Chapter 1: Arthur Smith

America, Los Angeles, California State University, Northridge.

"Arthur, you're at school! Sarah's now with Ron from the football team," a chubby blonde guy with glasses said as he walked toward a young man.

"Simon, I know. Let her be," replied the young man named Arthur, who wore a white T-shirt and jeans, casually waving his hand. At 6'1" with a chiseled face and a well-proportioned body, it wasn't surprising he'd had a sexy girlfriend like Sarah.

"Oh, are you okay? I heard you haven't attended classes for half a month," Simon asked with concern.

"No worries, just working part-time," said Arthur, with his hands in his jeans pockets. Sarah was his girlfriend at school, but he didn't care about that now.

Half a month ago, Arthur Smith, the original owner of this body, had drowned at the Coachella Music Festival in California, and he had taken over his body. 

He, originally a man in his 30s in 2024, found himself as a sophomore in 1989 America, struggling to adapt and taking half a month off to adjust.

Arthur Smith, 20 years old, lost his parents in a car accident two years ago and entered this relatively cheap public university with $70,000 from insurance.

He was a student in the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication, majoring in film production.

"Oh, summer vacation is coming. Have you found a part-time job?" Simon patted Arthur Smith on the shoulder.

"Yeah, I found work as an extra in a local film crew," Arthur Smith replied. After two years of study, besides film production courses, he had also taken acting classes.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem to help much; the pay was still low.

"Arthur, you wouldn't be..." Simon made a suggestive gesture.

"Smack," Arthur slapped Simon's belly, "What are you thinking? I'm with a legitimate film crew."

There was no avoiding it; this was the San Fernando Valley area in northern Los Angeles, and Northridge wasn't far from the adult film industry hub.

"What about you, any plans?" Arthur was also worried about the upcoming tuition fees. Originally, the $70,000 would have been enough to graduate if spent frugally and supplemented with part-time jobs during breaks.

But Arthur had spent over $10,000 on a new Ford Taurus upon enrolling and hadn't been frugal over the past two years. Now, his account had less than $3,000 left.

"My family found me an internship at a company. I'm studying engineering and computer science, and I need the experience," Simon said.

"Got it," Arthur shouldn't have asked. Simon's father was a contractor with a decent income.

The California State University system is one of three public university systems in California, alongside the University of California system and the California Community Colleges system.

The University of California system includes 10 research universities like UC Berkeley and UCLA and is part of the Public Ivy league. 

The California State University system has 23 campuses, focusing on teaching rather than research, and doesn't compare to the UC system or prestigious private schools like Stanford, Caltech, or USC.

The California Community Colleges system offers two-year associate degrees and is often a stepping stone to other schools.

"Your car is really nice," Simon said enviously, looking at Arthur's Ford Taurus.

Arthur glanced at his car, thinking about the $10,000+ he had spent. He could have just bought a used car for a few thousand dollars instead.

It's the '80s, after all; the average American monthly income was only $1,600!

Being a local from Northridge, Arthur benefited from the lowest tuition rates at California State University. His annual tuition at Northridge was $7,500, with total expenses around $15,000. For out-of-state students, it was nearly $20,000, and for international students, it was at least double.

Arthur lived at home, saving on housing costs.

"I'll go ask the professors about financial aid and student loans," Arthur said. Earning $10,000 to $20,000 over the summer was too difficult.

"Alright, I'll catch up with you later," Simon nodded.

Arthur specifically sought out his film production professor, a balding man in his 50s, for advice.

"Professor Vincent, are you there?" Arthur knocked on the office door.

"Come in..."

"Arthur, I heard you fell into the water? Are you alright after resting for half a month?" Professor Vincent asked with concern.

"I'm fine," Arthur shook his head and asked about student loans, knowing he couldn't get a scholarship.

"What? Government student loans have about a 5% interest rate, but they're limited and hard to get approved?"

"I can only apply for private student loans, which have over 7% interest and aren't covered by bankruptcy laws!"

...

After leaving Professor Vincent's office, Arthur went to the restroom, washed his face, and looked at his handsome face with brown hair and green eyes in the mirror, shaking his head.

"Student loans are just legalized loansharking. Even bankruptcy can't discharge them. No wonder Obama took over ten years to pay off his student loans!"

Arthur wandered aimlessly around the campus after leaving the restroom. The sunshine in Los Angeles in May was brilliant.

Especially on campus, it was quite a sight.

Many schools in the Los Angeles area offered film production programs, given the proximity to Hollywood.

Cal State Northridge's film program wasn't as prestigious as those at private schools like USC or public research universities like UCLA.

However, Arthur had the advantage of future knowledge from 30 years ahead. The upcoming '90s were set to be another golden age for Hollywood.

Did he really want to waste two more years graduating with a pile of debt?

Moreover, Arthur had less than $3,000 in assets, and even with student loans, he still needed to earn a living.

Luckily, he still had the two-story house his parents left him in Northridge. With the U.S. estate tax exemption at $650,000, Arthur's house was far from being taxed.

*****

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