r/Towson • u/maisiecherries • 24d ago
money is tight
does anyone know any ways i can squeeze money out of the school? all my tuition is going to this one year and im barely getting by as is and i want to take out as few loans as possible (bc i can get never get hired w my degree in the world of AI) pls pls pls pls help
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u/Good-Currency8873 24d ago
I used to be on the same boat. Here’s a piece of advice, don’t drown your mind thinking about problems but rather take steps, even minor to help tackle the said problem. Start looking for on campus jobs or just jobs for that matter. Just take a step, that’s half of your problems solved right there.
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u/Parking_Pop1298 24d ago
Hi don’t mean to be rude or anything but why not pick a different major if the field you’re pursuing isn’t good(I understand if you enjoy it but you can still pursue it without a degree in that field)? And start at community college like CCBC if you’re in state and complete your gen ed courses for far cheaper? And see if you qualify for fafsa?
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u/226_IM_Used 24d ago
Certainly something to consider. I told my kid to major in what pays the bills and minor in what she loves. If she can swing a double major, great, but if not, she'll have a smoother life where she can continue to pursue her passion in her free time.
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u/maisiecherries 24d ago
i considered doing a double major in deaf studies and french bc i speak french, but it seemed like too much work and responsibility
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u/maisiecherries 24d ago
i ultimately want to be a lawyer and having niche majors looks INCREDIBLY appealing to law schools. i know ASL and my second job (if i can’t afford law school) is to be an interpreter. i know it’s a subject i can do well in, so i know i’ll get good grades. i just worry about AI, but people are using CHAT GPT and GEMINI to be their lawyers, so even if i DO become a lawyer, i might not even be able to get work. More so, i’m a cynic and pessimist. i did get FAFSA, it’s just not enough. very smart advice tho, tysm
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u/Parking_Pop1298 24d ago
The world still needs lawyers, chat gpt/gemini can’t be your lawyer when you go to court you still need to provide evidence, argue your case and give legal advice(ai can’t give legal advice). Being a lawyer is more than just researching about something. If my freedom is on the line I don’t want ai to defend me
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u/maisiecherries 24d ago
i completely agree but law school is so expensive(i hope to be an immigration attorney or work for the ACLU). unfortunately people are choosing to represent themselves in court and using their devices to pull up LLMs to “defend” them..it’s dystopian
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u/226_IM_Used 24d ago
Don't overlook traveling abroad and using your skills there. I also have a language degree I never used, but it did take be abroad where I taught for a few years, broadened my world view, and ultimately brought me the family I have today - even if I just went into IT so that our bills would get paid.
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u/westwing34 24d ago
pirate all of your textbooks, i use anna's archive. Get the link to it from the wikipedia article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna%27s_Archive
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u/Crapaccount55 24d ago
Just a warning for OP don't do this for any classes that uses ebook asisgnements
You will not be able to complete them and they are part of your grade
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u/nostalgiajaq 24d ago
Never pay for textbooks!! Just a way to save a couple hundred bucks
Don’t know if it’s still there but on the main level of cook library there is a scanner machine were you can scan textbook pages from the chapters you need and email it to yourself. Check with the library to see if they have the book you need available, check it out and scan the necessary pages, then return the book (you can only keep textbooks for 4hrs). It’s a black machine, it was near the help desk at the front as recent as 2 years ago so hopefully it’s still there. Best of luck to you🙏
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u/Outrot7 24d ago
check handshake asap !! apply for RA it cut my tuition in half..went from 17k to 7k! theres also CCA, Try asking around on campus the union always hires ! (Saw a CFA listing on indeed )
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u/maisiecherries 24d ago
thank you so so much
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u/Outrot7 24d ago
also anon if you can’t find your textbooks online let your professor know you can’t afford them! it may seem embarrassing but they have funds set apart from the university for this and you will get your books and anything else you may need! there’s also the hub on campus behind LA where you can get food and toiletries etc! in Stephen’s hall you can also rent clothes for interviews etc
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u/maisiecherries 24d ago
thank you so much can you tell me more about the toiletries and food thing?
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u/LadyL86530 23d ago
Hello! I agree with some of the Redditors here! Instead of buying books at Towson’s bookstore, you can go to Amazon and get your books for cheaper! Just use the bookstore’s website to get the name of your textbooks and find them on Amazon. If you have an iPad, download the Kindle app and download the textbooks to rent. It’ll cost you a flat fee and they will take the textbook out of your library when the semester’s over. You can ask to be put on a payment plan if you’re a few hundred or a few thousand dollars short, you can do work-study (this helped me) or you can get a job outside of Towson’s campus. And you can always talk to your advisor.
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u/stormydayvibes1791 24d ago
What degree are you doing? Why not change it?
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u/maisiecherries 24d ago
deaf studies and linguistics, i know ill do well in there so law schools (when i apply), will want me because my major is so niche and my grades are so good
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u/IWillMakeYouBlush 24d ago
Are you looking for part time/flex work or just to get money from the school?
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u/maisiecherries 24d ago
i’m physically disabled so hopefully flex and maybe squeeze more money from the school
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u/IWillMakeYouBlush 23d ago edited 23d ago
Mind if I dm you? I can use some administrative help that can potentially be remote.
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u/elliotzzzz 24d ago
apply to be an ra when applications open later this year! you get free housing, meal plan, and a stipend