I'm Crista, a 2nd year college student here in Manila. I just want to share what I'm going through right now because it's so heavy on my chest. I'm not allowed to dorm near school, even though I travel almost more than 3 hours to and from school every day. Sometimes, I'm so tired, I don't have the energy to study or review.
My parents' reason? Because I already have a boyfriend. They said that if I move away and live in the dorm, I might get pregnant and not graduate. To be honest, it hurts me a lot because it feels like they don't trust me. I always show them that I'm responsible. I don't neglect my studies, and to be honest, my boyfriend always tells me to put school first. He's not a hindrance, but he's my support system.
I'm not asking them to abandon me or let me do whatever I want. All I want is a little trust. I want them to feel that I can take care of myself and that I won't do anything that will ruin my dreams. It just seems unfair that my every move is immediately judged, as if just because I have a boyfriend, they're sure I'll get into trouble.
I have a dream. I want to graduate, help my family, and make them proud of me. But how can I do that if I'm tired from traveling every day? Wouldn't it be better if I were in the dorm, with more time to study and rest? I hope they see that, and I hope they understand that not all girls with boyfriends are dissolute.
I don't know, maybe someone can relate to me here. I just want to ask, how do you convince your parents that you can be independent? Because in my situation, it seems like no matter what I explain, they're still scared. It's just hard.
