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ok, so heres the deal



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Sat Oct 06, 2007 4:55 pm
sabradan says...



So here's the deal:
I was talking with my dad a couple of nights ago about finances and such, and without going into too much detail, I have just above/under 20,000 dollars saved for college. The way prices are always keeping going up, this leaves me about enough for a year, maybe a year and a half at an away school, when I will need at LEAST two years, probably closer to three for undergrad, and then possibly grad school as well. And I don't want to take out loans, really, unless I absolutely have to, because I decided to not go back to Israel until I finished all my school, because I don't want to move back and forth, ad nauseam, so I just want to finish school and be able to hop on a plane bound for the homeland and not have to worry about paying back loans first.

My dad suggested working full time for a year or two first, especially in this field that my cousin got involved in a year or two ago that he makes some pretty decent scrap: Import/export. Like, what he does is the documentation and research for customs/customs clearance. It seems kinda boring, but when he explained it a little bit more, it seemed kinda interesting, and supposedly you can make a pretty decent living on it (my cousin supporst himself and his disabled wife doing just this) and so my dad thinks I could probably make the equivalent of like between 15 and 18 dollars an hour, 40 hours a week, with maybe a little (but not a lot of overtime) which, with my crude mathematical figures, that means approximately 22000 a year or so. Of course minus taxes and living expenses, but I should be able to put at least 1/3 of that away for school per year. Which would be cool.

Another cool thing about this is that it is a growing field that can easily get employment in any major market/port/shipping town. So I can really move pretty much anywhere in the country and have the ability to get a decent job, which would be cool. Because 1. I could move out of my mom's house, and 2. get some "living" experience before going back to dorms or whatever, and 3. I could then move to another state that has better weather, and whose universities I would like to attend, and get myself residency, as well as declare myself as independent and be eligible for much more financial aid, then.

The only downside is that this industry requires studying/passing a test to get into, kinda like the bar for lawyer, just not as hyped-up, important, and requiring a lot less time and money. So I probably wouldn't get going right away after Harper, I would probably have to take a short term (like 6 month, maybe) full time gig (maybe at like Comcast, or somewhere else that pays halfway decently) and then move/get new job.

Now, you might be wondering why I'm even telling all of you guys this: its simple really, and the reason is two-fold:
1. I really don't want to move to a completely diffferent city or state totally alone, without knowing ANYONE because I get homesick/lonely easily if I don't know ANYONE. I'm not trying to find a roommate or anything like that here--I have many other places to turn for that: but if you know any of the below areas, really in any sort of depth at all, and can give recommendations about the cities/areas themselves, costs of living, etc, THAT would be greatly appreciated.
Yeah, this post is more intended for the older crowd here.
For your information, here's about 3/4 major areas which I'm considering, IF I decide to do this, as this isn't a done deal yet, at all. And yes, there all much farther south, in the warm weather.

Arizona:
Phoenix/Tempe/Scottsdale area
Tucson area

This will be nice because it will be nice warm and deserty. I have to still check on how much shipping they do from here, as Arizona is landlocked, and im not sure how much airfreight they will do. But it will also enable me to get residency for arizona, and so I can go to ASU or UA for in-state fees.

Texas:
Houston/Galveston area
or maybe the San Antonio area

Southern Texas, like Galveston area is supposed to be pretty nice and relatively liberal as well. And major shipping area as well. And, it will enable me to get residencey in Texas and go to UT Austin for in-state fees, which is good, obviously.


Florida:
Tampa Bay area
Miami area
maybe the Orlando area

Again, its nice and warm (its florida, for petesake) and major shipping area, plus a lot of really nice universities I can then later get in-state rates for.

So please, if you know the area relatively well and can lend your expertise in terms of knowing cost of living, wheres good areas/whats a good price for apartments, etc. please, let me know.

Thanks a lot guys.

Dan
"He who takes a life...it is as if he has destroyed an entire world....but he who saves one life, it is as if he has saved the world entire" Talmud Sanhedrin 4:5

!Hasta la victoria siempre! (Always, until Victory!)
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Sat Oct 06, 2007 6:14 pm
Teague says...



ASU! ASU! ASU!

My brother's an engineering student at the main campus in Tempe, and I'll be an English major there in a few years. The main campus is really close to Sky Harbor International, and they do a lot of shipping out of there- FedEx, UPS, that yellow one that has a D somewhere that I can't remember the name of, stuff like that. Although I'm not entirely certain what exactly you'd be doing, heh. xD But Sky Harbor is international, so it's pretty busy a lot of the time. Big old 747's plastered with company logos. Lots of airfreight. There's also all sorts of trains that run to California.

As far as apartments go, they run fairly expensive in my area- my mum's two bedroom is like, $800 or so a month, but I live in the northern part of Phoenix, which is a long ways from ASU Main. The decent parts of town come in patches, with the exception of downtown Phoenix, which is, again, a ways away from ASU. My brother's lived in Tempe for two years and hasn't had any major problems. Cost of living... well, minimum wage keeps up fairly well with the basics- my mum makes a little over $11 an hour and does just fine (she works for a school, which doesn't pay well here)- so I wouldn't worry too much.

Hope I helped some! :D

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P.S. I know nothing of the other places, sorry. xD
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Sun Oct 07, 2007 7:21 am
Alteran says...



I dont suggest some of the larger areas fo school due to high living cost. Also, Florida is a more seasonal work state. If you were going to hit Florida, you would need to do so realtively soon as we are just now entering season.

You probably want to start at a university, but don't underestimate a community college. My tuition at school was a little over 1500 dollars with books. It'll save you money while you take care of your general education. That's Florida resident rates.
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Sun Oct 07, 2007 4:58 pm
sabradan says...



Adam_Atlantian wrote:I dont suggest some of the larger areas fo school due to high living cost. Also, Florida is a more seasonal work state. If you were going to hit Florida, you would need to do so realtively soon as we are just now entering season.

You probably want to start at a university, but don't underestimate a community college. My tuition at school was a little over 1500 dollars with books. It'll save you money while you take care of your general education. That's Florida resident rates.

No. no, no, Adam, you misunderstand. I am already currently enrolled (and almost finished) at a community college. This will be for between CC and a University (IF I decide to do it) so that I can save up money and get residency in one of those states.

I'm not sure what you mean by a seasonal work state...could you please clarify? This kind of work isn't something like entertainment parks or whatever that is by seasons....Its shipping, which is year-round. And I was looking on line yesterday and doing some research for this, and found out that in Florida, the median salary for doing this job is in the $50K/year range. And while I wouldn't be making that starting out, the website said that the average salary of someone with 0-1 years experience is in the mid $30K/year which isn't half bad...so yeah.

I hope this clarifies.
"He who takes a life...it is as if he has destroyed an entire world....but he who saves one life, it is as if he has saved the world entire" Talmud Sanhedrin 4:5

!Hasta la victoria siempre! (Always, until Victory!)
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Sun Oct 07, 2007 5:38 pm
Griffinkeeper says...



I'd advise against Florida. The taxes over there are hideous and biased against new residents. There are more people leaving Florida than entering it at this time.

In addition to financial aid, you should consider student loans. It does mean you leave school with debt, but the flip side is that you'll be able to earn more money starting off. Another upside is that you will be able to go to college immediately, versus waiting a few years.

You have to be careful with student loans, just like any loan. Look for loans that don't charge interest until after you are out of school, or for as long as possible.

Another thing you should consider when looking at an employer is to see if they offer to help pay for college. The military is one such employer, but not the only one. It may not be right for you, but it is something to check out.
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Mon Oct 08, 2007 4:19 am
Alteran says...



What I mean by seasonal is, during the summer and spring there are few people in Florida, making jobs nearly impossible to find. If you came now and applied you would probably get a job because we are starting to get an influx of people and the demand for workers is higher.

I looked for a job from April until August and didn't get a call back until Spetember. And taxes are rather unpleasent, along with insurance. It really isn't an ideal state to live in. it isn't really warm either. More like thick and sticky. If you have any breathing issues you could suffocate from the humidity.
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Mon Oct 08, 2007 4:53 am
Incandescence says...



Sabradan--


As you probably know, I'm in the Houston/Galveston area. Of all the areas I've lived in, I have to say this is probably the best, for my tastes.

Houston is the fourth largest city in the nation, and, as such, has a great level of diversification throughout. Unlike NYC or LA, living expenses are relatively cheap as long as you're not messing with apartments inside I-45, at the Med Center, and on the West side. Texas also does not have a state income tax (unlike Louisiana, Mississippi, etc.), which means you get to save more of your money than you would other places; likewise, Houston has a pretty resilient and sturdy economy that gives you a certain security about your job.

Also, if money's an issue, I'd suggest considering the University of Houston (I think tuition and fees have been around $7500/year, but then you also have to budget in your living expenses, etc.) instead of UT or A&M (both of which are fine schools but outrageously overpriced). Towards a projected salary, I suspect you could probably get anywhere from $15-25/hour, depending on where you work and what you're interested in doing.


If you have any questions, just ask!
Brad
  





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Mon Oct 08, 2007 4:24 pm
sabradan says...



Incandescence wrote:Sabradan--


As you probably know, I'm in the Houston/Galveston area. Of all the areas I've lived in, I have to say this is probably the best, for my tastes.

Houston is the fourth largest city in the nation, and, as such, has a great level of diversification throughout. Unlike NYC or LA, living expenses are relatively cheap as long as you're not messing with apartments inside I-45, at the Med Center, and on the West side. Texas also does not have a state income tax (unlike Louisiana, Mississippi, etc.), which means you get to save more of your money than you would other places; likewise, Houston has a pretty resilient and sturdy economy that gives you a certain security about your job.

Also, if money's an issue, I'd suggest considering the University of Houston (I think tuition and fees have been around $7500/year, but then you also have to budget in your living expenses, etc.) instead of UT or A&M (both of which are fine schools but outrageously overpriced). Towards a projected salary, I suspect you could probably get anywhere from $15-25/hour, depending on where you work and what you're interested in doing.


If you have any questions, just ask!
Brad


What about cost of living/living expenses? And just on a not-as-important but still necessary side note: what kind of things are there for a young working guy to do around there? I know this sounds really stupid because its a major city, but I still want to know what kind of things there are around for me expect, should I move down in that area.
"He who takes a life...it is as if he has destroyed an entire world....but he who saves one life, it is as if he has saved the world entire" Talmud Sanhedrin 4:5

!Hasta la victoria siempre! (Always, until Victory!)
-Ernesto "Che" Guevarra
  





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Tue Oct 09, 2007 9:40 am
Incandescence says...



Dan,


Living expenses here vary greatly. For a 700 sq. ft. apartment you can pay anywhere from $2200 to $450 a month. For more on this, you might check out: http://houston.apartments.com/ Also, it's just a fact that living expenses in the Southern US are always cheaper than anywhere else; so I think you'll be safe on that note.

Towards work opportunities, I think you're very passionate about politics and the like (right?), and to that end, Houston has some of the best attorneys in the US to work for. There's also the Med Center, the Theater District, etc. etc. About the only thing you can't be employed as here is a ski instructor.


Best,
Brad
  








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