Point is, you don't have to as long as you stick awfully tight to your budget and know how to finance your courses and find a part time job etc. I'm sure you can manage it if you are good in maths.
I wouldn't give up collecting coins, if I were you I'd make my coins work for me. Put together some money, (say $50 or a $100, as much or as little as you want) and try your skill and luck at buying and selling coins. Sometimes you will make money, sometimes you will lose. But it can be educational to you, you can make money towards school, and you can still buy coins, and such. Just a suggestion. I wish you the best of luck! :thumb: Phoenix
I'd stop collecting and get the education. No question about it. The statistics show that it increases the opportunity [not guarantee] for higher wages and also provides other intangible benefits that will enrich your life beyond the paycheck.
If you want to go to school - go to school! I am still in college myself and I continue to collect coins... I simply set out a fixed amount a month for coins and use a huge amount to restarint to prevent myself from going over it. (teaches you self control too!) Use the tax refund as an extra gift! Believe me, it is a huge distraction to be in school and to accumulate large debts - kinda sits on your mind sometimes. I sold my extras (I miss them now!)... whenever I see something nice, I remember this - today to buy a coin worth $20 with $40 in my pocket is much tougher than buying the same coin in the future for $40 with $4000 in my pocket My time will come soon.... yours will too!
Spider - I'm going to throw in my 2 cents for what its worth. When I went to college, coin collecting wasn't the first thing on my mind, but I definitely didn't stop collecting. Now, my parents didn't have a lot of money so I had to take out loans to pay for my education. While I was in college, I had 2 and sometimes 3 jobs that I held down. The money I made, first and foremost, went to paying the bills and tuition, but I always put away a few dollars for my coins. I wasn't a big party person so my money wasn't wasted on beer and other things, but I managed to have fun in school. I even went on and received a Masters Degree... that was 7 long years that I had to be frugal on what I spent on coins. Now, I do have a second mortgage to pay, err, I mean loan to pay back , but I also have a great job that I love and pays well. I had been collecting for as long as I could remember and college wasn't going to stop me. In fact, I purchased some of my nicer coins while I was in school. You just have to be smart about things and don't get yourself in to trouble with finances (easier said than done!). :whistle: Hopefully, majoring in Finance will put you on the right path. Here is one tip - find a local coin shop - when you get free time, go hang out there. As the owner/s get to know you they will cut you deals and help you out as a young collector. Plus, you learn a lot when you are around people that have been collecting for a long time. This is what I did and still do. PS - the tough part is when you have to chose between your coins and a girl! Good luck on that one. :hail:
ehh I guess I won then. She knows I collect. She likes all the barbers and buffalo nickels....figures.... the ones I don't really collect due to $$$ I think I am gonna start a $2.5 collection...... hopefully I get dad to back me, that always goes easier well there's two on campus or at least walking distance, always a plus
Speedy - college may not be for everyone, but even as a business owner you should be taking classes of some sort(in this case classes offered by the sba). Even if you do not get a degree you may and probably will learn something to help you in the future. I am a firm believer in education. I know too many people that struggle to get by without an education. So the original poster has to decide what they want, then work towards it. Your degree will be as good as you make it. And for school loans - take them out if you need them to complete your degree. They will pay for themselves in the long run. I can name successes and failures all around, with and without college educations. I will say this - you are more likely to succeed at your goals with a college education.
^^^ Great Post, gotta agree with this. Even if all you retain is some basic useless knowledge (history, chemistry, etc.), and end up with a larger vocabulary, you've still picked up something that will help you greatly in any future business endeavor. Take Care Ben
College As a long term lurker, wno occassionally posts I feel a need to chime in here. Spyder, continue your collecting. You will find, as I have recently, that money earned in HS and at minimum wage jobs is hard earned cash and in the grandscheme of life is insignificant. And it will barely put a dent in college costs (especially if you go to a tier 1 school). My biggest reason for chiming in is your comment about the army. I graduated from West Point in May and have begun an MBA on the Army's dime. If you are seriously considering the army I cannot begin to tell you the advantages that are availiable. The pay is not half bad, the loans will be tiny compared to others and you can get as much schooling as you like. The only caution I give you is the hours our long, deployments are are a definite and are long and exhasuting, and you must be willing to give your all to your people. being an officer is a tough job that requires dedication and a sense of a higher purpose. As I am sure most of these jarheads can tell you whistle a bad officer raises hell with other peoples lives. Be prepared to do good and it is a great career. Err and to stay on topic keep collecitng, just be priudent with your money. Ryan
I've been to college twice, and I have two degrees in computer network administration, my last stint in school, I had 27 As and one B. BUT, I live near Erie, PA, and there are so many colleges and so few jobs, that the best I could find after 60 resumes was some part time troubleshooting jobs at just above minimum wage with no benefits and you have to wait for the boss to die to advance, and the boss is 20 yrs old, I have grey hair, and was 45 at the time, so nobody wanted me. My point is, Geography is a big factor. I could go 50 miles in any direction, Cleveland, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Toronto, and get a job, but I have a house , wife, and 2 kids. My unwillingness to move has caused me to stay in the tree climbing business for over 40 years now. Get the education while you are young, it gets harder to find a niche by the time you are 40. I have no regrets about the time and money spent for education. People are always bringing me computers to fix, and it's fun.
My twist that worked for me Hey spider.. Here is a thought. I entered military right after high school, did my time then went to work for large company. They paid for my education as long as I kept a 3.50 g p a. Most companies do want leaders & will assist or pay for educations. BUT they will hire the educated first. I never sold off any collection, just reduced buying for awhile. Now I'm retired with an income good enough to buy, buy, buy. but only the good stuff. What ever your choice I wish you success. I'll never quit collecting & my Grandchildren I hope will not spend my coins at the candy store when I'm gone. Do you not like history? Think what your coins have been through. Good Luck.
Spider, Without a formal education you may not be able to afford the coins you want to collect later in life so stay focused on college. Consider this? If you have someone in your family that you can trust, use your coin collection for a secured loan to help pay for college costs. Once you graduate and get a good job you can pay off the loan to get your collection back and start right where you left off. Keep collecting what you can afford for now. RC
