... Last I heard pate was in school so hopefully he is just busy studying...
Hey Roz, did you also hear that I made the Dean's List last semester?I imagine not, I only found out myself the other day when I was checking my student e-mail account. I should be ready to proceed to the BS - Botany portion of my adventures Summer of 2023, probably.
I have a series of Chemistry classes that I must take one at a time as each subsequent one has as a prerequisite the one before and a single Biology elective in the 2xx series which I can take whenever. I am going to wait and see if the school actually offers the "Field Biology" class that is listed as a requirement for the AS - Biology, otherwise I will have to select from among Microbiology, Genetics and another one that I am not all that interested in.
I had actually intended to e-mail the University of Hawaii today to begin inquiring about cost of living, out-of-state Tuition (for the first year) and etc to see how feasible it would actually be for me to get the Botany degree there.
I suppose I could always just Student Loan the whole thing, default and then get in on the old "Student Loan Forgiveness" thing. That seems wrong for some reason, though, so I don't think I will go that route.
I might just join the National Guard here in Missouri and then when it is time switch over to the Hawaii National Guard and get Uncle Sam to pay for it that way. I need to make up my mind on that pretty quick. I have a limited time frame on that route before it goes away forever. There is a rule that you must be able to make your 20 years of service before you turn 63, or they won't take you. So there is that. It is very tempting, I read a story the other day that said Army is having trouble (
again*) on meeting recruitment goals and are offering CRAZY $60k enlistment bonuses for certain high demand MOS(s), maybe it was only $50K: I am certain you could find out (assuming you care) with a quick Goggle-search.
Of course, as always, you are welcome to tag along. You could get a job on a cruise ship based in Hawaii I am certain, hell I could as well, but I imagine it would be difficult to attend class while at sea.
I also need to find out what the quarantine requirements are for
The People's Free Democratic Repup-lick of pate armed forces, as Duly Elected Dictator for Life I am loathe to leave
General Flipper McGee, Commodore Hanz Too &
Trained Recruit (Private) Mongo Lee behind. I might need their protective services on the Big Island, but maybe they don't allow the import of Canine Forces (whether civilian or military)...

I am sure it will all work out, I have approximately a year and a third to figure it all out. There is always University of Wyoming (among others) on the BS - Botany degree front. Who knows, maybe Missouri will step up to the plate and offer it in that time and I won't have to futz around finding an Out-of-State school.

*when I joined up the first time there was a similar situation on Army inability to make recruitment goals, I think I got a decent enlistment bonus $12-20k(?) I honestly don't recall...