It has always been my dream to attend college. When I was younger, I watched television shows about college students having loads of fun. It looked like a great experience—going to parties, hanging out with friends and just letting the good times roll.
However, when I entered high school, I started learning about the real value of college—receiving a good education. And by getting a degree, I could be employed in a high-paying job. So, with a passion to succeed in life, I told my parents about wanting to attend a university. They were very glad that I had chosen to pursue higher education but were disappointed because they couldn't afford the expenses. Upset and stressed, I took the initiative and started looking for ways to pay for my post-secondary education.
My search for money began on the Internet. I went to every free scholarship search engine available. I would spend four to five hours a day just looking for scholarships I could qualify for. Even though it took a lot of my time, I dedicated myself to scanning hundreds of Web sites. It became a part-time job for me. After school, I would do my homework and then search for money on the Internet until I was sleepy. The next day I would do it all over again. It seemed tiresome, but I knew it was going to pay off in the end.
When I had found almost all the scholarships I could apply for, I sorted them by deadlines so I could prioritize my schedule. I created a process to complete all my applications by specific months, finishing the packets the month before they were due.
After organizing everything, it was time to fill out the applications. Despite the differing rewards, which sometimes ranged from $100 to $40,000, I took each scholarship seriously because all of them were going to fund my college attendance. With this in mind, the hardest part began: writing the essays. Almost every scholarship required an essay about my extracurricular activities, commitment to education and career aspirations.
