In this day and age, how possible is it to get a great-paying job without an education?
Education and work experience come hand-in-hand.
It’s rare to find that someone is just going to school, or just working.
It’s definitely not easy juggling work and school, but it is possible.
Now that I’m older and in college, I have financial responsibilities and need to work full-time.
I have my own medical and dental insurance, phone bill, car insurance, doctor bills, gas and other expenses that take half of my paycheck.
It’s also nice to treat myself to my biweekly fills for my nails. The toes have to look good as well.
And who doesn’t like treating themselves to a movie and a nice dinner? One more thing – I’m a girl, and I love to shop.
Education is extremely important to me and without it, there’s no way to succeed in the particular field I desire.
After graduating from high school in 2002, I attended California State University, Northridge.
I got way too caught up in the social aspect after I joined a sorority and I never wanted to go to class, choosing instead to be a social butterfly with the rest of the Greeks.
After a year of slacking off and not attending class, my parents gave me a rude awakening. They were no longer going to pay for my tuition.
I wasn’t able to afford CSUN on my own, but I desperately wanted to get my degree.
The only alternative I could think of was to start fresh and go to a junior college, because that’s what I could afford.
Los Angeles Pierce College was calling my name.
On and off, for the past six years, I have been attending as a full-time student.
I could have had three associate degrees by now.
It has been quite a struggle completing my education at Pierce.
From an abusive relationship with an ex-boyfriend, whom I lived with for nine miserable months, to undergoing a tonsillectomythat prevented me from working for well over a month and working full-time, I had my work cut out for me.
I have managed to go forth with completing school and anticipate on graduating this December.
I’ll be honest; it hasn’t been easy, but I am staying strong and thinking about how thankful I will be in the long run that I stuck with it and have something to show for all of my hard work.
My days seem to never end and I greatly look forward to the weekend, as I work five days a week and attend Pierce twice a week as a full-time student.
I just tell myself to keep on going and think positive, because it will pay off.
I know that I have my entire life to work, but the experience is so beneficial and of course, the money is nice to have, especially when everything costs a fortune nowadays.
It has been quite a long haul and there were some bumps in the road that I managed to overcome.
After Pierce, I plan to go back to CSUN – and even if I get my bachelor’s degree at the age of 30, I will have so much to be proud of.
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