzo]

I ADORE HOW FLUENT YOU COULD MAKE IT IN JUST ONE TAKE hell yeah i like this type of videos

[@LibraryFairy762]

I love videos like this! I am considering ... a number of Masters/terminal degree programs. I want to get an MLIS (Library and Information Science), as well as a Masters or PhD in English Literature, and I have ideas for a third in Theatrical Directing. Essentially, I want to get as many degrees as possible in the art of storytelling. I want to work in libraries and theatres and I have so many thoughts and directions and possibilities that I can't seem to put myself in any single direction for long. So... I'm heading in a similar direction (although not the same direction) and I love to hear your thoughts on the subject, because I think you are a wonderful, thoughtful, opinionated person whose experience of the world relates closely to mine.

[@kikiMMG]

Hi Ariel! I really liked this chat. Well done you for balancing your Masters and keeping up with your youtube! I also completed a one year Masters (history) in England (I'm Canadian), and I agree it was very fast-tracked! I am still on the fence about whether to continue into academia-- it always sounds appealing when I'm not currently in school lol. I definitely see your points about allowing others to gain the information you are lucky enough to be learning. Wishing you luck with finishing your semester!

[@JungianHeights]

School was hell for me, the most boring thing that I was sadly forced to do by law 😭 I'll never forget that for five years (the worst part which was five years of high school' I was forced to go to this building everyday for five days for seven hours with people I didn't get along with and lessons that were incredibly boring. All together if you include primary, 16 years of my life were taken away from me. I have learned far more on my own time and on my own terms with things I actually want to know. I don't have letters being stamped every time I find out a fact. No boring essays. School is TORTURE to me. I will always carry that resentment.

[@messengerofgoodnews]

Where is this documentary?! Totally want to SEE it! Por favor

[@rashmika9742]

In South Africa, pharmacists are really in demand. I'm doing my undergraduate in pharmacy now, so when people suggest I do masters, i just think about how it would feel like a waste of time and money. As a high school student, I really idolised people who studied further and felt as if I should, but now that I've seen academia and the environment, I doubt I'll study further. It won't really help job opportunities, and post graduate education is not always about learning. It's not the fun type of learning where I tackle classics in my own time, or when I learn to play instruments. Post graduate education is gruelling, and like with any other decision, I think it's important to think carefully about why you're entering it. There's absolutely no shame in being happy with just an undergraduate, if that is all you need to reach your goals.

[@SolitudeDayys]

please do talk more about being a teaching assistant!! i've been offered to be one at the university i recently graduated from but im kinda hesitant about the whole thing because im super shy and i cant imagine for the life of me to be able to teach grammar or whatever in a NON-NATIVE language (that is english) to an entire class. Besides, as you said, its kinda the only way for me to actually be able to do masters in speech therapy (im an English Linguistics graduate).

[@shaylabateman07]

Honestly, I will love any type of video you make. ❤️ I just love to hear your thoughts and opinions on everything.

[@wizard217]

When I was doing my last year of undergrad (computer-sciency stuff, not English, ahah), I was approached a couple times by professors asking me if I'd be interested in continuing to do a masters in research. I've always been a great student (finished second in my program), and I've always liked school, but I knew it wasn't for me. Every time they asked, it was always an instant "no" from me. I'm getting my bachelor, and then finding a job, thank you very much! And now, almost 6 years later, I don't regret it a single bit.

[@rana2804]

I really agree with you, I don’t like the idea that education is only for certain people, in addition to the cost of studying, some people don’t complete their education thinking that they are not smart enough, but learning is not a race and no one lose in it because it is a growth and growing is not always mean getting A in every subject.

[@meredithellington934]

I'm an undergrad studying biology but I can still really relate to a lot of what you're saying. Thanks for making me feel less alone :)

[@eleanormachell2148]

I love your ethics about learning and sharing knowledge - thank you for sharing yours with us!

[@natalieprice2201]

I love these kinds of videos!!!! So entertaining. I can’t wait to watch more!

[@sheepinaspaceship]

i really liked this video. i'm an architecture student, so hearing what someone needs to do for your degree/masters is always fascinating. also, i don't live in canada, so the differences between the educational systems are interesting to learn about. this video was kinda refreshing, since it was different from all the other book-centric videos that almost all booktubers make. i of course like all of those types of videos as well, but this is something different and cool. i hope you make more of these :)

[@infityrainbows]

I didn’t know I needed this but thank you! I love watching you talk about other things than books.

[@joeblow9657]

I like this kind of video

[@rapaciousreads3093]

I'm also a Masters student. Academia is slowly changing with the open access movement, but it's so frustrating because taxpayers pay for a lot of the research, and then don't have the rights to access it. And the fact that journal distributors mark up the price so much! I'm currently in a teaching course, and you can change the way you view your assessments of your students. You can use them as an opportunity to change the way you teach. Think about why the student didn't get it, and don't focus so much on the mark.

[@timmyman1997]

Semi-random-not-really question, but do you think you would make the documentary available for viewing? Is that something you would be allowed to do with things created for university/college purposes? I think a lot of us would be super interested if it is something you can/want to do. I'm finishing my double major in english and art history soon, and I honestly am not sure what I want to do after that. I'm either going to go into archivism on the art history side or i'm going to go further on the english side, and I'm really interested in both hearing what it is like and if possible SEEING the byproduct of it. And honestly I absolutely love this kind of video from you. Other than my undying love of english and amazing english teachers, you going for your undergrad was a reason that I went for english, because you have such a strong love and understanding of literature that I personally wanted to develop further, and I always found your deep analysis of literature super interesting. Honestly you put out into the world the kind of personality and attitude i was hoping to find at uni, and although i'm halfway through my second year i have yet to find someone with an attitude like yours for literature and learning in general, so I do love these style of conversational videos that feel more personal in a way, like a sit down for a coffee (hot chocolate) with your friend and just blurt out how your week has been.

[@sadiaafrin7603]

Finally I can open the video...Super excited...

[@OsbiaNnight]

Wish I was doing a Masters. I loved my undergrad degree but I just don't have the time or money to do more.

[@NicolesBookNook94]

Wow, that is super small Masters program! I'm in my second year of my two year MLIS program (Masters of Library and Information Science) and I thought we were small for having 50 people. It's a professional degree program so it has a lot less of that academia feel, but yeah academia is really weird!

[@ievavaicekauskaite4203]

I would love to learn about literature but I would never do university degree on it. Just the thought of subjective grading and esays gives me shivers. Until I had a history class in uni, I didin't even know that I was studying science. So the best thing about learning from youtube is that it doesn't give you a grade on what you cramed overnight and you get to just learn from interesting people who you really like.

[@allisonharlin1751]

I LOVE THIS VIDEO

[@EricKarlAnderson]

Chatty videos are great! Keep doing them. :) I relate to your conflicted feelings about doing a Masters degree SO much. Part of me loved doing an MA at the University of East Anglia because of the intensely concentrated reading with small groups of people. But I was also put off by the way it felt like it was a closed, privileged environment and the language we were talking in felt like it was only for academics. So it started to feel so cut off from the real world that I was put off from academia forever. Your documentary project sounds amazing! I'd love a video about reading as a competitive activity. It's something I've been thinking about a lot recently as it feels like I've become like a reading machine. I hope you bring some of the interesting discussions you have in class to these chatty videos too. :)

[@LPSMotionPictures]

I’m a junior at university and I’ve been looking at master programs lately because I do love learning and I feel it should be the next step after I get my bachelors. This type of video is so so helpful because I don’t actually know what to expect if I do decide to peruse a masters and if it really is what I want to do or not. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom!😄

[@gabbyagustin]

Totally unrelated but where did you get your glasses?

[@myreadingisodd]

You can turn “educational” into more “thought provoking” videos. I’m there for it.

[@BooksFriends]

I live this kind of videos.. This is my 8° year at the university "Italian literature" but i didn't have yet any degree. It was a terrible experience, i wish now to finish my thesis so i can say goodbye to it.

[@maranda1662]

I enjoy this type of video :)

[@htghjk226]

The knowledge you and your fellow students are obtaining IS going to reach other people. It might feel insular on the level you are at now, but for the students planning to continue on with a PhD, a fundamental accept of their research will consist of knowledge-sharing through national and international conferences as well book publications of their research that will often be bought by universities and libraries from all over the world.

[@rashmika9742]

SunnyShowers love I guess she means it won't be as accessible to the general public though. Not many people read PhD theses, but lots of people watch KZbin videos.

[@KingaZajacNNR]

Like Rashmika said, Ariel was talking about broad public. yes, it will go to books and articles, but to access them (especially articles) you need access to databases, and they are expensive as hell. I only have access to them bc I'm a student; public libraries do not offer it.

[@KingaZajacNNR]

Yeah, I'm not saying we should yell all of it in shopping centers or anything :) social media are great things to do it. Thank God for Ariel, Crash Course and other channels, but there's still too little of that, especially in languages other than English.

[@kickdropacoin]

my public library offers LOTS of databases! :) You should check in with your local library.

[@KingaZajacNNR]

I know my libraries, and there is no access. We have audio and ebooks, but no databases with peer-reviewed journals. I hope I'll gain some access from workplace.

[@amberly8028]

It's so interesting how in America it's not normal to do a Masters! So fascinating. Just a Bachelors won't really get you anywhere for most fields really (in Europe). How curious.

[@lauraerwin471]

Amberly Lynn well masters cost at minimum $10k a year up to $50k so u really have to be getting a job benefit from doing one to do it

[@charisseaudrei186]

I love all your videos

[@corajohnston22]

These are my favorite kinds of videos :)

[@EmilyHeartsCookies]

KEEP DOING YOUR THING. I'm a MA student as well (in Denmark) and I relate so much to this. But not a lot of people talk about it. People are in such awe of academia....

[@olguioo]

As a non english native speaker this topics are great, because I can learn about new things and also improve my vocabulary. So go with it Ariel!!

[@TheMarauder12]

Ariel, you are so inspiring. Out of all the content creators I follow, I'm most excited to follow your career and see what grand ideas you come up with! I just finished my undergrad in digital humanities and now I'm just waffling around, trying to figure out what to do next. I share your views of academia and your desire to create awesome projects! I love this style of rambling videos. You're awesome. Thanks for being so genuine :)

[@megolson9888]

You have a cause hon. You are a wonderful booktuber and I love your work. You'll find your stride. *hugs* I'm in the same boat as far as my education goes too... namely what to do after I get my undergrad...

[@rrb101]

I’m so glad you made this video - you always seem to pick the most perfect topics that relate to me. I always struggled in a school environment but LOVE learning! I finished high school last year and took a gap year over in Oxford this year where I worked in a boarding school (I go back to Australia in 3 weeks :( waa!). However, while this year has really made me miss learning and I’m so keen to start my degree, it is that school environment that makes me nervous. So, this video was really beneficial because I honestly thought I was alone in this thought process. Thank you!

[@xxsquigglesxx]

Great video Ariel! I'm currently working on my masters in Library Science because I want to become a selector for a public library. I'm taking it slow with one course at a time (mainly because that's all I can afford to do). My course is completely online which is nice because I can work on things on my own time, but it does require dedication and a lot of extra time spent reading textbooks and articles as we don't have lectures. I am about halfway finished right now and already I'm at the point where I want to be done. I'm so tired of school and being stressed out, but hopefully it will be worth it and I'll be able to get my dream job in the end.

[@anastasiagirl1342]

I personally love this way more. Also I totally get the "why don't we TELL EVERYONE!" We have the same view in my own programme.