The Power of Textbooks

Every college student has faced the wrath of textbooks. They're expensive. You pay an arm and a leg for them in the bookstore. You find them on Amazon for a portion of the price, but you're never sure whether you'll have your book in time or not. You can rent them off of Chegg, but shipping is pretty inconsistent, too, and you can't always highlight and write in them like you're used to.

Honestly, the entire system is horrendous. I dread buying textbooks every year. However, there is a flip-side.

These books, the ones you buy, could be valuable resources to you later in life. Take a look at your repertoire. Are you sure you want to sell all of them back?

I've become a textbook hoarder, at least in certain subjects. Anything relating to design and writing...yup, they have a permanent home with one Kelly M. Rivard. My collection grows every term, too. I now have a book about Flash animation, journalism, creative writing, rhetoric, public speaking, and...as of today, I have a new crown jewel. Adobe PhotoShop CS4's Classroom in a Book. I wish you could hear my squeals of excitement.

It's not just the fact that I love the program and that the book is fairly interesting to me. While I really did enjoy reading all of the books I've kept, they're a deeper purpose. They're useful.

Think about it: what are the skills you know you'll need later in your career? In your life? Books may become slightly outdated, but a few years' change isn't enough to render the textbooks you buy now entirely worthless. Even when Creative Suite 5 rolls around, Creative Suite 4 books will still be useful.

Your profs are smart (usually). They pick out books relevant to the skills and ideas you'll need to foster (sometimes). These books are meant to teach you, and can continue to teach you into your career. You don't want to be starting a fresh internship thinking, "Man, I should have kept that advertising law book!" You never know how important those books can be down the road!

Give a good thought about what books are going to be sold back to the bookstore or put on Amazon. The books you're considering selling now could be better used on a shelf in the office you'll have someday.

Interview! And Other Business.

That's right. I scored an interview.

It's exciting. Granted, it's a 4-hour drive round-trip, but it's worth it. One of the fringe benefits is that I'll be in the same city where my boyfriend attends college, so I might get a date to Noodles & Company or Avanti's after my interview. Wootwoot!

The internship I'm interviewing for is internet-based, so I'll be able to do the work while I'm 2 hours away at school. My primary mode of communication is email, with texting as a close second, and then Facebook, so I'm feeling fairly confident that if I get the spot, I'll maintain myself well.

I've never done a formal interview before. I'm quite excited. I know nerves will rise as it gets closer, but I'm hoping I'll remain moderately cool throughout this preparation process.

In other news, my farmboy (aka my boyfriend) took me to see the musical Jersey Boys in Chicago last night. It was the best Christmas gift I have ever gotten. Why? It's not some gadget or toy that I'll enjoy for a bit and will soon be outdated. It's an experience. It's a memory. And it was an amazing night. We even got lost for a little while in China Town, which wasn't in the plan...but we still got to the parking structure with more than enough time to eat, explore, and go to the theatre.

While in Chicago, we stopped at my favorite art supply store known as Dick Blick (although it generally just goes by Blick now). To make up for getting us lost, and also because he's just a thoughtful guy, Tim bought me a geeky only-Kelly-would-want-that present. SEE?! Isn't it FABULOUS?!

I'm so excited about this book. I guess times like this are the ways I can tell I'm studying the right thing...when my design-geek side spills out into everyday life.

The next few days are going to be HECTIC. I have one of those "volunteer" things to finish up, a piece for the Farm Bureau newspaper. It's due on January 1st. I also have to pack and do laundry so I'll be ready to head back to school on Sunday. ALSO, I have to finish a painting job that I have going. AND tonight is my best friend's birthday, so we're going there for dinner. AND I have to take pictures of every rabbit I plan on selling so that buyers can see what they may be getting.

Whew.