Published on 12, July, 2020
We hear so much about autistic people and special interests and so many people have them and enjoy them, but we never hear about people who can't afford them, what do they do?
I can't afford mine, I love early medieval history and things associated with it, such as archeology, but I can't afford it, I could easily spend £3-400 on books every month, many of the books I'd like are out of print or in limited print runs and cost between £80 and £200, I've looked online and many are as expensive as ebooks as they are print editions, if they exist as ebooks at all. Many journals are expensive too and online resourses are too and many are really aimed at organisations such as universities rather than private people.
It's frustrating to have an interest that I find so consuming, but can't afford to follow or find others to even talk about it with, but then how many people know the Anglo-Saxon conversion period even existed, let alone know anything about it?
To get cheap access to a really good academic library, I'd find the cheapest Open Uni course and sign up for it, even to the point of failing it and re-studying next year...
It sounds to me like you'd love doing your own research as part of a PhD...
I don't have enough money to buy the books and Lego I would like...
Not being tech savy at all I don't think I'd know how to cope with a digital university, I'm not even sure they'd have anything on the areas of research I'm interested in, the OU don't really do proper history, the earliest date they go from is 1500CE, they don't seem to do anything earlier than that.
I would love to do a Phd, but I can't afford it.
I don't do social media either only here.
I didn't intend this thread to be all about me, but about how others cope when there are barriers to them persuing their interests, whether they're financial or transport, whatever.
I guess new guitar strings aren't that expensive, you're lucky, does anyone complain about you playing?
Ooh that's a really good idea! I've missed having access to an academic library.