"Don't be afraid to fail."
Those were the words used by my graduation speaker, the ex-governer of Virginia, Mr. Mark Warner. Well, I am about to put those words to the test this week, by taking the biggest risk of my life to date: going back to school, and working a full time job. I don't know if this endeavor will be successful, given the pitiful attempt at a math class back in January, but this is the time for buckling down and really dedicating myself to this pharmacy school plan. I have eliminated any unnecessary stress from my life, pruning it down to just my household, my job, and of course, school.
I will admit, I am scared. It has been the habit of my educational life to procrastinate, and in my theatre major, one could get away with procrastination up to the point of doing a major paper half an hour before it is actually due. This knowledge I owe entirely to experience. I don't think I will be able to get away with any procrastination this time. I have determined that I will get an A in these classes, or die in the attempt. I never realized how much money my parents were actually spending until I started having to spend some of it myself.
I've realized in the past few weeks how lucky I really am. There are many people on this planet who cannot afford to do what I am attempting now: going back to school to pursue another career. A good many people can't even afford a full tank of gas, let alone higher education. This epiphany came to me a week or so ago. I was on my way home, and I passed a car pulled over on the side of the road, with its blinkers on. I stopped to find out what was the matter, and I ended up driving this woman up to the gas station to get 2 bucks worth of gas to get her car started again. I'm sure a lot of you will think I was crazy. But anyways, I gassed up myself while we were there, and was excited that the total was less than 30 bucks. And she was amazed that I could afford that much. Somewhat of a humbling experience. I have money to live more or less independently, go to school, keep a pet and a car, and have the occasional one-off on a pair of shoes. And if I ever truly get into any financial straits, my parents are there to bail me out. I guess I've never really known what poverty is, if I can afford all that.
Anyways, I'm excited about my new semester back at Longwood. I missed the place, even if at times the clerical crap drives me insane. But, it is late, and my bed calls....
I will admit, I am scared. It has been the habit of my educational life to procrastinate, and in my theatre major, one could get away with procrastination up to the point of doing a major paper half an hour before it is actually due. This knowledge I owe entirely to experience. I don't think I will be able to get away with any procrastination this time. I have determined that I will get an A in these classes, or die in the attempt. I never realized how much money my parents were actually spending until I started having to spend some of it myself.
I've realized in the past few weeks how lucky I really am. There are many people on this planet who cannot afford to do what I am attempting now: going back to school to pursue another career. A good many people can't even afford a full tank of gas, let alone higher education. This epiphany came to me a week or so ago. I was on my way home, and I passed a car pulled over on the side of the road, with its blinkers on. I stopped to find out what was the matter, and I ended up driving this woman up to the gas station to get 2 bucks worth of gas to get her car started again. I'm sure a lot of you will think I was crazy. But anyways, I gassed up myself while we were there, and was excited that the total was less than 30 bucks. And she was amazed that I could afford that much. Somewhat of a humbling experience. I have money to live more or less independently, go to school, keep a pet and a car, and have the occasional one-off on a pair of shoes. And if I ever truly get into any financial straits, my parents are there to bail me out. I guess I've never really known what poverty is, if I can afford all that.
Anyways, I'm excited about my new semester back at Longwood. I missed the place, even if at times the clerical crap drives me insane. But, it is late, and my bed calls....