Almost 2 years later, just wanted to give a Proud Dad update.
Sophia dropped out of St. John’s.
She called her mother and I together a few months into schooling.
“Mom, Dad, this shit isn’t worth the money we are paying. All I do is Zoom classes, I have never met a professor, and COVID has shut down all the things we were sold on the college experience. So I’m going to drop out, live in Manhattan for 18 months, and when I am considered an official NY State resident, will attend a cheap community college to get all these required English 101’s and History 102’s out of the way, and then go to a name school after.”
(The above paraphrased, of course.)
Her mother and I were rather accepting of this. It’s her life, do what ya gotta.
And that’s what she did:
- Withdrew from St. John’s.
- Found an apartment in Harlem.
- Found two roommates to move in with her.
- Found a job paying $55k/year
- Found medical insurance for $65/month
She’s moved jobs since then, now works two jobs paying a combined $70k/year. Her savings is quite large for a 20 year-old because she never lost sight of the goal: just two weeks ago, she was accepted into a CUNY community college with her yearly out of pocket being $3,400 (compared to the $30,000+ commitment that St John’s was). She’s worked the numbers and is comfortable that she can continue working (one job) and go to school w/o depleting her savings or lifestyle too much.
It was rather amazing watching her take control of her life like this, but not totally unexpected - for those following
this saga, she does tend to get what she wants and, if she’s not getting it, is of a mindset that she will look elsewhere. Didn’t want San Antonio, moved ASAP to NY. Didn’t like a COVID education at St. John’s, hated the expense, so she dropped out, gave herself a gap year-and-a-half in America’s greatest city learning how to adult, and, in the end, is more confident about her future because she is the one creating it.