I have a conundurum, not of the moral variety though......

[spankyfrank]

Ok here is my problem on which I have no clue what to do.

I've gotten accepted into Pace University in New York. I've chosen this school as the place I want to go to finish my education. My father however is giving me no support to go to this school. He is basically giving me my college education fund and saying good luck your not my problem. The problem is this Money will only hold me for 1 semester at Pace and I will not have any spending money for college. Now I will be getting Financial Aid either way so paying for college won't be too much of a problem minus the 80 grand i will have to repay once im done.

Now instead of going right into school in Janurary I can hold off my acceptance until the fall when I could in the mean time get a job and try to save up enough money. The only problem with that though is that I know I will be absolutely miserable. At this point in my life I want to leave and be out on my own. My friends have all left and I am in the worse age range as far as girls go in my town. I will be lonely and super depressed for a good 5 months. There is nowhere I can stay in this area for free and be able to support myself. I have a sister down in virginia who might be able to take me in for a few months, but its a long shot at best.

So do I go right into school with zero money and hardly any chance of finding a job while attending classes, or do I stay home this semester and work but be miserable at the same time?

:unsure::down::wallbash::sad::surrender::help:

[topless_mike]

be home, miserable. get a job, 2 even and load up some coin. then go to school.

it 6 shitty months. you can survive that. stay busy with work, and it'll go by faster than you think.

[nate1000]

totally disagree- go to school, take the aid and graduate as soon as you can.

your earning potential will be exponentially higher post graduation and you will avoid the inevitable monkey wrench waiting for you some time in the next five months that could lead to you putting it off for more.

[underdog]

Go to school and get the fuck away from home. You can find some bad job to make some spare cash at, but it sounds like staying at home will destroy you. Get out while you can.

[LordJezo]

Now I will be getting Financial Aid either way so paying for college won't be too much of a problem minus the 80 grand i will have to repay once im done.

Being in that much school debt will suck. I know people who pay more in college loan payments every month as a percentage of their income than I do on a mortgage payment. It sucks because now they can't save money, cant move out without needing a bunch of roomates because all their money is going to repaying loans, and their bank accounts are always down to nothing.

Stay at home, suck it up, and graduate with out having a college loan that will sit next to you for the next few decades. 6 months is nothing in the scheme of things, decades of college loan payments is much worse.

[underdog]

Stay at home, suck it up, and graduate with out having a college loan that will sit next to you for the next few decades. 6 months is nothing in the scheme of things, decades of college loan payments is much worse.

But how much money can someone possibly save in 6 months? And at what cost, mentally and emotionally?

If you're in a shitty situation, get out. You won't look back.

[lleeder]

I say get right into going to school. How much could you possibly save up in 6 months? It wont be enough to make much of a difference in the end. The sooner go to school the sooner you'll be done and hopefully starting your "real" job where you can pay back loans.

[Misteriosa]

sleep at home and bury yourself in work and school.

take out only direct federal loans and do some work study. STAY AWAY FROM SALLIE MAE!!!

[~Katja~]

sleep at home and bury yourself in work and school.

take out only direct federal loans and do some work study. STAY AWAY FROM SALLIE MAE!!!
but she is a goer:blink:

[TripleSkeet]

Jezo, hes not working for 6 months to avoid student loans. Hes going to need them regardless. What hes thinking of doing is working to save up spending money.

My advice would be this, you know youre going to be miserable at home, you know theres nothing to do because all your friends have gone, so try this...

Either find a job that will let you work a ton of hours or find a day job and a night job. Work constantly. This will accomplish 2 things. It will keep you out of the house and busy, and it will help you save ALOT of scratch. You wont even be able to blow it if your working all the time.

Then as soon as that semseter starts grab your nest egg and get the fuck out. I know alot of people say why stay miserable? But I cant think of anything more miserable then being in college with zero money and watching your friends enjoy their college days while you stay home because your broke.

[topless_mike]

be home, miserable. get a job, 2 even and load up some coin. then go to school.

it 6 shitty months. you can survive that. stay busy with work, and it'll go by faster than you think.


My advice would be this, you know youre going to be miserable at home, you know theres nothing to do because all your friends have gone, so try this...

Either find a job that will let you work a ton of hours or find a day job and a night job. Work constantly. This will accomplish 2 things. It will keep you out of the house and busy, and it will help you save ALOT of scratch. You wont even be able to blow it if your working all the time.

Then as soon as that semseter starts grab your nest egg and get the fuck out. I know alot of people say why stay miserable? But I cant think of anything more miserable then being in college with zero money and watching your friends enjoy their college days while you stay home because your broke.

:thumbup:

[Kevin]

School.

You are not going to get a non shitty job without finishing.

[EliSnow]

You need to do some homework. How much financial aid can you get from Pace? If you know that, you'll know how much $ you need every year to afford the school. Then figure out how much money you'll need every week to go out, etc.

You can get a part time job while you're in school and still learn and have fun. When I was at NYU, I waited tables twice a week in Hoboken for spending money and got along just fine.

[JohnCharles]

School it up. Get it over with.

Loans suck, but that is part of college.

I am with Eli on this one.

Take whatever job you can get doing grunt work for some scratch if you want that.

I worked full-time (or more) during my undergrad and paid my way through college and regret it.

Having only loans for my graduate school (only 10k) is awesome but after undergrad and pushing myself, I felt beat down.

[razorboy]

Go to school and deal drugs.

[spankyfrank]

Go to school and deal drugs.

Thats the most sensible Idea I've heard all day.

[JohnCharles]

razorboy's back!!!

[SatCam]

school and a job at the same time

if you only work for 6 months, that isn't going to go very far once you start going to school. you will have to work while at school either way. might as well start going to school asap so you can get out asap

then again what do i kno, i skipped the whole college thing altogether............

[GregoryJoseph]

College is a waste of time and money.

Get to work!

[LordJezo]

Jezo, hes not working for 6 months to avoid student loans. Hes going to need them regardless. What hes thinking of doing is working to save up spending money.

Oh, well in that case how about going to a community college, knocking out all the pre-reqs, and then going to a 4 year to finish up your degree? You get the same piece of paper at the end and it will cost a lot less.

Or don't go to Pace and find a cheaper school. 80k of debt is going to be a huge pain in the ass when you graduate, especially when you could go to a local state school for a lot less.

[midwestjeff]

College is a waste of time and money.

Get to work!

This.

But don't forget to blow through your college education fund before you do.
Coke, weed, booze, and a jet ski.

[jauble]

School (I quit because it is horseshit) if this is your path just do it and pray that one of the board members talks with Tyler Durden. It sounds like you are set on it then just go do it.

[Suspect Chin]

Find a cheaper school. I went the whole 'private school will get me a better job and pay off in the end' route and I'm currently working with a bunch of public school grads who have a quarter of the school debt making the same amount of money.

You won't get a better education at Pace and you won't make more when you graduate.

[jauble]

Also what is the course of study?

[Recyclerz]

WSJ:The value of that college diploma (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703438404574597952027438622.html)

I suspect you might have a tough time finding a job in this area that will pay enough to make it worth your while to postpone school. The best time to be in shool is a recession, especially if you time it right so that you get out when the hiring starts up again. However, I'd be wary about piling up too much debt esp. for a BA/BS. As others have said, it puts you in a pretty deep hole that will feel overwhelming for years.

Good luck bro.

[spoon]

Ur lucky enough to even have ANY college fund, bc most of us didn't. Saying ur getting no help just isn't right. Also, you act as if college kids are expected to be loaded. Go out and get a job on campus or around it, as college type jobs aren't tough to land...even now. If it's ur plan/dream, make it happen, don't expect it to come to you.

[IMSlacker]

Have you considered selling a kidney?

[~Katja~]

This might not sound like something you want to hear Spanky, but its the right advice.

Ur lucky enough to even have ANY college fund, bc most of us didn't. Saying ur getting no help just isn't right. Also, you act as if college kids are expected to be loaded. Go out and get a job on campus or around it, as college type jobs aren't tough to land...even now. If it's ur plan/dream, make it happen, don't expect it to come to you.

[LordJezo]

Find a cheaper school. I went the whole 'private school will get me a better job and pay off in the end' route and I'm currently working with a bunch of public school grads who have a quarter of the school debt making the same amount of money.

You won't get a better education at Pace and you won't make more when you graduate.

Yeah this.

I went to Rutgers. Friend went to Dartmouth, which is ivy league. Same degree, CS, I have a better job than he does because I had got into some better internship positions during college. Wife went to Willy P, has $3000 left of debt we are going to pay off next year. Her friend went to some fancy pants private joint in NYC, has $100,000 in debt. They have the same job making about the same money.

It makes no difference where you get your degree (outside of Harvard and Yale and all that), all that matters is your internships and connections you can make during your four years at school. Don't go someplace you can't afford, or at least a reasonable can't afford.