--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In a lot of ways, work was my graduate…" description: "\"In a lot of ways, work was my graduate school.\" — Christopher Bollen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a7/christopher-bollen-9436_education_in-a-lot-of-ways-work-was-my-graduate-sc_1950310.jpg" --- # In a lot of ways, work was my graduate school. ![“In a lot of ways, work was my graduate school.” quote by Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a7/christopher-bollen-9436_education_in-a-lot-of-ways-work-was-my-graduate-sc_1950310.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a7/christopher-bollen-9436_education_in-a-lot-of-ways-work-was-my-graduate-sc_1950310.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a7/christopher-bollen-9436_education_in-a-lot-of-ways-work-was-my-graduate-sc_1950310.jpg) > “In a lot of ways, work was my graduate school.” [Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Work served as an informal graduate education, offering practical learning beyond formal schooling. **In simple terms:** Work taught lessons like graduate school. Key Takeaway Value experiential learning. Themes education career learning experience Mood thoughtful pragmatic Type reflective inspirational When to use this quote - career development - entrepreneurship - lifelong learning Key Concepts informal education skill acquisition Questions to Reflect On - What lessons has work taught you? - How does work complement formal education? A Different Perspective May lack structured depth of formal study. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Graduate school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graduate-school/) [Graduates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graduates/) [Graduation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graduation/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [Travel is the best and probably cheapest graduate school you can buy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-freston/travel-is-the-best-and-probably-cheapest-graduate-school-you-can-buy/) [Tom Freston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-freston/) > [Talking to all those great writers and artists for the magazine was a form of graduate school for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/talking-to-all-those-great-writers-and-artists-for-the-magazine-was-a/) [Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/) > [The impetus behind going to graduate school was a year after graduating from college spent in Dallas working at the dog food factory and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-henley/the-impetus-behind-going-to-graduate-school-was-a-year-after/) [Beth Henley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-henley/) > [Through high school, college, graduate school and beyond, I had a number of relationships that were wonderful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/through-high-school-college-graduate-school-and-beyond-i-had-a-number/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I was an English major in college, and then I went to graduate school in English at the University of North Carolina for three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-edwards/i-was-an-english-major-in-college-and-then-i-went-to-graduate-school/) [Elizabeth Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-edwards/) > [I am quite international. My background, born in Turkey. My family is a Jewish family from Iran, so I went from Turkey to Iran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nouriel-roubini/i-am-quite-international-my-background-born-in-turkey-my-family-is-a/) [Nouriel Roubini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nouriel-roubini/) > [As I was leaving graduate school in 1974, I was recruited to join a fledgling SETI project at the Hat Creek Observatory in California,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-tarter/as-i-was-leaving-graduate-school-in-1974-i-was-recruited-to-join-a/) [Jill Tarter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-tarter/) > [I got all my work done to graduate in two months and then they were like, I'm sorry, you have to take driver's ed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/i-got-all-my-work-done-to-graduate-in-two-months-and-then-they-were/) [Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/) > [I had in effect been thrown out of graduate school because I was a lousy graduate student, and I had to find a job,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-kooser/i-had-in-effect-been-thrown-out-of-graduate-school-because-i-was-a/) [Ted Kooser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-kooser/) > [ The venerable emeritus professors still at Yale when I entered graduate school \[in the 1960s\] may have been reserved, puritanical WASPs, but they were… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/the-venerable-emeritus-professors-still-at-yale-when-i-entered/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [Following graduation from Amherst, a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship enabled me to test the depth of my interest in literary scholarship by beginning graduate studies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-e-varmus/following-graduation-from-amherst-a-woodrow-wilson-fellowship-enabled/) [Harold E. Varmus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-e-varmus/) > [For me specifically, it was important to graduate. In my family, I was one of the first graduates. My mom did not have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-acton/for-me-specifically-it-was-important-to-graduate-in-my-family-i-was/) [Brian Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-acton/) > [For some students, especially in the sciences, the knowledge gained in college may be directly relevant to graduate study. For almost all students, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-bok/for-some-students-especially-in-the-sciences-the-knowledge-gained-in/) [Derek Bok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-bok/) > [I want my kids to graduate from high school. But that's not enough. I also want them to go to college. Why? Because rich…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-canada/i-want-my-kids-to-graduate-from-high-school-but-that-s-not-enough-i/) [Geoffrey Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-canada/) > [Allow yourself to graduate, every five years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cathy-guisewite/allow-yourself-to-graduate-every-five-years/) [Cathy Guisewite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cathy-guisewite/) ## More by Christopher Bollen > [Safety, reputation, their lives, their friends, and their world. Writers typically try to avoid that because it's not expedient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/safety-reputation-their-lives-their-friends-and-their-world-writers/) [Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/) > [There's something about fear and aesthetic that go hand in hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/there-s-something-about-fear-and-aesthetic-that-go-hand-in-hand/) [Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/) > [You find when you're writing a detective story that you're actually not trying to solve anything. You're trying to stop the reader from solving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/you-find-when-you-re-writing-a-detective-story-that-you-re-actually/) [Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/) > [ I'm convinced I was the only kid ever who had a Death on the Nile \[1978\] movie poster and a Murder on the Orient… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/i-m-convinced-i-was-the-only-kid-ever-who-had-a-death-on-the-nile/) [Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/) > [The death drive is parasitic. It runs off of other drives, leeching off of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/the-death-drive-is-parasitic-it-runs-off-of-other-drives-leeching-off/) [Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/) > [It's hard for me to figure out where I want to be. But it's definitely in New York. I feel like New York throws…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/it-s-hard-for-me-to-figure-out-where-i-want-to-be-but-it-s-definitely/) [Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/) > [There's also something sexual about watching the nubile girl in terror. But you do take on her fear as your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/there-s-also-something-sexual-about-watching-the-nubile-girl-in/) [Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/) > [I've never had a mentor. I've always wanted one. I'm actually really disappointed that nobody took my under their wing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/i-ve-never-had-a-mentor-i-ve-always-wanted-one-i-m-actually-really/) [Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/) > [The Greeks really believed in history. They believed that the past had consequences and that you might be punished for the sins of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/the-greeks-really-believed-in-history-they-believed-that-the-past-had/) [Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/) > [I was never afraid on stage. That's where I was the least afraid. I could just do what I do and I had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/i-was-never-afraid-on-stage-that-s-where-i-was-the-least-afraid-i/) [Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/) > [One day I want to write a full-on horror book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/one-day-i-want-to-write-a-full-on-horror-book/) [Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/) > [When you create a fence, you keep people out, but you also limit your mobility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/when-you-create-a-fence-you-keep-people-out-but-you-also-limit-your/) [Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/) > [I just think, as writers, especially with a book that takes years to write, you sort of wake up every morning hoping and praying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/i-just-think-as-writers-especially-with-a-book-that-takes-years-to/) [Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/) > [There is something very romantic about the orphan figure in American literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/there-is-something-very-romantic-about-the-orphan-figure-in-american/) [Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/) > [It is a little out of touch to presume that someone wants to follow your every observation and insight over the course of hundreds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/it-is-a-little-out-of-touch-to-presume-that-someone-wants-to-follow/) [Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/) [Explore all 72 Christopher Bollen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/) ## More Education quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. Otherwise the world would be full of millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-school-you-are-taught-to-obey-and-not-to-think-straight-for-your/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“If one has not a head of steel it will burst; if he has not within it a brain of liquid quicksilver, he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioannes-amos-commenius/if-one-has-not-a-head-of-steel-it-will-burst-if-he-has-not-within-it/) Ioannes Amos Commenius > [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/) H.D. (Hilda Doolittle > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. If something interested me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-only-began-to-enjoy-studying-after-i-got-through-the-educational/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/) [Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/) > [English teachers tend to put more thought in the books than the author did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/english-teachers-tend-to-put-more-thought-in-the-books-than-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) [Browse all 37,666 Education quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In a lot of ways, work was my graduate school.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Christopher Bollen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/in-a-lot-of-ways-work-was-my-graduate-school/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Education" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/in-a-lot-of-ways-work-was-my-graduate-school/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a7/christopher-bollen-9436_education_in-a-lot-of-ways-work-was-my-graduate-sc_1950310.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a7/christopher-bollen-9436_education_in-a-lot-of-ways-work-was-my-graduate-sc_1950310.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a7/christopher-bollen-9436_education_in-a-lot-of-ways-work-was-my-graduate-sc_1950310.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In a lot of ways, work was my graduate school.” — Christopher Bollen", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Christopher Bollen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In a lot of ways, work...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/in-a-lot-of-ways-work-was-my-graduate-school/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/in-a-lot-of-ways-work-was-my-graduate-school/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```