My obstacles in college and how i'm overcoming them

After I had my youngest son I knew something had to give in my life. Working retail forever was a no end kind of life for me. With that being said I decided I wanted to go back , no in fact I decided I had to go back to school. The 2 biggest obstacles to that were losing time to spend with my kids and the lack of time I’d have period. The two ways that helped were having a support system and knowing I had to do it and failure wasn't an option.

So many people will tell you family comes first and really it does. Without my kids who knows where I’d be. I became a mom at an early age and when my daughter was about 6 or 8 months I took one Spanish class at Chabot to see if I could do it. It wasn't the easiest task but I did it. The next fall I enrolled in 2 classes and at first everything was fine but then my ex husband decided to be less than helpful and I had to withdrawal from my classes. Now I’m sure you’re wondering well why is this relevant to why I stay in school now? That’s simple it reminds me that I can’t let people stop me from reaching my goals. OK so fast forward about 8-9 years and I’m back in college. I have more kids now but my asshole ex husband is out of the picture and I’m more motivated than ever to finish school to prove to my kids that if I can do it with a full time job and a family anyone can.

My second biggest hurdle is time. I have four kids and a job and that right there is time consuming, than add 2 school nights a week, homework and studying and all your time is now gone. I always feel like time is working against me but I can’t stop now I’m too close to the finish line. Oprah Winfrey says “You can have it all. Just not all at once.”  We can have our dreams come true we just have to be patience, work hard and wait. Time doesn't stop but I've learned maximizing your time well help get you where you need to go. Obstacles are always going to be wherever you look the key is finding solutions to help you.

I have the best support system any single parent can have. Without them I wouldn't be able to go to school at all. This indeed may not be necessary for a young single person but it’s a must for a single parent like me. When I went back to school in 2009 to become a medical assistant at Chabot I had the full support and backing of my family. They easily could have not helped me with this but that’s not the case. When I’m at school they watch my kids make sure my kids do their homework and take care of anything they need till I get home. I owe a debt of gratitude to them every day. Kobe Bryant said “my parents are my backbone. Still are. They're the only group that will support you if you score zero or you score 40” My family is the same way and I’m very thankful they've supported my dream.

The second way I get is by not giving up. What kind of message would I be sending to my children if I threw in the towel when times get rough? I’d be telling them it was OK to quit. This isn't the message I will convey to them. I have to keep pushing no matter what. The old saying goes a winner never quits and its true they don’t so I refuse to quit I have to win. Getting my AA is in my sights I have to just stay focused. Trials will come but I know I have people counting on me so I always have that in the back of my mind. Teddy Roosevelt said “I believe you can and you're already there” I’m there  and I’m not leaving I will finish college and make everyone proud