Viewpoint by Marley Malenfant/feature editor

I recently lost my job, and it was the best thing that could happen to me.

With the unemployment rate currently at 9 percent, that statement may seem peculiar.

I was tutoring at a high school. The job was flexible. It paid well. And, like most students, I could use the extra income.

After a while, the job was another hassle. Instead of being content with taking hours I was given, I would ask for more. The job stopped being about the flexibility and was instead about helping others.

The job was all about a paycheck.

It affected my personal life and my schoolwork. I was missing deadlines, and my grades took a hit.

When the state budget cuts came into effect, people were losing jobs at the high school and hours were being cut.

While my paychecks were steady, my GPA wasn’t.

Apparently, I forgot why I was coming to college in the first place. 

By the third week of September, I was laid off. Not even getting a notice in person, my boss called me and left a voice mail.

Many people might think, “Man, I just lost my job.” It’s easy to get mad over the situation.

I look at it as a positive. I can take more classes, have more time to study and no longer have to worry about budget cuts because that no longer involves me.

There’s no point in stressing over something once it’s happened.

Nobody should let money hold them back. It’s easy to fall behind with a busy schedule. But it’s no excuse to act like school isn’t a No. 1 priority.

We pay for school so it can hopefully pay us back in the future.

I’m still on a paper chase, to my degree. A steady check is good, but a steady GPA is more important.