The Plan
Long time, no updates, I know. Here is the theoretical plan. Start grad school in May. Live on campus. Use student loans to pay for everything, mostly. Work during the day, go to school at night. By the time March gets here, I will have enough $$$ to move back to Florida!!! Yay!
The Problem
But there is one little crux in my plan. Where do I live from March to May? There are no such things as 3-month leases. Extended Stay is way too expensive.
Plan B?
Since three-month leases don’t exist, I still move in March, but don’t start school till the fall. More time to save money. More time to pay down credit cards, more time to get used to living in a new city (without a car). However, 6-month leases don’t exist. Or at least not in the neighborhood where I thought I could live. If I find a six-month lease, nearby where I want to be, that is affordable I will be all set.
Other Thoughts
What I need to do is spend the next month studying like crazy for the GRE. I even have a plan laid out and everything. So I take the test. Turn in all of my application materials by March 1st. Get into grad school. If I start school in May, I won’t have to work like a maniac just to make ends meet. I can go to school, work part-time, and life is awesome! But then I have that 3-month problem. If I start school in the fall, I have to work like a maniac (ie, work hard!) but I’ll probably be in a better financial situation when school starts.
Why don’t you just stay in NC until May?
Are you kidding?! March already seems really far away. See, I want to get the hell out of North Carolina. It’s boring and cold. Besides, I need to be out on my own. I’m already buying groceries and starting to rely less on my parents for stuff I need. I am no longer saving money in areas where I should be saving. So this little “vacation” away from paradise really isn’t so great anymore.
The Solution
That is TBD. I still plan on turning in my application materials on March 1st. That way, either option will be open, and I won’t have to worry about getting everything together while I am working like a maniac.
