Just wanted to say how lucky most of you are that you can shoot your guns when you want and where you want. I am in my second year up here at Clemson and unfortunatly I could not bring my guns (mostly my new AR and all my 1911's)to school. Home is a 5 hour drive so shooting is limited to the few times a year that I go home. For some reason, I was thinking about this today and could actually smell gunpowder. Your mind can do strange things sometimes (I swear it smelled like VihtaVouri). Oh well, they say it pays off in the end right? Maybe someday I'll be able to afford all the guns I could ever want eh? Maybe... take care

Forget about guns for now and study like hell. remember what weapons did for our freedom and enjoy them while you can. Spread the word and don let the liberal pigs of SA's and prof get you down. Most of all walk with God. You will be a success. Learn everything you can about other people.....Have many girl friends.

A better education equals more money.
More money equals more toys.
Do the math. [:D]

NO shit. In my case, I'll go back ten years. Between tools (mostly Snap-On) and firearms, I could have paid ca$h for a nice house.

What's really important though, is that you make good use of the opportunities you have RIGHT NOW.  Don't be a dumbass like me.  

When I was eighteen I received a full academic scholarship to a Big-Ten school (guess which one [:)]).  One year later, I had a major in beer, a minor in tequila and a 1.6 GPA. Goodbye scholarship, hello cruel world.  

I've busted my ass (and had some good fortune), and today I make a comfortable living.  But if I would have spent more time in the library and less time in PaPa Joes drinking buckets of Gennesee (hey, it was cheap [;)]), my lifestyle would be much more 'comfortable'.  

Just a little advice, take it or leave it ...

Why dont you find another member here on this board.

Hang out a little but and let himn hold on to a few of your guns. That way you only have to drive a little while to shoot instead of 5 hours.

I have held on to many firearms for many members of this site.

Some went to war and some just didnt have the room.

Uh Oh. Looks like Troy and I share something else besides a love of ARs. Such a statement has the ring of bitter experience in it.[:D]

The problem is, sometimes they don't get actively psycho until years later; and the trick is to recognize the seeds of the craziness early on.

Keith:
 I know this will sound like sacrilege, but put guns (beer and women) out of your mind for now. When I was younger, it took most of my food money for months to scrape together the cash for a Ruger Mini-14. When I was 35 I went to college for four years (thank you Veteran's Administration and Tax Payers), I studied like a dog every day, and did very well. Now I have a collection (including a Class III) that would be the envy of anyone on this board, and there was still money left for cars, house, food, etc... If it were not for the Democrats, I wouldn't even know I was in the middle of desperate and disastrous economic times. I don't mean to sound too preachy, but you got'a trust us on this.

Regards,
Mr. L.

Just to put things in perspective-when I was in school I couldn't afford a [b]BB gun[/b] much less an AR15 or a 1911.

You might want to consider yourself just a [i]little[/i] bit lucky that you can afford such an expensive hobby as a student.

Ultimately your work ethic is even more important than your education. If you excel at both your success in life will be assured.

Study hard now so you can cash in later-forget about the guns.

i got good grades in high school, went to a good college too. even worked two co-ops full time during my spring and summer semesters of my sophmore and junior years and took night classes so i wouldn't get behind, along with always having a money job to barely scrape by. i busted my ass. i walked out the door with a degree in mechanical engineering and an enormous loan (that will take me literally 12 years to pay back) into an economy that didn't want engineers. i spent 2 years working in bars at night and landscaping during the day, racking up more bills, barely getting by. i finally found a "real" job as a deveolpment engineer for a small company that makes diesel fuel injectors for (insert name here), but it's not any better. the pay is at the very low end of what i should make, the bills are still piling up, and there isn't a damned thing i can do about it. i have a crappy apartment, i drive a crappy car, and i barely afford those.

i don't mean to be a downer, but no, having your education will not guarentee anything. nor will working your ass off. in fact they may not even help (like me, shitty economy = no job) JUST MAKE SURE YOU DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. having no $ but doing something you like is WAY better then haning no loot and doing something you hate. that's my advice. if you get a great job, congrats. if you don't, eat lots of PB&J so you can afford to shoot on the weekends!

I don't know about your college area, but it might be an option to move off campus.  I go to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.  It is prohibited to have firearms in an on-campus residence.  However, I live in an apartment off campus and I keep a RRA A4 and a .22 bolt action for recreational shooting at the nearby range.  Soon to be getting a Walther P99 in the mix too!

edit; In my case, living off campus is not much more expensive than living on campus, when initial costs are set aside.  i.e., base rent and utilities for my apt are about the same per year as living on campus for a year.  The only financial hurdle for me was buying the furnishings for my apt, but that's a one time cost.

Now, there's some sound advice.

Get your education NOW, whatever you have to give up for it.

Many years ago, I had a (5'11" 130# blonde, blue eyed fox, built like a brick shithouse) [i]psycho[/i] gf tell me "Don't marry (my bride), I'll buy you a new truck and a boat".  She was trying to get me to skip on marrying the woman of my dreams, just to stay with her....

The sad part is she bought all the toys for a couple of guys after me, who divorced her.  After buying up toys for 2 husbands and having 2 divorces, she's still loaded.  Can you say 7 figures(now, not then)?  She still looks good enough...

I'm still with my bride, who, by the way, went on to college with a nearly full VA ride, thanks to her WWII Vet daddy.  I made the payments the last couple of semesters...

We are doing fairly well, 10 years later.  We make around 90k a year, have a small house in the country, and pay our bills on time.

My ex GF is still crazy.  Loony as a bat.

I've got my shit paid for, and have a wonderful wife, to boot.

Please stay in school.

Do it "for the children".

YMMV...............