Decisions...

“I am having a difficult time trying to make a big decision.

I've been thinking, debating, and discussing the decision for two weeks now and still have not been able to come up with the final call.

It revolves around school, school vs moving, moving and school, and always....finances.

Here are the options...

1) Start school in September.
Pros: actually starting school again
Cons: long commute, higher expenses with lower income, will only be able to take one class because I still need to work but the commute will be 2/3 hours long.

2) Do not start school in September but stay in NYC and start school next semester
Pros: will have more funds saved; possibility of being able to transfer to a closer school
Cons: waiting around in a city I'm not happy in; delaying school

3) Start school in September and move to Seattle in January/February
Pros: success of starting school, getting to relocate; might be helpful in transferring to UW
Cons: limited finances will probably hinder the process of saving up to move and also the process of finding housing and work in Seattle

4) Do not start school in September and move to Seattle in January or earlier if finances allow
Pro: can save, save, save money; can fly out a few times to job hunt, explore the city, and find a home
Con: delaying school for a year (residency status) and settling in.


I'm afraid of letting more time pass before going back to school and starting the next phase of my life but I want to move now but can't afford to and the longer I wait the more expensive the move becomes because of winter but the sooner I move the sooner I am working toward getting state residence status and lower tuition and who knows what opportunities but then again - I have a place in school right now and nothing out there yet but I'm so tired of struggling here in the city and I feel like I've hit a wall and its time to let go and move along and perhaps find happiness again and soften up the hard shell I've grown while living here but I really, really want to go to school!

Sorry - I feel like my head is going to explode if I can't come up with a decision and fast - registration is on the 25th and I need to have made a choice by then.

I also figured with all the life experience on this board -- you might be able to offer some insight.”

“Weigh your risks. Explore what you are willing to live with in the short term and the long run.”

“The question you do not seem to have asked yourself is why Seattle and how committed are you to moving.

If your reasons for moving are good, then you should do it as soon as possible. If you're just seeking a geographical fix, you might find yourself as unhappy in Seattle as New York, and with little or no support network.

Not to put a damper on your plans, but you need to seriously question why you want to go to Seattle. If the reason(s) are valid, then go for it.”

“Short term sacifices to achive a long term goal has always worked or me/us. Only you can make the decision. Think about what you need to live with in order to get back into school. If you have limited resourses, going back to school will be a struggle, but at what beniit? Ask yourself, way is maving the Seatte so important? Is there other alternative? What are you going back to school for? Online courses? Is there someplace close that you can achive your goals in? I know that NYC is one of THE most expensive places to live. Can yo uget a job in a nother city doing what your doing right now and attend school? Sorry, but sometimes our hopes at making adecision bring up more questions. I have a feeling that once you get right down to it, you could stay in the part of the country you're in now and achive most of your goals.”

“I think Geo hit it on the head, Twinks. Maybe it's not the idea of moving, but the fact that you picked a place totally foreign to you that is as far away from you as the continental U.S. boundaries will allow. Have you thought about a compromise with yourself that would involve a move that is not as far?”

“Wherever I may go, I need the following: public transportation, a good/great school, beautiful natural surroundings yet still cosmopolitian, a decent job market, affordable cost of living, a healthy arts scene, and friendly people.

Seattle seems to have all of these qualities.


What is clear is this: I am moving to Seattle.

What I'm still unclear on is this: To start school and then move or not start school. If I can make it work, I will start school and then move.

A sense of progress is essential for me. Stagnation, whether real or imagined, drives me batty.”

“Well, to help answer that question, you should make sure that any credits you might earn in NY are accepted by the school you intend to attend in Seattle. Be sure that they won't just take them as elective credit too. Otherwise, you're just throwing your money away going to school before you move.”

“i can totally understand your feeling like you want to move...if you're not having fun in NYC, why stay there? it's definitely a place with a Vibe that nowhere else has, so if you did move, no doubt your life would change a lot! when i was in college, i had a similar dilema: stay in college in my boring small town taking classes i didn't like; or go to NYC for culinary school. i had just about decided to go to NYC, when i bolted up from near-sleep--i could swear i heard an actual, loud voice telling me that i HAD to stay at college. it was very creepy! i couldn't ignore it, and i stayed, and i was soooo happy i did.

so, you're young and i think people stay in one place where they're not happy too much...so i'm inclined to say go, and wait a year for school. a year will fly by, anyway!

but i do believe in signs and intuition and stuff like that, so i think you should watch out for anything like that! after all, there's a lot more going on in the world and in yourself than you're consciously aware of. at least i think so!”

“What does your heart tell you to do?


Listen to your little voice.”

“Thanks gang.

Thanks for sharing your story Lyra - was it the right choice? PS - I'm not that young anymore. Getting old. ;)”

“I don't know your major but why not get your degree online from a University. Then you can start school in Sept. with no commute time and continue school even when you move. There are a number of 'Real' Universities that have virtually all degrees online to choose from. I am looking at UC Santa Barbara. I live near Orlando, FL.”

“Rob a bank, go to jail.
let the taxpayers cover your education expenses.

Omega Pacific in Seattle have a deal where inmates make climbing gear.”

“twinks, he has a point. that would be a great form of revenge on you know who.


hint (climbing gear)
:P”

“Unless you're REALLY good at saving money, you probably won't have as big a savings account as think. I know I tried that to finish up my undergraduate degree. Didn't work. Unexpected events and expenses syphoned off my savings.

Seeing you've decided to move. Just do it!

As others have said, if you decide to take a class this fall, make sure it transfers. I transferred, foolishly and by the time I have my bachelor's degree, I had enough credits to have been a Masters!

My penny & a-half!”

“I just called CUNY to see if I can hold off until next semester with a transfer to Hunter. I was told that if I go in now with my transcripts I should have little if no trouble in doing both.

So, I think I'll either go tomm. or Monady after work. If it works out - then I can spend time saving, still have the option of school, and still have the option of moving without all this crazy pressure I'm putting on myself because of deadlines.

Whew...that would be a load off!”

“so this means you will go to school for a year then move to WA?”

“it was definitely, 100% the right decision...ya old fart.”

“Not sure Maple. But I want to keep my options open. I have known in my heart that Brooklyn is not where I want to go. I kept trying to make it work for me - because I don't want to be the only one not in school when it's so important a goal for me - but my gut keeps fighting it. I would rather wait for Hunter or move to Seattle than beat my head against a wall for 4 months.

Hahaha - Lyra! May your monkeys screech at you!

I thought your teen years were supposed to be filled with angst and unknowing - not your mid 20's!”

“You need to understand why you aren't happy where you are.

Moving the body does not remove troubles from the soul.

Personally if I were dead set on moving then I would just do it right now.”

“listen to your guts! also, if you hold out for at least a semester, you could always make yourself extra-miserable (especially if you're still in NYC and not enjoying it anyway) in the meantime and work a second job at night...then when school does start, it would be easier to pay for. or something!”

“Some people pass from this world on the far side of 80 and still have no clue.

Knowing what you want is important. Knowing how to get it is the tricky part. There are no "How to" manuals.

Taking the pressure off is a good idea. Gives you time to sort through the details and search out the means.”

“Seattle is not the only place in the country that satisfies the criteria you listed.

In fact, an arguement could be made for about 50 places that satisfy the search parameters.

Ask your self this.

How much do you want to move?

How set are you on Seattle?

How much do you want to get back in school?

Is going to school now or moving now a priority?

Look at it this way. After you get a degree, you options as to moving will be greater and you will probably get a relocation package.”

“Wherever I may go, I need the following: public transportation, a good/great school, beautiful natural surroundings yet still cosmopolitian, a decent job market, affordable cost of living, a healthy arts scene, and friendly people.

MU, Columbia campus.”

“Mid 20s old?”

“Twinkie, are you okay?”

“Limpy,

Yes, I am okay. Thank you but why do you ask?”

“I thought this was some kind of virtual community and it would be appropriate to show or express concern if a "friend" seemed depressed.
My bad...”

“Thank you for your concern. Yeah, I'm a bit depressed. But mostly, I just want to get on with my life and out of this town.”

“Hey Twinkle,
I would do the move first, settle in, and then start my classes up. But that is me: I tend to rush into stuff once I get an idea into my head. One question is: if you are going to school in NYC, will you be able to concentrate and put in the time you need to knowing you'll be leaving soon??”

“Twink - I don't think it is a good use of resources to take any classes that you are not sure will be useful for your final degree choice (unless it is just to explore a discipline). That is based on 21 years of advising transfer students.

Consider moving to WA to see if you really like it before you start spending your money. Use that time to save, plan, and establish residency. If you can really clarify your plans and focus your resources, you may save time and money in the long run.

I agree with a lot of the advice already given. It has been my experience that half the people who move because they are unhappy where they are will be just as unhappy where ever they go. Make sure your motivation is sound.”

“I love Seattle, twink, but I will say there are probably other places that offer what you list as requirements. BUT, since you're set on Seattle, I won't try and dissuade you from this great city.

If you intend to move, I'd either do it before starting school, or after you graduate. Many things will transfer, but lower level stuff may just go as credits, not towards a degree (I wasted a year of school due to this...you don't want to do that).

What is your line of work? Job market in Seattle is, honestly, a bit sketchy right now, especially in some fields. Do a little looking before you jump, you don't wanna come out here for a tough run of finding a job.

Manuka, Omega Pacific is not in Seattle, but in Spokane... the other side of the state, and TOTALLY different than Seattle!”

“I'm already a transfer student. Actually, I'm post-bac.

As far as work goes, I've been temping for ages because I was dancing. I can teach, choreograph, admin in corporate banking, admin for independent lawyers, do pr, work with animals, hostess, maybe waitress (ugh), and.....oh yeah, I can also refinish furniture and put temporary roofs on houses.

You pick up a few skills when you're struggling with an arts life!

But - I'm coming out the 2nd week in September to check out the city.”

“But Spokane is a nice place. My brother lives there and loves it. He lived in Montana for 5 years and loved that also...just couldn't make a living.”

“Oh, Phil. You know I'm not down on Spokane. Just pointing out that if one were to land there expecting Seattle, it would be quite the surprise.

My dad first saw Washington on a bus from San Jose, CA to Vancouver, B.C. and decided he wanted to be up here. He applied to Washington State University thinking that it's Washington, not realizing that what he saw was totally different than what he'd have gotten had he actually been accepted to Washington State.

Spokane is a nice area.”

“Marmot, I guess it could have been worse. He could have found himself heading to St Louis Mo or Chestertown Md.”

“It was...Chico State (now California State University, Chico).

Then to inflict punishment, I was subjected to many years of cult attendance: University of Washington Husky Football. ”

“Pack, move closer to your school now, unpack only what you HAVE to Have...then WAIT!

Gets you out of the city...
Closer to school...
Packed for the longer/larger move...
and you avoid the Fire and death when Mt. Ranier explodes and the city of Seattle disappears!!!!

The Sky is Falling!...the SKY is Falling....!”

“no money for school??? i didn't have a cent for law school.

loan it! especially at these interest rates. plus, the interest you pay is tax deductible. contact the school you want to go to, get a hold of financial aid, get a federal loan.

hope it works out.”

“I think the latest power outage and the ads for Arkansas are an omen for twinks.

I could afford a concubine.”

“I thought your teen years were supposed to be filled with angst and unknowing - not your mid 20's!"


Ummmm, so-o-o-r-r-y-y welcome to the rest of (your) life.

[You never know what is around the corner or what will happen when you open your eyes in the morning. There will always be suprizes, some are cherished some less cherished.]

Guess my job search and multiple interviews this week have me thinking philosophically.”

“Twink - Since you are talking about graduate school (correct?) you should know that they accept fewer transfer credits than undergraduate programs do. The three graduate programs I was in would only accept a few classes from other institutions.

Marmot - I understand what you meant. Western WA and OR are much different than the coastal areas.”

“Move to Rooster Run, Ky. and get a correspondence degree in Small Engine Repair from DeVry Technical Institute.”

“From the experience of age.....stay or go back to school first.

Everyday it becomes more difficult. I finally went back to school only to have my job change under me (which I loved) but my hours changed drastically to where I missed my last classes. They still gave me GOOD grades rather than an incomplete, but now I don't have the time (varying long hours) to go back. I envy you the opportunity & I can't quit/change my job.”

“I hear you stumprider. I gave 30 days notice this week to take a 20% pay cut and a better but very different job. Still chasing dreams at 47.”

“I have one year on you.

Finished my PhD in December, still don't have a job--but have had several phone interviews this week all which will require me to relocate half-way across the continent, if I get the job.

Best.”

“There's another 5 seconds off my life you owe me Twinkle. At this rate we'll be spending the weekend together in my basement.”