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My parents and grandparents were farmers before they immigrated to the US and were not college educated. I'm the only person in my family who has graduated from college. I'm going to get my masters next year.
Despite this, I don't feel as smart compared to the people around me who has had educated parents and probably had career guidance from their parents. Most of my friends are getting their PhD or Masters and the guys I've been dating are managers, entrepreneurs, and programmers. None of them are snobby about it but sometimes I feel a bit intimidated. I'm most comfortable around my bartender and artist friends and one PhD friend and little kids. It took me a while to figure out what I like to do that can help me sustain a living, so I feel insecure because I'm older than a lot of the people starting out. When I work, I feel I need to prove that I am smart. I find that this makes me seem uptight and I would like to relax more.
I understand that even people with educated parents who gave them career guidance could still take a while to figure out what they wanted to do or figured out college wasn't for them. But I feel dumb when it comes to things like our culture and history. I try to avoid talking about politics, history, or movies because I don't know much about it, so I'm very limited on what I can talk about and that makes me feel dumb.
I kind of feel like an immigrant who can read English. So if I ask you how to get on the same page as the people around me on common American knowledge, where shall I start?
You can start by being honest with everyone you come in contact with and simply saying "I don't know anything about that, please do tell!"
And ask questions about things you don't know about, but would like to learn more about. People like to share their knowledge. And smart people understand that no one can know everything, so they are used to people asking them questions. It is the norm!
I've worked in fields which NO ONE can possibly know everything. There is only so much information you can cram into a brain! People specialize in specific sub-fields. And consult experts as the need arises.
For example doctors specialize - a primary care doctor will send you to a cardiologist if you have heart troubles. Or to a foot doctor if there is trouble there. They don't feel dumb doing this, there is only so much they can know!
Lawyers do the same. One may know all about wills and trusts, but know nothing about a criminal matter. Or real estate. Lawyers specialize in specific areas. They all know how to charge large fees though!
Anyway don't worry about it, just be honest and be yourself. A friend is someone who knows all about you and still likes you!
You are mixing up two separate issues: being the daughter of under-educated immigrants, and being uninformed about culture and history.
There is NOTHING wrong with coming from an immigrant background and coming from parents who were not very educated. My parents are not immigrants, but they did not go to college; I was the first college (and grad school) graduate in the family.
But what does that have to do with you not being knowledge about culture, history, and politics? Do you assume that we all learned that stuff from our parents? I consider myself quite knowledgeable about those areas, but I didn't learn that from my parents. As an adult, it's YOUR responsibility to make yourself more knowledgeable by seeking info and reading a lot.
Blaming lack of knowledge on your parenting is just a cop-out. If you don't know enough about topics to have intelligent conversation about them, just go out and educate yourself about them! You're obviously intelligent enough to do that.
Gkelly, no one cares. I mean this in a good way. I don't think I have ever been asked about my parents education. They did not go to college, I did not go to college either.
Just do your job, enjoy life and don't worry so much about the little things.
the only one who cares about your parents educational level is YOU.
Just be thankful you came from good genes. You have no Illnesses right? Are you deformed or genetically disadvantaged?
Everyone has advantages and disadvantages. The Challenge in life is not to get Mentally Screwed up because you perceive someone who has advantages you don't have. I can guarantee you that YOU HAVE advantages that MANY PEOPLE in America----don't have.
Maybe you should do some traveling...like to some 3rd world countries...or maybe your origin (your parents homeland). You will learn something about yourself if you pay attention. Drop the school books for 1 semester and travel. You will learn things that no text book can teach OR SHOW you.
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