Muddling through to...?

We have suffered. With barely sufficient education we toiled to get out of remote villages, to provide for our family. And we have succeeded. We are not rich, but we do not lack either. But our children, they will have a different life. They will not struggle, we will make sure that they end up living comfortably, with no regrets; unlike us.

Engineering and Medicine, that's where the jobs with good salaries are. And to get there the kids need to be good with the sciences, and even then the exams can only be passed after extensive preparation. So, that's what we're going to do: put them in schools that train them from the get go, and get them extra tuitions in the evenings. The loss of play time and such does worry us a little, but it's all for a good cause, it's for the kid's future. They'll thank us one day.

I have struggled, I have toiled...for nearly ten years now. But it's all good. I'm finally here, a reputed Institute, studying Engineering like I've always dreamed of. I'm settled now, my parents are happy. The freedom I now have though, never had it before, it's tempting. But, no, have to study, still have places to go. They tell me I need to write GRE and TOEFL to get into a school abroad. Need good English for that...odd though, I'm learning basic English now, wonder why I didn't when I was in school, can't even form a proper sentence to be honest. And there's CAT too. That needs good speaking skills too, social skills they call it. Hmm, never really had a chance to talk to people before, those self help books might help...they teach you how to engage in a conversation.

The self help books, they tell me I need to know stuff to talk to people, but I don't know stuff...all I know is maths, physics and chemistry. So, I start reading the paper, watch films, read books, go out with people: that's my education now. Education I have missed, I think. But it is really hard. They say all this stuff is easier to learn when one's a kid. Oh well, what's done is done, anything for success. Would have been easier if I had a chance to get a more rounded education though. But success, a comfortable life, that's is what the struggle is for. Can't help wondering sometimes though, if it is all going to feel worth it when I finally get there.