What's your background? It's possible to teach yourself, but you're unlikely to do it with just the one plane--meaning you'll crash and have to buy another. That's about $125 right there, so where's that leave you?

I grew up playing with models. Started with the little hand tossed gliders and rubber powered Gillows. I had a voracious appetite for the physics of flight. My RC cars prepared me for the left/right orientation problems you'll experience. I flew control line a bit, so I knew something about handling glow engines. I'd spent a fair bit of time at the field doing things like sitting pylons during races, so I had a good idea of what to expect. My first flights went well, though all of those other experiences didn't really prepare me as well as I thought they had. It wasn't easy or very enjoyable at first.

About a month later I crashed my trainer doing something foolish. The club fees might seem stiff, but what's your enjoyment of the hobby worth? More than that, if you want your investment in the plane to pay off you need it to last until you outgrow it. You'll still need the insurance benefits of the AMA, because as a college student I doubt you carry homeowner's insurance that might cover you. Accidents can and do happen, and the last thing you need at your age is having to declare bankrupcy because you didn't have sufficeint coverage. Where are you going to fly? These planes are too big for most parks, and draw more kids to you than a new playground. They don't have any idea of safety, and you'll be too busy struggling to control your model to be able to ward them off.

Just some things to think about.