A college degree is not optional
A college education is not optional. That was what my parents said to me. As I grew older, I knew they were right in that funny way that parents usually are but that we don’t want to admit. They didn’t pressure me to be a doctor or a lawyer, but I had to go to college, and there were no ifs, ands, or buts about it. They said it was a place to figure out the rest of my life. After years of waking up early and endless exams, the idea of putting college off for a little while was tempting. But not only was college not optional, it couldn’t be postponed. Their fear was that I would either become lazy or get pregnant. You see, a certain level of importance was put on my graduation. I would be the first in my family to complete college. My mother and father were...