It all began the year I graduated high school. Reality kicked in when my older sister said, “Well now that you ” ve completed high school, are you ready to live on your own in the real world.” I smiled and nodded a yes, but in reality I knew that I was completely lost on what the “real-world” expected of me. I was a na ” ive young seventeen year old who was accustomed to having people make my decisions for me. Mom and dad were always there to help support me in everything I did. During my high school years you could say I wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, I’d rather be playing sports than doing any homework. John Nash (1958) kept it sweet and simple, “Classes will dull your mind.” I found myself asking a lot of questions that year.
Where do I go from here? Was college even an option? What about my career, life, and family? My personal thoughts and the questions that I could not answer led me to the voyage that I’m still currently on. Although, now it is a bit different, I’m only halfway around the earth and the greatest thing about this voyage is that it may never end. One article (“Self-Knowledge is Dangerous”, 1992) clearly states, “If we could deliberately seize control of our pleasure systems, we could reproduce the pleasure of success without the need for any actual accomplishment. And that would be the end of everything.” Life would be very simple if it did not require any work on our part to achieve success in accomplishing goals. However, this is not the case, we must work hard to acquire knowledge which leads to our very own personal success.
There comes a price to pay to gain this knowledge, it isn’t free nor is it fast and easy. I was willing to sacrifice many things to further my knowledge. I had decided to obtain my bachelors degree in science. This meant more time in the undergraduate libraries and less time playing sports, participating in activities, and going out with friends.
Throughout my initial year at the university I began to appreciate knowledge and I began to understand the theory and reasoning behind the work. I actually found myself enjoying the readings as well as the work that would follow it. By my second year not only was I spending a large portion of my time in class but I also found myself discussing work with my professors during their office hours. Along with the knowledge I gained in my classes I began to have an overall respect towards the professors and the students who shared their knowledge with me.
These people were like me; they too had sacrificed their lives (especially those professors) to gain knowledge. To me it was more than school; it was the pursuit and discovery of knowledge and education that brought upon happiness. Richard J. Light (2001) interviewed a Harvard student that pointed out, “To make the most out of college and become successful you must meet with the faculty and gain the knowledge needed to pursue your career ambitions.” Upon completion of my final semester I obtained a bachelors of science in science at the age of. I had already landed a position as a chemist. So again I continue my journey to reach higher ends and become a more successful individual.
Whether it is financially or for my personal self, I believe education is the key to success. Chris Freer from Encore Development states, “A skill is there and then dies, never to be heard from again. An MS degree is always on your resume.” Through education I can say that I have become a more matured person. I am more patient and understanding than I had ever been before in my life. Rather than speaking all the time I now find myself listening to others and solving problems that I myself once had. We all have to remember that although getting a graduate degree might put more cash in our pockets it’s the actual process of and earning that degree which has helped us become who we are today.
As I said this journey has yet to end, obtaining my master’s degree will bring about more obstacles that I’m willing to overcome.