JOURNEY IN SURVIVING COLLEGE

After graduating from high school, I let two years slide off before I started my journey in college. My parents could not send me to college because we were financially unstable and acquiring a college degree is indeed very expensive; so I have to find ways and means on my own. Even in high school, I struggled to bring home a diploma. I worked as a student assistant of our School Principal.  Thereafter, I graduated from high school. I learned and realized that there is no reason for you not to succeed if you are willing to sacrifice and commit yourself to your endeavours at all times.

Since my parents could not fulfil their obligations, I looked for a way on my own. I applied in many department stores but sad to know, I was not qualified because I was underage. Fortunately, my closest friend whom I lived with during my working student days happened to know the manager of Robinson’s Mall. She referred me to manager and he automatically accepted me. There I found peace of mind, friends and comrades.  But something inside of me then was burning, and that was my oozing dream of finishing college. After a year, I decided to follow my dream. I humbly asked my manager to allow me to have a fixed schedule so I could spend my time from 7-11 in the morning to study.

For three years, I sacrifice juggling two responsibilities at the same time. Both responsibilities are important to me. There were times that I have to sacrifice one or the other depending on the situation or which priority calls for immediate action. For three years, I have gone to insensitive instructors, jealous and insecure friends and co-workers and to top of it all, I missed paying my tuition fees on time. Still I struggled and ignored those burdens until such time that I have to give up my work due to the complexities that it has caused me. The conflict of time came during my last year in college. I need to look for another source of income to sustain my survival in college. Though I didn’t have a job during the opening of my 4rth year in college, I still pursued to enrol because I believe that God would never abandon me. My manager offered me a new work with her cousin who’s tutor in a grade school.  Another conflict arose that I have to give up my work.

Later on I asked my best friend, a manager in a Cebu Pacific branch to give me a job. The only position available at the time was very hard. One has to start at 4:00 am until 1:30 pm that he was apprehensive of giving me the position. I begged him to agree and there I was, a janitor and check-in agent at the airport with only thirty minutes to spare traversing the traffic-jam roads to school. It took a lot of guts to face what I’ve been through. I taught myself to be strong and survive. I often cried at dawn because I have to force myself to wake up and face the long and arduous day ahead.

All the sacrifices that I’ve encountered have made me mature. The four years of college have not been easy for me but somehow, I have no regrets because they have made me the person  I am right now. I am so thankful I have endured all of them. More so, I have come this far because God has been with me all the time.