Putting yourself through College in Style

Dear Dr. Friedman: I am a sophomore, majoring in English, at a prestigious university. One of my friends, who is a computer science major, is working full-time and making $85,000. a year. He goes to my university 3/4 time and pays his own tuition! I am so jealous I can barely stand it. I work 20 hours a week as a Teaching Assistant. But, the pay is only $6.00 an hour. This is a better deal than any of my friends have. Still, I'd love to be able to come home and tell Mom & Dad, "I've got my tuition covered!" City Slicker

Finding a job out of town

Dear City: Laudable goal! I don't think it is unrealistic either. I have a couple thoughts. First of all, I would like to invite any reader who has/is supporting their college education through an innovative job to write in and tell me about it. I will post the most viable/creative solutions. Second, I would encourage you to get together with a group of like-minded friends on a regular basis. It's a good idea to form a support/problem solving group. Meet weekly. Have the meeting be sacrosanct--not just something that you do casually. I recommend that you use Barbara Sher's Wishcraft: How to Get What You Really Want book as a guide. Set goals---and, work together to develop creative ways to pursue them. I'd advise you to keep meeting until you graduate. It'll help you develop and keep your focus. Third, what can you do that meets a need or is unique? When I was an undergraduate, I looked into chartering buses during breaks--and, offering very low rates, to go to major cities. The profits were huge. But, I didn't have the energy or the commitment to make it happen. This is where a support group would have been great. Please keep me posted on what you do. Dr. Friedman

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