I really need opinions. Edu vs $$

DondadaTimes2

This is a XP from The Nest, fyi.

I havent posted here in a while, so I apologize for barging right back in. Ive been soooo busy that I simply didnt have time to post.

 

Backdrop to my question. I am currently working FT @ SU and going to school PT. SU pays for my tuition, mostly. I get taxed on the tuition so pretty much Im paying $1,200/sem vs $15,000. One of my "classes" is my internship which I absolutely love, however I was told by my supervisor that only being available to work at night will teach me 1/3 of what typical daytime interns are learning. Its been ok'ed by the school, but I know Im missing out on huge stuff like Admissions process and all the interviews that go along with it (I intern at an inpatient addictions rehab). She said I obviously get to know the clients well during their free time and the large groups at night, but unless Im daytime I wont have the chance to sit in on 1 on 1s and get my own client. That sucks, but Im saving soo much money!

 

My options as of this very moment are to:

A) Suck it up b/c Im saving a boat load and learn less than wht I could knowing its still approved; or

Quit my job and pick up a retail job (until I can find a job in my field offering night hours...if I can) so that Im still making money (and b/c taxes are taken from my paycheck Ill be making more) but have to pick up a school loan for the next 2.5 yrs.

 

Honestly, I think I know what I need to do and thats get the education I need so that I feel prepared later on when I graduate, but Ive got coworkers and parents in my ear buggin out b/c it saves me so much and DH buggin b/c retail hours get flakey if I dont get into the right place. Lets keep in mind that my tuition was paid for in undergrad b/c mom works for SU so my loans currently are all of $35G for R&B and 1 sem of grad, which is a hell of a lot better than most students.

 

I guess I just need your opinions b/c its a big move and Im nervous.

Thanks ladies!

kevinandmonica2011

I know what it's like to be in your shoes... almost exactly.  I worked FT days and went to school nights.  I could have graduated much faster and gotten a much better experience had I gone to school days and worked different hours, but I didn't have that option.

TBH, as long as you will graduate, I would stick it out with your current schedule.  True, the experience may be better during the day, but as with any profession, you will learn 1000 times more during your first year on the job than you would in 10 years of school- day or night.

If you can make it work with flipping your schedule and it would make you happier, I would say do it... but if it would mean living paycheck to paycheck and worrying about your bills... IMZHO, I don't think it's worth it.  I would just stick it out as is... you will be done with school soon enough and this will be a complete non-issue then.

Good luck and I miss you!!

DondadaTimes2

Miss you too!

I totally get what youre saying. Im just at this point where I wanna do it all right now! I know I cant and need to slow down. In May Im thinkin I might be offered a job by my internship in which case Ill be all set for next yrs daytime internship. But I just got wind that the assist mgr at Charlotte Russe maaaay be looking to quit and if I could squeeze myself in there Id be good. I loved working there and mgrs get a set # of hours and decent pay. But thats about all I got and I know banking on 1 job is a bad idea. So maybe Ill see if I can get in there and if not....suck it up, Sally!

maggiebeth29

Coming from someone who spent seven years in college and law school (and will be paying for till im 50) I'd tell you option one.
You will save the money (less stress later in life)
when you graduate you will learn so much more anyway :-) 
Enjoy being married and saving money for whatever comes in your life next!


Good luck with everything!

kks4471

I also think you should stick with option A, because of how much experience and knowledge you'll gain after graduation.  I graduated 4 years ago, and feel that I learned my profession by being employed and experiencing my true work, not from being in school.  Don't get me wrong, I love my alma mater and degree.  I just think you'll learn sooo much in the "real world", including your admission processes, etc.  If you can graduate with that much less in student loans, I say save the money!!

MelissaC315

 I agree with the other ladies on this one. Student loans are a bigggg pain in the butt and the less you can have the better. Personally, I'd rather save all that money.... and you are still getting experience. It might not be the ideal situation or the same as daytime experience but it is still valuable and you can still pick up a lot of skills that you will be able to use later on. The other stuff you can learn quick (intake, etc.) later on when you do work during the day. I'd stick it out as it is personally but that's just me.

DondadaTimes2

Thanks ladies. I seem to be the only one thinking I need out, but then again I hate my job so thats propbably skewing my opinion. The schedule is also killing me. I called in sick today b/c I was soooo tired! I get home at 10p every night n it takes me a good 2 hrs to settle in. Last night I couldnt sleep till 2

But if I am offered the job after my internship then it means I only have till May, so Im should find a way to deal with the lack of sleep. Im pretty sure SBH offers help with tuition...I think. Ugh.

You guys are right though. Saving money is huge and if I do get the job in May, I can learn a lot then too. Thanks

sbolger17

Tough situation.  I was actually leaning the opposite way of all these other ladies and thinking that if you really feel like you're missing out on experiences, maybe you should quit.  I guess it comes down to whether you'd rather have a saner experience now and worry about all the money later or the other way around.

My H is a grad student and we're up to our ears in debt from that!  But overall, it was a good choice to go full-time rather than part-time.  It's also business school, so we're expecting a high rate of return once he gets out.  So that would be a definite consideration for you.  If you feel that you and Josh will be able to pay it back later without severely restricting your lives, then I would probably quit.  Just my two cents (and I hate working!).

JN382

Really tough situation!!  But if I were you, I would stick it out as well until you graduate. The uncertainty of the schedule if you do quit could make things worse, but it's really hard to tell. Hang in there, you're almost done! yay!

I know this sounds crazy, but I've spent 10 years in school.. 4 from undergrad, six from grad and have paid for 2 of 3 Master's degrees, and 2 certificate programs. It was worth it to me, though. My job is paying for my last thesis credit which helps a lot. If I could have had someone pay for it all those years, it would have been amazingly awesome. You wouldn't believe the amount of school loans I have!

JellyBean52513

Bridgett, I would give body limbs to have a full time job again and go to school at a reduced load. you are getting a degree in SWK... keep in mind, its not the most lucrative field. the schedule blows right now but i think economically its worth it. As far as your field placement experience, I can attest to the fact that you will learn plenty more once youre actually working and that your limited experience now will not hinder that. I never set foot at one of our locations during my field placement ad yet they stationed me there for the last month of my employment before law school and their program was wayyyy different than what I had experience in. Make the best of the experience youre getting. Ask if you can take on some other, random-ish tasks just to dip your feet into all that you can. Idk how accommodating your job is, but see if you can take a day off work every once in a while just to go into SBH during the daytime. Also take to Professor Marchese if you have any concerns she gives the best advice

whereismymind32

Does SU have tuition benefits for part-time positions? I know some schools do (RIT does) and that would be a perfect compromise! Otherwise I say stick it out with your night internship. People take University jobs for the tuition benefits alone. It's so worth it to avoid the debt. I feel your pain that you want to make the most of your internship, but I don't think you're missing out on anything you won't learn from training in your first job in that field. Maybe transfer to a different job in SU that you like better?