Help! Stress ='(

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>I'm enrolled full time at a community college. I live 2 hours away from my parents. I have an apartment, a cat, and a regular low-pay retail job. I spend most of my time with my boyfriend at his house, but moving in isn't an option at this point in time (not to mention my, you, know, lease?)</p>

<p>My mom offered to give me $200/month to help me out with finances, since working part-time you don't get a lot of hours. Last month she got me put back on her health insurance, and she's deducting part of it and reducing my allowance to $160. She owns my car, pays my car insurance.</p>

<p>My dad (my parents are divorced) helps me out when he can, but he doesn't have a lot of money. He pays for my cell.</p>

<p>Work's been cutting back hours a lot recently (from working 4 days/week to 2 if I'm lucky). I had saved up some money to go to an anime convention with my tax refund. I've paid for the downpayment on the room and for badges. It's next weekend. I've got nothing to left anymore actually spend on the con/costuming (my favorite hobby, which I miss TERRIBLY). The rest of the amount has been going towards my regular living expenses, rent, paying off a hospital bill, food, my cat, and other necessities. It's basically gone. Work's cut hours again, now I'm scheduled for about 1/day per week. </p>

<p>I've talked to my manager about it before and she told me it would get better. I talked to her again recently and she turned it around that it was my fault because I have a life outside of work. "Well, if you had THIS available (insert class here), or if you didn't have to have so many weekends off" (I volunteer 1 weekend a month, which everybody gets one off anyways, I don't see why me specifying the one I want should make a bit of difference).</p>

<p>Semester's ending, I'm doing good in 3 of my 4 classes. Most likely As in all 3. One of my classes (Developmental Psychology) I've had commitment problems with (getting things done by due dates while keeping up with work [pre-crappy hours] and other obligations) so while I get fairly good grades on quizes/tests, I have a ton of late penalties. </p>

<p>Tuition is due next week and I don't know what to do. I'm getting financial aid, but the state grant doesn't cover summer classes. Mom won't chip in more, in fact, she told me if I get any poor grades she was going to stop giving me my allowance. So, not only am I going to not be able to afford summer classes, my main source of income is going to be gone before I know it. My income from her is already going to be reduced from my health insurance, but now it may be gone altogether. </p>

<p>The only thing (besides, obviously, find a new job... which is sad, because I like the people I work with) I can think of to help my financial situation is a loan. I really don't want to take out a loan with only summer & fall semesters left before my AA. </p>

<p>I also am conflicted about what kind of new job I get, because I don't want it to conflict with school (although summer classes are all on-line, fall classes are MWF), and I don't want to have to drop out because of my financial situation.</p>

2

<p>have you talked to your mom about all this?
if you are doing the best you can to keep your head above water, it's not as though you're undeserving of help.
and if doing the best you can involves working more, which involves lower grades, which means you'll lose money, which means you'll need to work more, which means lower grades, then you're kind of caught in a catch-22!
does not taking summer school involve dropping out? or are you just trying to graduate early? i'd agree that it's best to take summer sessions so you won't be prolonging this balancing act of yours, and you can go to a full-time job and financial independence that much sooner.
can you possibly pick up a second part-time job to compensate for the times you don't get hours? or work on-campus where it's more convenient?
if not, outline to your mom everything you've outlined here. what if you took out a loan from HER instead of from a bank? with a contract written up and everything? you'd still have to pay her back, but you'd be able to do so sooner because it would enable you to take a summer session.
otherwise, i assume you'd be doing fall and spring and getting your AA later.
if she says no, then perhaps consider not taking a summer session, getting a full-time job for a few months, and saving up money for the rest of your degree.
i hope that your mom realizes that you're doing the best you can, and doesn't unintentionally make your situation worse by saying, oh you should be independent now, i'm tired of helping you. that'll hurt you more in the long run.
but if that does happen, there will be a way to deal. perhaps even one you haven't thought of.
good luck! :)</p>