Well, most people from the place I come from literary would laugh and mark us as crazy people who living in an imaginary world when we mention the importance of education for a better future especially when we are just common folk who struggle every day. For me, based on my experiences, I can prove to myself that study at a university and get a degree open my door to level up my life from this time forth. And here is my story!🙂
My father worked at a big plantation company in the province with excellent perks! A good wage, health care insurance for family, bonus annually, providing scholarship for me from high school until university since my academic was pretty good, after graduation, I could straightforward to replace my father position (if he wanted to retire earlier) even ascent position. On top of that, the company arranged an excellent pension for my father when he retires; this pension was higher compare to government pension if we work for the government agency. Not only that, but my father also received a house in the compound. Yeah, this company built a town in their area just for their employees; a housing complex, school from Children care until high school with a high-grade education system, market, shops, clinic, hospital, security system, et cetera. In another word, working at this company, life is just great! Even my future husband, my father was able to picture and selected it since I was a child whether married into the high-class family in the village or choose from his colleague's children. WHAT, wait a minute my future husband?!🥶 That was my path since I was born. Our life was in the golden age as we had never worried about money to pay bills, daily expenses, my study, my future career until retirement day, et cetera. But, all those privileges vanished, our life suddenly dropped to the bottom of the seafloor. Since that day I started hardly to crawl from the seafloor to the surface and tried to fly to reach the star in the sky. I know, it was impossible yet I had never doubted myself and my capability.
After lost his decent job, my father worked as the cheapest labor at a factory. Riding an old bike daily to reach the factory which meant in total he traveled by bike for about 20 KM each day since he needed to collect at least two sacks of grass for the goats after being off from work. Working 8 hours a day for 7 days (weekend and public holiday), no health insurance, no paid leave, no annual bonus, yeah, he worked for a whole year! I still remember he earned $ 50 each month for a year at that factory when I was in the first year of secondary school. My monthly school fee was almost half of that household income. in addition, my father needed to pay my brother's school fee as well. By calculating it, practically there was no money left to buy food. From the top of the mountain, we were sliding down to the deep of the earth. I was like living in the deep of mud and surrounded by darkness. However, it was an intriguing story because my father managed to survive and sent me to study at a university in a famous city to study in our nation I think I'll write about what my father did after losing everything; lost his honor, dignity, status in the community, money, everything, yet he still stood with a head-up and become an inspiration to other laborers. No matters he fell from heaven, he found out how to walk through hell! I am proud and look up to him since he'd always prided himself on his ability to deal with a crisis. Future is a mystery, however, we can still write our own future if we work hard on it not wishing for it. That's a lesson from my father.
Maybe I should thank my father because he decided to build a house and lived in the village community, not in the company's little town. Because of this decision, it gave me a chance to blend and made a friend with villager children who came from lower-income as I was enrolled in the school in the village. Those villager's children were amazing kids! From them, I learned to survive in an unfair world. They taught me how to be strong, not complaining or whining but working on something that could give us benefits. For instance, sewing our own scrunchies, making handicrafts for our house decoration, creating our own toy using what we found surround, collecting plastic bottles or broken household or kitchen tools like broken baskets, and frying pans then barter it with toys or candy. If we wanted something, we had to work to get money and bought it by ourselves not asked our parents at home. Become their friends which meant I had always been busy each day and wandering around the neighborhood. Yeah, I knew them since kindergarten and became best friends until someday they all gone one by one; they dropped out, left to another place for work, and then married at such a young age, or just simply dropped out, married, then left the village. They left me alone in school.😢😭 At the hardest time, they inspired me to join them by working after school to earn money. For me, my weekly salary was enough to save my school and gave my father time to plan and think for my university later. On top of that, sending me to university and get a degree had always been his dream. He should not give it up so easily, neither do I. As 11 years old child (10,5 years old actually), I made my stand as an independent girl! Buying everything with my own money, for example, school books, stationery, school bag, shoes, casual clothes (second-hand tops and bottoms or skirts), anything that I needed was paid with the money that I earned!😁
How much did I earn by packing snacks in the home industry? Normally I worked for 4-5 hours a day, however, I often work a long hour especially on weekends, public holidays, and school holidays, it was up to 8 and more hours a day. In general, 6 days worked I got IDR 7,000 so it meant IDR 1,000 a day. But, on the occasion that I mentioned, with a big smile, I went home with IDR 12,000 - IDR 15,000 for 6 days' work! Once I bought a gift for my father as he loved flowers, I chose glittery roses and a beautiful vas made from glass for him and it cost IDR 7,000 which wiped out my salary a week on regular work; a toy or school bag for my brother's birthday, I also provided stationery for my brother, sometimes his socks too. I remember that time I spent the whole weekly salary that I got on a special day (school holiday) about IDR 15,000 to buy a schoolbag present for my brother! What? Yes, I hadn't felt cheapo to my brother since the day when my father fell down from the higher life. Instead, I felt very happy even though my backbone like broken because sitting for long hours on the floor with shabby and smelly carpet, bent my legs to pack the snacks made my whole body in pain. To be honest, I was tired and extremely exhausted since I had to do housework as well such as did reek the leaves in a big yard, washed the dishes, cleaning the house, sometimes I cooked breakfast on Sunday. Going to school, believe me, I had to endure the pain in my entire body, sometimes I was sleepy too, the worst part was my hand palm got oily because of the snacks that I had packed. Not only that, in the third year of my secondary school, my palm turned yellow since I had to peel yellow ginger every day for my tonsils inflammation remedy. Yes, I had had tonsils inflammation since the first year of secondary school. So, I often got a fever, headache, tiredness, couldn't swallow my food. I was a frail kid yet I still went to school and worked after school.
Besides packing snacks to earn money, I also saved my pocket money day by day in my piggy bank🐷🐷 If my friends at school had IDR 500 a day for their daily pocket money, meanwhile me? It was IDR 100!! So basically, my daily pocket money hadn't risen since I was in primary school. In primary school, I had always had a bunch of snacks and candy at home so I did not need to buy snacks. My father sometimes bought fruit too. So, I didn't crave any snacks at school. But secondary school, it's the toughest year for me because the transformation of our life had changed drastically! I had never had cookies and candy stock at home and I didn't buy snacks or lunch at school either. In order to save my daily pocket money so that in a new semester I could able to buy some books and other things! Yeah, without books I would definitely doom! I would rather go hungry and thirsty than got bad grades at school. There was still good news as my last class finished at 1 PM; by 1.15 PM I arrived at home and was able to catch up on my lunch. My secondary school was only around 1,3 KM so I just ride my bike every day to reach it. While eating my lunch, I was working on homework and made a quick studied until 2 PM then off to work. My workplace was just a few steps from my father's house. At 4.30 PM, I went home to do house chores, took shower, then went to work again. Believe me, in rush hour I took my evening shower for only 5 minutes!!🤣😅 I need ed to come back to work at 5 PM. At 5.30 PM came back home, studied, then ate my dinner and studied again; at 8 PM, I continued my work until roughly 9PM or 10 PM, went home, and slept. At 5 AM or 5.15, AM woke up, preparing my school that day, and went to school. That was my daily life when I was in secondary school.
Besides packing snacks, I did other work. This work was only once a year and only a month. What was it? I helped the neighbor that I called aunt Rin making cookies and cakes. She didn't offer money to me; I was volunteering to help her. Only a plastic cookie that we made each day that I bought home. After school, I worked with her girl until 9 PM. Although I didn't earn any money on this job, I was happy as my brother loved snacks and cookies and my father could afford them every day, but at least I could give him cookies every day during this special month. I think because of this job where I made lots of cookies and cakes each day during that particular month, nowadays, I do not like cookies and cakes; not that excited to eat cookies and cakes.
Since secondary school, I became disciplined by waking up before the crack of dawn, went to school in the early morning, and spending my whole life just studying and working. While other students were spending their time hanging out, playing around, made a romance, did shopping, meanwhile me? I was struggling to collect a penny and worried about my future😟 Every day my brain did the simulation and made every Inch of my plans work perfectly. For instance, how much money I could collect a week and how much money I needed to buy books in the next new semester. Not all the books or textbooks I could afford since the price was priceless and I needed other things to buy, but at least I got some of them. I wish I could have all the textbooks, especially Math and Physic books so that I was able to improve my grade higher.
The transition of my life wasn't smooth. I had always walked to school with confidence before, wearing local brand shoes, having a book with the unique pictures that none of my friends had, carried the most uncommon bag for a primary student; yeah once I asked my father for "an executive bag" guess what is it? It's a briefcase!🤣 My father bought it and it was the real one, not one but 2!!😆Many family members and my father's partner said I was spoil bread and arrogant as I had always asked for unusual or more likely weird things and I didn't want to have the same design of school bag, dress, or shoes like another kid. Yeah, it was the time when my father's job was great. But at the bottom of the line, my father gave and bought me something as a reward, gifts, all those were for my achievement at school. SO, it was not free will or wish.
In my first year in secondary school, I succeeded to manage my grade and got the first position in the class so that I earned respect from many students. I should thank to one of my classmates who gave me the courage to become a "common" kid without worrying about unimportant things such as how much my pocket money, my shoes, bag et cetera. Because the most crucial matter was how to survive in the first year and got excellent grades which meant I must focus on my goals.
However, in the second year of my secondary school, a group of exclusive students recognized me and they become close to me. Why they were exclusive students? Basically, the high class in the community came from people who had stable jobs, for instance, doctors, businessmen, and government agencies. Those kids were "elite" students because their parents had stable jobs. Well, back to high-class students, my name preceded before me, spread class to class. It happened because many teachers adored me and I was popular in the school as one of the stars. However, my confidence and mental dropped, and my grades as well. Why? I felt so small standing among those "elite" students. To be honest, they respected me and would stand in the front line if any other student tried to scratch me. I should be grateful, right? But somehow I felt hurt. I thought that I was no match in this herd, and it's a mistake. Standing among them reminded me of my golden age.😭 I was upset and started questioning why my life was so messed up; how hard my father fought in the court, by the end of the day we lose, his partner overpowers every decision in the household that I had never agreed, my future life scattered and burnt into ashes. How did I stand up again and live again? My heart also broke when saw our neighbor that high-class people in the community who had come to my father's house annually on a special day, suddenly they avoided my father and worried that I would bring a bad influence to their children🤷♀️ Seriously?!🙄 I didn't have any confidence to continue my school as I clearly knew that my father didn't have money for sending me away out of the village to study. I started to doubt my capability.
After my grades had fallen down, I was worried that my father would slap my skinny face. Surprisingly, he didn't say anything not even one word. I felt guilty and made a promise to myself this embarrassing thing just only happening this time, one time, and there was no second time!💪💪 Thank goodness, in my third year in secondary school, I met some new students and old friends from the same primary school. They boosted my energy to study furiously. At that time, those "elite" students had money to join courses outside the school and hire our school teachers. Meanwhile, I made my way by studying in a group with my other friends. We studied in groups almost every day, so I left my work for some time whenever I had scheduled to study in a group with my friend. I also joined the martial art club and made a bunch of friends! Moreover, my friend from another class asked me to join her sports group for the competition ahead. I do remember until these days that we won the first prize!!🤩😊 I hold my confidence back and started to walk in the right direction to study at a university. One of my teachers said, " be like gold, even though you are buried beneath the deep mud you would still a gold and have never change into anything." As a result, my grade was enough to register at one of famous private schools in our city province. Isn't that amazing?🤗 I hoped so!! From there I dragged my line to a famous university that I wanted to get into. It was one of my friends who told me the story about our senior who studied in this private high school and succeeded got into a famous university with a scholarship. I wanted to follow his step! When one of the exclusive students said he just registered at that high school and asked me to joined him, I was excited! Unfortunately, my father's partner objected to it. She said it wasted money, and also said "You do not know your position, such an arrogance girl like father like daughter!" While teachers, many students even from exclusive students adored me, prised me because I was good at school, she had never been proud of my achievement. Not only that, some people around said that I would not make it through high school since I was just a girl so why I should go to high school since my father was nothing; school was not the place where I belong. Life was so hard when we were just low class in the community, every day we tried to survive in anything. Where was our family? Yeah, where were they? They just watched my father "died." None of them helped me out with my school issues; maybe asked me if I needed new school shoes, a bag, or just gave me a book; I loved nature, flora, fauna, history, space, but sadly I didn't have any of those books. On top of that, I could hold all the hurt from people around us whatever they said, but I wasn't able to endure the broken heart because of what my father's partner said to me. As my biological mother, she should support me at all costs, in reality, it was the opposite.
I didn't know where I needed to go, I didn't have any destination after graduating from secondary school. Some friends wondered and asked, "where would you go, you can go to one of the excellent high schools in the city." I said, " I do not know." Since my father wasn't able to back me up as his partner overpower him, I had to make a bold decision. At late noon, I went to one of my friend's houses, asked her about her high school destination and I just followed the crowd as mostly graduated students came to this high school. Yeah, I ended up in the high school in our neighboring village. Many friends said it was the best school in our neighborhood but I wasn't that excited since I should deserve better than this. However, my mind was clear that I refused to give up so easily. I had always remembered what my secondary school teacher said, "Become a gold." I tried the best I could for my entire years in this high school. Waking up at 5 AM or 5.15 AM, went off to school at 6.15 AM. In high school, I needed to commute every day about 20-30 minutes by local bus. But before took the bus, I walked for about 1 KM or sometimes ride my bike (but my bike got old and sometimes broken) from my father's house to the market where I waited for the bus. On the bus, I opened my book and studied; arrived at school at 7 AM, and studied in the class before the class started at 7.30 AM. We had two times recess in our school and I used to studied or made a discussion with my friends in the class which meant I hadn't bought snacks and lunch in school. In high school, our class finished at 2 PM, sometimes we had to continue to stay in school as we also joined the school club or school event. Since my first year in high school, I had joined two school clubs. On a regular day, while waiting for a local bus to give us a ride home, my friends and I studied or worked on homework. And do not think that the place where we waited for the bus was a bus shelter like in the modern city. Like many students, we stood on the side road and took shelter in front of the shop or trees as we waited for the bus in the market. Well, in the hot season we sweat a lot, and in the rain season, our shoes had always been wet but we still wore it. And I needed to walk 1 KM again to reach home under the scorching sun after took off from the bus. The fastest time, I got home at 3 PM, but often at 3.30 PM or 4 PM. While eating my late lunch at home, I was opening my books or working on my homework. At 4.30 PM I had to do house chores, took shower, and started working from 5 PM until 6 PM or sometimes I studied again then continued my work at 8 PM until it could be up to 10 PM, or sometimes worked from 5 PM until 9 PM. Yeah, my work time was flexible so it depended on my school schedule. However, on special occasions, I mentioned before (Sunday, public holiday, and school holiday), I worked straightaway from 8 AM until 10 PM sometimes 11 PM; went home for lunch, did house chores, took a shower, and dinner. When I was in high school, every minute was precious to me, as I had always busy in school which meant I spent my whole day on school matters. My school club had finished at 4.30 PM or 5 PM. At this point, I got home at 6 PM sometimes almost 7 PM. My energy drained up every day, I was skinny as my body weight was underweight, I got low blood pressure, often headache, cold and flu, at that time I still had tonsils inflammation. Amazingly, I had never been absent from school, even though I got cold, heavy rain weather, I still stood up in class; unless, I collapsed but it had never happened. Lots of sacrificed that I made but the result, I became one of the best students in school and gained lots of respect from other students, and again, my name preceded before me. I succeeded in marking my name again; in 3 years I had never failed. 💪 Besides holding good grades, I got achievement in prestigious extracurricular in school. Not only that, the result of my final sports exam in the third year (final year) was amazing as I sit in second place!🤩
Despite all those achievements in high school, my pathed to my dream university wasn't smooth. My chance to grab my chair in that university was tight as the university would choose students from the high school in the city first and gave a scholarship to students who studied at high school in the city province not a high school in the neighboring village. It's a small window, and I wasn't able to break it. Sad, disappointed, yes, of course, that was why after graduated from secondary school I wanted to enroll at one of the best private high schools in the city province. Sadly, my father's partner didn't see what I had seen for the whole time! One of my teachers in high school said, "Do not become the best, you must become the best of the best." Therefore, there was no time to being sad, and I decided to open my own path by sticking to the plan. Although the outcome was a very bad shape and looked like my efforts were just futile, I was still able to study in the same city where my dream university stands. The reason why I chose this city was because it's a famous city to study; the whole nation knows about it. So, by studying at one of the universities in this city, I got enough reputation to find a job (hopefully).
Still, my father's partner didn't like my decision. She tried to persuade me to study at the local university in the city province. But I was persistent, I didn't want to give up on my big dream. After graduated from high school I left my hometown with friends to the destination city where we wanted to study. If other teenagers would go with their parents to go to register to the university; meanwhile me? Like always, I settled down everything on my own with the helped of my senior who studied in the same high school. Believe me, my father had no clue who would help me in my destination city, where I would sleep, how to find information about universities et cetera. However, he trusted me and was confident in the decision that I made, and he let me go to reach my dream. And the next thing that happened was I just enjoyed my university life, met lots of students that came from different cultures and regions from almost the whole island of Indonesia. Everything during my campus day was great! For someone who had never gone to any city, I was brave enough to embrace it, adapted it, and blended well. As far I remember, I had never faced difficulties because there were always friends, my seniors, local people, and also my colleagues, who helped me. Since that day, I visited my father once a year for a few days or a week, or two weeks. In sort of words, I spent almost my whole year on the campus. At 3,5 years, I graduated and hold my degree. At my graduation ceremony, my father came, had a big smile that I hadn't seen for the past few years after the tragedy when he lost everything. After that day, my journey has just begun!
Many noises around me when I decided to study at a university. Many said it was a waste of money, useless, and I had been told that I did not belong there (university). For example, my father's niece said I was a crazy village girl who lived in an imaginary world, had too many wishes, was arrogant, didn't see where I came from (my father was nothing). As far as I remember, the family that we had, they only bullied me and my brother, had never tried to help me. My father wanted to borrow money about $ 80 when I went to university, but they didn't give it. When my father died, I asked one of my uncles to lend me ONLY $ 15, but he and his son refused it and his daughter bullied me. Yeah, none of those family members said sorry for my loss and hugged me when my father passed away. Those families said that my father died because of me who spent lots of money to study at university so they said I was a "killer"; many of them said that I was a loser because I didn't have money. The only person who hugged me tight was the one who gave me school assistance since I was in secondary school. She wasn't my aunt, we didn't have blood tied, complete stranger, but by the end of the day, she was the only one who holds my hand and offered to take my brother as her employee. She and her husband were there since my father fell and lost his decent job until my father went up to the sky. For me, family is not about who blood we are carried but who holds my hands when I need it most. Nowadays, I do still remember when my father's sister and brother-in-law asked me to leave their house immediately. That time, after graduated from university, the city collapsed because of a disaster (a big earthquake). I couldn't find a job in this city as the city needed to recover and built up again. Therefore, I tried my luck to find a job in the city where my father's sister lived because I thought they like my father who would help a family member when they needed a hand. After two days arrived, even before I started to hunt for the job and found a rent room, her husband asked me to leave tomorrow; not even asked whether I was ok since the earthquake had become a piece of big news for the nation. My ankle was injured and needed a doctor immediately. Luckily, one of my friends with me, then we left which meant went back to the city where I lived even though I knew that I would not get any job due to the situation. During my stay at my father's sister's house, my friend and I had always gone out every mealtime. Yeah, we bought our own meals. That's what they call themselves my family and cared about my father. When my father was alive nobody helped him out, yet when he died everyone blamed me because I studied at a university. What about my brother? They didn't care at all, they bullied him instead, what a poor boy.
Until these days, none of those family members beats my achievement at school; became one of the best students in school from kindergarten until my university life. Finishing my Bachelor's degree in 3,5 years and hold a good GPA. Well, in Indonesia, normally university student finish their program (Bachelor Degree) in 4 years, many graduate in 5 years, 6 years, even 7 years! So, 3,5 years to hold Bachelor's Degree is a rare case. There are nothing special and amazing things that happen to the bully's children. Many ignore the importance of education. Instead of spending money to educate themself, they use their money to buy tangible things like motorcycles, gadgets, even cars. All of them are credit just to show off. However, since 2000, my hometown has changed. The opportunity to get a decent job the requirement is Bachelor Degree. In 1990, someone could work at school as a teacher by holding a certificate from high school but not today. By spending money on tangible things is actually dragging them to a deep debt not lift up their life. Some of those bullied managed hardly to get to university, but the outcome was far more than what the parents wish; more than 5 years just to finish Bachelor's Degree program, and hold a 2,75 GPA, some others needed 3 years to get a part-time Degree (Diploma). Talking too much, bullying me and my brother, but in reality, their life ends up in averange stage. Most of them are still rely on their parent even though getting married and having children; staying in their parent's house or in-law's house or parents bought a house for them, financially still need parent help.🤷♀️🙄
How I am able to stand up today is because I worked hard and planned my life carefully in each step. Staying to keep the focus on my goals, being consistent, and be disciplined. One thing that is very important is I have believed school is my passport to get a better life in the future. Staying in school and getting a degree is definitely the most important part of how I am able to lift up my life. For instance, my standard life, my lifestyle, everything has changed gradually. Nowadays I can afford healthy ingredients for example fish, fruit, et cetera. Those things are exclusive for us who came from a village because in the past I was just satisfied with dried fish which was food for low-income families. Of course, sending my brother to down syndrome school. Nowadays, many friends have said I have changed in everything since the last time they saw me in secondary school, high school, or on campus.
A few years ago a classmate from high school said this to me, "I do not need to study in a university it isn't necessary because nowadays I can learn from the internet (googling and YouTube)." Well, I just replied "Good luck!" These days, no one in the institution would give us promotions unless we upgrade our skills or degree by gaining certification. The job itself would be stuck and never going anywhere if we don't adapt to changes. As the result, it affects our lives as well. So, if we do not make changes, changing our thought, behave, and manners, our life would not be able to change in the way that we want for a better future.
In my view, each education stage would guide us to grow and improve our ability which gives us an opportunity to open and get a better life in the future. And it is crucial for us who come from low-income families. Me for example, in primary school which was before my father lost his excellent job, I didn't care much about my future as I did know well that I would have a bright future without work hard in anything. So, I didn't care to involve in any performance in school at all. However, after fifth grade, gradually I had changed. Starting from sixth grade by joining a choir in my school; at secondary school, I learned how to create a study in a group. In high school, I struggled to learn how to speak in the front audience when held a presentation, brushed off my nervousness when spitting out my thought in the class as my teachers asked me my opinion, and I needed to be brave enough to walk into the whiteboard and solved Math or Chemistry questions. In my university life, I had sharped those abilities by learning new things that gave me benefits. As a university student in the Economic program I had always busy with papers each week; at least 2 papers a week and made a presentation. Whether individual or in a group, this assignment needed lots of work. Those tasks without my knowing it builds on how I thought about something or a case. Moreover, it gained my confidence in presentation as I decided to work in marketing while studying at university. While other students hanging around, made a romance with their boyfriend and girlfriend, went shopping at the mall, dine-in at a restaurant, some others visiting tourist spots and cinemas on Saturday night, meanwhile me? I was meeting with my colleagues from 3 PM until 6 PM on Saturday. Guess what, all my colleagues were much older than me, I was the youngest one. So, they became my new family. After meeting and back home, I had still lots of works to do such as preparing presentations, listing potential customers, making schedules for the next week et cetera. I do still remember that many friends looked down on my job in marketing. But who's knows, because of my marketing job, I got easy to manage 25 to 500 production workers when I worked as an executive assistant. I didn't work under any department but directly under the owner of the company. Since then, I had learned how to talk and speak confidently in front of people (it doesn't matter who they are). Day by day I had been growing since I was in sixth grade and developing new skills and knowledge in each stage of my education. For me, personally, study at a university is important; it's like a door that we need to open. Education brings us in the front of this door, but we have to open this door by ourselves. Without a degree with a good GPA, I could not become an executive assistant straightaway; without assignments from my lectures, lots of papers, and presentations, I wasn't able to fit in my first job in marketing. Everything is connected and it's all starts with education. Therefore, if there is any person who doubted that education has the ability to change our lives, what I can say is just, "Good luck and have a nice life!" because I don't wait for luck.
A few years ago someone said to me that I didn't deserve to live overseas because I was just a village girl who lived in the ugly house nearby irrigation and my father was nothing. What rude speaking🤨 Well, there is a bunch of stories about villager children who succeeded in their life because worked hard to get a degree. One of them is my senior in high school. She and her family lived in a bamboo house. Many neighbors bullied them. However, she and her brother managed to study at a university and got a Degree. As result, the last time I heard about them, they were able to build a decent house in the village, living in a good shape, and happy life even her brother lived in the capital city. Everyone who bullies them in the past got extremely jealous. Another story comes from a girl which was my junior. After the divorce, her mother left out of hometown to work in order to send her daughter to one of the best schools in another city. This girl and her brother succeeded to study in one of the excellent schools where no one villager children went to the prestigious school. As result, they live in the best of their life! So, education lifted them up out from poverty, changing their life for a better one. Indeed, not become millionaires, but with education, we can break the circle of poverty in our life.
Many people look for instant outcome, they think after getting a degree we directly become rich having lots of money. There is no shortcut way to the top of a mountain, we need to get through an arduous path along the way unless our father is a president director of a big company; that's another story. If we are common folk, we need to plan our future life, what we want to be, and how to get there. It requires multiple hard works even made sacrifices like me I needed to work at 11 years old. Even after getting married, my husband and I had planned our life about what a life we wanted in the future. We made meticulous plans before married. And our story on how we reached a better life started from zero saving as a couple and lived in a small city then upgrade by living in the capital city with a good shape of life. This story was published in a famous women's magazine in Indonesia and became an inspirational story. Well, it was just a small part of my journey because if I write down the whole story, it becomes 3 books of novels or might be 4 books.🤔😅
That's what I had experiences on how I managed to write my own future by staying at school and got a degree at least, Bachelor's Degree. Without it, I would not stand in the place where I stand today.
Note:
- Written by Acik Mardhiyanti
- Do not copy this article without permission
