Even when I go home for summer vacation, I am still focused on my education since that is the most important thing in my life right now. I need to get an education so I can get a job. I need to get a job so I can pay for my food, shelter, clothes, children, etc. when I'm all grown up. Going to college is the first part of the rest of my life.

That is why I work so hard at school. I study constantly, meet with my professors to ask how I can do better, and I'm almost always planning what to work on next so I get everything done on time. I work really hard to get good grades and keep my scholarships.

But the real work has nothing to do with classes. I'm sure most college students go to class and study for tests, just like I do. The real dedication is seen in what college students do outside of the classroom.

I work about 12 hours a day during the summer at my jobs to pay my tuition. During the school year, I work as many hours as possible at my on-campus jobs. Over Christmas break, I work my butt off for that month and a half to pay for the spring semester.

I need to pay my tuition so I can get this wonderful education, and that is why for me and many other college students, summer vacation is the time to make money to pay for tuition. I chose to go to a small, private, liberal arts college because that was the sort of education I wanted to have. Now I am paying the price of that wonderful education, just like many others students.

However, I don't regret going to college or even going to a relatively expensive college. I love my school and the education I am getting. It is worth every minute spent pouring coffee and filing papers throughout the years. Working just as hard outside the classroom as I do inside the classroom just reminds me how important my education is to me.

Without my education, I would not be where I am now. I wouldn't have the friends, colleagues and knowledge that I have acquired over the last few years at school. That is why I will continue to work long hours at minimum-wage jobs all summer to pay for school.

So this summer, don't dread working all day every day. Remember why you are working so hard and it becomes a lot easier. I promise you, my fellow college students, it will all be worth it when you return back to school in the fall.