自己掙錢上大學
I will never forget one day in my first year in high school. I was sitting on the stairs descending1） into the basement， putting my head in my hands and crying out in despair to my parents that I would never be able to save enough money for college. My parents tried to console me， but it seemed impossible to save ＄64，268， the cost for the private institution that I desperately wanted to attend.
Now let me tell you the amazing story of how I earned this sum of money.
It all began with a paper route in Ankeny， IA. I hated delivering that route， but was determined to stick it out for six months until my family moved to Wausau， WI. With a few meager2） dollars from my paper route， a small nest egg began to develop. My next job was with an athletic company as a telephone customer service representative. The savings account continued to grow very slowly. Then， the fall of my junior year of high school， I began to waitress at Denny's restaurant. It was hard work， but the money began to roll in3） and this job paid at least twice as much money per hour.
By the time my senior year arrived， I had saved a considerable amount of money. This was encouraging， but I knew that I would also need some help， so began the process of applying for scholarships. Sometimes it was discouraging because I was rejected again and again. Then， my first scholarship offer came in， ＄2，000 a year to play tennis. This is only a small dent4） at a school that costs approximately ＄14，000 a year， but it was a start. Several other academic scholarships also came my way5） and soon I was up to have ＄9，050 in scholarships. Between scholar-ships and savings， I had enough money for my first year.
Another interesting development emerged. I began testing out of classes. Running anxiously to the mailbox in anticipation of my test scores became part of my daily routine. Excitement mounted6） as test after test came back with passing results. Each passing result saved me approximately ＄1，000 in tuition and then enabled me to graduate a year early. This would save room and board7） expenses as well.
Finally， I was off to college. Because of careful saving， I did not have to work during the school year. Then， summer hit and it was time to work harder than ever. I continued working as a waitress at night， instructed tennis camps several mornings a week and worked as a secretary for a few hours in the afternoons. Being a little overzealous， I decided to also take a class at a community college. This class at the community college saved me ＄650. It was an exhausting summer and made me anxious to return to my relatively easy life at college.
During my second and third years of undergraduate schooling， I decided to work about five hours per week in the campus admissions office answering phones. This provided a little spending money and kept me from draining8） my savings. The overall situation looked hopeful as I approached my senior year as long as I could make as much money as I had the previous summer. That is when I decided to go to Israel to study for 3 weeks. I hesitated in making this decision and had just about decided not to go because it would cost me ＄1，600 more to get the credits in Israel. About two weeks later my Mom called to tell me that I had ＄1，600 in the bank that I had forgotten about. One of my concerns about this trip was not only the cost， but the loss of time to make money；however， I made as much that summer in the ten weeks that I was home as I had made during the fourteen weeks that I was home the summer before. The way everything worked together to make this trip feasible was one of the most exciting things that has ever happened to me.
Finally， my senior year of college was upon me and to keep things interesting， I decided to buy a car. I obviously did not have a lot of money to spend for a car and yet I wanted something reliable to make the ten-hour trips between home and school. I searched many newspaper ads and my father and I began searching for good used cars. I was ecstatic when I found a crashed car that had been fixed up for only ＄4，200.
Then， I also attended an 8-week course on marriage and family in Colorado. This was an incredible experience that taught me a great deal about my worldview and how to develop a healthy family. This experience was also very costly， ＄4，000. I was surprised to find that I had graduated with no debt and so many remarkable journeys along the way.
This experience has shaped me in many important ways. The first thing that I learned was the importance of a strong work ethic. Working long hours did a lot to mold my character and helped me learn the value of a dollar. It also made me learn how to craft creative solutions to difficult dilemmas9）。
Whenever I am overwhelmed or afraid of the future， I can remember my ＄64，268 miracle.
□by Ginger Butler
我永遠不會忘記， 在我讀高一時， 有一天， 我坐在通往地下室的樓梯上， 雙手抱著頭， 絕望地對父母哭訴說， 我怎么也攢不夠上大學的錢。父母極力安慰我， 可當時要掙夠64268美元（這是我迫切想上的那所私立大學的費用）， 看來是不可能的。
現在讓我告訴你我掙這筆錢的令人驚異的過程。
一切是從我在艾奧瓦州安克尼市送報紙時開始的。我很討厭那條送報路線， 但我決心干下去， 我堅持干了6個月， 直到我們家遷往威斯康星州的沃索市。隨著每次送報紙換來的幾塊錢， 我的存款開始慢慢多起來。我的第二份工作是給一家運動員公司做電話客戶服務代理。存折上的錢增長速度仍然很慢。之后， 在我上高二的秋季， 我開始在丹尼斯餐館當侍者。工作很辛苦， 但錢來得快， 每小時的報酬至少要多出一倍。
等到了高三的時候， 我已經存下了相當數量的錢。這頗讓人鼓舞， 但我知道這仍不夠， 所以我就開始申請獎學金， 可接二連三地遭到拒絕， 這有時讓我頗感沮喪。后來我等來了第一筆獎學金， 每年2000美元， 條件是我得為學校打網球。對進這所大學每年要花費高達14000美元來說， 這只是杯水車薪， 但仍不失為一個良好的開端。之后， 我又獲得了幾項學科獎學金， 很快， 獎學金的總額達到9050美元。有了獎學金， 再加上我自己的存款， 第一年的學費足夠了。
隨之又有了進展， 挺有意思的。我開始參加不同課目的免修考試。每天焦慮不安地沖向郵箱， 盼望能取得考試成績， 這成了我生活的一部分。當一個又一個考試通過的通知寄來時， 我的激動之情也與之俱增。每通過一門課目的考試可節省約1000美元的學費， 并可讓我提前一年畢業。這樣還可以省下伙食費和住宿費。
我終于跨進了大學的校門。由于精打細算， 大學第一年里我不用去打工。但等暑假到來時， 我又得拼命去打工。我繼續在晚上在餐館當侍者， 同時每周幾個上午去網球夏令營當教練， 下午再做幾個小時的秘書。我太過心急， 便同時又在社區大學修了一門課。這門課為我節省了650美元。這樣夏季過完時我已經疲憊不堪， 盼望著開學后回到輕松一點的大學生活。
大學的第二年和第三年， 我決定每周在學校招生辦公室工作5小時， 接聽電話。這樣我可以掙點零花錢， 不必動用積蓄。等進入第四學年時， 我對自己已經很有信心。只要暑假能再掙到上一個暑假那么多的錢就夠了?？晌彝瑫r還想去以色列學習3個星期。當時我猶豫不決， 正要決定放棄， 因為去以色列修學分要多花1600美元。大約過了兩個星期， 我媽打電話告訴我， 說我在銀行里還存有1600美元， 而我早把它給忘了！關于以色列之行， 除了費用之外， 另外一個顧慮是失去了掙錢的時間。然而， 那個暑假我在10個星期內掙下了相當于上個暑假14個星期掙的錢。各種巧合使得我的以色列之行得以實現， 這是我一生所經歷過的最激動人心的事情之一。
最后我進入大學的第四學年。為了事事都稱心， 我決定買輛車。我顯然不可能有太多的錢花在車上。但我需要一輛性能可靠的車， 以便我能輕松地往返于家和學校之間（約10小時車程）。我開始搜尋報紙上的廣告。我爸和我一起查找性能良好的二手車信息。當我找到一輛撞毀后重新修復的車， 只需4200美元時， 我欣喜若狂。
后來我還參加了科羅拉多州的一個為期8周的關于婚姻和家庭的研習班。這是一次不可思議的經歷， 它改變了我的世界觀， 并教會了我如何建立一個健康的家庭。然而這次經歷的花費也不低：4000美元。等我畢業時， 我驚奇地發現， 我沒有任何負債， 而且還在大學期間進行了那么多令人難忘的旅行。
這些經歷在我身上產生了重大影響。首先我學到了一種堅定的敬業精神的重要性。連續數小時長時間的工作塑造了我的性格， 并讓我懂得了每一元錢的價值。它還讓我學會了在遇到難題時如何設計出富有創意的解決辦法。
每當我對未來感到不知所措或懼怕時， 我就會想到我那64268美元的奇跡。
descend vi. 下來， 下降
meager adj. 不足的，菲薄的
roll in 大量擁有錢
dent n. 初步（或有效的）進展
come sb.'s way （事情）與某人不期而遇，變得對某人有用
mount vi. 增加，增長
board n. （尤指包飯的）伙食，膳食
drain vt. 消耗，漸漸耗盡
dilemma n. 進退兩難的局面， 困難的選擇
散文本文地址：http://www.autochemexpert.com/writing/essay/43895.html
