Paying for college.

I just got a second job today. I'm going to be a take-out girl at a restaurant. It's basically like waitressing over the phone. I start on Friday. My minimum-wage, minimum-hours job at the Admissions office is just not going to cut it anymore. It's really nice not having to work all the time, but it's also really nice being able to afford things like rent for next year.

So for the second summer in a row, I will be working more than one job at about 50 hours a week. Goodbye, life.

My dad made an interesting point this weekend. He was talking about how college tuition has gone up a lot over the past 10-20 years, but starting salaries have not gone up that much. Plus, today, college graduates have to pay for a heck of a lot more than our parents did when they graduated. Internet, cell phones, gas...none of that stuff was an expense back in the 80s.

He's right. According to the College Board, the average cost of tuition and fees for an in-state, public 4-year college is $7,605 a year. Out of state tuition averages $11,990, and private universities and colleges run upwards of $27,293. In 1980, it cost $2,373 a year to go to a 4-year public university. Granted, there's inflation and all, but tuition inflation is higher than general inflation.

So basically we are paying more for college, we are paying more for living expenses, and we aren't making as much money if we can even find a job when we graduate.

We're pretty much screwed.

Hence, the second job. I'm going to go start learning the 30 page menu now...

Hmmm...

Ok so I haven't updated this in forever. Life's been crazy.

We have finals in two weeks, and since next week is dead week, EVERYTHING is due this week. Seriously. EVERYTHING.

I've been going nuts.

I also ordered my books for next semester...it's gonna be at least $400. Ugh.

On a brighter note, I found out that my last final is on Tuesday of finals week, so that means I'm on break from December 15 to January 11. I love college =)

Except I'm probably not going to have anything to do for like a month. I should really get a job.

Tip of the Day: Don't turn in first drafts of important papers. Yeah, I BS papers the night before they're due and it usually turns out ok. I found out that the first draft of my English paper would've been "on the line between a D and a C." Revision is a good idea.

Ouch.

I just wrote UNL a check for $484.86.

Yay education.

It was weird because I never write checks, and I definitely never write them that big. It's kind of depressing to think of your bank account getting $500 smaller in about 30 seconds.

It's even more depressing that the first big chunk of my hard-earned money from working a crap ton over the past 2 1/2 years went to pay for books and a parking permit. And that was after scholarships and loans and what not kicked in.

I keep saying I need to get a real job, but I kind of really don't want to. Maybe after football season...

Tip of the Day: Play intramural sports. Good times, good times.