Kris Avalon Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is

A few weeks ago, in a post entitled "Who Is the Left Inspiring?" I proclaimed my refusal to accept federal financial aid as a means of getting through college. Well, God has apparently decided to call my bluff. This afternoon I received my monthly statement from the university, and as it turns out I am still about $700 short of meeting my student fees, even with my $1800 student loan. Apparently the "Educational Fees" for the new school year includes an extra $900 charge just for my having the privilege of gracing the steps of this fine institution of learning.

Now I could beg my family for the additional needed funds; I might even be able to appeal for the Federal grant I declined, but after some thought I have decided to put my money where my mouth is. If I am truly the laissez-faire, self-reliant neolibertarian Capitalist that I claim to be, then surely I can overcome this economic obstacle through hard work and determination. With that said, I present to you my 28-day personal challenge. My fees are due on September 15th, 28 days from now, and in that time I plan to get a real job and acquire the funds myself.

Here's the plan:

1) Each day from now (yes, I am starting this evening) until September 1st, I will fill out three job applications. That's 45 applications altogether. I will continue applying for jobs after the 1st if necessary, but my first basic goal is to have 45 applications by that date.

2) I am going to visit my local library and check out books that will help me brush up on my interview skills.

3) Until my goal is met, I will remain clean-shaven and dressed to impress everywhere I go. After all, I never know when opportunity might come knocking.

4) I will keep a running list of the names and phone numbers of each location I apply to, and will call them regularly to follow up on my applications and demonstrate my commitment.

5) I will constantly remind myself that failure is not an option.

"But Kris," you say, "even if you DO find a job by the 15th, there is a good chance you won't get your first paycheck until after the deadline, and it probably won't come close to the amount you need." That is very true, and it is the main reason why I want to secure 45 applications in the first half of my 28-day personal challenge, but it's really only a small concern. My grandmother has already offered to pay the needed funds completely, but if I find a job, I will need only to borrow the money for a couple of weeks to a month, not unlike a student loan. There's a big difference between accepting a handout and requesting a loan, so even if I don't start work until the day of the deadline, I will still consider it a victory.

So for the next month, this blog will basically be a journal of my progress. Check back often, as I will be frequently updating the status of my endeavor, and any encouragement would be greatly appreciated. I must confess that this challenge is the most ambitious thing I have ever undertaken, and it's a bit scary as I fully recognize that I could end up looking like a complete fool 28 days from now. I am at a disadvantage since A) I was born without sweat glands and am thus limited to applying for jobs that will not require me to work in torrid conditions, B) I must find a job that will be willing to work around my difficult school schedule, and C) I have only had one real job in my life (when I was 17), and I was fired from that one. Still, I am confident and optimistic, and I believe this challenge will be a testament to the opportunities available in this great nation. Call me an idealist, but I still believe in America, and it's time I started pulling my own weight.

So here goes nothing...