#risk by Hong-An

#risk by Hong-An - April 2018 Scholarship Essay

To me, education can be summarized with #risk. Pursuing higher education beyond what is expected of you by the government is a risky venture. On one hand, you weigh the risk of accruing lots of student debt and spending lots of time getting a college degree or qualification to become a doctor, engineer, lawyer or some other kind of high-paying occupation. Sometime that risk pays off and you are able to eventually work off all that debt with your 6-figure salary. Other times it does not. You may end up not making the cut and drop out of school or are unable to receive those necessary credentials to make the big bucks. All that debt and time spent will not disappear or come back just because you did not make it. All of the efforts you put in may or may not be rewarded. That is why it is a risk.

You are taking a risk in order to better your life and someday perhaps even the lives of others. You are taking on all that debt and those loans in order to make full use of the opportunities given to you by living here. You are taking that step out of your comfort zone to grow and expand your worldview by meeting all sorts of people and learning all kinds of knowledge. You are spending your valuable time so that you can grow as an individual through rising and overcoming all these obstacles and difficulties that come from pursuing an undefined path.

Yes, going for higher education can be risky because there are quite a lot of uncertainties. However, making the decision to not go and getting caught up in a bunch of what-if will definitely never pay off. For me, understanding that there is a risk of failure makes me work even harder to make sure that all of my efforts and time is not wasted. It makes me truly value being where I am and to not take for granted the assistance and chances I have received to make it this far. It makes me strive to prove that I can make it so that I can prove to myself that I am capable of doing what I set out to do. It makes me understand that each of my actions has consequences and that every decision counts more than ever. Knowing the risks education has makes the rewards of what I am working towards all the sweeter when I do achieve them. If the risks were not great with higher education, then the rewards of those demanding but high paying jobs would not be there.

Educations is #risk because there is no set route for anyone to take to guarantee success as well as no guarantee that it will all be worth it in the end. However, by acknowledging all of the risks, I hope that it will cause others to fully comprehend the responsibilities of deciding to pursue higher education and ensure their highest chance to attaining the goals they set out for themselves. For if nothing is ventured, and then nothing is gained.