College senior, graduating in May 2013

[Yaaamiii]

Hello all! I think this is the first time I post on the closing the distance thread . Hope this thread makes sense!

Here goes: I'm entering my senior year of college in August and will be graduating in May of 2013. My SO isn't sure when he's graduating, but we can expect another year and a half perhaps, after I graduate. His program was always a 5 year thing, and he transferred from his old school (the school I'm currently at), which set him back 1-2 semesters (hopefully only 1!). The point is, I will be graduating before him and I'm not sure what I'll be doing afterwards. My degree is in elementary education and I'm hoping to maybe find a job in his city to close the distance. I'm also very interested in attending his school as a graduate student.

So now, the actual closing the distance part. Since he will still be in school when I graduate, I can't expect him to help with the closing the distance plans, money wise (as he'll still be in college). I've noticed that there is usually help from both ends when it comes to closing the distance, but I understand that it would probably be all on me. That is beyond stressful thinking of trying to save up money to help me live. I can't help but think that no matter how much money I save up, it will not be enough. I feel like it would be a smarter idea for me to just go back to our home city and continue the distance for another year and a half. The thing is, I don't want to continue being LD after I graduate. I've always had the idea of closing the distance after graduation, and another 2.5 years just seems so difficult for me. I know I could do it if I needed to, but I'd be so exhausted of the distance. If I moved back to our home city, he'd be about 6 hours away.

I guess I just need some advice about what I should do. On the one hand, I want to close the distance and move to him, but I'd be completely on my own financially. Or I could just move back to our home city and continue the distance, but I dunno :/. Advice?

[Dziubka]

We're going to be in a similar situation, as I'm most likely graduating a year (possibly two) earlier than my boyfriend. We're going to move to the city where he'll go to university and I'm going to look for a job there. It's not exactly the most striving region in the country, but I'll have an MA degree after all, so I hope I can find something (anything!) to support myself.

Being completely on your own finacially is what you go to university for, it's a step you're going to take eventually. Elementary Education sounds like something that can help you get a job almost everywhere. I wouldn't worry about that too much.
You don't need endless amounts of money to move somewhere new. Check out job offers in the area before you go and try to figure out how long it could take you to find a job, estime how much you need to support yourself until then and go for it.

[lucybelle]

Elementary Education sounds like something that can help you get a job almost everywhere. I wouldn't worry about that too much.

Unfortunately, El Ed is the hardest section of education to get a job in. Openings are normally very slim. Getting a teaching position in the USA isn't quite the shoe-in that it is praised as.

Anyways.... jobs are there if you're diligent enough. I would suggest going to an education fair or job fair in his city during your senior year. That's always a great place to find openings. And just move there and go for it. If in the end you can't support yourself, move back home until he graduates. But at least try!

Best wishes!

[Yaaamiii]

Thanks for the replies, guys! I think I may end up just moving to his school's city, taking that chance. That may change in the future as the time gets closer and closer but we'll see. I did forget to mention one thing above that is very important--I don't have my own car. Luckily, his city has a very good public bus transportation system, but wouldn't not having my own car affect the decision since I would have a more difficult time getting around such a big city? I wish I could just walk everywhere...(Plus it'd be good exercise!)

[Haley53]

Thanks for the replies, guys! I think I may end up just moving to his school's city, taking that chance. That may change in the future as the time gets closer and closer but we'll see. I did forget to mention one thing above that is very important--I don't have my own car. Luckily, his city has a very good public bus transportation system, but wouldn't not having my own car affect the decision since I would have a more difficult time getting around such a big city? I wish I could just walk everywhere...(Plus it'd be good exercise!)

I suppose it would depend. Job-wise, I believe all you're legally required to do (but don't quote me) is have reliable transportation to get to/from work on time. Since you wouldn't be transporting anyone, this doesn't necessarily mean your own car. If he lives in a city where there's a reliable transport system, even if it's public, it shouldn't influence whether or not you get the job. It doesn't here, anyway; usually all they want is someone who can show up and do so on time.

[Yaaamiii]

If he lives in a city where there's a reliable transport system, even if it's public, it shouldn't influence whether or not you get the job. It doesn't here, anyway; usually all they want is someone who can show up and do so on time.

This is a very good point :P. I guess it's because I can't imagine having to wake up at 6am just to get to school at 7. That's assuming I find a job there, of course. But even then, unless I felt I couldn't do it, I probably would give it a shot. I like to take chances every now and then xD. If it's some other kind of job though, I'm sure it wouldn't really matter then. It's just so much that factors in to thinking about closing the distance--money, student loans, transportation...it's intense!

[lucybelle]

Thanks for the replies, guys! I think I may end up just moving to his school's city, taking that chance. That may change in the future as the time gets closer and closer but we'll see. I did forget to mention one thing above that is very important--I don't have my own car. Luckily, his city has a very good public bus transportation system, but wouldn't not having my own car affect the decision since I would have a more difficult time getting around such a big city? I wish I could just walk everywhere...(Plus it'd be good exercise!)

Not everyone can afford a car, that's why there's public transport! Not that this is ideal, but more than one teachers from my school come from the other freaking side of the city. In bus. It takes them about 2 hours to get to work. When I take the bus it takes about 1.5 hours. It's just how life is.

[Yaaamiii]

Not everyone can afford a car, that's why there's public transport! Not that this is ideal, but more than one teachers from my school come from the other freaking side of the city. In bus. It takes them about 2 hours to get to work. When I take the bus it takes about 1.5 hours. It's just how life is.

Yah, I totally agree. I've never lived in Latin America (unless you count birth-age one xD) but I've come to understand that things are just different. The people are different, and that makes sense, I mean...it's a different lifestyle. I think in the American culture (and possibly other cultures, but I can at least speak for this one) we're so used to just driving everywhere that we forget others don't have that luxury.