The college application/choice process

[tx 3 putt 76987]

@Brisketexan Work at Costco for a year, figure shit out and learn how to work in a real environment. Until she can find something she wants to pursue 

Edited August 29, 2023 by tx 3 putt

[Brisketexan 105154]

4 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

@Brisketexan Work at Costco for a year, figure shit out and learn how to work in a real environment. Until she can find something she wants to pursue 

Oh....we're DEFINITELY in the "you need to get a job and learn to adult for a while" stage of things.  It's been a challenging summer - a lot for her to get her head around, a kid with a lot of anxiety who soothes herself by knowing EXACTLY what is coming next...now has no idea what's coming next.  Which we've explained to her is called "adulthood."

She's applied for a fair number of jobs.  She has some helpful experience-type jobs starting Oct. 1 (including 20 hrs a week of language data analysis), but ideally, we'd like her to get SOME sort of job in her "field" (international relations/cross-cultural communications/diplomacy) in NYC or DC.  Move there, work and live as an adult for a year or two.  If we have to send you a few hundred a month to make sure the place you rent is nice enough to just have small rats instead of large ones, we can do that.  But get out in the world and learn how to work and be an adult.  Then you'll be MUCH better positioned to 1) pick the right grad program and 2) succeed at that program and what comes next.

We really didn't think we'd be here, got a bit blindsided by it.  She's done a great job of appearing to have her shit together.  Which she does.  Right up until the point where she doesn't, and then it all falls apart.  She'll get there.  It's just gonna be a slog.

[animaltobacco11 107]

For those on the last page considering Wake-- a family member went there (granted for MBA and employer-paid) and said it sucked. The college life/social life was very weak and lame, compared to a UNC, UVA, etc. where you still get a great education and modicum of prestige, if that is important to your kids.

[dcbc 14487]

On 8/29/2023 at 10:16 AM, Brisketexan said:

Oh....we're DEFINITELY in the "you need to get a job and learn to adult for a while" stage of things.  It's been a challenging summer - a lot for her to get her head around, a kid with a lot of anxiety who soothes herself by knowing EXACTLY what is coming next...now has no idea what's coming next.  Which we've explained to her is called "adulthood."

She's applied for a fair number of jobs.  She has some helpful experience-type jobs starting Oct. 1 (including 20 hrs a week of language data analysis), but ideally, we'd like her to get SOME sort of job in her "field" (international relations/cross-cultural communications/diplomacy) in NYC or DC.  Move there, work and live as an adult for a year or two.  If we have to send you a few hundred a month to make sure the place you rent is nice enough to just have small rats instead of large ones, we can do that.  But get out in the world and learn how to work and be an adult.  Then you'll be MUCH better positioned to 1) pick the right grad program and 2) succeed at that program and what comes next.

We really didn't think we'd be here, got a bit blindsided by it.  She's done a great job of appearing to have her shit together.  Which she does.  Right up until the point where she doesn't, and then it all falls apart.  She'll get there.  It's just gonna be a slog.

I'm about 4 years behind, but I keep telling myself that I have no idea what it's like to be a kid in (insert year here). And it will be completely different when my kids are your kids' ages.

Edited September 1, 2023 by dcbc

[South Austin 52518]

45 minutes ago, dcbc said:

I'm about 4 years behind, but I keep telling myself that I have no idea what it's like to be a kid in (insert year here). And it will be completely different when my kids are your kids' ages.

Don’t downsize just yet. Might still need the extra bedrooms.

[dcbc 14487]

21 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Don’t downsize just yet. Might still need the extra bedrooms.

He'd like that.

 

/Girl, right?

/nttawwt

Edited September 1, 2023 by dcbc

[boilerhorn 1387]

On 8/29/2023 at 10:16 AM, Brisketexan said:

She's applied for a fair number of jobs.  She has some helpful experience-type jobs starting Oct. 1 (including 20 hrs a week of language data analysis), but ideally, we'd like her to get SOME sort of job in her "field" (international relations/cross-cultural communications/diplomacy) in NYC or DC.  Move there, work and live as an adult for a year or two.  If we have to send you a few hundred a month to make sure the place you rent is nice enough to just have small rats instead of large ones, we can do that.  But get out in the world and learn how to work and be an adult.  Then you'll be MUCH better positioned to 1) pick the right grad program and 2) succeed at that program and what comes next.

 

Eldest daughter - UT grad - lives in upper-east-side right now and works as a teacher at a MS in the Bronx.  She's presently completing her Masters degree at one of the CUNY schools there while working full time.  There is a huge contingent of Texas-exes there (not sure if your daughter graduated from Texas) and she can easily and quickly connect with folks that way. 

This is our daughter's 5th year in NYC and my wife just helped her move into her 4th apartment.  As you might expect, it is far more affordable if you have a roommate.  Also, it is infinitely easier to find a place if you or your daughter are already there, which should be of no surprise.  Also, renters need to have an annual salary of 40x-45x of monthly rent to rent a place in NYC.  As a result, the first couple of years, we (and roommates parents) had to serve as guarantors - roommates were either fully funded by parents or were in grad school.  Her early roommates were classmates at UT, so she did not have to play any sort of "roommate roulette."

Not sure how much you like to visit NYC, but if you do, that can be a part of the calculus for an apartment.  Hotel rates can be quite high in the city, so subsidizing your kid's apartment might be a good tradeoff depending on your love of NYC.  

Edited September 3, 2023 by boilerhorn