What the heck is it in the air come the celebration of the birth of our nation (that’s July 4th ya’ll)? For some reason while we set off fireworks, the powers that be in our universities and colleges are conniving new and unique reasons to raise tuition right around this time of year. I have had no less than 2 schools do this to me before. Okay, in this case Ashford will hike tuition from $445 an hour to $485 an hour, but why? Alright, alright, alright, don’t get me wrong, it’s still lower than others I could mention and it’s still lower than their previous of over $500 an hour and so far my experience has been top notch so I don’t have too much to complain about, but dang it, it’s just so disconcerting when you’ve only done one class and whoops, there goes the tuition on you. Yes, perhaps expenses increase every year some but it’s not like school isn’t expensive enough right? People? Is anyone hearing me? Okay I’m done complaining and moaning but if they get to hike it, ever so slightly, I get to whine, if ever so slightly. But while we’re discussing the increase in tuition, let’s get real about the “true” cost of going back to school.
1.) My family misses me. I occasionally step out of the shower and walk through my house in a towel only to startle my wife who mistakes me for a naked stranger running about and dials “911” due to all of the time I spend on my studies.
2.) My pets forget who I am and my dog barks at me whenever I come out of my office.
3.) I saw my face on a “missing persons” television show that my mother called in to one time when I was working on my honors thesis.
4.) I gained 20 pounds (this really happened) during the last 2 semesters of school because crunch time didn’t leave time for crunches.
5.) I started eating too much fast food because I was always on the go, now my cholesterol is to high (again, real) and I’m eating enough oatmeal and fish to put a smile on the face of every oat farmer in America while wild tuna everywhere whisper my name with trepidation.
6.) The last time I saw the sun I thought “who put that big, bright, annoying, thingy up there?” You get the point. Time is absorbed and relationships are affected, if not put on hold, while you are in school. Stress at work increases due to the load hanging over your head at home and of course your health can take a hit if you’re not careful.
So here are some tips. First, neither I, you, nor anybody else seems to be able to stem the cost of education from rising, so don’t stress it. Instead, rant, rail, stomp your little feet and shake your fist at the sky until you feel better, then get over it. I hear scream therapy helps.
Second, don’t neglect eating right and exercise like I did. It’s not worth it in the long run; it’s not worth it in the short run either if you think about it. So take a break, hit the gym, go for a walk and lay off the fast food, easy and time conserving though it may be. Learn some 10 or 15 minute recipes, there are a lot of them; the microwave is your friend.
Make a schedule for your life. Include all of the things you want to do on paper and then stick to it. If you get behind, don’t rush to catch up, just eliminated something from your day, like television. Rushing makes for sloppy work in school and injuries in the gym.
Don’t neglect your family (my wife would say I’m one to talk), remember they are the ones you are doing this for. Those 2 days off you give yourself a week? Make sure you spend a lot of quality time with the wife or husband and kids during those days. I know it’s hard not to just “crash” but really put forth the effort. Sometimes if they see you tired, they’ll let you crash with their blessing. I did say sometimes. Manage your finances.
Financial aid is not a blank check to be irresponsible. If you get tuition reimbursement, use it for tuition, not that new plasma T.V. you’ve been drooling over. If you get a little extra here and there, squirrel it away for a rainy day, or in this case a tuition hike. Remind yourself and your family, this school thing won’t last forever even if it seems like it. It is an investment which means sacrifice now for gain later. Remember, they profit from your investments as well.
Use little tools to keep yourself on track and motivated. For me it is a picture of my wife as a book mark, an image from my school on my desktop at work and I carry my books everywhere so that I never have an excuse to slack off on down time.
As you may have surmised by now, most of the tips above didn’t have to do with money even though the post started that way. Why? Because money is fleeting, not inconsequential, but not something that lasts either. Your health and relationships however do last, far beyond the finish of your school. Remember that although it costs a lot of money to go to school, that is not the greatest cost you will pay. So help to alleviate some of unseen cost through investing in your health and relationships.