Aug 09
3
Anyone Want To Float Me $19,176?
Yeah that’s right, I need $19,176 to finish my college degree. First a little background. In High School, college equivalency classes were offered. Not thinking much of it, I took a few and paid the fees. Some I took seriously, others I didn’t, and as a result was on academic probation (1.8 avg) with the local community college a year before I even graduated High School. School was never really challenging for me and as a result I got bored. When I got bored, I slacked off…..a ton.
When I finally decided what I wanted to go to school for, I was 20 years old. Yeah, yeah, I know, but hear me out. I didn’t want to be one of those guys that goes to college just to go, and then not use my degree once I graduated. I couldn’t see wasting all that money on something I wasn’t going to use, call me crazy.
So, I chose my degree path, started classes and half way through the program, the requirements for my degree changed. WHAT!?! I was working full-time, had a part-time job, was in the National Guard, and attended night school full-time (in addition to being a newly wed), and they changed the requirements on me!?! Upon hearing this, the only thought in my head was ‘This aggression will not stand man’. Something had to be done.
I raced to the school and into my advisers office to tell him of my frustration. His response, “What do you expect, you’re a night student” and shot a look that had I been Klingon, would not have been a good move. The first thing that popped in my head, and then out of my mouth was ‘Fine asshole, I’ll be back after you drop dead.’ With that, my time at the school was over.
Three years later, I received a phone call from a good friend that worked at the school with my adviser.
“Frank, I know you weren’t a big fan of his, but (name deleted) died this morning.”
“So……you’re telling me it’s okay to go back to school?” Even in death I can be a jerk.
By this time I had just become a father, Carmen was no longer working and we were blowing through our savings at an alarming rate, so going back to school was out of the question. A few years pass, and I finally decided it was time to sign up for a class and finish what I started…..at least that was my intent.
I finished the class, got the ‘A’ and boom, found out I was still a few hours shy. ‘No big whoop, I’ll transfer the credits to another school, take a few more classes and finish up.’ Once again, Frank’s plans get side-tracked by life and finishing was not in the cards. C’est la vie.
Fast forward to last week.
After a lengthy conversation with a certain individual at work, I decided it was time to again go back to school. This afternoon I met with the new adviser and found out that in order to get a degree from Buena Vista, I’d now need to take an additional 68 credit hours at a cost of $282 a credit hour, or $19,000 and change. FOR A PIECE OF PAPER!!!! If it costs me $19,000 it better have at least two doors and four fraggin’ wheels!
If I drop 19G’s on an “education”, am I likely to see a return on that investment in the near future? Why do I need a piece of paper when my bosses know I can do my job better than most in my field? What would you do? If I can figure out a way financially to do this, I will, but at this point in my career, will I see a benefit? Weigh in Frankites, and thanks for reading!
A little about me: My name is Frank Barrett. I am a husband, father of two great boys, and a computer guy. Three things I hold dear: my family, my country, and the Dallas Cowboys. 
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