AL ELLEMA

Going back to school is always an exciting experience for students. It is another opportunity to rise in the ladder of education and become what one dreams to be someday. For most students, schooling is a good riddance from the household chores that they had been engrossed with during the summer break. Others who had to spend the vacation on enterprising gimmicks may have run short of days to earn enough for the school days. But those who went on happy trips and peer gimmicks, the school days may just be a killjoy of their fun adventures. There are varied reasons for every student depending on his socio-economic condition and personal ambition to attain his goals.

But supporters of these students are faced with a different reality that has to do with economics. Education had always been expensive in every way. With rising school fees as against stagnated wages and salaries, supporting students is certainly not easy. More than the school fees are the high cost of daily expenses that students incur in the course of their studies. It is where the undetermined amount is needed for those providing support to students. It is therefore not a joking matter for students to waste the great investment that their parents put for their education. The sacrifices that parents do to meet the demands of their students is enough reason for the student to strive hard in their studies.

It is unfortunately appalling to see students leisurely squandering their precious time and money hardly earned by their parents. Such undesirable situation is so frustrating for parents who are striving hard to provide the necessary support for the education of their children. Students may not realize the value of their time as well as the support they get from their parents for their education. It may take sometime for students to absorb in their system the precious gift of having parents whose unfailing support for their education is readily at hand. Many unfortunate children whose parents cannot afford the cost of education are striving hard with awe as they see those who can afford just waste their time, resources and parental support.

Determination to succeed had always been a better driving force than any other. While parental support is a major factor, success is still for those who strive in their studies. Many times it had been shown that socio-economic status is, although a factor, not a hindrance to success. Poverty therefore is not much an obstacle for one who works hard to attain the goal of earning education. We have seen many poor students overcome the hardships of life and finish schooling despite the odds. Likewise we see many students who have enough financial support from their parents become failures out of their own making.

As students return to another school year of struggles and challenges, it would be apt and timely for them to realize the value of their education. Only when one fully understands how valuable and costly education is will one strive to study hard in order to succeed. Time is so precious and fleeting and parents always will want their children to spend wisely in education. It is for this reason that students must study well as their way of reciprocating the goodness and support of their parents. Wasting time and money on leisure with peers is one sure way to a bleak future that students must be wary of. If one thinks education is a hard struggle and expensive, try ignorance and soon realize the value of education.
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