Work, college, or doom?

These are the three choices I seem to have at the moment. You see, I'm unemployed and receiving unemployment benefits. I've applied for college and am in the process of reconfiguring my financial aid to reflect my current financial state. Therein lies a huge problem. If I attend school I automatically lose my unemployment benefits due to the fact that I will no longer be available for work. Well, finding this out I think I'll apply for a Stafford Loan through the school to cover my expenses for room and board and use my spare time to look for a part-time job to help keep me afloat.

Today, I read this on the school's financial aid page:

Effective Summer 2011: John A. Logan College is no longer participating in the Federal Direct Student Loan Program. Students in need of loan funds will have to apply for a Private Alternative Student Loan. In order to find a lender contact your local Bank, Credit Union, or search on the web using “Private Alternative Student Loan providers” for your search.

Reading that has caused me a lot of anxiety. I'm 26 and only last year started working on having any credit because I wanted to stay out of debt as long as possible. If I've ever wanted anything I payed for it outright with money I earned at work. I was two days late on one payment to my one measly credit card and my credit went from Fair to Weak. So, I don't think that I will be able to receive a personal loan for school. I don't have anyone to co-sign with me. I'm all on my own in that regard.

It seems the only real option I have is to stay on unemployment until I find a job and work, work, work forever and nothing.

I'm at my wit's end. I don't see a positive future for myself anymore. I know that I am only 26 but I have all this pressure from my fiancee and her mom to succeed at something and I'm not quite sure I can live up to that standard. It's not for lack of trying but merely that it seems an insurmountable task to leave poverty behind. I've always been poor and to think of not being that way seems like a fairytale or a dream. I don't think that will ever happen.

This is a long post and I don't expect anyone to read all of it and I don't want sympathy from anyone. I just needed to get this off my chest.

/rant

Dude, I'm fifteen and I don't see a bright future for myself. You are not alone, maybe we're pessimists or the world has been flushed down the loo. I've been trying to write a book, I doubt I'm going to get it published. Nobody will want to publish it, it is true rubbish. Either that or I don't believe in myself. I'm lost with you, at least if you work you won't have debt from university/college.

You are not alone in your concerns. Every year at my school is the same story, financial aid problems out the wazoo. It's extremely stressing, but I keep holding on to the thought that one day it will be worth it.

reply to post by PhantomLimb


College is BS... you need money to make money. I am going to go just to educate myself properly in the world of Physics.... but I will be in debt forever. I have learned to just accept it. I will fight the system in other ways, ways that will one day change the education system. Unfortunately that is all I can do and I think going to college will help me understand how to fight it.

STEP 1
Dump the fiancee, and the future mother-in-law. THEY are the cause of your stress.

STEP 2
Do whatever it is YOU want to do and CAN do.

STEP 3
Find someone who appreciates you for who you are. If that doesn't happen, then so be it.

Originally posted by PhantomLimb
These are the three choices I seem to have at the moment. You see, I'm unemployed and receiving unemployment benefits. I've applied for college and am in the process of reconfiguring my financial aid to reflect my current financial state. Therein lies a huge problem. If I attend school I automatically lose my unemployment benefits due to the fact that I will no longer be available for work. Well, finding this out I think I'll apply for a Stafford Loan through the school to cover my expenses for room and board and use my spare time to look for a part-time job to help keep me afloat.

I read a rather alarming statistic today, it said that 85% of college graduates will be returning to live with their parents. 85%!!! That compares to 40% from just a few years back. That's the state of our economy, a college degree is simply no guarantee of a job right now. Perhaps by the time you graduate the picture will be better and your time will have been well spent in getting a degree during a bad economic stint, but it seems just as likely that things will either be the same or even worse in 4 years and you'll emerge still with no job prospects, but saddled with a lot more debt. It all boils down to where you think the economy is going. My personal opinion is it isn't going to be much better in 4 years though.

College is definitely not a bad plan depending on the field. If you love science, then you more than likely have to go to college. Even if you can learn quite well on your own, you can not get the experience in labs that you need without going to school.

However, if you do not want to go into science/medical fields, then it is quite possible that you don't need to go to college. I don't know how true it is, but I've heard people suggest that the social connections you form in college are extremely important too. Really, I think it all depends on what type of work you want.

Many college students have horrible credit and they still get loans. So, really check out any financial aid and loans before you give up... I bet you would be able to get something and there also are scholarships to apply for. (And I mean a lot of scholarships)

Consider what it is that you really want to do. Then start making plans to do it. You are going to be 30 in just 4 years. You can be 30 and doing something that you love every day (or at least making progress towards getting there.) Or you can be 30 and in a horrible job that you hate. You may think 4 years is a long time, but time always goes by fast, and if you start now, you could end up in a position that you love.

The key is: Figuring out what you truly honestly want to do and laying down the tracks to get there.

Jeeze, I didn't mean to sound like a freaking motivational hack-speaker!

reply to post by PhantomLimb


Apply for a job as a mailman. This is the best advice anyone can give you.

Originally posted by Cryptonomicon
STEP 1
Dump the fiancee, and the future mother-in-law. THEY are the cause of your stress.

STEP 2
Do whatever it is YOU want to do and CAN do.

STEP 3
Find someone who appreciates you for who you are. If that doesn't happen, then so be it.

Ditto that get rid of them, because # is going to get tough and the last thing you will need is them dragging you down over # that is not withing your power to control, like the mess that is the job market and civilization. So either tell them to get out of your case or to be gone.

And step 2 and 3 are good points to try to follow.

I would say WORK if you find it, COLLEGE if it can work out for you, and DOOM is a waste of time and energy even think about because if it happens, it happens.

But watch out about the whole energy vampires you surround yourself with, especially the female kind. Because when they sense weakness they will try to drain you dry. It is there nature whether they know it or not. And since most females are energy vampires well good luck with that bro.

reply to post by SavedOne


I don't even have the option of moving in with my parents if need be.

reply to post by Nosred


I don't know about that. I can't spare the money for the test because I have to pay bills and there is the fact that about 3,700 post offices may be closing.

Note: Quote failure

From a female POV, I actually agree with galadofwarthethird and Cryptonomicon.


If they're making demands on you that are completely unreasonable, then its not going to work, and best to end it now.


As far as college.... there's always time for that if the world doesn't end in the next two months (small joke ) - have you looked into apprentice type positions? You might find something you like in the realm of general contracting/hvac/plumbing - don't let anyone fool you - these people make good money. And if you don't like it, quit and do something else. I have a cousin in his 40's who went back to college for his PHD


Allow me to pass his anecdote onto you (from memory)
"A friend and I were out having a drink one night, and I was expressing concerns and doubts about going back to college. I said to him, 'by the time I graduate I'll be over 40 years old...'
My friend said, 'you're going to be 40 years old anyway - wouldn't you rather be 40 years old with a PHD?'
I bought the next round."


I wish you luck in anything you decide for yourself. You are the most important thing in your life, so be good to you.