Everything is Vignetted

Spring 2010 is my last semester as a graduate student (God willing). I have all my required courses for graduation, but struggle if I should take an additional course recommended by one of my advisers. Tina is the horticultural maven for the research committee of my green roof applied research project. I noticed a paper taped to her office door yesterday of landscape design and horticulture classes Texas State offers, and asked her if there was a course she recommended I take for my research. She recommended a class about woody plants to me, and I am excited about the idea of increasing my botanical Rolodex, but I would have to take out more student loans to pay for it.

Earlier today, I said to myself…

“I’m finished with the passive, and ready to continue with the active. A healthy lifestyle is active not only physically, but is also intellectually active and what I consider to be emotionally active, or rather a state when one is true to oneself in recognizing real desires, strengths and weaknesses. I should live this way.”

But is there a line that should be drawn? Like taking out another $2,000 to take a class that is “a good idea” but I don’t really need to graduate? In the grand scheme of things, $2,000 will have a different value to me as time passes while I pay off my student loans. And what my grand loan total is after seven years of higher education is less than what some students pay for a semester of private university education. But right now $2,000 is a lot of money to me. Do I let that fact (or perception? which is it?) outweigh my motivations to have a more active lifestyle? Which should be more important?