3 Things I Struggle the Most with for Not Having a Degree

Hi there! I hope you guys are good. If this is your first time to read my blog, or if you don’t know me personally, you may not know that I haven’t finished college, so at 23 I’m not a degree holder. I quit school in March 2013 but if I had not, I could have graduated already 3 years ago on the same month. But why did I quit school? Hmm. that is a good question but I’m not answering it on this post. I really would just want to focus on the headline now because me quitting college is a long and complicated story to tell. 😦 Anyway, in case you are wondering why I am writing this, it is for those people out there who think that I am okay with my life now, degree-less, profession-less or however they call it just because I seem to be on my social media posts, but more especially to the those who are on the verge of giving up.

So here are the top 3 things I struggle the most with for not having a degree.

1. Landing the job I love.

In a blog I posted in June titled College Diploma, I stated there that I want it because I feel incomplete that I have a job but then I don’t have a degree. So basically, I want it  just for the sake of having it, but to be more honest, I don’t just want it, I literally and badly need it.

I have been an English as a second language (ESL) teacher for over a year now but just so you know, this job actually requires a degree, the schools rather. Most ESL schools require a degree but there are some that accept undergraduates and that is why I am in this industry now. Thanks to my current school and the other 2 schools I previously worked for the opportunity and for being considerate. Thank God this industry exists. If it didn’t, I would have been settling for a lower paying job, or a call center job that I don’t like. So my struggle here is getting myself into a school without a degree because I have started to love teaching.

An online ESL student showing me her drawing of me. How sweet. 🙂

2. Helping my family.

Because I haven’t finished college, I did not become that professional public teacher my loved ones wanted me to be. I am not where they expected me to be. I am not earning as much as I should. I cannot support them well because my salary doesn’t suffice.

If I had a degree, even if I didn’t become a public teacher because honestly I don’t want to be and it is one of the reasons why I quit a month before my last semester ended, my life somehow would have still been better now. I could have gotten myself a better opportunity and I would have been able to support my family without compromising my needs. Basically, if I wasn’t supporting my younger brother, I would have been able to get back to school this semester (June to October) for all of my salary would go to me but it’s okay. I don’t mind supporting my family. I’m sure this wouldn’t be our situation forever.

3. Having an unfinished business.

I have this struggle because there are many things I want to do but I am restricted. I want to apply at bigger ESL schools but they require a diploma. I want to apply for a job abroad so I can help my family financially but I have to stay because I have to finish it, otherwise if CHED (Commission on Higher Education) implements its new policy that one should graduate or at least be enrolled in College on or before 2018, because if not, he is going back to Senior High School which is in the k-12 program and that means 2 more years in High School, then I’ll mess up again.  Also, if I had finished college, I could get a job as an ESL teacher abroad and that would fulfill one of my dreams which is to travel the world. Too bad, I didn’t realize all these before.

A picture after a group class. I was actually just substituting but the Korean guy is really my student in a man to man class. This was taken last August this year when I went back and worked full-time at my previous offline school while I worked part-time at my current online school.

*So not having a degree postpones my goals. If I had just been a good girl before, I wouldn’t have to worry a lot of things now, but anyway, I can’t live my life thinking about all that could have been. I’ll just apply what I learned while I also try to make the most of life. What I can say, though, to those struggling to finish their course, just keep going, and do whatever it takes to graduate because it is hard to have an unfinished business as it will always bother you. It’s like going to bed with your stomach empty. But it is harder to settle for a low paying job when you could get a better one if only you had that piece of paper which isn’t literally just a paper. Good luck! 🙂