With some new accomplishments and milestones occurring in my life, I think it is time to confess something.
Some of y'all already know, but for those of you that probably suspect, it's time to put this out in the open.
I am no longer attending Mary Baldwin as a full-time residential student and nor have I been since January of this year.
Before I am guillotined or blasted with a million questions, I want to express my feelings on the matter.
Mary Baldwin is a private university (spoiler alert: Mary Baldwin College has recently made the change to a University and will be coming out later this month) that costs $40,000 a year. The price of tuition also increases each year. Although my out of pocket payment was a knockoff compared to the overall cost of attendance, $1300 per semester while working part-time along with the general costs of living was and is unrealistic. My highest paycheck for two weeks of juggling work and school was the grand total of....$160! $160 for basic survival needs, tuition payments and the occasional migration from campus during breaks and the holiday season (student's couldn't stay on campus and I needed somewhere to go) was highly unrealistic. That wasn't enough to deter me. I looked into loans, to my embarrassment, I even considered payday loans but without credit and a co-signer there wasn't anything I can do. Scholarships also proved worthless. In my senior year of highschool and the months leading up to my departure, I applied for 50 or more scholarships. I have yet to hear from any of them. In the end, to keep an even longer explanation short, the normal college experience wasn't the right fit for me. And that is ok.
In the past few weeks I have since been promoted to a full-time lead teacher position, I have also started babysitting in the mornings before work to make extra money, I recently began to save half of my paychecks as a safety net for any emergency. Overall, I have been establishing my life out here in Staunton, VA. I am making stepping stones and setting up safety nets, I'm turning over new leaves and finding the path that works best for me.
With this confession of news that I have reflected on for sometime now, I am also excited to announce that I will be returning to school in September. I am going to obtain an Associate's degree in Early Childhood Education. I will be accomplishing this while juggling work and all life throws my way. It may not be my #1 choice of study but once again, it is a stepping stone and a safety net. It may not of been exactly what I expected; but for right now it works.
Thank you for taking the time to read! Happy Hump Day!
Some of y'all already know, but for those of you that probably suspect, it's time to put this out in the open.
I am no longer attending Mary Baldwin as a full-time residential student and nor have I been since January of this year.
Before I am guillotined or blasted with a million questions, I want to express my feelings on the matter.
Mary Baldwin is a private university (spoiler alert: Mary Baldwin College has recently made the change to a University and will be coming out later this month) that costs $40,000 a year. The price of tuition also increases each year. Although my out of pocket payment was a knockoff compared to the overall cost of attendance, $1300 per semester while working part-time along with the general costs of living was and is unrealistic. My highest paycheck for two weeks of juggling work and school was the grand total of....$160! $160 for basic survival needs, tuition payments and the occasional migration from campus during breaks and the holiday season (student's couldn't stay on campus and I needed somewhere to go) was highly unrealistic. That wasn't enough to deter me. I looked into loans, to my embarrassment, I even considered payday loans but without credit and a co-signer there wasn't anything I can do. Scholarships also proved worthless. In my senior year of highschool and the months leading up to my departure, I applied for 50 or more scholarships. I have yet to hear from any of them. In the end, to keep an even longer explanation short, the normal college experience wasn't the right fit for me. And that is ok.
In the past few weeks I have since been promoted to a full-time lead teacher position, I have also started babysitting in the mornings before work to make extra money, I recently began to save half of my paychecks as a safety net for any emergency. Overall, I have been establishing my life out here in Staunton, VA. I am making stepping stones and setting up safety nets, I'm turning over new leaves and finding the path that works best for me.
With this confession of news that I have reflected on for sometime now, I am also excited to announce that I will be returning to school in September. I am going to obtain an Associate's degree in Early Childhood Education. I will be accomplishing this while juggling work and all life throws my way. It may not be my #1 choice of study but once again, it is a stepping stone and a safety net. It may not of been exactly what I expected; but for right now it works.
Thank you for taking the time to read! Happy Hump Day!
