Sacrifice

One thing that no one prepares you for when you start graduate school is how much you have to sacrifice to do well. The sacrifices I have had to make are not permanent but the choice is not always easy. At the end of the day, the reward for hard work and sacrifices does pay off.

Graduate school means saying no to weekend trips and to excess spending. My habit of going to the movie theater to see the latest blockbuster has also ended. Some of my friends still make weekly trips but I can no longer afford the expense. Free time is sacrificed in order to appease the Grade Fairy. Sleep is often a casualty in the fight to study for exams or complete papers. Granted, these sacrifices were made during undergraduate college. However, these sacrifices are more frequent and longer lasting in graduate school because of the increased workload.

When going to school far away from home, graduate school means you sacrifice spending time with family and friends. This is especially hard when your significant other is also in graduate school far away. For the past week my boyfriend has been visiting me. It was nice to see him again and he was able to meet my family. After I dropped him off at the airport I cried on the way home. It is so hard to say goodbye to someone you love. Yet, I know this sacrifice right now will improve both his and my futures. It is important to me to get my Master in Social Work degree because it is a goal I have set for myself. My boyfriend supports my goal, despite how hard it is on both of us to be apart.

Right now I am sacrificing moments of comfort so that I can become a stronger woman. When we are comfortable we have less incentive to grow and change. When we step out of our comfort zone we can begin metamorphosis. Remember, a pearl cannot be created without a little sand, a diamond without pressure, and people can not become great without a little sacrifice.