Reasons for Attending College

My reason for going to college was that I wanted to get a better education other than just a High school Diploma. I was the first in my family to receive a High School Diploma, and I want to be the first one to receive a nursing degree. I am also attending college because I want a better life for my family. I want to find a job that I would not be living paycheck to paycheck like my parents have to. I mean, who really wants a life like that? I know I did not want that, and that is one of the reasons I wanted to go to college. My final reason for wanting to go to college is that I want to make an example of myself to children. I want them to know that they can do anything they put their minds to. Being the first of your family to achieve something so great was a feeling that I could never forget. The look in your families eyes as you’re walking across that stage in a cap and gown receiving something that they were not capable of. Like most families mine was poor. My father was an amazing pitcher for Dade County baseball and he had to give it all up. My father, Tony, dropped out of school and got a job at a service station to take care of my grandmother and his siblings. My grandfather was a bad alcoholic that would rage on the weekends, and blow his whole paycheck on his addiction. My dad gave up his dreams to support his family and raise me and my brother in so many better ways. So, I am taking it another step forward from my parents, I am pursuing my dreams by putting myself through school to get a job that I love. My first semester was not a breeze, I had many late nights and long days of studying, and stress. I was a full time student, mother, wife, and daughter that were taking care of a mother that had cervical cancer. As if juggling a family and school was not hard enough, I stood by her side through all of her treatments and doctor appointments, causing me to miss several days of school and fall behind in my classes. In college school is much harder than high school. College has a lot more stress; most of my stress was financial stress. I was continuously worrying about how I was going to juggle school and raising a family. My husband couldn’t work and take care of our children while I was attending classes. My family is much different than most families, we were brought up to raise our own, which means no day cares, and no one else will watch your children. So my husband took up the responsibilities of our children, and decided to become a stay at home father while I caught up and passed my classes through all of this stress, it was not easy but I was a very determined student. By all means, don’t give up when the going gets rough. If you keep your head up and stick to it, you can make it through anything you believe in. I am very happy to say that my son, Bryson, and my daughter, Breanna, will never feel that they won’t succeed. I will be there with them to show them and encourage them just as my parents have done for me. Encouragement is the key to success. If you don’t have faith in yourself who else will?