Not enough

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I'm an international first-generation low-income student. At Yale, I study Chemistry and Economics. My first year was particularly hard. It was my first time living in another country. Besides adapting to a new culture, which I haven't fully accomplished, language played a big role in my struggles of last year. Since English is not well taught in Brazil and I have never had much money to spend on a language school, my English education was mostly informal. In first-year of college, sometimes I took double the time to finish an assignment compared to my peers. I think I would have had a much more enjoyable year if I had more time to devote to my class. However, to fund my expenses and also pay for the student contribution, I have no option but to have a job. I worked 8 hours a week since last year and yet I did not have enough money to buy tickets to go back home during winter break. I could have spent this time doing my psets to get better grades, or doing extracurricular activities to develop other skills. I am very thankful for all the money Yale has invested on me so far, but unfortunately, it is not enough.

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