Your Opinion is NOT Mine

I hear your opinion, and I understand your opinion, and I respect your opinion, BUT

Your opinion is NOT MINE, sir.

My uncle was telling me that there is no point in going out of state for college/university because I can get the exact same thing for a cheaper price in state. While in-state is a lower cost, certain schools DO NOT have the same education and experience that I am looking for. I have been working on my college search since 7th grade, and I have finally figured out a) what I want to do with my life, and b) how I am going to do it. My uncle has the nerve to come in and tell me that everything I am doing is wrong and that I should take the easy way out.

Last time I talked about college with my uncle, he ruined my dreams of being a great author by telling me "you shouldn't major in creative writing. You can write anywhere at anytime." He basically told me not to waste my time on a hobby. I agree now that there are more lucrative careers out there, but I'm not going to be a doctor or an astronaut. Those were never my dreams as a child. I wanted to be a Powerpuff Girl, and even though that is impossible, it shows how creative I was even as a young child. I am proud of my past career goal. But since I am being serious now, I want to be an advertising or communications major, and maybe even minor or double major in journalism. I want to use my graphic design and my writing skills and my desire to share the untold stories with the world via words or visuals is one that I want to make into a living.

My uncle is only focused on how much money I can make and how little I will spend. And when you think about it, that doesn't make a lot of sense because none of this money will come out of or go into his pocket. He has just recently graduated from university so he can become a professor (now in his 40s) and I bet he has no money to spare and I don't want to spend all my hard-earned cash that I will get from my career after college on people that have done little to help me. My sister paid for college on her own with loans and scholarships. Does my uncle not believe I can do the same? I have constantly felt inferior to my sister, and have also felt like I owe it to my family to make up for my brothers who will never go to university and be able to take care of themselves. I do not need negatives pushing me down. I have fought so long to bring myself up. My teachers, past and present, believe I can do it, my friends believe I can do it, my employers believed I could do it, so why can't some people just help me go along with the plan I have worked on time and time again?

I am going to get into either: University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, Temple University, New York University, Elon University, or my fifth school choice which I still have yet to decide one. I will do my best to get as many scholarships as possible to pay for my school costs, and I will work, much like I have been doing since this summer and now through the school year, to save money for whatever else I need. I will most likely not be returning to my hometown because I have seen this city imprison so many of my friends who I know can do better (no offense to my hometown). I just want to prove to everyone that said NO, that YES, I CAN MAKE IT, ON MY OWN, WITH MY OWN IDEAS. And if anyone wants to help me, then I will gladly accept and work with them. My graphic design teacher is helping me make a professional portfolio and he recommended me for the job I currently have at The Mash newspaper. My friends are always eager to help with whatever assignment or random project I want to work on. My previous teacher reads and comments on this blog and motivates me to keep writing, no matter how much I rant and babble because she believes I do have talent and good ideas.

I don't ask for much from my uncle, but I really wish that he could stop shoving his opinion where it does not need to be. If even my mom and sister sympathize with me, I can't be too wrong here.