Final Day of Freedom

"College is like a fountain of knowledge- and the students are there to drink."

-Unknown

Well friends, here we are at Friday again; a day that usually makes me happy, but today finds me with a heavy heart, as it is the last weekday of freedom before I return to schooling on Monday. While I was always a great student in high school and had a fantastic group of friends, college wasn't so kind to me. My transcript is what everyone jokes about as a patchwork quilt... an accurate description. I'm a pretty creative individual and conventional learning just isn't for me. I like to be out in the world, living and experiencing life, rather than reminding myself of the payoffs of all the current suffering. I know I am not special or unique in this mindset; however, I am unique in how I have gone about suffering through this. Check it out:

August 2007: I attended a local community college in hopes of saving money and completing my generals in a timely manner. My ambition? Theatre major or broadcast journalist. I suffered through this misery for a whole year, relying on my dear friend, Jessie and her fun, close-to-school apartment to keep me sane.

August 2008: I signed up for all online classes for fall semester. Turns out, I am NOT an online learner. Dropped two weeks in. Spent the rest of my time working as much as possible at a salon, where I was the only employee and got as many hours as I pleased. Seriously contemplated cosmetology school and almost enrolled. Decided in September to look into universities and was referred to NDSU in Fargo, ND and UW-Stout in Menomonie, WI. Fargo won.

January 2009: I began classes at NDSU, studying Fashion Retail Merchandising, and fell in love with college life. Dorms, cafeteria food, and friends accessible at all times? THIS was what my dreams were made of- haha! I considered not going home for the summer, just to spend more time in this new place to call "home".

July 2009: Ended up coming home. Fell in love a few weeks in... college never seemed less appealing.


August 2009: Suffered through an entire semester away from my beloved, who was living and going to school in Wisconsin. Being two states away should have killed us, but we still managed to see each other almost every weekend (my car and bank account did NOT thank me for that!). I had to close the gap and applied for UW-Stout my first day back at NDSU.

January 2010: Back at my original community college, working toward finishing up those oh-so painful general courses. On the up side, Scott and I moved in together so I got to see him A LOT more.

August 2010: I FINALLY graduated with my AA degree in general coursework from Century Community College. Two days later I got married.

September 2010: Began school at UW-Stout for Fashion Retail Merchandising and hated it from Day 1. Applied to Metro State University a month into the semester.

January 2011: Pushed back my admission date to Metro State to the summer semester, rather than spring and took all four months off again and worked at a salon (sound familiar?). I received a promotion at work and became the manager, making a lot more money and hours. School? What's that?

May 2011: Here we are, starting over yet again! Beginning Monday I will be back to school at Metro State University, most likely pursuing English. Two summer classes and two more semesters and I anticipate a very joyous graduation in May 2012. Wish me luck!

School is NOT for everybody and I'm not entirely sure it's for me. But with all the time, energy, and money I've invested into it, I cannot afford to let myself stop now. I intend to push through and earn that degree that I have so desperately grasped for over the past four years. Today I noticed many, many posts about former classmates celebrating their final days of college ever. Rather than serving as discouragement, I intend to use their happiness as inspiration for what I will accomplish my sticking with it. I just need to put my head down, plow through it, and get it done, because I WILL be happy to have earned this in the end. Thanks for sticking with this long post- I just like to give people a little background information from time to time to truly understand me. Anyway, here goes nothing and I'm hoping my fourth school will treat me well and get me to the finish line quickly. In the mean time, prayers are always welcomed (and returned). The support of friends will surely help me through this academic nightmare.

God bless!!
P!