Hidden Educational Costs
Posted on December 03, 2007 by Him and tagged dining, education
photo: powerbooktrance
I'm currently taking some classes in order to obtain a certification that will help me in my current job and in my career. Due to the specialty of the field that I'm in, this program is not common; in fact there are only 4 institutions in the world that offer it, and the one that I'm taking just happens to be the best one. In order to obtain the certificate, one chooses 4 classes in the curriculum and must receive a passing grade in each of the classes.
The classes are somewhat expensive at $1,400 each, plus the cost of books. My job covers up to $2,500 in educational expenses per calendar year; therefore I've elected to take 2 of the classes at the end of this year, and the final 2 classes at the beginning of next year. By doing this, I limit our out of pocket expenses to just $600 (plus books), which is all tax deductible. I also put the tuition on our rewards cards; in addition to being able to command more salary after I get the certification, the tuition payments will also help in paying for our honeymoon.
The one cost that I can't quite shake off is the cost of studying and doing homework in a coffee shop. While I love our apartment, it doesn't have any areas for me to buckle down and concentrate on studying and homework. Having computers, television, cats, refrigerator, chores, and everything else just makes it impossible for me to not be distracted. I attribute this to my college days; where I lived in college was always too rowdy and loud for me to get any studying done, so I always went to a coffee shop. Thus, when doing my homework for these classes, I've found myself in coffee shops around Chicago. It's almost Pavlovian: coffee shops just make me want to study.
For my first class, I went to a coffee shop 5 times to do homework and spent a total of about $30. Were the cappuccinos and pastries worth it? Well, last week I received my grade in the mail:
"A"
To me, it is definitely worth it.
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Gigi | Dec 3, 2007
I'm afraid that will be happening to me next semester. I just started a masters and an evening class and Metra don't seem to mix. I looks like my one night a week class will cost me ~$15 in parking/class. that's $240 for the semester not to mention gas and wear and tear on my car.
Diana | Dec 3, 2007
Gosh, I know what you mean. During medical school, I spent every afternoon at Einstein Bros Bagel Shop. I had my own table - I even got phone calls there occasionally!! (This was the era before cell phones.) I usually spent 50 cents on a plain bagel and a dollar on a coffee that I refilled all afternoon free. This has been a few years ago, but $1.50 a day was pretty cheap. I stayed away from the more expensive (and tempting) items.
This issue had never occurred to me before. I guess it's a good thing my favorite study place is the periodicals room at the university library and my study habit of choice is chewing gum. It's a bit cheaper than cappuccinos.
Jerry | Dec 4, 2007
First off, GREAT JOB on the "A!" If hitting the coffee shop was your iron-clad insurance that you'd get the studying done, then it was absolutely worth it. I wonder if the caffeine might also lead to longer study sessions? Hmmm...
Jerry
Him | Dec 4, 2007 | Reply to JJ
Yes, the library is free. And I did try and study there a few times before I went back to my old ways. Unfortunately, the strange odors coming from the patrons, loud high schoolers, and raucous children have turned me off to the library. I thought it was supposed to be quiet?
There's something very intangible about a good comfy coffee shop - maybe it's the bohemian music, smell of freshly brewed coffee, art on the walls - that just activates my studying mode.
Double Journey | Dec 5, 2007 | Reply to Him
I'm with You on this one. When I was in college, I could never study at the Library even though it was convenient for me to go to. I always went to the local Coffee shop to do my studying, just liked the atmosphere better.
Hey you got an 'A' so it must have been worth it!
MVP | Dec 4, 2007
Good job on the A. Yeah, I think it's worth it, considering how much you're paying for the class. At least you know your limitations (distractions at home) and you know where you study best. You're ahead of many people in that respect.
You could consider switching from cappucinos to more economical drip coffee, which often comes with free refills, and avoiding the spendy and fattening pastries.
chitown | Dec 3, 2007
My hidden costs were parking and gas driving downtown to Chicago for work and school. Unfortunately, my classes let out five minutes after the train left the station so if I didn't drive, I would have to wait until 10:20 to take the train and get home at 11:30 at night. That's also after a ten hour workday. So with commuting 4 days a week, gas prices and Dan Ryan renovation, my commute was costing me approx. $500 per month easily.
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