Bye-Bye Student Loans!

I had 50 shares of EDS stock, those of which were a gift from my grandparents many moons ago. There was a time when the purchase price had doubled, and I thought....let's ride this out a little longer and maybe the price will increase even more! And then there was 9/11/01. I watched that stock rise and fall over the years. It wasn't so much like the Texas Titan at Six Flags, but more like the less extreme Judge Roy Scream roller coaster. Anyway, those EDS shares were dissolved and I received my long-awaited check this week. I had many plans for that money, most of which included shopping sprees to various clothing stores, home decor stores, and a a toy store or two. Those ideas belonged to the irresponsible, carefree Kara who rarely makes an appearance. Of course, the more conservative, responsible, and careful Kara won the battle and chose to pay off my final student loan. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, as of today, my college education has now been paid in full!!! And the best part is the $250 that was leftover! So, the irresponsible, carefree Kara can now be satisfied as well!
Sometimes I wonder if the college education was really worth it. I mean it took us over 7 years to pay for it. The college years were pivotal years and some of the most important ones of my life. I learned so much about myself, not to mention some of the basic jobs that come with being away from mom and dad, i.e. laundry, cooking, cleaning, managing finances, etc. I saw great football (yes, the Aggies were good when I was there), great baseball, decent basketball, attended Midnight Yell with friends, saw 3 Bonfires, and experienced the collapse of the Bonfire. I went to parties, played intramural sports, pulled all-nighters, and rode my bike to class every single day, rain or shine. I gained best friends and then lost them. I wrote my mom letters (yes, the hand-written ones) religiously. Sometimes I ached to be home. Sometimes, I thought I never wanted to go back home. I experienced my first and only car accident on a day that I decided I wanted to attend church. My friends and I decorated for the holidays, which consisted of the most pitiful combination of hand-me-down decorations that our parents were willing to part with. Sometimes I stayed up all night long watching movies with my roommates and talking about boys, only to sleep in till noon. I made very good grades in high school, and thought I would do the same in college. My freshman year was a wake-up call for sure. When I didn't get a 4.0, I wondered if I would succeed. I did. I got a first-class education and had the time of my life, so yes, the 7 years it took to pay for those 4years of my life were well worth it.
I'm proud to be an Aggie and part of the Fightin' Texas Aggie class of 2000!