Hmmm.....I went straight from high school to uni, because I knew I wouldn't have the motivation to go to uni if I took time off for fun and "life" first - I didn't wanna break outta "education" mode, for fear I'd never go back to it....and now I'm glad I stuck at it, cos I know a lotta people who took time off and never went back, and now regret it big time cos they just can't conjure up the motivation......
It's not like I didn't want to chuck it all in though....at the end of the second year of my degree, I went to America to visit my fiance, who lived there (very long story)....at the end of my trip, all I wanted to do was chuck in uni and stay there with the guy I loved....it was either that, or go back to Australia to finish my degree for 10 more months........in the end, I decided to go back for uni - it was the hardest decision I've ever had to make, but I ended up thinking "if it doesn't work out with him, am I gonna be able to support myself and have the career I want without my degree??".....somehow my head won out over my heart!! Was it the right decision?? Well.....3 months before I graduated and was supposed to go back to the States to get married, my fiance broke up with me......for the longest time, I regretted my decision not to stay there with him....here I was with a great education, but it had indirectly cost me the guy who I thought was the love of my life (okay I was young and naive....hehe).....but, I thought I better make that sacrifice worth it - so, it actually motivated me to educate myself
more, and I went on to do Honours *LOL*
When I got done with uni, I took a trip to America - it felt soooo good after putting in all the hard slog at school - and I don't think it would've felt that good for me if I hadn't "earned" it first..... When I came back, I got a great job and they actually paid for me to move away from Tasmania - that wouldn't have happened if I didn't have my degree (it's necessary for the kinda work I wanna do)......after living and working in Canberra for a year, I discovered the scene - all I can say is I'm sooooo glad I didn't discover it until I'd finished my education and got a well-paying job......cos it's a pretty taxing and expensive lifestyle (as we all know...hehe) - having some money and no uni classes to go to makes it way easier!!!!
But, I guess it all comes down to the individual.....for me, I needed my degree to be able to have the career I want, and I'm also big on learning in general (can't stand people who don't challenge their brains with learning)....and it's allowing me to support myself and have heaps of fun now, after putting in the hard work........but, I also think life experience is just as important as formal education - which is why I travelled and have tried to be open to all things in life....the key is balance though......and the other key is happiness.....nobody can be happy all the time, which is why I don't understand people who say "if you're not happy at uni, chuck it in"...come oooon - how many of us were really happy at uni???? Uni isn't about being happy while you're there - it's about looking forward and thinking of the happiness it's gonna help you have...chances are that piece of paper is gonna make it easier to support yourself and afford to have fun in the future (if you want a career that requires formal education that is)......yeah it'd be awesome if we could all support ourselves from jobs that are fun and don't require education....but methinks that's reserved for a lucky few.....the rest of us gotta put in some damn hard work first before we can reap the rewards...... If you don't need education to support yourself, then that's awesome...lucky you
I have no problem with people wanting to drop out and have fun and al that, so long as they can support themselves......but it bugs me when people get totally wrapped up in the fun and can't support it financially, and end up bein a drain on the system.....I don't see why I should have put in the hard slog, and sit here workin my butt off every day, in order to support people who wanna just have fun and not be responsible for themselves...............
Ohmigod......I sound like my mother...nooooooo!!!!! *LOL*
