There are three simple, and fairly common, reasons for why I decided to return to school to continue my education: Higher paying Jobs, being a good role model for my children and personal satisfaction. Higher Paying Jobs: I relocated to California from North Carolina about 4 and h years ago. What was I thinking? The cost of living here Is outrageous, the Jobs don’t pay that well and you are almost destined to have a roommate or two or three, Just to make ends meet. After working for a few different companies and proving to them my skills ere worth paying for, I was making more money than I had ever made.
Heck, I was making more money than my parents had ever made. Maybe I got lucky. I do know one thing Is for sure – I got spoiled. I never thought about losing my Job and what I would do If that were the case. Most of us don’t when we’re comfortable. Well It happened. My contract ended and so did my job and so did my pay. So I looked for work. The higher paying jobs that I felt I was qualified for and was applying for required a minimum of a bachelor’s degree. Well, I only have an AAA degree, and that didn’t seem o be getting me anywhere.
I sent out several resumes over a two-month period and only had 2 actual interviews. One of the companies I interviewed for made me an offer at 65% LESS than what I was making, previously! I was insulted, and kindly declined their offer. Well with the power of the Internet I did some more research and thought I would try a temp agency. I went through the registration process, submitted my resume and viola! I got a call back. I interviewed with a well-known biotech company and was made an offer immediately. Maybe they thought my skills without the degree was acceptable because I was only a temp?
Who knows but I didn’t care at that point as I really needed a Job and thought it would be a good way to get my foot in the door. So I have been working here now for about 6 months. I often browse the Internal job postings. There are so many things that I am Interested In but they require that bachelor’s degree. I really like it here and would rather not have to look outside of the organization. Sometimes I feel Like I am stuck In a loop. So I am almost forced to continue my education if I want someone to even consider me for employment within his organization – at least for the higher paying Jobs.
Being a Good Role Model: Deciding to go back to school, now, Is also allowing me to show my children that there Is always room for learning and self-improvement, at any age. Being a good role model for them Is very, very, Important to me. I have tried my best to always do the right thing and involve them in everything. They are raised we know, children will do as you do, not as you say. It was such a Joy to hear my youngest son tell me that he was proud of me when I told them that I was starting a new college class. They are at the age now where they are starting to think about college for themselves.
Where they would like to go, what they would like to study. They know that I support them all the way. We have spoken about scholarships and how they can work to obtain one, either academically or through sports. We have talked about the costs involved and routes they can take to achieve their goals. They are good students and I have full confidence in them that they will be able to achieve their goals easily. I want the best for them and would like them to get a good head start. I do not want them to be where I am at when they are my age. They see how tough it is to Juggle a career and family and now throwing school into the mix.
But they also see that it can be done. Personal Satisfaction: I have had numerous conversations with friends and family members who tell me that they do not have time to go to school, and that they do not know how I can do it. I do not know that I have an answer, really. I do know that it is something that I want to do. Going back to school is going to either make me or break me and I am certainly not one to break too easily. So besides the higher paying Jobs which is all relative, really) and besides being a good role model for my children, I want the personal satisfaction of saying, “l did it! Not having anyone else to stand in my way for what I want. To actually follow through and achieve my dream of getting my bachelor’s degree, then my master’s degree, and who knows after that. The sky is the limit. I truly believe that school is contagious and addicting. And once I’m done proving to those friends and family that it can be done, I will be reading their essays on why they decided to go back to school. I’m almost positive their reasons will be similar to mine.
