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Noel

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This might be more or less a vent thread for me, but in any case here's the dilemma.

I have a Financial Aid meeting tomorrow for the Art Institute in San Diego. Yeah private schools are expensive we all know that, but what makes it worse is that I know for a fact that our income would hardly pay a chip uve' it let alone even with scholarships and actual financial aid. My Dad had just recently closed his shop (He works independent) and has been dead tired every time he comes home trying to empty the stuff in his shop, which is a quite a lot. We used to have an income around 30,000 a year but I take it now since he is trying to sell refurbished electronics at a swap-meet it would hardly be the same amount. He has even been using my Mum's savings account from her social security to pay the bills. My Dad is insisting that we should go, but I do not want to take a two hour ride with him and my mum for the probable answer that we don't apply for financial aid. Even if we did, I do not want him to commit so much more labor for me and still have to owe money after graduating for my degree. I want to tell him this, but his pride can get the better of him.

I'm thinking of just telling him that the meeting was rescheduled for sometime in January due to the fact it's Christmas in less than a week, and later say that I was declined acceptance to the Art Institute.

I've already had a back up plan uve' working full time in retail at the mall or something, or possibly a graphic design studio on the other side uve' town. Working my arse off until I can live by my own means and financial income. I might try community college and pay everything through my own means. I just don't like the thought that uve' owing so much money that was a burden for my dad, that is now passed on to me. You know?
 

Cosmic+Amarna

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Is your dilemma if you should go to the Art Institutes? I don't know, I kind of think that they're crap. They have a lot of bad reviews and they're expensive as hell. Not worth it in my opinion. I'm sure you can get the knowledge and skills you desire for a lot less. I was considering attending the one in Milwaukee two years ago and I'm so glad that I did not.
 
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Noel

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It more to uve' having to see my Dad work his kupo off for something that might not be worth it at the end for him. I just don't know how to explain it to him. I've seen other schools that I regret not looking at, but still not cannot afford either way. He's insisting me to go to a college, but I just do not want him paying so much.
 
D

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Definitely recommend going to a Community College and getting your Associate's before transferring. You're going to learn a lot about what it takes to succeed and what you truly want to do in those 2 or 3 years of adulthood than you can imagine.
 

Absent

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Two words: Community College. Cheaper and if you screw up it won't be as damaging to your parent's wallet or your own.
 
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robvandam111

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Here's some words of advice. Go to a Community College, get a part time job (Thanks Obama...-_-). Apply for Financial Aid and you SHOULD get something at least. You'll be fine meanwhile. Live with your parents and keep going. Don't stress it much, keep helping your dad and mother. This point in your life are mid-life crisis. This is the point where you will start to understand more things about life. And just do what makes you happy. The point is to keep being responsible on your own and you'll be fine
 

The Conquerer

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Don't bite off more than you can chew (financially or otherwise), I did that my first year at a university; I can tell you how I fixed everything (jumped through hoops, made a couple life changes, and signed some long time contracts) and still came out of a university but it's not about me.

Apply for Fafsa (make sure you find the legit, free site); it is a must. I say go to the meeting, see what they're willing to offer you in terms of financial assistance. Also get an idea of what you'll be spending for your entire stay at the institute. You'll have to do some number crunching and analyze what will cost you what and for how long. Be informed and not sucked into an endless spiral of paying back loans and crippling your parents' bank accounts.

If you decide to go to community college for a while, financial aid will cover most of your tuition at a community college for free. Just don't accept too many loans if you can pay off the balance with the money earned from jobs. If you want to transfer to a university afterwards in order to get a BA or BS, just remember what I said about fafsa and being informed.

As you become more educated don't forget to widen your network and actual hands-on experience. Try to build up your references and experience through internships. Also, if you are well liked by your instructors or professors, insist that you can use them as references, it'll look good if they have a nice word or two to say about you when you are applying for jobs in the future.

Don't be in a rush to move out if you are not stable enough. Granted don't leech off your parents for years, but I didn't move out until I was in my 20s. I still lived an adult life when I lived with my mom and I had to pay some of the bills 'n shit but as long as I kept my head on straight and stay focused, my mom didn't shame me for what I did. Your parents are there to support you.

I'll probably be moving back home next year until I find a better place to live (my rent now is too high and my next set of jobs will be closer to where my mom currently lives). Also, I don't want to be a townie, that's why I'm definitely leaving my current residence when my lease is up and finding a new place.
 

Noel

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Thanks everyone it means a lot. Like seriously.

I did in all attend the meeting and found out that the balance I would have to pay while in school would only be around 15,000. I guess that doesn't seem too bad. Only needing to pay that in four years while chipping away another 45,000 in Loans in a 5 years. Doesn't seem bad either. Perhaps I was just having some severe anxiety issues with all this.

I'm not officially setting on going, but knowing that only 4 hours a class each day for 5 days, giving me much time to work for the rest uve' the days sets me at much ease. I can finally sleep peacefully. :3
 

Fortissimo

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OP: I'm glad you got it sorted out! though I really do hope you consider going. I haven't heard the best things about Art Institutes, but thats more in line with studio arts. Maybe their graphics department is really good! I wouldn't let the debt scare you too much. everyone is going to be in some form of debt when they get out of school unless they got really lucky and got a full ride. I was in a similar boat 4 years ago when i was looking at art school, but i figured that i would make everything work out, and so far it is!

Your school should take care of you if you are really in trouble, and if they cant help you out with scholarships and work study. I study sculpture so i don't really know many resources for Graphic design and VC. But i asked my friend who is in her final semester of visual communications and she said to check out AIGA. They have a lot of helpful stuff.

Your school SHOULD help you find jobs and internships after you get your degree, and depending on what area of design you focus on, you could have an easier time finding a job to pay off your loans quicker. she said User Experience design is in high demand right now. But regardless, success all depends on how much you like what you're doing and how hard you work. You can be successful in anything, its just not going to be easy though that shouldn't matter if you really care about what you're doing.

Debt is scary, yes. But don't let it prevent you from doing what you really want to do.

Good luck!
 
D

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Thanks everyone it means a lot. Like seriously.

I did in all attend the meeting and found out that the balance I would have to pay while in school would only be around 15,000. I guess that doesn't seem too bad. Only needing to pay that in four years while chipping away another 45,000 in Loans in a 5 years. Doesn't seem bad either. Perhaps I was just having some severe anxiety issues with all this.

I'm not officially setting on going, but knowing that only 4 hours a class each day for 5 days, giving me much time to work for the rest uve' the days sets me at much ease. I can finally sleep peacefully. :3
yo word of advice tho show up to literally every class
like youre gonna hear stories about ppl saying "man college is dope like i dont even have to go to class" and then you'll be like "damn son thats cool as hell im gonna just jerk off today and play some video james with my boys" but you really should go to class cause its expensive
trust me i am repeating a piss easy class because i missed some of them for various reasons
 

Jesus

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Victor is right, you need to start developing the discipline to go to every class, even the ones where they don't take attendance or anything like that. You'll also see your classes starting to empty out further and further throughout the semester as people decide to get on the class-skipping bandwagon, and that'll be hard, but trust me once you start skipping it becomes harder to stop as time goes on. You become lazy and okay with wasting time. Also just showing up to class oftentimes really helps retain information so there's that.

I went to like only 15 lectures this entire semester and it almost killed me. I ended up getting by by the skin of my teeth, but it's just not worth the anxiety of having to cram and obsess over every single point and assignment to salvage your grade.
 
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