Personal Narrative: My Goal Of Finishing School

I am a single mother. Not only is my daughter in school, I am in school. I have bills to pay, mouths to feed, and a job. Yet, I am still striving in an educational environment. While my life is complicated at the moment, my success in school is due to my strategic balancing of my free time, while managing my rigorous schedule, giving me hope that I will achieve my goal of finishing school. The financial burden of paying bills, school, and supporting my child while working a minimum wage job has proven to be one of the biggest difficulties I have ever faced. The stress of being late on paying bills sometimes makes it difficult for me to conduct my studying the way I would like. This throws me off course and delays my studies. I had two jobs at one point, however, this limited the time I was able to spend with my daughter. She eventually began to beg to spend more time with me, but because I am so determined to get my associates degree, I quit my second job after I paid off my largest bill. There is also the added factor that I have to make sure that food is always cooked for my daughter, pick her up from school on time, and make sure that she attends her dance class. After all of that is done, I still have to help her with her homework, bathe her, and make sure her clothes are prepared for the next day.
My schedule begins hectically begins at 5am. As a mother, my daughter is my first priority, so after waking her up, getting her ready and feeding her, I make my way out the house. After taking my daughter to school each morning, I have to travel an hour to get to work. Because my job is minimum wage, I am forced to only take a thirty minute break. Then, when the day is over at one, I run to the train to again take the one hour train ride to pick up my daughter from school at two. Once I pick her up from school, I take her to her dance class on Wednesdays and Fridays. After dance class, we go back home so that I can help her with her homework, while cooking dinner for us. Eventually she falls asleep first, and I follow after her. In order to deal with this hectic schedule, I use the one device that I can trust to keep me on track, my phone.
To make sure my bills are paid on time, I have set up my Penn Foster account to a collection agency, making it one less burden that I have to worry about. On the train ride to work, I check my school account to see what assignments are due that day and insert them on my phone as reminders and on the calendar. By putting the assignments in both my calendar and reminder app, I can visualize what my week will look like and be reminded as to when I should start the assignment. I also utilize my train ride by reading the assigned book and writing important information on sticky notes in order to make studying easier when I get home. Although my lunch break is only thirty minutes long, I am aware that every minute is vital, and continue to read and write sticky notes. On the train ride home, I continue to read and begin to decide how I will tackle my assignments and in which order. My alarm rings at two, reminding me to pick up my daughter from school and take her to dance class on Wednesdays and Fridays. Occasionally, while she is dancing I will glance at my sticky notes as a refresher. This allows my mind to continue to stay focused on my assignments, and makes it easier to finish my assignment later. After dinner I will begin to finish my assignments. This is when the sticky notes become vital because I use them to study off of before taking the corresponding exam. When ever I have trouble with an assignment, it is comforting to know that my instructor is only an email away, and I can always communicate with other students for help and advice. Although I am tremendously excited at this point, I force myself to do two exams. Finally, I get to go to
sleep. I am a mother, so any time I get to spend with my daughter is my free time. I take every precious moment with her and value them. We have conversations over our breakfast meal, and play tag on our way to her school. When I pick her up, I ask how her day has been and what she would like for dinner. I will even let her help me cook occasionally, just because I love how she smiles when she’s helping. I then go on to help her with her homework, and read the osicallon bed time story before it is time for her to go to sleep. However, I do get a few moments of time to myself when she is sleeping. This is when I watch my favorite shows on television, but it never last long because I force myself to shut it off and finish my work. It is my determination to give my daughter the life I never had that keeps me going. I know that the only way to become financially stable and get a chance to live a prosperous life, is to get an education. I want to give my daughter someone to look up to, and be a good role model because I know that I am responsible for her future. I always have setbacks from time to time, but she keeps me going. Using my phone and sticky note process has helped me gain control over my life while helping me keep track of everything so that I will not forget. Life is easier when you have a system that works, that is why it is important to have one. My strategy helps me be a better mother and will help me achieve my goal of finishing school. If I can do it, so can you.