Dude, school costs a lot

Outside Brooklyn College Library

Like almost everyone else this past fall, I was engrossed in U.S. politics. I not only listened to Brian Lehrer religiously each morning, subscribed to the New Yorker (by becoming a WNYC member), and read Best American Political Writing 2008 (well, I have a few articles left), but I even picked up a freelance gig illustrating for my friend Mike R.'s political column, The NYLean. (Website coming up soon!) So meeting up with Mike (who lives in my neighborhood and went to JHS with me) never takes a few minutes because we talk A LOT. Mike=politics, political science, government. Me=social welfare, social-economic class stratification, cultural capital.

All this talk with change thick in the air made me think, "Dude, if I want to make a "change", like in social matters, what should I do?" Mike answered, (upon overhearing my thought) "Sorry to say, but you have to go into politics. Government makes policies that affect society." (Agree or disagree, this was within our conversation.) After a few exchanges with me grimacing and not wanting to get into Politics politics, he suggested that I go into sociology—that is, take a couple of sociology classes at Brooklyn College (where he is a grad AND an adjunct) and see if I like them. If I do, go for grad school.

So I did. Well, I'm doing that.

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Three weeks ago, I went to my first day of class. Physically, I went on a whim. I say "physically" because without an ID, instructor permission, or having even paid for ANYTHING, I just went to my classes every M/T/W/Th evening.

Today was the last day to add/drop classes. I'm not even a proper student. I'm not yet because I have to pay for the classes, which is what this post is really about (sort of, I'm getting there): Since I have a BFA, I have to take these two sociology classes in order to be admitted into the BC sociology grad program. Cool, but as a "non-degree seeking student taking an undergraduate course", each credit costs $250...which means that my two classes cost $2000. Oh snaps.

Photobucket.com really stepped up their graphics department... Yeah.

Okay, so the point is that if I saw how much these classes cost a couple of months ago, I would've just said "Fuck it, art forever baby." But since I took the liberty to "try" out the classes for nearly a month and found it surprisingly easy to enroll AND add classes all in one day, I'm very happy that the circumstances did not let the money issue deter me from even trying out the classes.

To put the money issue into perspective:

Undergraduate tuition comparison: New York University (private) vs. CUNY Brooklyn College (public)

You (as well as I) can argue each school's credentials, culture etc., but as a post-undergraduate art school kid who already had the whole going away for 4 years to college deal, it's really what you make of your experiences and interactions on campus and in class. (Plus, I'm paying full out my own pocket this time and from now on. Thanks Mom and Dad!!)