Its not always understood that maybe your cultural views and religon, tend to get in the way of many things. Your friends easily yelling about their futures that are just given to them because their parents expect sucession, or hearing young children talk about a topic that can be heated so relentlessly. So many things are being taken for granted while people are striving to achieve such goals , that are easily thrown at others. Coming from a muslim background, its harder especially since im an arab female to attend a college. Forget the racial comments or the unaligebility to even attempt to become someone because of the media and society bringing you down, no its also the fact that the country that i come from, the people that i look up to have no shame in repeating to their daughters, that college is only an american thing. and going to college to actually earn a degree of some sort, and physically get a job and start working in the field you love is looked down upon, as though shaming our community.  You seeslam is all about peace and the traditions of islam, havent been broken in my village back home in Palestine. Its not the fact that females are learning and recieving an education or achieving their goals, is what bothers our community.. its more of the fact that females are starting to play the role of a man. by getting a job, and providing for the family, she is no longer at home and raising her children, like the traditional house wife is expected. Im very lucky to say that my parents are lineant and are allowing me to go to college, now its not for me to get a job later on in life, but for me to experience the passion and desire i truly yearn for. Ive always wanted to be a nurse, or help out somewhere in the medical feild, and ive been working hard my last four years of high school contributing in all types of programs just to prove to my family how much i truly want this. and now that the time is almost here, im getting more nervous and excited by the second, but i also have thoughts of how other girls my age must feel. Its not the religon, or the cultural background to blame.. i feel as though in the eyes of middle eastern parents its hard to allow their daughters to start doing as they please, especially ifits not that common. and since the daughter knows better then to argue with what has been over 200 years of tradition, she just takes a seat. Stand up already, your not fighting your religon, or your parents in that matter. simply state your mind, theres no wrong in education. in fact islam promotes it.