March winds
Goodbye February, I barely knew yah. Life continues to sail on at a goodly clip. Only one significant course correction up ahead that I should tell you about, and it’s not as big a deal (to me) as it might sound: I’m planning a change to my college schedule soon. Specifically, I’m planning to take Spring quarter off, and 10 credit-hours in Summer.
I’m as devoted as ever to getting my degree. My hair continues to grow. (Many of you know, but I suppose some don’t: the reason I let my hair grow long is because I promised I wouldn’t cut it until the day I finished my Bachelor’s.)
Why change my schedule then? Well, it has to do with money. And since it’s (for once) 100% my own money that we’re talking about, I don’t feel a need to discuss the exact specifics here. It basically boils down to two paths that I can take:
Path A: I can devote myself full-time to university life. Quit my job at the flour mill, probably. Depend 100% on borrowed money in order to pay for tuition, books, food & shelter. Rack up an astounding amount of debt. Take only the exact minimum set of classes I’d need in order to graduate. Finish my degree in 2 years, and immediately start competing tooth-and-nail for a high-paying skilled job, so as to afford the big student loan bills that would begin soon after. (I’d have to leave Bellingham, probably. The job market’s too crowded here for college grads.)
*OR*
Path B: I can devout most of my time to earning an income. Keep my job at the mill, and maybe pick up another interesting side-job to increase my budget. Pay for my tuition, books, food & shelter up front, in cash, out of my own savings account. Pay down my current (already substantial) debts. Take whatever classes I want. Finish my degree in 3 or 4 years. Start looking for a new job, but without the immediate pressure from loans. Stay in Bellingham or choose to work elsewhere, without being forced out of town by necessity.
You can easily guess which path I’m leaning towards. If that gets me labelled a “hippie career college student”, then so be it. Last summer I was all gung-ho to give ‘Path A’ a shot– and become, essentially, an indentured servant to the U.S. treasury in exchange for an education and a shot at an interesting career– because I was bored and unemployed in Michigan. Now that I’m back in Washington and happily employed, it seems crazy. I’m enjoying my unconventional life so much more.
I don’t regret the money I’ve borrowed in the past; it was well spent. It got me here. And I’ll pay it all back, on time and as promised. But no more student loans for me. No way.
