Paying Your Way Through College?

anniebobannie · Jul 4th, 2008, 12:57 AM

I had a falling out with my parents and I am in a situation where I am moving out of the house and will have to start paying for tuition and rent myself.

I was wondering if anyone could share their experiences with paying their way through college. How did you handle working full-time along with studying and perhaps hanging out with friends and a boyfriend? Any time for extracurricular activities? Did you ever go shopping? I used to work for spending money. Soon I'll be working to support myself.

I know staying in college should come first. It just seems like all I have in front of me is work, work, work. Life seems dreary right now.

digby723 · Jul 4th, 2008, 01:10 AM

I can totally relate to your situation. When I was 18, I made some very poor decisions and my parents stopped paying for my tuition and my dad and I didn't speak for almost 6 months. I had no $ saved up, and they took my car away. I was going to move out, and was accumulating the funds to do so by working full time.

Before I got the chance to move out, things got better at home, but, to make a long story short, I didn't go back to school until last year. Working full time gave me a lot more leeway than working either full or part time and going to school. I am able to work part time and get about 30 hours a week, and go to school full time and it's really not so bad. I have time to hang out with my family and my b/f, and friends too, altho I don't have a ton of them (personal choice by me).

You should def. do loan defferment, so that you won't have to start paying back the loan until after college, and, look for a part time/full time job w/ educational assistance. I know when I worked at Best Buy, they gave you up to 3k per calander year for full time employees. My b/f works for a healthcare providor, and they pay for any class he takes, plus books, no matter the cost.

It's a lot of hard work, and at first, you aren't going to have time to do anything. Don't slack off, I know it will be tempting, but, keep forging ahead. This is why I lost a lot of friends, they skipped class, or, wanted me to skip so I could hang out with them. I learned my lesson the first time around and didn't do it this time around. They ended up failing their class, or dropping out completely, whereas I became an A/B student and am graduating before any of them. School is important, but, if you can't juggle work and school just yet, pick one or the other. Both are important, but, it's better to wait until you can really swing it to do school vs. taking classes only to fail them, which, wastes $ and hurts your GPA.

GL, and hopefully things will work out with your parents soon. I know that end of the tunnel prolly seems like it will never come, but, believe me, I f*cked up really badly and am now closer than ever to my family. I learned a hard lesson, but, it's something I'm glad I figured out when I was 18, vs having to go though that all now when I'm 22.

UK2ME · Jul 4th, 2008, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Both are important, but, it's better to wait until you can really swing it to do school vs. taking classes only to fail them, which, wastes $ and hurts your GPA.

I agree. I have a girlfriend who consistently overloads her class schedule on top of working and then wonders why she's burnt out just after the official withdrawal date for the semester. I shudder when I think about how many classes she has dropped without credit at her cost.

Honey, it's tough. I'm 25, so a little bit older than you, but I work full-time (and then some!), have a husband, play in a community concert band or two, and take college classes. I take 3, 4, maybe 6 credits a semester, and am carrying a 3.79 GPA. I was sitting on a 4.0 until someone in my department left, and I ended up picking up her slack. Work really gets in the way of school!

On the positive side, I am able to earn a decent living without a degree. I work in telecom; for two and a half years in outside sales, and now in project management. There is work out there for people without degrees, you just have to be a little more aggressive about finding it sometimes.

artjen · Jul 4th, 2008, 04:32 PM

I had to work during college and pay some also. I waited tables so I could work a few evening and weekends and it can be really, really good money. After waiting tables a short time I started bartending and made even better money. There were a few semesters I took maybe 9 credits instead of 12 to lighten the load a little bit.

ImASadGiraffe · Jul 4th, 2008, 04:34 PM

I had zero help from my parents for school.

I took out student loans to cover my tuition and got a job at a local pharmacy and worked every weekend. I also arranged my class schedule so I had no classes on Fridays - so I worked 8 hours on Friday too. The job helped pay my rent and food, and the student loans covered my tuition. I started paying my loans back the December after I graduated (but they are now in deferment until I'm done with graduate school). I had lots of friends and a boyfriend who is now my husband while I was in school. Just manage your time well and learn that you may not get 8 hours of sleep each night. It's hard but you can make it work!

jan228 · Jul 4th, 2008, 10:05 PM

I waitressed during the summer and took a full class load during the spring/fall semesters in addition to a part time job on campus. During the summer, I worked a lot, and made a lot of cash. During school, many campus employers can schedule you for as little as 3 hours at a time, so I was able to work between classes. I worked about 15 hours a week while taking 15 or so credits.

During the summer, I would make a couple thousand, and then $1,000 each semester with my part time job, which covered my tuition costs. I did get automatic loans from the school each semester, which helped also.

When I quit waitressing because I hated it so much, I took out private loans for the last 2 years.

gettinpurseonal · Jul 5th, 2008, 05:06 PM

Everyone has good advice. Nobody ever promised it would be easy. I always worked at least 1 job while in college, if not 2. Work can be fun though. I always took just a few hours because work was my primary obligation with rent, bills, car, and tuition to pay for. There is no rush to get through school. You really need the job experience just as much as the degree. Don't stress yourself out with classes or you will get sick or get bad grades. I didn't graduate until I was 35 because I stopped along the way to have 2 kids. Just go at it steadily so you can do your best. And there probably won't be much shopping going on since any available funds really should go into an account to pay for classes. I always like going to summer school because I got the classes out of the way so fast.

lumkeikei · Jul 5th, 2008, 08:28 PM

I had to pay for myself since I got at job at 15. Once I got into a university my parents said that they would not contribute any money towards it either. So I took out student loan, I use it only if I really really have to. I work two part-time jobs and try to save as much as I can. It is really hard I can tell you. Most of my friends don't have to pay tuition therefore they get to spend what they earn. Sometimes I get jealous always seeing them buy new things. But I can tell you, paying your own tuition and managing your money will help you big time in the near future.

gloss_gal · Jul 5th, 2008, 08:34 PM

ImASadGiraffe has some really good advice. Take advantage of student loans if you need to. Using loans for school and a PT job for expenses will make things less stressful. Most importantly, stay in school. Good luck.

Christine · Jul 9th, 2008, 01:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lumkeikei

I had to pay for myself since I got at job at 15. Once I got into a university my parents said that they would not contribute any money towards it either. So I took out student loan, I use it only if I really really have to. I work two part-time jobs and try to save as much as I can. It is really hard I can tell you. Most of my friends don't have to pay tuition therefore they get to spend what they earn. Sometimes I get jealous always seeing them buy new things. But I can tell you, paying your own tuition and managing your money will help you big time in the near future.

Yes. I have to say that employers take this as a huge positive. So no worries! GL!

twiggers · Jul 9th, 2008, 07:25 AM

Well I worked 40 hours a week, went to college, had a husband, and a 12 y.o. kid to raise, and a house to run. There was no time for fun or socializing. I was taking classes over my lunch hour, evenings, and weekends. I managed to maintain a perfect 4.0 for the first 2 years and then graduated with something like a 3.97.
You're obviously younger than I was though and the socializing and shopping are probably important to you (they weren't to me). My advice is to get a job on campus....often schools will give scholarships in exchange for work and they give you the most flexible hours.
My other HUGE piece of advice....go to your financial aid advisor NOW! They will help you figure out what you can and cannot get in terms of aid!!!

Good luck...it won't be easy, but doing it this way is the best way! You will be prepared and ready for the future....whereas your classmates who have never paid a bill in their life will be like fish out of water for the first time :-)

~Fabulousity~ · Jul 9th, 2008, 09:06 AM

I paid (am paying) my way through school with loans and have bought some text books out of pocket. I also have worked full time the entire time I have been in school taking classes on Saturdays or after work during the week. It can definitely be done, definitely visit a financial aide advisor!

lilian · Jul 11th, 2008, 03:05 AM

First, I'm sorry about your situation. Can you apply for any scholarships and bursaries? I used a scholarship to pay my tuition (but it was in Canada, so it wasn't as pricey) and took out student loans to pay for living expenses. I also had a small job in my last year just for spending money.

I really agree with whoever said make sure you give yourself an opportunity to do well by not overloading your schedule...so many more options will be open to you if you graduate with good marks. If I were you, I would do everything I could to at least minimize the amount of hours I would have to spend working, which may even mean relocating and going to school in a smaller city with a cheaper cost of living.

Purses · Jul 11th, 2008, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anniebobannie

I had a falling out with my parents and I am in a situation where I am moving out of the house and will have to start paying for tuition and rent myself.

I was wondering if anyone could share their experiences with paying their way through college. How did you handle working full-time along with studying and perhaps hanging out with friends and a boyfriend? Any time for extracurricular activities? Did you ever go shopping? I used to work for spending money. Soon I'll be working to support myself.

I know staying in college should come first. It just seems like all I have in front of me is work, work, work. Life seems dreary right now.

I haven't had the chance to read other people response, but I wanted to share with you my problems and my future plans.

I can only assume that I am older then you and I was very caught up with my parents verbal, emotional and physical abuse. I didn't know that I could survive living out on my own.
My career feels like it is on a standstill for the past two years and I am so bored of my job. A few months ago, I got myself a bf and just recently, my parents were assaulting me that I had to call the police on them and move out that very night. I think I was in too much shock and my surviver gear hat was on. I moved in with my bf, I went to see the doctor to go on sick leave (so I can still get some sort of income) and I am living off my bf earnings until I go back to work.
I should be going back to work this August and this September, I am going back to school part-time.
Through this whole ordeal, I found that I could not rely on my friends, so it will be easy for me not to initiate contact with them and I can focus on my studies. I am purposly taking classes that are on weeknights, have my weekends free to spend time with my bf and because he loves to sleep in, I can get up early and study at that time also.
I think you will find that you are busy with work and school that you won't have time to shop as much and you won't spend as much. I think shopping for groceries may satisfy your shopping habits.
I will not be taking a student loan, becuase I know for a fact that I won't be able to sleep at night knowing that I am in debt that will take a few years to pay off with the added interest.
It help me a great deal not to own a car. I moved into the city and I will be using the transit system. I will be saving just over $200 a month and I am putting that into my rent instead.
It will be extremely hard to save your money...I would start small and make it automatic. It can be $1 a day or $5 a day, just keep it regular until you finish school.

I wish you all the best! Please don't hesitate to PM me if you need to chat or ask questions on how I would deal with whatever the situation is.

ktheartscoach · Jul 12th, 2008, 12:23 PM

I did this too...what worked for me was finding a job with regular 8-5 hours close to a university that offered classes for "non-traditional" students starting at 6 p.m. This was a while back, before online was even a thought. What helped with this was that I was on a set schedule every day, and I had my weekends free to study and see my friends. My BF at the time (now DH) would meet me for lunch, or I would drop by after class to visit him. It wasn't easy, but it was so worth it and having my bachelor's has helped me tremendously in my career. Good luck!

Jul 4th, 2008, 12:57 AM	#1
anniebobannie ^_^ Location: Southern California, USA	Paying Your Way Through College? I had a falling out with my parents and I am in a situation where I am moving out of the house and will have to start paying for tuition and rent myself. I was wondering if anyone could share their experiences with paying their way through college. How did you handle working full-time along with studying and perhaps hanging out with friends and a boyfriend? Any time for extracurricular activities? Did you ever go shopping? I used to work for spending money. Soon I'll be working to support myself. I know staying in college should come first. It just seems like all I have in front of me is work, work, work. Life seems dreary right now. __________________ Blog O' Annie

Jul 4th, 2008, 01:10 AM	#2
digby723 Member Location: Northern Virginia	I can totally relate to your situation. When I was 18, I made some very poor decisions and my parents stopped paying for my tuition and my dad and I didn't speak for almost 6 months. I had no $ saved up, and they took my car away. I was going to move out, and was accumulating the funds to do so by working full time. Before I got the chance to move out, things got better at home, but, to make a long story short, I didn't go back to school until last year. Working full time gave me a lot more leeway than working either full or part time and going to school. I am able to work part time and get about 30 hours a week, and go to school full time and it's really not so bad. I have time to hang out with my family and my b/f, and friends too, altho I don't have a ton of them (personal choice by me). You should def. do loan defferment, so that you won't have to start paying back the loan until after college, and, look for a part time/full time job w/ educational assistance. I know when I worked at Best Buy, they gave you up to 3k per calander year for full time employees. My b/f works for a healthcare providor, and they pay for any class he takes, plus books, no matter the cost. It's a lot of hard work, and at first, you aren't going to have time to do anything. Don't slack off, I know it will be tempting, but, keep forging ahead. This is why I lost a lot of friends, they skipped class, or, wanted me to skip so I could hang out with them. I learned my lesson the first time around and didn't do it this time around. They ended up failing their class, or dropping out completely, whereas I became an A/B student and am graduating before any of them. School is important, but, if you can't juggle work and school just yet, pick one or the other. Both are important, but, it's better to wait until you can really swing it to do school vs. taking classes only to fail them, which, wastes $ and hurts your GPA. GL, and hopefully things will work out with your parents soon. I know that end of the tunnel prolly seems like it will never come, but, believe me, I f*cked up really badly and am now closer than ever to my family. I learned a hard lesson, but, it's something I'm glad I figured out when I was 18, vs having to go though that all now when I'm 22. __________________

Jul 4th, 2008, 04:34 PM	#5
ImASadGiraffe Twilight 11/21/08 Location: IL	I had zero help from my parents for school. I took out student loans to cover my tuition and got a job at a local pharmacy and worked every weekend. I also arranged my class schedule so I had no classes on Fridays - so I worked 8 hours on Friday too. The job helped pay my rent and food, and the student loans covered my tuition. I started paying my loans back the December after I graduated (but they are now in deferment until I'm done with graduate school). I had lots of friends and a boyfriend who is now my husband while I was in school. Just manage your time well and learn that you may not get 8 hours of sleep each night. It's hard but you can make it work! __________________

Jul 4th, 2008, 10:05 PM	#6
jan228 très petite	I waitressed during the summer and took a full class load during the spring/fall semesters in addition to a part time job on campus. During the summer, I worked a lot, and made a lot of cash. During school, many campus employers can schedule you for as little as 3 hours at a time, so I was able to work between classes. I worked about 15 hours a week while taking 15 or so credits. During the summer, I would make a couple thousand, and then $1,000 each semester with my part time job, which covered my tuition costs. I did get automatic loans from the school each semester, which helped also. When I quit waitressing because I hated it so much, I took out private loans for the last 2 years. __________________

Jul 5th, 2008, 05:06 PM	#7
gettinpurseonal Can I bathe in them?	Everyone has good advice. Nobody ever promised it would be easy. I always worked at least 1 job while in college, if not 2. Work can be fun though. I always took just a few hours because work was my primary obligation with rent, bills, car, and tuition to pay for. There is no rush to get through school. You really need the job experience just as much as the degree. Don't stress yourself out with classes or you will get sick or get bad grades. I didn't graduate until I was 35 because I stopped along the way to have 2 kids. Just go at it steadily so you can do your best. And there probably won't be much shopping going on since any available funds really should go into an account to pay for classes. I always like going to summer school because I got the classes out of the way so fast. __________________ <<< Click on my avatar to see my bag collection

Jul 4th, 2008, 04:32 PM	#4
artjen Young @ Art Location: Arizona	I had to work during college and pay some also. I waited tables so I could work a few evening and weekends and it can be really, really good money. After waiting tables a short time I started bartending and made even better money. There were a few semesters I took maybe 9 credits instead of 12 to lighten the load a little bit.

Jul 5th, 2008, 08:28 PM	#8
lumkeikei Member	I had to pay for myself since I got at job at 15. Once I got into a university my parents said that they would not contribute any money towards it either. So I took out student loan, I use it only if I really really have to. I work two part-time jobs and try to save as much as I can. It is really hard I can tell you. Most of my friends don't have to pay tuition therefore they get to spend what they earn. Sometimes I get jealous always seeing them buy new things. But I can tell you, paying your own tuition and managing your money will help you big time in the near future. __________________ wish list Tivoli PM MJ Stam in purple Prada tessuto nappa tote Damier insolite wallet in violet

Jul 5th, 2008, 08:34 PM	#9
gloss_gal Member	ImASadGiraffe has some really good advice. Take advantage of student loans if you need to. Using loans for school and a PT job for expenses will make things less stressful. Most importantly, stay in school. Good luck.

Jul 9th, 2008, 07:25 AM	#11
twiggers Earning my PhD Location: The Library	Well I worked 40 hours a week, went to college, had a husband, and a 12 y.o. kid to raise, and a house to run. There was no time for fun or socializing. I was taking classes over my lunch hour, evenings, and weekends. I managed to maintain a perfect 4.0 for the first 2 years and then graduated with something like a 3.97. You're obviously younger than I was though and the socializing and shopping are probably important to you (they weren't to me). My advice is to get a job on campus....often schools will give scholarships in exchange for work and they give you the most flexible hours. My other HUGE piece of advice....go to your financial aid advisor NOW! They will help you figure out what you can and cannot get in terms of aid!!! Good luck...it won't be easy, but doing it this way is the best way! You will be prepared and ready for the future....whereas your classmates who have never paid a bill in their life will be like fish out of water for the first time :-) __________________ COME JOIN THE COOLEST CLUB AROUND...THE CURBING CONSUMERISM CLUB I've paid off over $50,000 in debt in 9 months!!!!! Only $13,500 more to go!!!

Jul 9th, 2008, 09:06 AM	#12
~Fabulousity~ Yes we can! Location: Creating my life...	I paid (am paying) my way through school with loans and have bought some text books out of pocket. I also have worked full time the entire time I have been in school taking classes on Saturdays or after work during the week. It can definitely be done, definitely visit a financial aide advisor! __________________ Every adversity, every failure, and every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit - Napoleon Hill

Jul 11th, 2008, 03:05 AM	#13
lilian Member Location: Los Angeles/New York	First, I'm sorry about your situation. Can you apply for any scholarships and bursaries? I used a scholarship to pay my tuition (but it was in Canada, so it wasn't as pricey) and took out student loans to pay for living expenses. I also had a small job in my last year just for spending money. I really agree with whoever said make sure you give yourself an opportunity to do well by not overloading your schedule...so many more options will be open to you if you graduate with good marks. If I were you, I would do everything I could to at least minimize the amount of hours I would have to spend working, which may even mean relocating and going to school in a smaller city with a cheaper cost of living.

Jul 12th, 2008, 12:23 PM	#15
ktheartscoach Member Location: Tulsa	I did this too...what worked for me was finding a job with regular 8-5 hours close to a university that offered classes for "non-traditional" students starting at 6 p.m. This was a while back, before online was even a thought. What helped with this was that I was on a set schedule every day, and I had my weekends free to study and see my friends. My BF at the time (now DH) would meet me for lunch, or I would drop by after class to visit him. It wasn't easy, but it was so worth it and having my bachelor's has helped me tremendously in my career. Good luck! __________________ ...until further notice! I don't obsess - I think intensely!