Students take education for granted

EDITORIAL:

Often we do not even hesitate to whip out our debit cards for a $5 coffee or even a fancy new TV—but how often do we skip class and not think twice about the impact it has–for many it is more often than most are willing to admit. We, The Ranger, would like to take the time to urge you to value your education and invest in yourself.

Although some students receive financial aid that funds their tuition, others pay out of pocket and more often than not, education is blown off as unimportant or something that can be easily squandered. Education should be treated like the privilege it is, not like an inconvenience or burden.

Instead of groaning each morning when our alarms go off and wanting to go back to sleep, we should wake up each morning and recognize how lucky we are to be able to afford higher education. In some countries, children do not even get to finish elementary school, because education is not seen as a necessity or the financial means are not available.

Living in a country where higher education is seen as a logical and necessary path, we often forget what a gift it is to be able to receive it. Many of us grow up expecting to go to college, not hoping we will be able to.

If you choose to hit that snooze button and continue to sleep, skip and go shopping, or take a long lunch, whatever you choose to do, you are the one who pays the price. It is your money or someone else’s tax dollars you are wasting. It is your future that you harm.

Countless individuals dream of the opportunity to receive a higher education, but are never able to achieve it; while other students fail to see the value of education and skip class because they “aren’t in the mood.”

We implore you to take a step back and realize how fortunate you are to attend college. It is easy to get bogged down in the drudgery of class work, but we are all so lucky to bare this burden.

So next time your alarm blares in your ears, do not hit snooze—value your education for the honor it is, invest in yourself, invest in your education, invest in your future.