RTF @ Temple

It was 40 years ago this month that I graduated from college at Temple University. Class of 1978.

In December 1973  I had received a three month early release to start college in the spring semester of 1974. I had initially applied and got accepted to Montgomery County Community College and went there for one semester in January 1974. I took one course in a review of how to study and be a success in college. I had then also applied to Temple University, got accepted and enrolled full time for the fall 1974 semester. Temple is a state school and in Pennsylvania they had a program for Vietnam Era veterans which gave us complete free tuition. I only had to pay for my books and fees. I also had the federal GI Bill program that gave me a lump sum in a check every month for about $350. I was living in the family house on Seymour Street in Philly that I purchased from my great aunt's estate. I would be in that house from early 1974 until the spring of 1979.

I would be at Temple University from 1974 to 1978. I would enroll in the School of Communication and Theater's Department of Radio, Television and Film. I took a lot of courses in studio production, writing and broadcast history. I also took courses in a variety of other subjects including business marketing and statistics. I found out that I really liked American Studies and took a lot of courses from that program and almost changed majors. I think I liked those courses best of all. 

I was also one of the older students in my freshman class and a military veteran. There were actually quite a few vets at Temple and their was an active veterans group. Overall there were many non-tradition students at this university which made it somewhat easier to attend. It would have weird to be in classes with just a bunch of 18 year old students.

I've wondered over the years if the RTF program was what I really should have done but I did enjoy it at the time and I think it did help me overall as I went through life. I guess I thought at the time that I wanted to work in the media somewhere but when I finished college there was a recession and not a lot of job opportunities anywhere in any field. 

I wasn't real excited about graduating from college at the time and didn't attend the graduation ceremony. Never wore the cap and gown. Just give me the diploma and I was out of there.