a wasted education?
Amanda fell pregnant at the age of 16, became a welfare mom and then completed her education, gaining a communications degree, but years of job hunting later she admits it was a wasted education."Of the options open to me after I had my baby, I chose studying and getting ahead," says Amanda. "I went back to school, graduated with honors and then I went to college and gained a communications degree."
"I loved that course," enthuses Amanda. "It did wonders for my self-esteem and confidence. For the first time in my life I felt that I was important, that I wasn’t the dumb little single mom everybody thought I was. I may have been emotionally immature, but dumb, no."
"I was fired with enthusiasm about becoming a successful career woman, but when I tried to get an entry position in my chosen field I discovered what millions of graduates around the world had discovered," sighs Amanda. "Education is not the key to a wonderful new life when there are no jobs available that utilize it."
"That course was fantastic," says Amanda, "but it saddled me with a huge education debt and there was no wonderful job at the end of it that was going to change my life. Like everyone else, I ended up with a casual menial job - you'd be surprised how many graduates are sweeping floors for a living - and if that wasn't bad enough, I then lost that job in the recession."
"What's more, I really resent the fact that when I did have a full-time casual job I had to start paying back the education debt," sighs Amanda. "I incurred that debt for the sole purpose of improving my life, getting a real job commensurate with my qualifications. I feel totally ripped-off."
"At least with a part-time casual job I've got more time to spend with my daughter," says Amanda, "and because I don't earn much, I don't have to pay off the education debt - and that gives me some satisfaction - but it's still a cloud over my head that I can do without."
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