Working and going to school at the same time can be a bit overwhelming sometimes.
It can become especially suffocating when one is receiving little to no help from family members, as well, often due to their own lack of funds. When this happens, it becomes a requirement to pick up more hours, with work sometimes getting in the way of school, just to make ends meet.
When school and work become smothering, it’s easy – and human – to simply wish for a better life. But what most people don’t realize is that great character can be built from having to do the two simultaneously, if only one were to look at this tough time as a growing experience.
This past week, I received some troubling news in regards to the financial state of affairs back home. I won’t go into detail about that here, as it’s not the situation that’s relevant, but how I reacted to it.
When I first heard the news, I didn’t just break down and think about all the ways my life was falling apart. Instead, I accepted that I had no control over the situation back home, and thought about all the ways I could work with things here.
I’d have to pick up a few extra shifts every month and cut back on my spending a little, but I figured I could get by just fine.
This unusual reaction struck me, as I have a tendency to freak out when things like this happen.
But then it dawned on me: I might have actually grown up a little. This might seem silly, but keep in mind that, when I first entered college, I wasn’t prepared for life at all.
I grew up sheltered, babied, never taught how to be independent or to accept that there are just some things in life that can’t be controlled.
My sophomore year, I went through a spiraling depression because I was breaking down over the many things going on in my life that I had absolutely no control over. But after I endured all of that, I somehow managed to pick myself up, get a job to help out the situation and put the pieces back together. And the effect on my overall character has really begun to show.
Especially recently, as my parents, due to their own financial plight, have had to take a step back from helping me out with school altogether.
Ever since then, I’ve begun to feel the sting of fiscal hardship even more so than before; I’ve had to basically cut my spending to food and other necessities, with maybe a little extra money for fun. But I’m okay with it.
Sure, things would be so much easier if my family was a little richer and I didn’t have to work as much or at all, but what I’ve come to realize is that I’ve really grown by being in a situation that requires me to work a little harder.
The beauty of this whole experience, the suffering, the depression, the eventual force into labor, is that I’ve grown into something so much better than I could have ever imagined. I don’t take school for granted, I take advantage of the extra educational opportunities the school has to offer and I appreciate the experience a little more.
I’ve come to realize that there are finer things in life, and if one takes hardship as simply a growing experience, then it’s easy to overcome life’s obstacles and come out a better person in the end.
Respond to Autumn at
