Saturday, January 31, 2004

Money down the drain?

School starts on Tuesday. Part of me is happy and another part of me is screaming for another month to play. This break has been good and I feel refreshed enough to plunge ahead. However, I feel like a kid who has spent the last month of summer whining that I'm bored with nothing to do only to go kicking and screaming back to school that first day. I know this is good for me. I know that in the long run the sacrifices I am making will pay off. Shoot they are already paying off. But, it's still a love-hate relationship that I have with school. I love learning and expanding my mind I just hate doing it under someone else's terms, i.e. tests.

I went to buy my books today. For two classes it cost me $282.80!!!! It's for 3 books, two of which are used. It's absolutely ridiculous. I still need to buy the books for my other two classes. At least I can wait eight weeks before I buy those. One of those classes has 4 books that are required. How in the world will we cover the material in 4 books during an 8 week period!!!! Oh crap! I just realized I will need my financial calculator for these classes. I haven't unpacked my books and desk crap since I'm thinking of painting my desk before putting it back together. Ug! I guess I need to go riffle through some boxes.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh GOD I remember my dad thinking the same thing when I was in college. I'd tell him how much I needed for books and he'd flip his lid. Especially since I was taking 22 credits per semester (lots of classes) LMAO! Of course, he had no problem buying my sister a new car for her 16th birthday, the prick!

Gregg

Anonymous said...

Education is an invaluable asset, so hang in there. Is it possible the school gets kickbacks from those book publishers? That price tag is ridiculous!

Anonymous said...

The real question here is, who you taking to prom this year??? Im not doing anything that night if you want to hook up or whatever.
:)
chris

Anonymous said...

I can remember all the books I needed for nursing school,
I swear they stacked up to 4 feet tall! At least our school
let you lease books for a reasonable fee, and return at the
end of the semester. I know I looked very rarely at some
of the books but they were needed "just in case."
Laughing at the comment Chris left, lol!
I don't think I have the mind set anymore for school. I've
thought of it many times, but the timing sucks!
Love ya, Penny

Anonymous said...

I didn't go through college...couldn't afford it! it's true..it's rediculous, the price of books. especially used ones! somewhere in Europe, College is practically free..ran by state. Can't quite remember where...germany? not sure..

anyway....
I pray for an unending stash of cash for you (I hear it's somewhere under the rainbow)

Anonymous said...

From experience, I can say the books cost more than the tuition. AGG! And where do they get off, really? Even if pure genius is printed in those books, it's still just printed on PAPER! They're not bound in gold and hand-written in wine from the Holy Grail! Gimme a break! LoL

I couldn't take college. I don't do well in a structured setting. I like to learn what I want to learn. So I'm self-taught. Which means I'm stupid in a great many things. But BRILLIANT in a great many more. :

Anonymous said...

Cool picture. My oldest daughter is in college and the cost of books is unbelievable. It's a racket of some sort too because she buys books for top dollar then when she goes to sell them back, they don't take them because they are using a new edition. And you're right, used books are ridiculously high priced. Good luck in school.

Anonymous said...

Karen -- I said the same thing to Muse about the not being able to sell books back because they churn out new editions every year. Besides not being able to sell them back it also makes it difficult to by used books as well. And, the new editions are poorly edited in their hurry to spit them out. ---Robbie

Anonymous said...

College books are ridiculous. I remember, a few semesters, I managed to get all used books, and it still cost me close to 200 bucks!

Anonymous said...

Nursing books were outrageous. Most semesters, I spent over $500 just for my books. Sad thing was...you couldn't skimp and buy one or two...we actually needed them all! It blew. Sorry to hear you're going through the same thing.

Love,
bridgett

Anonymous said...

It's not completely 'money down the drain' since it's for your education :) But that IS steep! I loved college. The start of a new semester was always exciting. Have fun.