My stepmother sent me $25 per week...just because. I paid my tuition loans and books, etc. I think the 'rents paid for my dining card, but I don't remember. I worked the summer before college and then each semester thereafter. Dry cleaning store, church nursery, and apartment manager.

I caused an enormous row with the Univ. president by writing an op-ed questioning the financing of the new basketball arena. He tried to bribe me with heretofore unavailable workstudy (even though I was paying the freight myself without the 'rents' help) which I refused. Mysteriously, my relatively small scholarships dried up.

The following (junior) year, I got tuition deferral (nearly 90%!) due to marrying a tangential university employee. That helped a lot.

(((Cashmere))) I'm so sorry. I hope you find another better option for Owen soon.

((((Kristin)))

I found out the other day that one of the medical supplies I use daily is being discontined. I thought I would be able to find a good alternative, but all the alternatives kind of suck. Its going to just an added daily inconvenience, not a serious health thing, but I'm still upset.

marrying a tangential university employee

Now I'm picturing an employee laying down and just touching the university border....

Can you stockpile some now, sj? I say that as a person who wandered from grocery store to grocery store buying the last of the fragrance-free Dawn.

Now there are many undergraduate women who talk to their mothers several times a day.

Thank god there weren't cellphones when I was in college.

My parents paid my tuition and board. I got a scholarship check that pretty much covered books and basic living expenses. Walking-around money for personal books, beer and sleazy bluegrass bars came from working for the college newspaper and typing papers.

My mother teaches at a university, so there'd be no chance in hell she'd call mine or my sister's. I went to a cheapie school--tuition was about $1200/semester when I graduated, and that was almost a 100% increase over when I started. Books and room and board were by far the big money items, relatively speaking.

I ran out of money once, and would never have dreamed of asking for more--I just lived on crackers for a few days and cried at the bank to get the cheque cleared faster.

My sister ran out of money all the time, but she bought herself clothes and the like. I never did. Alcohol might have been a big expense for some of the students, but I got mine from my parents anyway, so that wasn't an issue.

Now I'm picturing an employee laying down and just touching the university border....

Cute! And sort of true in the existential sense.

He was a city cop that was assigned to the uni. The educational benefits were a sweetener for an otherwise sucky gig. Worked out for us!

I had a parent of one person contracted in to assist me call about the schedule being excessive. I told the parent I would fix it on the spot. I stopped hiring their child. Called him that night, thanked him for the work he'd done, and as his parents were concerned he now had his calendar free, effective immediately.

Damn, ND. What did he say? And did his parents call you up to whine about how mean you were to their little muffin?

He stammered a bit and i told him if he was to survive in this field he had best develop time managemet skills.

Mom said she didn't think it was right to fire him. I replied that I dont have time to waste on discussions like this and I will have a new assistant with the same skills within one hour and I hung up.

I started mowing the lawn when I was nine and got $10 a week doing that through high school. It was hard work in Florida, where the grass was thick and grew quickly. Also we had a large lot for our house and the back yard was a hill. Hot, humid weather and physical labor.

On the plus side - muscular calves.

When I was 15 worked after school cleaning up at boat repair place. That's how I paid for my first car.

At college I had a job, first working in the Pit (dishwashing), then making change in the arcade (cush) and also did campus mail (good pay). On top of that I typed papers at $1/page (pre PC days). Sometimes made as much $100 in a week just from typing. I was the typist of choice around the college.

Everybody was on the meal plan at my school, so you'd never go hungry as long as you had your ID. Also everybody had to live on campus in dorms and college owned apartments (for juniors and seniors).

My parents paid for tuition and tickets back and forth. I only traveled home for xmas and the summer. Too far away and plane tickets were too expensive back then. My college roommate Chip took me home for Thanksgiving, which was always great. Viva la Pittsburgh!

My Dad sold real estate on top of his regular job, and my mom took a part time job to help pay for college.

During the summers I worked as a maintenance man at an all-girl Catholic school, and then I did construction work the summer after I graduated.

I had a National Merit scholarship, and since I was an R.A. my senior year, room and board were free.

Called my folks on Sunday from the pay phone in our wing's lounge. Like all the other kids did.