When being a punk and taking classes, attitude is everything

You’re drifting off in math class. When you showed up late for PoliSci 101, the professor gave you a stern lecture that to your overpartied head sounded like a booming announcement of the rapture. The final crept up on you, and instead of studying you got in a fight at the local punk show after fucking in the bathroom. Now you’ve got a night of memories and an F in your English class. What do you do now?

A higher education is important, and it’s difficult to argue with that. Being an unskilled laborer is not going to make ends meet in this new, jobless economy. If you want to still be living the punk rock lifestyle in ten or twenty years, you’re going to need a college degree. With a diploma and a job you can buy a lot more beer, records, and guitars. The trouble isn’t having the diploma, though. It’s getting it. I’m currently working on getting my Bachelor’s degree, playing shows, and writing for this website. If I can do it, so can you, and here’s how.

School has got to be your first priority.

This could be you if you drop out of school

There is no easy way to keep partying, ignore school, and still get a degree. Getting good grades is important, or else you’ll just be flushing money and time down the toilet. The more classes you fail, the more time you have to spend in school before getting that sheepskin. And the more time it takes the quicker the financial aide dries up and you’ll have to start footing even more of the bill. If you’re in high school still, remember that not graduating is still a possibility. Unless you want to be a 19-year-old senior or a high school dropout (which increases your chances of living in poverty and dying prematurely) graduate high school on schedule. Some people say punk is dead, but you don’t have to be dead to be punk.

If there is a show on a school night, skip it. I don’t say this because I hate bands trying to make a living – I am a struggling musician myself. But even I have told friends of mine to stay home on school nights instead of coming to see my show. There will always be another show, but school has to be top priority if it’s going to be worth doing in the first place.

Get a scheduler.

Spontaneity is fun. Not knowing what’s going to happen next is exciting. But it’s no way to live, because it eventually gives way to boredom, lethargy, depression, and missed opportunities.

My punk rock planner, hand made by wonderful girlfriend

When I was living at the Devil Duck (see: Tales of the Devil Duck) we lived on “rockstar time”, getting out of bed around noon and staying up until 3am or so. Living without plans had its moments of brilliance, like the many spontaneous trips we made out into the woods behind the house where we walked for hours and hours just talking. But it wasn’t the norm. Without a scheduler and things to keep up busy we became layabouts who didn’t get much done, hardly talked to each other, and were constantly forgetting about shows or parties and not going in favor of sitting at home and watching TV.

Now that I’m back in school it’s been extremely difficult readjusting to a schedule. Luckily my girlfriend had the forethought to make me a home-made planner out of scrap cardboard, printer paper, and electrical tape. This scheduler has saved my life. I can keep track of when homework is due, co-ordinate hang out time with my other busy friends, and never miss a show. It’s only a few inches on each side, making it extremely portable, and it cost next to nothing. A smaller one could easily be made so that it could even fit in a wallet. And it’s just a hole punch and glued-on washer away from staying on a chain.

Realistically a little scheduler, even if you use it infrequently, can save you a lot of trouble and keep you ready to face all new challenges.

Think outside the box.

Online courses can be a great alternative for hard-working punk rockers

Washington State has just introduced a new kind of state-run high school provided for entirely online. The state will even send you out a laptop to attend classes on the internet. Four year universities like the University of Phoenix and Washington State University have distance learning programs now for a variety of degrees. Like correspondence courses, these online programs will actually provide you with a diploma without you ever having to step foot on campus.

There are a lot of opportunities like these all across the country and world for high schoolers, undergrads, and graduate students. I myself am using WSU’s distance degree program for my BA. I’ve found that it is a great asset because I can basically take the classes on my own time. There are due dates for assignments, online exams, and discussion boards to participate in, but I can do work at two in the morning or five in the afternoon with no problem. School works around my schedule instead of the other way around. This isn’t an easy program by any means. It becomes extremely easy to forget, put off, or ignore work because no one is harassing you or reminding you. But it is rewarding if you have the self-discipline to pull it off.

What did we learn today?

School is one of those necessary evils, like bills or taxes. Anarchy is a philosophy attached to punk rock because of the Sex Pistols, but it’s not at the core of the punk philosophy. Other seminal punk rockers like the Ramones, the Clash, and the Misfits were no anarchists (Johnny Ramone was actually a registered member of the GOP) so don’t tell me that you have to be a dropout to be punk because you have to be a dropout to be an anarchist. You want to change the system? You gotta know it first. And you’ve got to able to keep putting food in your mouth to stay alive long enough to make a difference. With a little work, patience, and sacrifice you can ensure your own long-term survival.