Hey,

I'm sure you all have heard about this school a lot lately. I just wanted to say a few things about the place. I've wanted to give it credit on here before, as I owe the place so much for where I am now. My ex-wife and I made little Bobby in my dorm room when she visited in March of my freshman year. He was born in Blacksburg at Montgomery Regional Hospital; it's where he spent the first four years of his life.

I am willing to argue that for the education given the cost, there is no better engineering school in the country than Virginia Tech. My last year was 98 and I can't find my old bills, but even as recently as 2003 it was $2547 per semester for a VA resident to attend that school full time. Full time means 12 credits (4 classes) or above, and I often abused their "or above" policy going up to 21-22 credits some semesters. For a top 15 engineering school to cost that little is unbelievable. For a $20k education, I was able to increase my earning potential by well more than $20k/year. Often I wonder if VT is not let into the lists of top 5 engineering solely because they charge too little. I know that they enabled me to go head to head with any MIT grad I've come across, and I can absolutely own any Harvard idiot I've ever met.

The benefits that came with that tuition were unbelievable as well. Everyone knows about their football games, but they offer so much on top of that. My ex and I did not have much money for fun. One of the things that we did to make up for it, was to join the clubs that brought music to the school. Lol...it was nice that they'd buy us pizza dinners each time we worked the shows, but some of the experiences we had? Rancid hanging out with us as we sold their tickets? George Clinton posing for pictures, while holding little Bobby as an infant? I still have the Event Staff T-Shirt they bought for our son, so that he'd have proper attire for when he worked backstage. Not only did they give us options for something to do when we had few, but they gave us things that I don't think we could have gotten any other way. Man...and there were plenty of activities and opportunities beyond that. They let my ex have a show on their radio station for years, when she wasn't even a student. They gave all students internet accounts for free, and they had high speed network connections to many of the off campus apartments. Heh...they didn't have them that at the government subsidized complex where we lived, but even then the modem fee was $5 and that was good enough to develop our addiction to the Internet.

Honestly though? It amazes me that Blacksburg even *has* government subsidized apartments. Reasonable living expenses are as important as reasonable tuition for getting through school. $350 for a 3 bedroom apartment is what I remembered paying, but even in the unsubsidized complexes I believe it was only $500 or so...which includes heat and hot water! The town was so small, it was quite possible to walk most places...and if you didn't want to walk, the busses were free for students! Seriously...you just showed them your VT ID and they'd let you on for free; I remember the busses coming by my apt every 15 min to take me to school. Looking now I see that they improved them to run every 10 min! Really...there's no need for a car when you have a system like that. Heh...it really was a small town though. During the Summer when the students weren't there? It was like being in Mayberry...but that can be a good thing in itself.


Anyway...in case anyone's tempted to offer condolences or something, please don't. I wasn't there yesterday and I didn't know any of the victims. Honestly, watching the news people and some people who seem to want to attach themselves to the tragedy, I feel a little bit angry. I do want to pass on some true words about that school, however. It's someplace special, and I don't know where I'd be without it...

Later,
Bobby


PS - If anyone in MD thinks that they might like to become a vet, VT offers in state tutition to MD residents that enter their Vet Medicine program.