work (one's) way through

To stay engaged in a task continuously. Often used when the task is long-term or plodding. Kate is working her way through college, but it's taken a while, as she's only been able to attend classes part-time. I have to work my way through any book I start, even if I don't like it very much.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Gwendolen	GWEN-də-lin (English)	Welsh
Shahin	-	Persian
Marcellinus	-	Ancient Roman
Valerius	və-LER-ee-əs (English)	Ancient Roman
Iakopa	-	Hawaiian
Gillis	-	Dutch