Once again, my wonderful college is raising it's tuition by next semester. I already pay about $6,000 (I know I could be paying A LOT more, but still... My dad being a house painter, he doesn't make much so 6k a lot to my family) now, and I'm going to have to pay another $600 dollars for spring semester. However, my state isn't done screwing with the colleges yet. Next year a 9% increase for all of R.I.'s colleges every year, and just with next semester's increase alone, I'm going to have to save up all my paychecks from now until the end of January to make up for the extra money. How the hek am I going to deal with a 9% increase?
Let's do some math... By calculator of course since I'm hopeless at math...
$6408+600= $7008
$7008* 0.09= $630.72
$7008+630.72= $7638.72
And that's just the tuition, not including all the other random library use fees, art fees, and whatever they can think of that you're going to use and half to pay for. And since I don't have insurance, I have to get the school's insurance by law, which puts on another $550. Then there's books, art supplies, and bus expenses... No matter how I look at it, I'm going to end up paying nearly 18k a year just at my random, in-state community college by the time I'm a senior. And not for nothing, this effects people I know who go to other colleges. Except PC since they're private and don't have to deal with R.I.'s craziness. What about the RISD students? RISD is already a 40k a year school, what's this 9% increase going to to to them? And there's URI, Brown, Johnson and Wales.... I've got friends who go to all these placesAnybody else thinking this new increase is just going to hurt the student population, and not hit the state with any lashback whatsoever? Money-grubbing bastards...
Welp, I've already made up my mind that I'm going to transfer away from all this madness. I did a little research and BYU Utah seems the most logical choice since its tuition is ridiculously low ($4k a year baby! Even for out-of-staters!). Plus, I know some people who live there, although they're all boys which doesn't bode well... However, getting there will be the major problem. I need to do some more research to see how much it would cost to get there since I am NOT getting on a plane!! I hate flying!! I can't even go on rollercoasters, what makes my parents think I'd willingly get on a ding-dong plane?! I mean, it's all the way UP THERE, in the freaking air with no ground whatsoever! I'm not getting on that!!! Train plz; kthnxbai. But it all depends if I can get in; BYU really like their students to have a 3.0 GPA which scares the bejebus out of me. I'll have to work my ass off this semester (not that I'm not already to make up for my idiocy last semester), and next semester to get my GPA back out of the gutter... As I keep saying, I still have research to do to see if there are other places that are cheap and have my major. I just skimmed over some colleges in Massachusetts, and a lot seem to be kinda cheap... It's the room and board that keep slapping me...
However we shall all just see depending on where I can get into... And if my parents jump for me going away slightly permanently. >>;;

Yay! I've been illness free for about three weeks now! Watch, I'm going to walk outside the computer lab and come dow withn the swine flu... Again. But I definitely have to attribute my healthiness to washing my hands a lot and using that hand sanitizer stuff after using the computer lab. I've never realized how disease-ridden the buses were until I started using them practically five time a day to get where I need to go though. >>;;;
But anyway, Im in the thick of mid-terms now! I just handed in my first paper of the semester last week, had my first exam at the beginning of this week, and a now trying to come up with a topic for my English 206: British Literature 1800's-Present. I think I might write something about Coleridge, that Ancient Mariner poem was awesome... But Blake is pretty cool too. I mean, he wrote one of my favorite poems of all time, The Tyger! But, I also have to ready my portfolio for my drawing class, so we shall see how that goes... So far, my professor really likes what I'm doing! I'm shocked!
My last experience with an art teacher was pretty bad so I'm really glad this didn't turn out to be a disaster... He can be a little harsh at times (he once described a fellow student's drawing as "over-cooked spaghetti"), but he hasn't made me want to crack my drawing board over his head yet so that's always good. Unlike my other teacher whom I wanted to deck every other day.
But yeah, I'm alive and doing well so far. Haven't had time to work on Through the Mirrors lately, but I am working on some chibis of the characters! I would have had them up by now, but I then I realized I messed up Mirhae's AND Charlie's wings. >>;; Whoops. Expect Jaden, Toy, Charlie, Weirdling, and Mirhae to pop up in a little around next week, and Zaverick to follow after! He's bad guy so he gets his own little chibi-space. :3
Now, off to Utrecht! To buy a truck-load of erasers and eraser guards!! (We're starting with charcoal next week, hence all the erasers)

I've been healthy for a total of three weeks, and then what happens? My sister gives me a headcold.
*dies*
I don't even know how I got it, I barely see her at all these days! Unless she sneezed all over the light-switch in our room, I see no reason as to why I should have this stupid thing! It made me miss my drawing class the other night 'cause I felt like crap! >(
In other news, I've gotten my first paper assignment for the year. It's due on the 28th or whenever we finish "Nine Stories" by J.D. Salinger. Y'know, the guy who "The Catcher in the Rye"? Apparently he wrote a series of short stories. They're good, but his dialogue drives me nuts! He just lets his characters ramble on for pages, not interjecting any description at all. In a way, it reminds me of Jane Austen twice removed since she wasn't much for description either... But at least you could keep track of her conversations! However, the dialogue is very realistic sounding so I guess it's not too bad. Just drives me nuts to try and figure out what the characters are talking about...
Anyway! Should be uploading some more cartoons soon. I'm bringing my ink pot to work with me although I just realized I forgot to bring my painting mug. I'll need to borrow a plastic cup from somewhere...

I start sophmore year next week!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
I'm really... Kind of panicked if you can't tell. Last semester wasn't the best so I'm a little nervous about this one... Actually, I think I'm more nervous about how I'm going to pay for the rest of my stuff then anything since I still have to buy art supplies and books for my third English class. But I'm not going to know what I need until the class... Still, I can't help but want to freak out, even if there's nothing I can do about it. *frets*
Also, to make matters worse, I started this week off with a trip to the hospital! Isn't that dandy? I had to get treated for dehydration on top of being sick with some crazy virus. Which apparently won't release me of its hold for either 3 weeks or 7-10 days, my doctors couldn't agree. I think that just means they have no idea what's wrong with me. Again. My doctors have a habit of doing that... This virus also has a nasty habit of coming back when I'm stressed out (my docs knew that much) so I'll have to be careful in the future. *sigh* Stupid health...