When I was growing up, we were expected to go to college. I don't know how that expectation was conveyed to me, but it was always there. I am baffled by that now because neither of my parents finished college. I am not sure that either one of them even went to college. I did go to college, but finishing was not easy for me. I flunked out of my first year. Then I transferred to a community college and finished my associates degree there. I worked for a year to save money so that I could move across the country to attend a University of my choice. Once there, I changed my major after just a semester, and I had to get a part time job on campus, and get grants from the government, but I made it! My parents didn't pay for it, I did. My mom always told me that my education was something that once achieved, can never be taken away. She was right. Moms are almost always right. At least, mine was. After getting my bachelor's degree, I put my husband through school to get his bachelor's degree. His parents didn't pay for it. We did - together. We had two kids by the time he graduated - that was planned by the way. I have no regrets. Life hasn't turned out the way we expected, but I still wouldn't have changed anything as far as our educations or our kids are concerned.
My oldest daughter got her associates degree after she was married and had two kids. Her husband is currently working on his bachelor's degree while working full time, all while being a dad to four.
My second daughter graduated with her bachelor's degree at the same time as her husband graduated with his. She was pregnant with their first child. They had both worked cleaning the university at like 3:00 in the morning so that they could continue in school. Then after getting his first job, her husband went back to school on-line to get his master's degree. It was very expensive, and although they had not taken out any loans for their undergraduate work, he could not get his master's without student loans, so they took them out. Then they proceeded to pay for them WHILE they were going to school. They didn't pay $50 here or there. They put every penny they had into paying off that loan! By the time he graduated, they had paid off the entire loan amount.
My son is still in college. He has disabilities and I wondered if he would ever be able to even live on his own. Well, he is living on his own. He has worked four years on his associates degree, but he is about to graduate with his associates degree in robotics and is applying to a University to work on a bachelors degree in robotics. He is a genius at it. He paid for it himself. He is going to have to pay out of state tuition at the university because there aren't too many bachelors degrees in robotics offered at universities in this country. It will be an economic hardship for him, but he is going to do it.
As you can see, I am proud of my kids. They set the goal, and they didn't let anything stand it their way.
When I hear people say that they couldn't go to college because they couldn't afford it, it makes me want to laugh. If you want to do something in life, you find a way to do it. Period. If you want to be able to go to Europe, you are going to find a way to go. If you want to open a business, you are going to find a way to do it.
This applies to money as well. When I was teaching to put my husband through school, I found that anything that I REALLY wanted, I could budget for and afford. I had to give up other things in order to do that, but I really could afford what I wanted. Granted, I bought a Honda Civic instead of a Mercedes, but I did buy a new car!
The bottom line is that there are no excuses in life. If you want something bad enough, you will find a way. Get rid of the excuses. You are in charge!
No comments:
Post a Comment