I don’t know if you’re interested in becoming a teacher, but I believe it’s possible to get your student loans deferred or cancelled if you teach certain subjects or in certain geographic areas with teacher shortages. Might be worth looking into, anyway.
What degree did you get that you are already resigning yourself to working retail?
You said that you are just sitting in your apartment and waiting to run out of money. I know that you are probably depressed. It can be very hard to make big changes in your life. However, you need to get out of your apartment. Start sending out resumes. Network. Drop in on places you would like to work and talk to people. Career services at your college can be a big help.
You might not land your dream job right away but you have a much better chance if you are out trying then you do if you are
It is time to give up on your bitterness towards you parents. They didn’t help you when you felt like they should. Trust me, I have been there. The only thing to do is to quit expecting them to help you.
You can probably get the student loans deferred. Honestly $150 a month for 40 years is a crazy way to pay back that debt. You can put it off for awhile but when you are on your feet and making some money you should pay as much as you can to get out from under that debt. It will end up costing you $72,000 if you pay it back their way.
Know that you’re not alone, sven. I just graduated college, haven’t yet been able to find a permanent job, have more student loans to pay back than I care to think about, and I happen to live in the 3rd most expensive city in the country. It’s hard, and it’s frightening, and all that anybody seems to be able to say is “don’t give up, something will turn up” (as if I could give up, even if I wanted to, what with all the manna from heaven falling on my doorstep every morning).
Sounds like you need the same thing that I do, just a little break in your luck. Hope you get it.
Um, from what she told us, her boss was down right abusive.
That kind of situation can be detrimental to one’s health.
There are some options
Grad school - someplace other than CA if possible, so that the cost of living is lower (I moved to Knoxville from Atlanta to start grad school. With the lower cost of living - including paying half the rent I was paying there, I’m managing to save for a likely move next May/June even though my income has dropped to less than 1/4 what I made in Atlanta).
Move home now, or as soon as possible, before you are totally broke. Yes, it sucks. Find something, anything, that will let you start saving. Student loans, if necessary, can be put into forbearance because of “economic hardship”, at least if they’re federal loans. Figure out 3 or 4 towns (in different parts of the country if possible) that you’d like to live in and start looking for jobs there.
Go to a temp agency - pull in at least something while you search. No, they aren’t going to be the best jobs, at least not usually, but they will bring in some money, ideally allowing you to keep your apartment, eat and have some fun every once in a while during the search for permanent employment.
Go to an employment agency (this is how I got my first job after college). I actually paid for my first job after college - it ended up being around $300, paid over the first few paychecks. I paid for the job because I was at 8 months post graduation with no permanent job, living with the parents, driving them nuts and they were driving me nuts. That money was worth it - I ended up moving out and staying with that company for four years.
Yes, it sucks. I have to start the search again during the late fall/early spring semester. I do have a couple of benefits this time - I’ve been in the corporate world, and I’m very flexible as far as relocating. But it’s scary as hell to realize that I’m facing it and all its suckiness again.
Bah. That guy was deluded and insane, and my job was to listen to him go on for hours about his fantasies of beating up security gaurds, while he leered at me in his bathrobe. Thats not even getting into the phone calls that would drag on for an hour at ten at night, eight in the morning, days off…The whole thing was just too much like a bad breakup of an obsessive relationship not to be completely creepy in a scary way.
And yeah, he wants me to work for him again. This time he’s got one of his lackey’s calling me, claiming it will be contract work through them personally and not involve the guy at all. Yeah. Right. I might have to take it, but I know exactly where that will lead, because this guy doesn’t keep his promises- one of which was to stay the fuck out of my life.
I know that I “just have to get a job”, but it isn’t that easy. I’ve sent out hundreds of resumes. I spend all my spare time (when not on the 'dope at least) crafting cover letters. The jobs just arn’t out there. Heck, I aspire to be a waitress. I went to a waitress job interview at a local dive once, and there were sixty people packed into the room- and a glace at some apps showed them as having ten years or more of experience. Plus, I’ve tried the minimum wage route before, and it does not provide enough money to live on. Nobody hires full time employees anymore, and I can’t support myself on three or four minimum wage shifts.
And right now the situation is not temporary. If I am working and barely supporting myself, there is no concievable end. Maybe grad school, but that is at least a year ahead…
I’m not too worried about the loans. Obviously I got one of those figures wrong. I think it’s actually 150 a month until I’m 40, which makes more sense. Mostly it’s my family’s unexpected actions that hurt.
sigh I could rant for ages. I’ve always been told that I have a special gift for looking at thngs in the worst light possible. But obviously something is going to happen at some point. I don’t think anyone will actually let me starve to death. But it’s hard to hear “just buck up- things will get better one day” when your hungry, the mailman delivers a clutch of rejection letter everyday, and your few resources that you worked so hard for and had such great plans for are draining faster than you’d ever think they could.
**sven, ** our firm hires all entry-level staff through a temp agency at this point. An admin job here has its down sides, but a) it pays well above minimum wage (I think the admin temps get $10-12/hour, depending on experience) and b) we may have our quirks, but we’re not psychotic.
I think you just need to be physically located in a big-city job market. Having once applied for a part-time job in Bloomington, Indiana where they were asking for knowledge of 2 foreign languages and several software packages, were paying $6/hour, and got over 100 applicants for one position, many of them from ABD people, I know how skewed the economy can be in small towns, especially university towns. The supply of qualified candidates is faaaaar greater than the demand.
Really, things are better in some places. I’m in Chicago, and we’ve definitely ditched a couple of temps because they didn’t have a clue, and we’re paying decent wages and offering a relatively decent working environment. The economy is sluggish, but that certainly doesn’t mean there are no jobs at all. It’s just a mismatch of supply and demand. Plus, friends in California keep telling me how screwed up the economy there is right now, but it’s definitely something that varies by region. I think you need to get the heck out of your current rut. Just MHO, of course.
What were you doing in his bathrobe :D. even sven, you’ve got a decent head on your shoulders and you will make it. Granted things may suck now, but they won’t suck forever and all your friends here will give you whatever support we can.
Little money is better than no money.
A year? Not too bad.
It hurts, but once that point is past, it’s a lesson – don’t count on anyone for anything, even family. It took a lot of hurt and a long time for me to get there, but it’s a lesson to be learned – expect nothing. Absolutely nothing. In fact, be very grateful that your mother is willing to even talk to you, and even more grateful that she’d let you live with her. (Not that you have to take her up on the offer, of course.)
See above. Don’t count on anyone for anything. You might think they wouldn’t let you starve, but just wait until that time comes. Buy lots of ramen now.
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Your parents are jerks if things went as you described them. I’ll believe you cuz things like that happen.
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Your ex-boss is creepy. No doubt about it.
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All of the advice here will work.
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Even an undergraduate degree in Medieval Croatian Literature is the college degree a lot of bosses are looking for. They often don’t care WHAT you studied as much as that you stuck to it. Think of it as staying at the same fulltime job for four years because that’s how THEY see it. Puts you way ahead of a lot of other entry level workers.
I feel very bad for you in your present situation. Money woes are difficult and demoralizing. I really hope things improve.
That said, I am going to have to take you to task for your Item #6.
This is sloppy thinking, crappy logic, and isn’t worthy of your college-educated brain. Now come on, snap out of it.
I’m not saying “just buck up” to be a pollyanna. I honestly think that such warped, illogical thinking can make your situation even worse.
Life after college does NOT suck. College does not make everyone broker. Your dreams do not have to all slip down the drain. And college is not fucking useless.
It might be that you are broke right now, and things are difficult. It might be that the advantages of educating yourself are not immediately apparent. But you are smart enough to know that (a) your situation is temporary and (b) your situation is atypical. Things can and will get better. You will enjoy the independence that comes with adult life. Your degree will let you go for jobs you never could otherwise. You will be able to have aspirations for better things, and to take steps to achieve them.
That is, if you stop with this defeatist attitude and these indefensible conclusions.
For a bit of practical advice, I believe you can put your loans into forbearance if you are un- or under-employed. That ought to be your first step.
You live in [http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/toptens/expensivecities/expensivecities3.html](Juneau, Alaska?) Cool. But you know that’s not in New England, right (what are they teaching kids in college these days?)? 
Seriously, sven, hang in there. I think the first year after college can be a bit disenchanting for most people. You have visions of yourself strolling importantly into a luncheon meeting with impeccable hair . . .
. . . and what you get (or what I got) is a scene in which you’re a receptionist at a cheap “family” hair salon, getting shit from the franchise owner because your hair is not properly teased and sprayed like that of the other salon employees, and getting sent to fetch and deliver milk and potatoes for the salon manager’s latchkey kids, who are bored at home and want to make mashed potatoes, but aren’t allowed to leave.
Then one day you decide to forget about what life is supposed to be like, and start trying to figure out how to make what it is actually like into something fun.
I moved to a different city, basically on a whim (it wasn’t New York, but I can tell you that I certainly didn’t have $5,000 bucks when I went), got a job waiting tables, made great friends, and spent 3 years having fun, fun, fun 'til Daddy took the T-Bird away (well, actually, until I went to grad school). It was a great time, and I stopped thinking, “I have a degree! Why the hell am I waiting tables?” (for one thing, my parents had that part covered), because I was happy.
Furthermore, because your degree is in a creative field, I don’t think you have to throw the baby out with the bathwater. In other words, even if you’re working as a waitress, a temp, or a hair salon receptionist, I’m sure you can find ways to pursue your film-making interests. (Hell, when I waited tables, ALL of my coworkers were “pursuing interests”–mostly via garage bands that never went anywhere, but hey–it got me on many a “VIP” list at the bars.) This would probably not be the case had you been an accounting major.
Anyway, I don’t know if this has helped at all, but good luck to you.
Damn coding. You see how my college degree has served me!
That was supposed to say, “So you live in Juneau, Alaska?”
Jesus, even sven, you’re not really tugging at my heart strings here. You quit a job, you have a job offer, and now you’re ranting about being broke.
Um, maybe take that job offer even though you know you won’t like it then keep looking for a job while collecting a paycheck? Does anyone else see this as clearly as I do (we know Guin, my arch-nemesis, sure doesn’t).
It’s not like your old boss did anything really bad, he just made you uncomfortable. I’d take uncomfortable over broke any day of the week.
This face was made for this situation: :dubious:
What did we learn today, kids? Don’t come sobbing to the SDMB about being broke when you quit a job and have a job offer!
Sorry even sven, we’ve already done this one. I have to agree with Kambuckta.
Things aren’t going to get better unless you actually do something to make them better. In the previous thread were you complained your life was over because you’d graduated from college, you were offered several resources that would not only give you cool experiences but would make good money. Some even included student loan forgiveness.
You can lead a sven to water but you can’t make her drink. But you’ve got no business complaining that you’re thirsty. As you well know, there are a million fascinating things to do when you’ve got an education and no responsibilities. If you don’t want to do them, fine. But stop complaining about how your life sucks. It doesn’t suck unless you let it suck.
Frankly, it’s getting a bit tedious. “I’m young, healthy, intelligent and educated – a privileged member of the most wealthy society in all history. I have no serious responsibilities and I can make films, travel, have adventures and do whatever else I please with my life. Has there ever been anyone more wretched than me?” Gahh.
And she may also run away from the water if itlooks at her funny or makes her uncomfortable.
Love,
TaxGuy
Y’know, TaxGuy, you are a piece of work.
“if it looks at her funny” is just a wee bit understated relative to “my job was to listen to him go on for hours about his fantasies of beating up security gaurds, while he leered at me in his bathrobe. Thats not even getting into the phone calls that would drag on for an hour at ten at night, eight in the morning, days off…”
Completely mislabeling someone’s personal difficulties in order to get in a slam at them is really pretty slimy and despicable.
But I will confess that I’m not at all surprised to see you do this.
Misery loves company… Law school is about to put me 100 large in the hole…
even sven, I have five basic points of advice:
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Move.
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Move.
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Move.
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Move.
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Move. Preferably to New York.
If you’re competing with 60 people for a waitressing job, the situation in your area is worse than in most. If you want to be an adult you must be willing to relocate to find work. Make a choice; adult, or kid? Jesus, woman, DO SOMETHING! Leave your family behind and call them on holidays. They don’t support you? Fuck 'em. $15,000 isn’t that bad, you can get out from under that. Don’t sit in your apartment applying for local shit jobs. Beg, borrow and steal as much money as you can, pack your shit, and move to NY. Or LA. Or Toronto. Or Montreal. Or some place with a vibrant film industry.
Go! What the hell are you waiting for? If you think you’re sad now, trust me; if you stay there and DON’T go to New York, 20 years from now you’ll be stuck there forever and you will be so overcome and bitter with regret it’ll just kill you. GO.
I’m not trying to “get in a slam” at even sven, jackass. I’m trying to show her how her post comes across to me so maybe she’ll kick herself in the ass and get to work instead of being a whiny sobbing slobberer.
Goddamn it’s hard being the only me on this board sometimes.