My education comes before everything else and I didn't put it first. Everyone goes through tough times and I know now that my life is not easy. My family has a lot of problems; we don't support each other emotionally, we show tough love, we treat each other poorly. I also don't have many friends to support me. I have my boyfriend Earl, who supports everything I do and gives me the courage to stay in school and pursue my future by pursuing a career. Being in what seems like a lonely place, having family issues and not making enough money, I was overwhelmed, but none of this is new to me. I should have been able to move past that because I've been in similar situations before. And instead, I let the feelings of fatigue, demotivation, and upset get the best of me. I know how I should have handled each of these situations, but I didn't because I care too much about my family. I know I should have blocked everything out and focused on coming to class, doing my homework, and studying. But I didn't do it all because I was lazy. I know I could have done much better if I had focused on school and not so much on my personal life.