Money In My Pocket

Volunteering

As I think I mentioned before, I am spending part of my summer volunteering at an organization I support.  I thought it would be a great way to have hours as flexible as I want them, yet maintain some structure in my summer schedule, and do a good deed while I am at it.  The one thing I did not consider is that I am volunteering more than just my time.  It takes about 20 minutes for me to drive to the office, depending on traffic, but coming to and from uses up gas I have to pay for.  I don’t know why, but I did not even think about this aspect of my volunteering job.  I wish there were some way to have my gas paid for, but then it would not be volunteering I guess.  At least I can see I am helping and feel appreciated for the work I do.  Knowing I am doing something to help makes it worth it.

New Computer

I am currently researching what type of computer I should get for law school.  On the law school’s Web site, it lists the things I should look for when buying one, and even tells me that I need to get a laptop.  Though desktops are less expensive, I can understand why they require us to have laptops.  I am sure it is so we can do research in the library without overcrowding the computer labs during exam prep time, or maybe we will need them in class.  When I sat in on a couple of law classes, everyone took notes on the computer, so maybe I should try it too.  This just adds even more to the initial expenses of law school.  I want a good computer, but it seems the better it is, the price goes up by leaps and bounds.  I am sure I will find a happy medium, but it just takes a lot of searching.

Internet Access

Thus far in my life Internet access has been free for me.  We did not have it until I was in high school, and for those four years, my parents paid for it.  In college I lived on campus for all four years, so access was provided by my college.  As I am getting ready to start law school, I will have to pay for my own Internet access if I want to have it in my house.  I have explored the options of just using it while I am on campus and going to libraries and coffee shops when I want to access it when the buildings are closed, but I decided against that because I could not sit in my pajamas and do research if I wanted to.  The next decision came when I had to decide who my Internet Service Provider would be.  I decided to go with the local cable company because I would never use a land line phone, so it was silly to get one just to be able to access the Internet.  I signed up for the most basic cable out there (I think I have about 12 channels) and get Internet on top of that.  One hidden cost I did not think about right away was wireless Internet.  I wanted wireless access all over my new place so I had to buy a router, adding to the cost of my Internet access.  Despite the cost, I think I will enjoy having the ability to lounge around in casual wear and still get some work done.

Out of Town

When I went out of town last week, I of course brought my credit card.  While visiting friends and family, we planned to do a bit of shopping because I was looking for something to wear for a meeting I have coming up.  After going from shop to shop, I picked up a few souvenirs along the way with no problem.  The trouble arose when I went to buy the outfit I selected.  I got a pair of summer pants and a blouse, but when the store clerk rang it up and I swiped my credit card, a message appeared on the screen telling me to call my credit card company.  I knew I had not reached my limit so I called to see what was wrong.  After going through a few security blocks, I spoke with a woman who wanted to confirm my identity.  She asked me some random questions about my spending habits that supposedly only I would know the answer to.  When I answered them sufficiently she freed up my account.  I suppose that since I was spending money in a town I had never been to before, it looked suspicious, so she wanted to put a hold on my account so she could make sure it was really me.  While it was a hassle and a bit of an embarrassment, I am glad my credit card company does it so I can feel a little safer just in case my number is stolen. 

Movies at the Library

I read recently that because of the economy, many people are shredding their cards.  While it is predictable to think they are shredding credit cards, I did not know that many people are also shredding movie rental cards, for example, to deter them from that unnecessary spending.  After reading the article, it got me thinking about something I had not done in years—go to the library to check out a movie.  While I must confess, I also read that the local library is a great solution for those still wanting to rent movies, it got me thinking again about what a resource it is in a tough economy.  Not only do they have entertaining books and books on CD and tape for long car rides but they even have movies for a lazy Friday night at home with friends or family.  So I headed to my local library, got them to take the child hold off my account (apparently since I got the account when I was little, they put a limit on what I could check out like R movies) and got three movies, all at no charge because it is the library.  While those were the only ones I saw there, there are other libraries in the community I could visit and maybe find there are lots of movies out there without having to pay to rent them.

Summer Hours

Even though I am taking summer courses, I am entitled to the same education that other students receive during regular school months. I am definitely paying the same rates for tuition, fees, and books. My mine grievance is with the library hours.Like many other students, I study better in the structured environment of a library. The library on campus has reduced hours of operations during the summer. Honestly, it might be due to the economy and budget cuts towards universities. Either way, the library lights are not on as long as I would like them to be at night. I have written a letter to the Student Government Council (SGA) about this terrible grievance. In theory, they are the voice of the student population and should be able to influence school policy. I hope the SGA is not on summer hours as well. If my needs cannot be met, I will be forced to adapt. I have faith in finding new locations of academic endeavor but will surely miss my nightly escape to my second home, the library.

High School Camp

As hard as it is to remember back four years ago, I still can. I was in high school and eager to graduate. Living in a bubble and not realizing it. Enjoying sports and studying “hard” courses. Very few responsibilities. I related heavily to the fish that was swimming in water and didn’t know any different. I did not know much about the world and only a small amount about the exterior community. Then I had the opportunity to participate in summer camps for government, leadership, sports, and academics.

Most of these camps were on college campuses, and man I felt like the big kid on campus. I immensely enjoyed each camp for their offerings of knowledge. I particularly enjoyed meeting new people and hearing their story. All the stories of upbringing were vastly different from each other and I absorbed every ounce of each. Now, I walk across campus and see the small, young, underdeveloped, and enthusiastic high school students attending various summer programs.  I am glad they can experience similar growth on my campus. They are also feeding money into my school too. Plus, the university is gaining great publicity for prospective students. At times, I feel the university is catering more to this prospective student than me, the current student. This leads into my next post.

Friends Visiting during the Summer

As mentioned before, I love being back on campus and doing the whole college experience even if I am receiving the watered down summer version of it. Obviously my friends miss their college town just as I did in the spring. Roughly every weekend, at least one or two friends make the voyage back to their maiden collegiate land. Don’t worry; we enjoy each other’s company in true college form.

Their road trips remind me of my previous entries about returning to campus. Now that these friends have their internships and have a couple bucks to blow, they can’t keep the extra dollars from jumping out of their pockets while in town. They want to eat at their favorite restaurant, drink at their favorite bar, and remain entertained. I don’t blame them for wanting to indulge; I just have to remain more reserve will in their presence. I have budgeted for the summer while without income, and I need to stick to that budget. Quite surprisingly, I have taught myself the important financial lesson of restraint.

Presented To Society

In the South and several other places, families like to present their daughters to society as their sign of womanhood or eligibility or something along those lines. This weekend, I was lucky enough to experience a good friend’s debutant ball. She actually asked me to be her escort. I had no idea what that entailed, but I was excited for the adventure. About four months ago, she requested my presence at the ball. I graciously accepted and began worrying about my tuxedo.

High school rentals for proms turned me away from the rental stores and I scoured the web and formal stores for a good deal. Surely I will need a tux again later. In the long run, I will save money since I can dodge the expensive rentals. It is only an investment for future parties. My expense is nothing compared to tab her parents endured. Her parents covered every meal, beverages, a hotel room since we traveled from out of town, ball tickets, and every last detail. They truly treated us like royalty throughout their daughter’s special weekend. If I am never asked to another one in the future, this one party was the best. But if I am asked to another, I will accept in a heartbeat.

Post Office

My sister and I share a post office box here at school. While I was away, my sister tended to it. So when I returned to find that my key would not fit the lock, I was irritated with her. Of course this was after hours, and I was forced to return the next day. The post master general informed me that my sister had not paid the annual bill. If it was not paid soon, we would forfeit the box. My sister surely knew the bill was due. She wisely left me with it while she has returned home for the summer. The bill is a standard amount but I just did not anticipate forking out more cash. I’ll have to wait a couple weeks before I can recoup half the cost from my sly sister. If she refuses, there will be a classic round of the brother-sister rivalry.