[goodnesswins]

Jessica said...."It's impossible to even think about going back to school because I have to work all the time. How do you get ahead? That's the problem."

B.S.....I worked FULL TIME at a challenging job while I went to school FULL TIME....

[Arthalion]

B.S.....I worked FULL TIME at a challenging job while I went to school FULL TIME....

In California? During the past 15 years? The economic reality here is that people can no longer afford to live by themselves. Housing, utilities, and transportation is so expensive that you need to make at least $20 an hour to live on your own. The numbers from the state government itself puts the cost of living at the equivalent of $22 an hour in this state. That's not factoring in school loans, non-essential purchases, or savings either.

Young people in California today basically have four choices. 1. Move somewhere else. 2. Live with their parents until they get a good paying job. 3. Move in with a girl/boyfriend or roomates to split expenses. 4. Get married to accomplish #3. The old concept of working part time to put yourself through college doesn't work here anymore, since very few part time jobs pay enough to cover the average $1,300 a month California apartment, much less the rest of their bills.

[OldPossum]

.I worked FULL TIME at a challenging job while I went to school FULL TIME....

I completely understand how you felt, exhausting, wasn't it? When I was in college I was working two jobs (announcer at two radio stations) which amounted to slighly over 40 hours a week while taking a full-course load. My doctor, though, advised me to stop this after five or six months; he told me that there was a possibility that I could permanently damage my health. I dropped one of the stations, fell back to about 30 hours.

Sure wished that I had chosen the right parents.

[dakine]

.....I worked FULL TIME at a challenging job while I went to school FULL TIME....

I mooched off my parents and drank beer FULL TIME....