So I was thinking about taking the potential step of going back to college. I already have my degree (which has proven itself worthless), so I figured what's the harm in getting another one?

The bottom line is I already have a TON of math and physics classes under my belt. I could easily go into an engineering field and finish in like 5 semesters.

The only problem I have with this is tutition monies. My first degree was paid for by a fund set up by my grandparents. But after I graduated, whatever was left, was convinently reduced to half because of the economy (80% is in a crappy mutual fund).

What makes this worse is that I was classified as a non-resident at ASU and that is VERY HARD to change. Because the money I was using for tution was from a trust, to the best of my knowledge, it wasn't seen as my own wealth, and therefore attached itself to the state I grew up in.

Now I have lived full time in AZ going on like 5 years now. So it is a bunch of crap that they haven't yet given me residency status. And we're talking about a $5k tutition difference per semester.

So the only thing I can see doing is battling for residency. But even if I get it, I'm no better off. I don't really want to get the tuition money from my parents.

My parents divorce took like 4 years to complete. I don't even know when the official papers came in. Well anyway, despite a nice settlement, my mother has never been one to help her children with money. And recently she remarried (someone who she claims has lots of money) and has become even less helpful. I would even say down right selfish.

My father on the other hand is the type of person who attaches conditions with everything. He'll probably help me with the tuition with the condition that I visit him every 6 months. I know it doesn't sound bad, and it probably really isn't. But I hate having that kind of control put over me.

My whole life before I graduated from college was about being under someone else's control. My grandparents had to "sign off" on any money I took for college. This meant that they required me to list all of my expenses, show them all of my grades, and then listen to them (I'm being 100% honest here) judge and belittle my choices in life.

I desperately wanted to shed that, and when I graduated college that happened. Except I didn't start a wonderful career. Instead it turned out that I couldn't find anything. And as we all know, my most promising opportunity let me down.

So I'm faced with a very bad situation. Even though I may want to go back to college, I'm paralized by what that means I'll have to do.