Soapbox: Midterms a sign of good fortune
Ah, ’tis the season of midterms. As I gear up for the marathon of projects, tests, quizzes and homework that turn certain educators’ last names into a vulgar words in my apartment, I have to remind myself that I am lucky. Though my mild caffeine addiction is proof of my academic trials, I live in a country where I don’t have to fear for my life for seeking an education.
In Pakistan, women were poisoned, shot, beaten and horribly disfigured by terrorists who threw acid at their faces. What could spark such inexcusable actions? Women seeking education. Pakistan native, Malala Yousafzai was shot by Taliban members two years ago because of her efforts to educate herself and women in her community. Yousafzai survived, and rather than cease her efforts, as she could very well had every reason to do, Yousafzai continues to be an advocate for educating Pakistani women. She is now a recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts.
Moreover, as I type up papers and articles into the wee hours of the morning, I should think about how lucky I am to have married someone whom I have chosen when I have chosen. According to the International Center for Research on Women, 60 percent of girls in Mozambique with no education are married before they are 18 years old. Only 10 percent of girls receive a secondary education and 1 percent of girls receive a higher education.
As I walk into class with a strongly-caffeinated beverage in hand and ease into a squeaky desk, I should feel lucky that I get to see the inside of a college class room. According collegeamerica.gov, only 6.7 percent of the world’s population has a college degree.
Compared to the struggles many men and women face to obtain a college education, I have nothing to complain about, and dare I say neither do most other college students. Most of us were just born into the right circumstance to obtain a higher education. That is all that makes us different.
Consider how people are literally dying in an effort to get to where we are. Don’t take a college education for granted. While it may not feel like it, we are the few that have the opportunity for a higher education. So while you are trying not to cry as you attempt to learn half a semester’s worth of material the night before your midterms, think about how few people can even read your college textbook. If your hands are shaking because you haven’t slept in three days and have been living off of caffeine, think about Yousafzai. As the panic, stress and fear of midterms descends upon us, I personally will take a moment to evaluate how unbelievably lucky I am to be experiencing it.