Is it all worth it?

I try not to complain about school. I try to be grateful for the opportunity. So often, we take things for granted that others struggle to obtain or worse are never offered.

For medical reasons, I don't attend traditional classes. I also didn't get to continue my education in a continuous motion, like I would have preferred. But you do what you can when you can.

However, despite my wanting to be grateful and joyful of this academic experience, it's not always easy. At least I find it more difficult than say being grateful for having a job or food on the table.
I mean I have to eat, even if I don't love the meal the alternative is so blatantly worse. And as for work, I may dislike it at times but there's more of an incentive. I need money. Even if I hate the job, it still offers me an overt benefit for putting up with it. But when it comes to academia, it's sometimes hard to see the trade off. I think I'd feel more enthusiastic if I was attending regular classes.

Online studies can leave you feeling...alone. There isn't someone that can quickly address your concerns. You never really know if you're on the right track and there isn't any peer motivation or assistance. I actually find working from home easier. I do the same amount of reading, I write more than a few essay sized pieces and, often times, I'm on an even tighter deadline with someone expecting even more (since they're paying). In other words, it's just as stressful. But I never feel stressed with work, even when I'm struggling to get the project done on time at the level the client wants.

One might ask, if you already have a career, why continue education. And that's what I've been asking myself too. It's not as if I can work in some skyscraper with a corner office someday. I barely have the health to get through an intense day of work at home. Thus even after I graduate, I'm still stuck looking for clients and working hard to keep them and having an endless list of degrees doesn't prompt prospects to want to work with you online. In fact, in this world it can scare them off.
I've been wondering if the expense and added workload of university studies is actually worth it. 

Easily, I could discourage myself, if I continued so in an effort to remind myself that I should be doing what I'm doing I attempted to make a list of the benefits of school. Keep in mind this my personal list. I don't attend a campus so I can't include the joys of campus life on here.

Why continue school
Because you can. Too many people don't get the opportunity to even step foot in a classroom. For the sake of having the opportunity finish school.

Because it might come in handy. We learn a lot of useless crap in school but sometimes you find yourself grateful for having a certain bit of knowledge.

Because it is one of the best ways to mark your growth. It's so challenging that seeing yourself get through it makes you believe in yourself even more.