By NotCollegeBound - 20/08/2015 07:21 - United States - Butler

Today, after working incredibly hard to get into college without having to take out loans, classes started. I was told we'll need a $200 piece of software, and we'll fail without it. There's no way I can afford it. FML
I agree, your life sucks 26 896
You deserved it 2 190

NotCollegeBound tells us more.

NotCollegeBound 17

Hey guys, OP here! I did consider pirating the software but I know there's a good chance of running into buggy software if I do so, and I'd rather not have to scramble to find something else if it quits on me in the middle of a lesson. The instructor's looking to see if there are any computers on-campus that already have the software installed, but that ruins the point of taking online classes, and there's no guarantee that even if she finds some, they'll be available on the days that I can get there. It turns out I'm going to need the software again for two more classes, though I can take them both in the same semester to make it easier on myself. I can also rent it for about $20/month, which is probably going to be the option we take once we can shift some of the bills around. I'm going to need it this semester (my first) and in my third semester, so it'll help save some of the cost. On the upside, though, it means we'll be using the same textbook for all three classes, so there's a little money saved there as well. I really think that the biggest suck was not telling us beforehand, because my husband and I had the money a few weeks ago. When we discovered that it was extra money, we decided to drop our 1-year-old off at my grandparents' and take ourselves out on a long-awaited (as in, we hadn't been out since before our daughter was born) date night. If I had known that I would need that money for the software, you can guarantee that we would have saved it!

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Top comments

jjmack34 15

Loans might be needed in this situation.

256 6
hiitisbrooke 28

Don't actually listen to me I give terrible advice

138 1

Comments

hiitisbrooke 28

Don't actually listen to me I give terrible advice

138 1
nicofluff 15

So does that mean we should not listen to this most recent comment?

47 2
PePziNL 20

Haha that made me think about the "I'm in no state to drive. Wait I shouldn't listen to myself, I'm drunk!" scene from the Simpsons.

47 0
jjmack34 15

Loans might be needed in this situation.

256 6
muzy 23

The American education system is a joke. charging for outrageous fees instead of investing into the future of its country. Disgusting!

14 0
tantanpanda 26

I wonder if OP signed up for financial aid. If it was only 200, OP could have charged it on a credit card.

0 1
Geenuus 12

That sucks, OP. Hopefully you could maybe talk with a teacher and work something out

36 4
trollcrusher 17

Hopefully the professor would be understanding and willing to work with OP! This makes me wonder though, was there a syllabus for this class? And if so, was the $200 software listed as a mandatory item for the course? OP's life definitely sucks, but it could appear differently, depending on if/how well the class information was disseminated beforehand.

8 0
NotCollegeBound 17

The only clue we had that we might need software was the textbook we had (which we could buy a week before classes started at the earliest), however, we weren't told in our list of supplies that we needed to buy the software and those of us who emailed the instructor about it never got an answer.

10 0
missambitious 21

What about financial aid? See if you can get money from FAFSA or sometimes the school you're going to will help out with financial aid where you don't have to pay it back. My point is to not give up just yet. There ARE other options.

2 0
pinkster2014 25

#57 - Even with FASFA and other forms of financial aid, it most likely won't cover everything... especially in my case. I had no choice BUT to take out loans :/ And that won't even cover indirect costs (books, supplies, etc.)

3 0
Colon_Man 17

I wonder if a certain professor has a stake in a little piece of software.

2 0
tantanpanda 26

Your college should have payment plans that you could have arranged. With that, you could pay in parts, giving you more time to make the money for everything. There are also subsidized loans from the federal governemnt where the board of education pays off the accumulating interest.

0 0
sillygirl247 14

You will figure it out. Sell something, ask for a advance, wash cars, beg for money. You can do anything but it is def possible.

26 4
ColdRoxas 18

I admire how your not trying to use loans since god knows some loans are traps but sometimes you got to get some. I do hope you find one without taking out a loan and good luck in college ^^

19 0
CommentKing207 23

Well shit, maybe someone should've said something before hand. That really does suck OP, I feel for you!

7 1
whassallt26 13

So, borrow 200 dollars or waste all your time, effort and money spent on your school, easy choice.

37 1
kobomk 5

download from an "illegal site". you kindda have to. If you don't know how to, I'll be happy to help. just PM or reply or something.

42 3
thatguynamedsky 32

same, you can always buy the software later!

13 0
JustinJK 21

It's not always that easy. my economics class required you to buy a key that worked for the website where all of your work was.

5 1
JEFlynn 5

Man that's terrible, and kind of a shock. I know we had to buy textbooks for classes, but all software we needed was supplied by our office. Stop by your receptionist for your particular field of study and see if they have student copies to check out for the semester, or if they get a certain amount per year that they can give away. You'd be surprised at how many things are tucked away that your school can do for you if you just ask the right people. Best of luck

22 0
littlekellilee 45

It's likely something like Photoshop, or something that's critical to the field of study and not just the class. Sometimes the school has a computer lab with the software on it that you can use in the meantime, OP. Ask your professor or your student advisor if there are options for students that can't afford the resources.

6 0
pixierara 28

If you do get a loan remember to ONLY GET WHAT YOU NEED. That's how a lot of people I know ended up in huuuuuggggeee college debt because they got way more than was needed

11 0
gjsmo 5

All kidding aside if you know what you're doing with money (i.e. you need a loan because there's no way, not because you spent everything) it's fine to get more than you need. But at the end of the year, pay off everything that was left over. You'll have paid maybe $100 in interest - view it as "insurance" in case something went wrong. And before you tell me that things don't work like that, I've done this twice now.

0 0