On the catch 22 of education

It takes money to pay for an education.   It takes employment to get the money – work that requires the education.   It wasn’t for me as much of a catch 22 some years ago, but it is now.   I’ve hauled all kinds of things, worked as many different jobs, all trying to pay for my education.   Since my injury driving forklift (my lungs – healing but still a long ways), I’m restricted – only office work, or work that doesn’t involve exposure to chemicals, dust or cigarette smoke.   I’m two years into a degree because many of the places I lived – didn’t offer anything past second year in my fields – computer science and mathematics.   I still haven’t resolved this.   It doesn’t help that 17 of the last 20 years I’ve been paid at or below minimum wage – although many of those years in jobs I loved doing.   All of those companies are closed now.

One strong barrier – most of the jobs that I could do are south of the border, a degree is mandatory for H1B or NAFTA TN1 visas – both of which are used in the fields I want to work in.    However, without a degree of any kind, I don’t qualify – at least as far as I know.

I’m a hard worker, keep a fair budget – but I don’t know how to find the teams I’ll fit into.    My goal is to find and work with a team, making software.   Making useful software primarily – it’s wonderful when a tool I make or fix is one that others can depend on.

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