Today in my English class I received my graded midterm test. I was surprised to see I got a 66 out of 65! After we looked over our individual grades, we were to write a journal with the subject: "how do you feel you are doing in all your classes so far?" When we discussed our journals many students shared they struggled with procrastination and time management which is affecting their grades... When I discussed how I felt about how I was doing so far I said "Great!" I expressed that I was not surprised I was doing great because I came into college with the mind set that failure was not an option. All I went through to be where I am now has allowed me to realize that receiving a higher education is a privilege, and I am not about to take advantage of it.
My decision to get a higher education
was not recently made. I knew growing up with my grandmother in Washington heights,
NY that I wanted to better myself. After
so many failed tries, I almost told myself “You are fine with what you are
doing, how you are living, and struggling.” The road to giving up seemed a lot
easier to get on. But, as I looked down that road it lead to nothing, and after
the nothing I saw unhappiness and hardship. Like in the poem “The Road Not Taken” written by Robert Frost,
long I stood before making the deliberate decision to choose the path to
college. Even after all my trials and tribulations I still managed to bumble through
them, and choose the road that was not as easy to get on, but more attractive, leading
to a better life.
The dilemmas I had getting back to school are similar to many young adults looking for a better life. As a 21 year old, in the eyes of financial aid I am a minor. Therefore, I need my parent’s information to apply. Because I had been living on my own and doing for myself since the age of 15, I did not have the option to do just that. Not to mention the hard time my parents gave me to receive any needed information. I was stuck, angry, and frustrated. It seemed like the world, even the people that brought me into it wanted me to fail. I began to work harder. Working two jobs pulling double, sometimes triple shifts, and losing sleep. I started going downhill fast! Mentally, physically, and emotionally I was an unstable mess. Knowing what I needed to do, I began to think what can I do? Finally, I learned that if I want to get anywhere I needed to emancipate myself somehow. I could do that by having a baby or getting married. After long discussions with my significant other, I needed to make a choice that was big but would make a difference in the life I was living. That is when my last name went from Washington to Rose.Getting married changed my life for the good. I am now able to let go of everything, and everyone that held me back. Every day that I go to school, I am thankful that I am finally on the right track for progress. The decision and actions I’ve made to receive a higher education prove to be the right ones. I am on the right path to my career in nursing, I feel better about myself, and I have a wonderful husband to share my success with.
