But it is AWFUL hard to remember these happy things when I look at my fall booklist. Make like Cornwall and gouge out these peepers, because I will be happy not seeing my credit card make the tearful journey to the gallows.
This coming fall marks my first truly academic semester. I've managed to spread a few GEs over five semesters, taking lots of (very enjoyable) religion classes and necessary art classes. But now I must look General Education in the face, and shake it by the throat.
(Either I've got some violence problems, or the scholar within is slowly reemerging.) (Speaking of scholars ... have you seen this yet?
I'm proud to say I have indeed, visited this fabled library. More than once, in fact.)
The one nice change is that yes, I will be spending a high dollar on textbooks, but at least there will always be the next semester's student! I look forward to pawning my books off to fellow, financially depraved education seekers like myself.
And, a nice change will be my art classes. From here on out, they're almost all computer-oriented, so for now, no cost! wooooot. Try getting a refund for used art paper, 2/3rds empty tubes of paint, roughed up drawing boards ... you get the idea.
Indeed, we pay high dollar for our education. And what if we all aimed to give that price in return to someone else who needed it? I suppose that's why we gain an education in the first place, to share what we've learned and make a mark on the world. It just depends what kind of mark you want to make.
One of my roommate's professors during the first week of school said "The thing we pay for the most and use the least is education." Or something like that. It was written in marker on a piece of notebook paper and tacked to our kitchen wall for the rest of the semester, a good reminder to wisely spend only 3 hours lazing around together instead of 4.
And isn't it an interesting observation! We have an incredible opportunity (and arguably, right) to receive higher education. I wish we could see our brains develop as we learn or study something new, or get it finally ingrained and can explain the concept. I think if we could see physical evidence in our intellectual development, we not hesitate investments of time and energy, or even the money. (What does this say about our value of appearances? Nothing good.)
So instead of wailing and gnashing my teeth at this monarchy, I will remember to appreciate the opportunity it is to be a part of the education kingdom, and invest all my efforts to get every darn dollar out of those books. Because if I'm paying for them, they better do me some good.
(And who cares if your book has all the binding? Hello, half.com.)
Word of the day: garner \GAHR-ner\ , verb; 1 a. to gather into storage. b. to deposit as if into a granary. 2 a. to acquire by effort: earn b. accumulate, collect.
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