College Days

I finally was able to attend college in Albany and found a place where most students wanted to do well and were serious about their studies. I started out to be a history major, and when I found out that I had to study a language, I changed my major to mathematics with a double major in science. This clearly was going to keep me busy since I had only taken three years of math in high school. So every semester I had to take one or two math courses and at least two science courses as well as all the general education classes that were required for a bachelors degree. The biggest trick was finishing in four years but that had to happen since I had little financial underpinnings.

Fortunately, I received a Regent's scholarship which provided $500 per year toward expenses. I also worked in the dorm, usually in the kitchen and this paid half of my living expenses. I also helped a math professor with some testing research she was doing, which paid a bit and then located an office job in the evenings at the NY State Legislature which gave me some spending money. Summers and Christmas vacations found me at the Lake Placid Club as a bell hop. We lived on our salary of about $10 per week and banked all tips. This raised enough money for all other college expenses but kept this student very busy. Study time was hard to find and utilized to the maximum to get homework finished. It is little wonder that I seldom ever returned home for much of a vacation.

The four years went by so quickly, and yet I loved these years. I essentially was on my own to make my own mistakes and successes. We found time in school life to attend church on a regular basis, even though it meant quite a hike from the school to the church. Finally, the professional education courses occurred, and after student teaching in the Burnt Hills Public Schools, I was ready to graduate and get a real teaching job. To this day I keep up with friends made in college. Maybe if I would go to reunions, I could connect with more of these graduates. Albany provided a wonderful education and transformed this farm boy into an adult ready to take his first step into the profession of teaching.