I Will Finish School Or Die Trying!

I Will Finish School or Die Trying!

By Patricia M. Freed

It is so difficult to have dreams and ambitions when you grow up in a third world country like Indonesia. My family life was a mess. My father was an obsessive gambler, he abused my mother and my brothers and my mother only had a 9th grade education. Still, at a young age I knew I was going to be different. I knew that I was going to make something of my life and if that meant having to leave on my own, then that is what I would do.

Thanks to my mother, my siblings and I were able to finish high school. Unfortunately, upon my graduation, I needed to go to work. There was neither time nor opportunity for me to further my education which is really what I wanted to do. I had to go to work because my family needed money.

Now, years later I find myself living a life of luxury when you compare my current standard of living to Indonesia. But I still feel unfulfilled. I have been itching for years and now is the time for me to scratch. I need to finish my degree. I am determined to ensure my children don't have to endure the same hardships as I did right out of high school.

The two things that are most rewarding in my life are my family relationships and my educational pursuits. I place a great deal of importance on these two aspects of my life because they are the things which are closest to my heart. They are also the driving force behind my personal growth and enrichment. Being a wife and mother of 4 children is very rewarding for me and the close bond I share with my husband and kids give my life meaning & purpose.

I feel that my pursuit of a higher education adds depth to my life and enhances my understanding of the world around me. Whether it is helping my kids with their homework or volunteering in the class room, I need to be involved in activities that increase my knowledge and feed my desire to learn.

Having a positive attitude is important also since allowing unnecessary stresses into my life only complicates the issue (i. e. not making a big deal about the pot roast I burned last night). In other words, I believe"Don't Sweat The Small Stuff" and I understand it's all small stuff.

There are also some basic elementary reasons for pursuing a higher education. For sure, the touchy-feely aspects of striving to be all I can be and working hard so I can "soar with the eagles" all have merit. But the truth of the matter is, I'm tired of working myself to death just for the lousy paycheck I'm getting. I'm smart enough to know I have the intellect to succeed in the IT field, I just need the diploma. Once I have that, I can look for job opportunities that are financially more rewarding than what I am currently doing.

I am not so naÐ"Їve to think that life will be any easier once I get