Discussion on Class

Yesterday's discussion on class was very interesting and got the wheels turning in my head. The discussion did take a little bit of a turn in that we started talking about college and our finanical situations.

I was one of those students that did raise their hand when asked if we knew all along that we were going to go to college. My mom attended PLU and became a nurse and still is to this day at UW hospital. Her parents and family were very supportive of her and she knew all along that she would be attending college when she graduated high school. Her parents paid for her education whereas my dad on the other hand had to pay his way through college. His parents were divorced during his high school years and he was left in the dark to take care of his siblings and raise money to continue on in school. He paid for two years of college and no longer could work and study at the same time. He owns his own construction business now, yet if someone in this day and age were to try and start their own business without an education outside of high school it would be very hard.

While growing up all of my friends were planning on going to college and my family would always ask were I was thinking of attending. I never thought twice of not continuing my education no matter if it was at a community college or four year college. But for a few of my friends they looked down upon community college and I could never understand why. I have taken two courses at community colleges and to be honest they are just as hard or harder than classes here at PLU.

My brother is a senior in high school and I noticed over the summer and winter break when I have been home I would ask his friends were they were thinking of going next year. For some of his friends college I found out was not going to be an option, at least not at this point in time. I realized that type of question could be hurtful or put someone down if they weren't planning on going to college. It made it an awkward situations and I noticed that a lot of them would try and defend their decision. After those couple encounters I have decided to change my question around, "what do you plan on doing next year?" Some are working and saving money to hopefully go to college or go into the army.

The whole converstation brought back memories of high school as well as the ideas of what our society expects and assumes.