My typical day generally starts around 4:30. No not in the afternoon succeeding a long night of partying like any Hollywood movie would suggest. 4:30 in the morning. As I wake up to go to work, followed by class. On the days I don’t find myself mysteriously back in bed for an afternoon nap, I head to a coffee shop or the library to study and do homework. I do this for the remainder of the afternoon, leaving to go to work for the second time that day or home to eat dinner. After that I either study some more or I catch up with friends. Which recently has consisted of hot tubing until 11 or so. I then retreat back to my bed until my alarm goes off all too soon and I start the day over again. (I would insert a graph about how I spend my time in college but I’m going to bed instead. Sorry not Sorry. To make up for this I found a GIF to explain how I spend my time in college.)

College is great. 10/10 recommend. It is extremely easy, and if you couldn’t tell already I have way too much free time. So the most natural thing for me to do is to pick up some extra work this week by doing manual labor in the Texas heat.

I found myself swinging a sledge hammer covered in a muddy sweat mixture enjoying mys time, and making a decent amount of money. With no tests to stress about or textbooks to buy, just me and a sledge hammer trying to break up an old fence. Despite the fun; I was reminded of why I came to college in the first place.

This may come as a surprise to some of y’all but despite my nerdy demeanor, I did not plan to go to a four-year university after graduating high school. I enjoyed the idea of being a Blue Collar working man and was intimidated by the amount of student loans that would be required for me to get a bachelor’s degree. I was not worried about money, merely doing a job that I would love.

But as my senior year was coming to a close I looked down the road, and began to realize that a fun hardworking job at the age of 20 is not the same type of job at the age of 50. Do not get me wrong I am not one to shy away from hard work, I simply realized that I would not want to be swinging a sledge hammer or working outside in a Texas summer when my kids are in high school. It’s fun at 20 when I have unlimited energy and no responsibility, but thirty years of that takes a toll on you.

Because of this I began to look into other options for life after high school. Although I did not pick a career field until I was through my freshman year of college, I knew enough to change my plans and make them involve going to Texas A&M. I didn’t know how I would afford it or even if I could get in, but I knew that I was not going to be a laborer when I turn 50.

Through faith, hard work, and a scholarship or two I have figured out the other two ambiguities about college and am on my way to a fun career with longevity. Yes, I get tired and annoyed with school like any other college student. And yes most days are longer than they would be if I simply were a construction worker or fire fighter. But I also know that I am setting myself up for a future doing something I love without going into debt nor baking in the Texas heat for the rest of my life. It’s a lot easier to hold a pencil over your head than a wrench. College is rough at times, and a sledge hammer is simple, but hard work should be an investment not a means of survival.

As always, make good choice, share if you like what I said, comment if you have something to add, give that follow button a hit, and I will see you on Thursday.