Until now, I struggle with what education may mean to myself. I’ve never had much motivation for the past  2  years. Ever since covid it’s been a blur. Taking  2 years off changed the way I understand when being taught. The main important key-point to education is understanding. The Most commonly used phrase is  ‘ I don’t get it’ so what really is education? Getting it! Understanding what’s going on and having the ability to intake knowledge. For the past two years, whenever anybody mentioned education to me, I would get embarrassed. I wasn’t in school. I was working at McDonalds. Yes, I was a manager at such a young age. However, I was so young to be missing out on learning and working on a future career. I woke up on a Monday morning. It was about 35 degrees outside. I ironed my shirt, patched on my tie and started my 6 min route to work. As I walk in, I say good morning to everyone on the floor, making sure I don’t miss anyone. “Another day, another dollar” that’s the mindset I kept going with for 2 years since I graduated high school. I put my bag down, take off my jacket and begin to login on the computer. I put my AirPods on due to it being so loud. Next thing I realize, one of the other managers runs to the back telling me that it’s so busy and they need help as I walk to the front. I noticed the lobby packed with so many students. There was a huge bus outside. I didn’t think much of it as it was so chaotic, I hopped on the register, overhearing conversations, talking about assignments, school ,classes and teachers triggered me. I wanted to be like that, but I wasn’t. I didn’t have an education. I graduated from high school, and it’s been two years. Normally when people ask me, do you go to school? I would get embarrassed because I didn’t. Sometimes I would even lie that I did go to school. I looked at the lobby and noticed how young all the students luckily looked around the worksite, and noticed how much older everybody I worked with was. As I took the order I dozed off. When was I going to  talk about assignments when was I going to work for my career work for a uture in which I get paid more in which I don’t have to go home smelling like grease every day a life where people don’t look down upon me because of the M that I wore on my shirt every day, the amount of times people have told me? Oh, you’re just a McDonald’s Worker you’re not gonna get anywhere in life broke me so much that it made me feel like I was going to stay there forever I never imagined a future I never imagined a life where I moved on, this job took a toll on me and a toll on my education. I never knew how important it was to know how to read to understand what you’re reading to understand what you’re learning to have classes to go home and do some homework and just for that eye-opener I went home that day, and never returned to work, I signed up for classes and started school education and the education system is deeper than we know I have the opportunity to go to school for free. I should take it and not waste time. Usually people say that school is for everyone, but how would you know if you didn’t try? I never knew how much education meant to me until I felt as if I had lost it for a very long time. I admire the education system in America. It’s as if they give us so many chances to pass from kindergarten to college. The only difference is that it’s more of your responsibility. Teachers aren’t bugging you the way they did in high school. The American education system is very fortunate. Many kids take advantage of it, which doesn’t make sense to me because in other countries, education is free. In other countries, not everybody can afford education. Why do people come to America? One of the main reasons people come to America from overseas it’s for a better life for a better education, not everybody has that chance many students fail to realize that they fail to realize how fortunate they are for having an ability to a free and full education that importance of education is very prominent in today’s society if you have a degree you are more likely to have a higher paying job than somebody without a degree. I know sometimes school gets depressing and overwhelming and hard but it’s nothing too much for somebody to handle .The United States is ranked number one best education system in the world today. I just feel like as the years go on, the education system is getting very lazy. They are making it easier for the students and giving more handouts. I remember when I was in elementary school, the state test would be timed as the year passed. It wasn’t time anymore. The students were able to take the whole day if they needed to add the generations to pass. It’s as if the system is getting weaker and weaker unless kids are going to school, more kids are failing and, most importantly, teachers aren’t teaching any more. Students often feel like they have to teach themselves, especially in college. Every time I talk to a fellow student, it’s always the same complaints. Colleges are so fast paced that most of the time you’re teaching yourself and that’s why students tend to give up and drop out of college. Speaking from personal experiences, I often feel like I know what I’m doing because I go home and teach myself the lesson. It’s harder like that and when you try to raise your hand and ask for help, it’s as if no matter what the teacher says you’re still not getting it sometimes I think it’s because I’ve been out of school for so long that even until now I still don’t know how to act in a classroom. I still get anxiety when I raise my hand and that’s education for me.