OK. So, here. I'm sitting downstairs, in the lounge chair, reading poetry (Pope, not necessary for any of my classes,) drinking one thing or another, some scotch, I believe. And, I get to thinking - I would accomplish much more studying English literature if I was allowed to spend, as I see fit, the $35k that Cornell is paid on my behalf. Being that, while I worked overnight at a local gas station this most recent winter break and summer break, I chewed through a pretty extensive amount of english literature, and, being that now that I'm in English classes, I've found them to be too cursory, too slow, or too fast.
I would find a three room apartment, located somewhere quiet. One room would be a bedroom. A second room would hold videogames, RPGs, room for other people, bar, kitchen equipment, so forth. The third room would be an office, oak-paneled, oxblood leather furniture, mahogany, a globe, all that. Money would be set aside for food, drink, and all books necessary - important reference library stuff that I would want offline. I would be paid $10 an hour to sit in my office and read. At some point, if I felt up to it, I'd start writing imitations of things that I liked. Any real writing would come later. The $10/hr payment would be allotted towards the purchase of video games.
Once a week, I would have an interesting, traditionally-minded English professor come to argue with me (ask questions, talk, whatever) for a couple of hours about whatever I'd been reading. The professor would be aggressive and competitive, and for one reason or another, I'd want to impress him/her (maybe she's brilliant and attractive, or he's some older guy who's cool and judgemental).
OK...so, looking at all this, I think I could pay for this on $4k a month... 8 - 9 months out of the year - if not, I could lower the amount I paid myself to say, $6. That would be $36k...which is less than this school spends on each person. I would follow through with the reading, because it interests me, because I was being paid, and because I felt the need to impress the person I would speak with at the end of each week. I wouldn't feel burnt out or tired, as my weekends would be free - it'd be a much more natural education process.
I'd lose out on the college atmosphere, fine. When I have kids, it'd be nice to offer something along these lines as an option to them when they come of age, if this interests them.
Stone