Of all the things I want to do in my life, there comes a time when you have to realize that taking the time to pursue something you might not be looking forward is essential. In fact, it may well be the way to will put you in a better position to enjoy the things you look forward to. A bit of work and investment can mean the difference between what avenues are available to you in the long run.
Why I didn't finish my bachelor's degree six years ago is somewhat silly to me now. At the time, I saw my tuition costs for getting my online Associates' and got cold feet about adding to that debt. I was (and still am) a working, single parent and while you'd think the benefits of financial aid and scholarships would be great, I didn't really get much assistance in that department. Blame it on my resourceful nature, as working two and three jobs made it look as though I could afford school mostly on my own on paper.
I have experience in the industry I hope to continue working in, but not having that piece of paper to list on my resume has undoubtedly hurt me when it comes to competing for jobs. Hey, I made the choices I made at the time because they seemed right, now all I can do is play catch up. I'm not complaining, I may not have chosen the area of concentration that would have best benefitted my current line of work six years ago. At 44, I have a more focused direction than I did at 38 when my main objective was to keep a roof over my sons' heads and keep them fed.
Given the current level of busy in my life, I'd be lying if I didn't say the prospect of going back to school has me nervous. Not because I'm afraid of the work or that I won't succeed, but because I don't want my status quo to suffer. I willingly have myself going in several directions at the moment and while I am quite capable of keeping things going smoothly, it's been some time since I had to make the kind of changes and sacrifice that going back to school will bring about.
For certain there are other benefits to enrolling in a degree program that are hard to dismiss. At least for my youngest son's first year in college, his financial aid will be based on three people being enrolled in college in our household. Given his choices in potential schools, anything that reduces his tuition costs will be helpful. Obviously, my marketability job-wise will increase, opening up more opportunity to continue earning a comfortable wage. I haven't abandoned my goal of finishing my book, but working toward that dream isn't going to pay the bills right now. I'm not out of a job at the moment, though the nature of what I do is always uncertain. It's always a good thing to stay a step or two ahead of even potential setbacks and upheavals.
Nothing in life is free; either you're paying in sweat, time and effort, or you're paying in hard earned money. I've spent a fair amount of my life doing both, and when I look around at my life, I'd say all the investment has paid off. It's a no-brainer that this next step will produce the same beneficial outcome. Come spring semester, I'll be hitting the books, proving exactly that. Wish me luck.
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