Learning Never Ends: Lin's Road to a Degree

Lin was not a young student, but that did not keep her from going back to school. Every evening she would sit in a quiet corner and study English. She wanted a degree from the Open University. At first the words on the page looked like a foreign land. She often felt that she did not know anything at all. Now she knows better. She understands that learning a language is a road, not a wall.

She keeps a small notebook and writes down each new word. She is sure that she will need every one of them later. Her idea is simple. If she can understand the lessons, she will be able to read a whole paper in English. She is a bit tired after work, but she sits down to study anyway.

Most of her classmates are younger. Yet both the young and the old work at their own pace. That is a good sign. She has learned that a person can start at any age. That is what makes the evening class so full of hope. The teacher often says that a quiet, still mind is the first thing a learner must build. The teacher also says that no one should be afraid to make an attempt.

Lin does not only study at home. She works at a small local restaurant. She is the cook there. She gets up early and prepares three meals a day for the family. Then she goes out to her job. She has to eat breakfast quickly, and she is careful to save money each week. She keeps a large amount of money in a small fund for books. One morning she hurt her ankle and felt a sharp pain. So she sat down and put ice on it before going out again. She earns enough by the hour to buy books. She keeps a little aside in case of an emergency. The owner once thanked her for a job well done. Another time, she saw the shop pay compensation to a customer for a broken dish. It taught her to be careful.

The kitchen is a busy scene every night. Lin has to remove her coat, wash her hands, and cook many dishes for the guests. She knows the menu well, and she can feed the whole room in under an hour. Her daughter, a school kid, sometimes comes by late at night to help. The two of them become friends with the regular customers. In fact, some of those customers now know her by name. Children run by the window to wave as they pass.

On her day off, Lin goes out with her daughter. They often read about local history together. In between the busy weeks, they make time for fun. Once they went to a concert in the park. A military band played there. Before the concert, they watched a plane take off from the nearby airfield. Her daughter loves to throw bread to the ducks by the lake. The music moved her deeply, and later she wrote a manuscript about that evening. When the concert ended, she began to feel thirst. So they bought two bottles of water. The final scene of the evening was the fireworks over the lake. That night she could not sleep, because the music was still playing in her mind. She felt it was a natural gift to remember.

Her daughter wants to become a doctor one day. Lin tells her that this is a great honor to dream about. She also says that hard work is the key. Every night they read about science. Lin writes down what her daughter says. She keeps the papers in a box, a case full of small notes. She says that the truth will come out in time. She has a close relation with her daughter. A distant relation from the countryside sometimes sends them fresh eggs. Her daughter likes to kid her, saying she studies too much. They set a date for her exam and made a date with a friend to study together.

The university asked the students to fill in a table for a survey about study habits. Lin answered every question and added a comment about the software she uses. The app lets each user access lessons on a phone. She can gain access to the online library from anywhere. It opens a window where you can pick a level. You can depend on it in any situation. Your progress will depend on how often you use it. She will recommend it to every friend she meets. The teacher is ready to recommend a book. The app lets her set specific goals for each week. She can also find a specific answer to every hard question. She can comment on her own progress. One feature of the app is its voice, and the newest update will feature a reading list. The development of the app has been slow, but she welcomes every new development.

The management of the program sends her a follow-up message in one week. It says her average score is now above the normal level. It also says she should limit her screen time. She needs rest. The only issue was money, and the office promised to issue her a small grant for books. Lin laughs at the advice, but she also sees that rest is important. The rest of her classmates feel the same way. So the whole team decides to take a short break and share a good laugh. Her paper is due on Friday, and due to her steady effort she feels ready. She sets a speed limit on her phone. She sleeps nearly eight hours a night, a healthy average that keeps her strong. She asked for one additional practice test. Suddenly, the teacher came to inform the students about the result, and she made a helpful suggestion.

Lin's former job had been in a factory, and that former life had taught her discipline. That experience is now a factor in her success. She believes that effort and good management are the two forces. They affect every result. She is able to keep a positive attitude even when the work is hard. That personal strength is her real resource. She also knows that a cold can affect the whole family. So she uses every resource the library offers. She puts her worries away.

The environment of the class is friendly, and every individual is welcome. The teacher set out a few simple principles at the start. Be honest, work hard, and never laugh at a mistake. No one is forced to speak, and none of the students feel afraid. They sit together, share ideas, and the general mood is warm. In general, the university is a respected institution. The institution of evening study has changed her life. Good study habits require patience, and none of its doors are closed to a serious learner.

One key lesson came from a visit to a farm. The students watched a farmer feed his fish and then go out to fish in the river. The farmer also showed them how to keep the land healthy. He showed them how to pick vegetables and remove weeds. He taught them that the condition of the soil matters. Tools must be kept in good condition. Lin even helped survey the field with a small map. She made one more attempt to catch a chicken. Near the gate stood a dead tree. By the end of the day Lin was dead tired but happy.

That paper helped Lin achieve her first real success. The teacher displayed it in the window of the classroom, next to a piece of art. Lin felt a pang of joy. She began to understand that a true friend and a true story are both worth keeping. She is not sorry that she started so late. The paper includes a short story about her own life. She is glad to share every word of it. Therefore, she felt proud of what she had done.

Lin is sure that her daughter will learn from her example. She plans to write a manuscript about their life. The story will show how much a family can achieve together. She did not mean to write so much. But the words came easily. She wants to do it in the right way. She wrote each Chinese character with care, because a person's character shows in how they work. The initial pages are slow. But she knows that every great thing begins small. That is the truth. She has learned to love the English language, and that love keeps her going.

She hopes to land a better job one day. She wants to show her daughter that learning never ends. She wants to launch a small reading club at the library. Later she wants to launch it online for students across the city. She also wants to demonstrate how to cook a simple dish. She wants to demonstrate that a strong will can change a person's status. She can now check the status of her application. In the end, the greatest favor she can give is a lesson. Effort, not luck, is the true source of every advance. She never forgets a friend who did her a favor. She looks ahead with hope, on a scale she could never have imagined. She wants to lead a full life. She dreams of the day her daughter wears a white pair of shoes at her own graduation. Lin knew she wanted more than a piece of paper. She wanted the confidence to keep learning for life.