Progymnasmata #1

"The root of education is bitter, but sweet are its fruits."
Praise for the Author: Isocrates was very wise in saying this. It seems like common sense, but sometimes it just needs to be said. He most likely came up with this from his own experiences. I bet his educational experiences were very bitter considering the amount of information that he learned and the style in which it was taught to him.
Paraphrase: Earning a degree is challenging. It involves long hours and stressful assignments. It demands your full attention and requires you to balance all of your activities. However, once you graduate and are able to secure a high paying job in a field that you love, it will be worth it all. That’s the hope anyway. You have to struggle through the rigors of being a student in order to enjoy the benefits of a career you love.
Cause or Reasoning for Saying: Every student will struggle with the demands of school sometime during their career as a student. It is best to come to terms with it early on.
A Contrast: Some students decide that the stress and hard work are not worth it. Some give up and drop out. My sister did this, and now she is working a job that she really isn’t too fond of. There are many stories just like this. If you turn on the TV, you can watch numerous commercials of people trying to go back to school because they did drop out or not even go to begin with, and now they wish they had.
A Comparison: It’s like when I completed the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in 2008. I had to raise $1800.00 and walk 40 miles. At times it was really hard and stressful. Some days I wanted to give up and just forget about it. However, I stuck through it, raised the money, and completed all forty miles. At the end of the walk, survivors of breast cancer greeted all of the walkers. Having them tell me how much they appreciated my efforts to raise awareness and help find a cure made all the hard work worth it.
An Example: I'm dealing with this right now. It's rough learning all you have to in order to get where you want to. Right now, I'm struggling with balancing all my school work, work-work, and other commitments-work. It's a lot of freaking work!
Testimony: I continue my education because I know that when it's all over, I'll come out stronger, educated, well-rounded, and ready for a good paying job—hopefully!
Epilogue: At the end of the day, no matter how much I want to give up, I realize that I am blessed to be able to attend college. I know a lot of people who are not able to earn an education. (Or so they think). I acknowledge that I have a brain, financial aid, a flexible job to work around my schedule, and a supportive family. I will not waste it!