Commentary: Be thankful for school

After going to school since age 5 or 6 it’s easy to feel burned out and to look at college as more of a chore rather than something to enjoy. Feeling worn down and tired of assignments, projects and homework is understandable, but it’s important to remember that being able to further one’s education is something to be excited about—even grateful for.
This does not mean college is an easy task. To earn a bachelor’s degree is to complete at least four years worth of college courses. Some courses will be easy A’s and some will require countless hours of outside-of-class work. When the stresses of school are mixed with a necessary job or extra-curricular activity it becomes challenging to get everything done. Just remember that this is a good thing; the sense of accomplishment that comes along with these responsibilities is priceless.
College is a huge expense. As tuition prices continue to rise, the stresses of paying for school, along with a place to live and food to eat escalate as well; however, think of how much it will pay off in the relatively near future. Getting a higher paying job is going to make it so much easier to conquer those student loans. It may take a few more years to get rid of the debt than it took to accrue it, but it will still be worth it.
If that isn’t enough motivation to get excited about school then just consider the amount of people in the world, and even in this country, that don’t have the option to go to college. If they heard how much college students complain about getting up early for class, completing countless assignments and being stuck with unreasonable professors, they might be a little irritated with our attitudes. It makes us look selfish and lazy when we can manage to get through school, but constantly post Facebook statuses about how much of a chore it is. I will definitely agree that the hard work that is required in college is not fun, but it isn’t necessarily supposed to be.
We are all guilty of having these feelings and when things pile up with work, school and maintaining a social life, it is understandable to feel overwhelmed. Nevertheless, it is important to remember to also appreciate the opportunity, even though it means working a lot harder to pay your way through school and losing sleep to balance a busy schedule. As the end of the semester approaches and finals become more prominent, think about the great opportunities that come along with having a college degree. Knowing that working hard now will open doors later should make those all-nighters and cram sessions worth while.

Beth Marshall
Contributing Writer