People kept telling me to update my blog, but up until a couple weeks ago, I kept thinking I had updated just last week or so. Matt made sure I knew otherwise sometime in early April when he told me I really hadn't posted since February 28th. From then I knew I probably should we=-- (sorry, cat jumped on the keyboard) write something, but I just neglected to. Well, it's been a month and a half, but I'm finally updating.
-A lot has happened in that time. No, that's a lie. But some has happened. The most prominent event is pretty recent: I got my own computer in my room. Dad worked a long time and spent a lot of money to get this thing up. I didn't really want it all that badly, but I guess it is pretty good that I've got it, because now I can start computerizing my fonts without being hassled to get off the computer.
-In other news, I had a birthday. It happened on March 24th. In fact, now I need to go change that profile that's at the side of the page. Don't bother looking, I probably already changed it. My birthday was pretty good: the day before, I got ribs and cake and $50 at my Grandma and Grandpa's house, and on the actual day I got to go on Spring Break. I loved Spring Break,but it was too short. I did plenty of stuff, though.
-Today in History Class Mr. McGlade was talking about how college tuition rates have risen exponentially since the '20s, more than can be explained by just inflation. We talked for about five whole minutes about how some people decide it's not even really worth it to go to college for $80,000 if you've got to pay student loans 'til you're 51 and how it costs even $40,000 a year to go to college in many places. My parents can't afford $40,000. That's why I'm getting scholarships, I suppose, but even 20 or 1ok is a lot for them. We're poor even right now. We're always poor, it seems. Then, just as the discussion was wrapping up, McGlade threw in a quick aside about how funny it was that you could just go across the border into Canada and attend internationally acclaimed colleges for, like, $6,000 a year. I'm going to college in Canada.
-I also think I know my top career choice: I want to be a proofreader. That would be awesome. Not only do I get to sit and read for a living, I also get to point out other people's mistakes! I think I'd be an excellent proofreader. Proofreading isn't hard in, say, school (Doc Lev's papers are especially entertaining), but I even proofread cursorily when I'm reading anything else. For example, I found a misprint in one of the Harry Potter books: it said "Dumblefore". Isn't that spectacular? I'm finding things that even accomplished proofreaders missed. Um. Anyhow, I think that would be fun. I wonder what it pays, though.
-Today after school I was sucking on a bouillon cube. That probably disgusts you. But here's the thing: I laughed at a Strong Bad E-mail and I accidentally swallowed it whole. That was awful. My throat was burning for maybe ten minutes. Things are going okay now, though. Maybe tonight I'll work on my font Cyril awhile, and I'll research proofreading. I'm kinda hungry. I want some steak or something. Maybe ribs. Are you looking forward to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie? because I am.
2 comments.
Don't worry so much about the tuition. Work on getting scholarships. If you get accepted into a really good school, we WILL find a way to pay for it. You can help by saving a little by getting a job. But there are lots of scholarships, and Grandma and Grandpa are experts at finding out where those are. Gerry's son is getting a mostly full-ride scholarship from NYU and he's not as smart as you are (and he is smart). Get the grades, do your best. We (your parents) will also have a little help. If the school you get accepted to asks 40K a year and we end up paying a tenth or half of it, we will. We have set up investments just for that purpose. For you and your brother. That's why we complain sometimes about "being poor". We are living off the money that we are NOT setting aside. Your dad puts 15% into his 401K. Whatever job I am doing at the time will go directly to wherever you go to school and to help with your apartment or dorm if you have to move out. Believe it or not I actually had jobs in college that paid some of the things my parents couldn't at the time- they had not received an inheritance yet, farm money, paid off the house, or any of that. So even though I had free tuition sometimes I dipped into my own money my grandparents had given me over the years. (And grandma and grandpa have a little set aside for you, too). I know, I know I always whine and worry about this but we WILL get you through. I do not want you paying off loans until you're 50.
Proofreading is good if you're at a big name place. It may not pay a bunch to start but just see if they can live without you. I would not only proofread but advise a publishing company of the entire layout of a book- the font, the graphics, the margins- and then also do the proofreading. Getting into publishing and writing with an emphasis also in graphic arts is going to be your thing. You could work for a name like Simon & Schuster or a big magazine or newspaper. :) Love, Mom
Ah, college. Pardoning my language in advance, the whole process is like visiting the proctologist without ass anesthetic. I promise that's the last time I swear on a post.
By the way, it's always nice when one's belief in the power of human communication is reinforced and words turn into deeds.
Anywho, having just gotten all of my acceptance letters back (but still awaiting my cursed financial aid letters), you shouldn't worry about money. Pretty much every school you apply to will be tumbling head over heels to make sure you walk in their doors. Also, if you qualify for $X,000, then they are obligated to make sure that you get $X,000. The financial aid process is grueling, invasive, tedious, and frustrating, but it does pay off. Did I mention invasive? Mrs. Bonnell, be prepared to have strangers pour over how you spend your money and how you make it. My mom and dad had to send in their W2's, federal tax returns, schedules, FAFSA, and pay $100 in fees to fill out the CSS Profile which most private colleges require. But, there is a saving grace in all of this. Chances are, you will be a National Merit Scholar, and that counts big. In terms of state schools, that ensures something close to a full ride. At private universities, that ensures you of some scholarship money, depending on a variety of things. But this is all stuff you should be thinking about next year, not now. The main ticket is is to continue all the good stuff your doing now, make sure you get straight A's (no excuses), and keep taking the hardest and best classes. Also, picking up another extracurricular could only help.
If you and your parents really feel like this is something you need to start taking action on RIGHT NOW, then I can give you the name and number of the college advisor my parents hired.
Enough about college. As a senior, it's sometimes hard to remember that the rest of the world isn't obsessed about the whole process.
I have also noticed mistakes in the Harry Potter books. Normally, I don't allow that kind of thing to slow my pace. However, a friend provoked me recently in a letter she sent me, teasing me for being "Mr. Perfect Grammar and Spelling." So, I sent her letter back to her with everything corrected including a detailed accounting of why each mistake was wrong. I doubt Grace will ever talk to me again.
Someday, I will have to go on a search for a Number 3 pencil. But not today.
BJ
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