Do you need to have a degree in order to call yourself a "linguist"?
I really like linguistics but I can't afford to get a whole degree just for a hobby! My friends call me a linguist cause they know I love this subject lol but I wondered if studying on my own was enough to rightfully claim that title. I'm pursuing a degree in something else and although I've thought about going back for another degree, it just seems like such a waste of money since I'm not doing it for work. I also don't have the time or money to pick up a few linguistic classes because these things are expensive, and I'm already doing school part time to work and pay for this degree, so I don't want to delay graduation even longer. If only tuition was cheaper, I'd absolutely go to school for the fun of it.
Could I ever call myself a linguist? My current plan is to find some books, articles, textbooks online and in the library, and practice writing some research essays just for myself. Is it worth it to save up to just get the degree? At the college I'm looking at, it appears that I'll spend over 30k for a 4 year program. I know a lot of people here do it for the love of the game, but damn I don't know if I can spend that much on a hobby.
Oh and btw, my career goal is actually related to linguistics: SLP. BU has a dual SLP linguistics program that I dreamed of doing but I swear I'd spend more than getting two bachelors haha. So I am taking a linguistics class rn as it is required for SLP, but it's not really necessary to take any more and I need the time to take SLP-specific classes.
I guess what I'm really trying to ask is, can I learn enough on my own or will it not even compare to the kind of education I'd get at university? The one I'm looking at is UNR: An English degree but heavily linguistic/language-focused.
Honestly, I love school over working tenfold. I'd collect degrees if I could.