What I Did On My Decade-long Vacation, pt. III
  While I was "supporting myself", working my way through the levels of employment hell, I decided that I should keep my finger in the academic pot. Everyone, including myself, assumed that I was going back to school sooner rather than later. It was only natural that I should include some of the routine of tests and papers in my life, so that I wouldn't be entirely unprepared when I resumed schooling full-time. In order to keep the flame of my educational aspirations flickering, I enrolled part time at my local County College.
  The County College is a wonderful institution, because anyone who can afford the tuition or qualify for financial aid can sign up for classes. It was a great place for me. I'd just wasted two years and many thousands of dollars at a private institution, and all I had to show for it was a lingering self-doubt, a fear of relationships, and a dubiously lost virginity. (That's another long story.) At County College, I was able to take a few classes that I was specifically interested in (no more struggling through gen eds) while working one, two, or three of the crap jobs listed below. My GPA soared, I got involved with the campus theatre community, and for the first time I was present for the formation of a group of friends. Despite the fact that I was living with my parents, life was really pretty good.