Public speaking. Marketing. Economics. Gymnastics. Texas government. Cultural anthropology. Evolutionary biology. Trigonometry. Business calculus.

That�s quite a list (I think that�s all of them) for a casual student who worked that entire time.

I�ll admit it: I�m a community college course junkie.

This afternoon during a Friday lull, I went online looking for more classes to satiate this sudden urge to learn more stuff for the heck of it. By filling out a two-page form and bringing in a photocopy of my dust-collecting college diploma (literally, not figuratively, as I am indeed using my English Writing and Rhetoric degree as intended by the university�s Humanities Department), I could attend any of the courses at the city college for a nominal fee.

It seems that I�ve taken almost everything I�m remotely interested in that doesn�t involve four additional hours per week spent in a lab. When going through their entire list of classes, I came up with only five classes that I had any interest in:

Ceramics. I was planning on taking a course in Lincoln Park, but why do that when it�s located downtown and cheaper?

Business Law. I think this might be interesting, and I know nothing about it either.

Women�s Biology. If it�s bio, I�m going to like it. This one didn�t appear to have a lab. DOWN WITH LABS! And just what in the heck is Women�s Biology? Will it be an intense study on the uterus? My inquiring mind wants to know...

Creative Writing. Because I suck at this, maybe I�d learn a thing or two. Likely I�ll just get a B in the class (unheard of, I know!), and then I�ll sulk for a month.

Theater. I have no interest in being in theater, but I�d be curious to see who takes this class.

After browsing the for-credit classes and coming up with only one course for each finger on half of my available hands, I looked in the Continuing Education section for more ideas.

Although yoga or belly dancing would be fun, I�m not paying to learn either of those. However, there is something interesting that I know little about that would be kinda fun and might make me a buck or two.

Maybe next Spring I�ll take the two half-semester courses to qualify me for taking the real estate licensing exam for Illinois. Then I could browse realtor.com during �work hours� and not feel for guilty. That or I can just represent friends buying their places and make a buck off of them.

And even if I don�t take the exam or my house�s sale is the only one I ever represent, I�ve only spent $280 and a few hours a week during one semester to save myself about $10k in realtor fees. Muhahaha!

I�ll have to talk with my house�s buy realtor to see how long licenses are good for and whatnot. I have a secure job until August 2005 at minimum, but I could see myself playing around with this anyway.

Question for the day:

Since realtors who represent you during a buy get a percentage of the house�s sales cost, don�t you think it�s just an opportunity for them to not fight so hard for you with the negotiations so they get a better pay-out?

Just a thought...�