<p>WildChild graduated in May. Last summer he bailed on his plans to take the LSAT and apply to law school. I was not happy, since I didn’t think he would find a job. He was very resourceful (and lucky) and landed an excellent corporate job with a top corporation in a fun city. He starts in late August and in the meantime continued his legal assistant job in Philadelphia (since we were paying for his housing through the end of the lease in August).<br>
We are going to help him move across the country. I bought him a $100 futon and will keep him on the cell phone plan for awhile. He gets a modest moving allowance, but I might let him use that for some furniture/start up expenses and we’ll cover the UHaul rental. I figure we help D and son in law out a little by always picking up the tab for meals out and a few other things, so we can do a few things for our son. He has pretty much drained us over the years, though. I also think we’ll keep his car in our name for awhile so we can carry the insurance. Rates for him would be very high.</p>
<p>D, class of 2011 returns Monday from year abroad in 2 countries, followed by an internship. I’m just gonna put my head under a blanket. I don’t want to think about it.</p>
<p>S1 will graduate in '11. He’s pretty much ready but not trying to diminish his senior year in any way (can’t he’s got a pretty tough load of classes to go). He doesn’t know where he’s heading next summer, but knows it won’t be home. He’s been working part-time now for 6 years which is astounding to think about really so I imagine while he may struggle to find to find the “perfect” salaried job in his desired field, he’ll put something together. We’re not ones for putting the cart before the horse so I suppose we’ll play it by ear in terms of transition from us paying to his dime. Right now we pay his rent, and his cell He pays everything else food, laundry, utilities, car insurance etc. We won’t pay his rent after the lease is up next summer and he knows that. He’s pretty much going to be off the “mom” payroll and he knows that but if he needs a cash infusion to move to a new region or cell phone bills paid until his plan is up…those are negotiable. His brother starts college in the fall and then three years later the youngest starts so we’ll have the senior/freshman combo two times.</p>
<p>Another “lucky” '10 grad here… I have a full time j(or thereabouts) ob this summer doing what I love then off to grad school with a funding package that will pay me $30k after tuition the first year and $18k after tuition after that… not a lot of money, but enough to live while a student! </p>
<p>For my friends, it’s been a bit of mixed bag: one’s off to grad school in Accounting (aiming for CPA in Accounting), one had a job lined up for year pre-graduation, one had a job lined up which then fell through and is now looking for work, one has secured a one year, paid internship in her field, one’s working for a political campaign (at least through November), one’s landed an engineering job with an <em>amazing</em> salary, and one is looking for temp work while waiting to hear back from Americorps positions that start in February (which I think she would be excellent at doing and I really, really hope she gets one). In this non-representative sample, those more “practical” majors (business, engineering) seemed to be have faired better as did those with high-quality internship experience–if you consider going to grad school to be a “good outcome” (which is toss-up, admittedly), I’m an outlier in terms of majority practicality. It’s definitely a REALLY tough market out there, and I don’t envy those riding it at all.</p>
<p>My parents will help with the move to GradSchoolCity and are planning to get me an IPhone for a graduation gift, both of which I’m very thankful for (among other many things, of course)! :)</p>
<p>Bumping this thread up, just to keep the conversation flowing.</p>
<p>S1 is interning at a start-up company in San Francisco this summer. He came home (well, back to CT) for the weekend to attend a wedding and we just dropped him at the airport for his return flight. All weekend, everyone was talking about the long holiday weekend and he was really happy to say that he had to be back at work on the 5th. The office won’t be available, but the staff will meet at some cafe or internet spot to work the day. Ah, youth…he actually said that he “can’t believe he’s being paid to do the work he’s doing”.</p>
<p>We miss him (kinda). But it is so cool to know that he is finding his calling. He’ll only be home (well, back in CT) for 6 days at the end of the summer before heading back for his senior year; and two of those days DH and I will be with S2, moving him in for his freshman year. Where have the past 21 years gone?</p>
<p>Well, 20 year old son blew it with math grad school choices so will get one more year as an undergrad and reapply- class of '11 instead of '10 (met graduation reqs in '09- had AP credits, but that didn’t mean being well prepared for grad school). For him 5 years of college works better than 5 of elementary school. Relieved (would have cut off support at age 21 this fall if he chose to do nothing). He took some grad level courses last year and probably will again- hasn’t exhausted the good offerings, adding a second major (which he doesn’t need to complete) paves the way to keep going. Not uncommon at his school to stay awhile. Kid too independent- didn’t listen to our advice… Have to remember he is making forward progress, it will be interesting to see where he’s at at 30. Forces parents to think back to their own youth and how they and peers were unsettled in life at the same stage. Looks like I’ll still be around… He is in summer school and has resigned his apt lease- no moving in August for the first time in years!</p>
<p>While today’s NYTimes article has been discussed in another thread, I’d be curious to see what posters here thought of its subjects…see the readers’ comments section for some real virtroil.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/07/business/economy/07generation.html?ref=us[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/07/business/economy/07generation.html?ref=us</a></p>
<p>archiemom: glad to hear your older son is enjoying his internship!</p>
<p>Thank God my kids have sense enough to realize that they might actually have to start off at - gasp! - a salary like $40,000 a year. I am a college grad with experience, working in a job that requires a ton of knowledge (with penalties in the millions for not doing things correctly), and I don’t make that much.</p>
<p>In all honesty, if one of my kids was living in my house after college & turned down a $40k job … he wouldn’t be living at home any longer. </p>
<p>I never moved back to my parents’ home after college. I was totally self-supporting. If I couldn’t afford something, I went without. All of my friends did the same. Time to grow up.</p>
<p>Call it midwest sensibility or call it what you want but I totally agree with you Kelsmom. Plus if it was good enough for my husband and I (to go without, live with roommates, live without cars and electronics) it’s good enough for the kids. I know S1 can string restaurant jobs together next spring if he has to until he lands a “real” job. I highly doubt he’ll return home…no check that…he won’t return home.</p>
<p>Must be midwest sensibility. I hit the job market in hideous 1980, with a 5-year professional degree and my starting salary was $9000. Yes…per year. And I never considered moving in with my parents. Neither will either of my kids. I would not support them in lieu of a $40k position that they thought was “beneath them”. Heck, DH didn’t make $40k last year after 30 years in his profession.</p>
<p>I’ll have what you’re having…agree completely. Two friends and I chatted about this article over lunch yesterday and despite three advanced degrees between us, we all started out at the bottom of the income ladder in the early 1980s…I worked three jobs to support myself in my first apartment…my roommate and I had a couch with three legs…it built character. I’ve tried to pass down this work ethic to my kids…the jury is out on how much of it they’ve absorbed. I’m hoping my son’s intrinsic fear of moving home after he graduates from college next year will somehow propel him to take charge of his life. We shall see.</p>
<p>D. is in a process applying to Med. School as most senior pre-meds. No other dependents, both of us lucky to have jobs. Did not pay UG tuition because of Merit $$$, so we are planning to support her thru Med. School.</p>
<p>I see absolutely nothing wrong with helping your kid through med or grad school, if you can comfortably do so. This is different than supporting the kid AFTER med school (at which time the kid should be supporting YOU :)!).</p>
<p>My D will be graduating in '11 with a BFA. She has no clue as to what kind of jobs are out there for her. She would like to remain somewhat “creative” in whatever career she pursues. She already told us she plans on moving back home (which is fine with us). Given we live in NYC, I think that’s a good place for her to be in any case. I told her she may have to take whatever kind of job she can get just to earn some spending money, while trying to work her way into something where she can use her creative talents, even if that means interning or volunteering at a museum, making jewelry (or some other accessory) that she can sell, etc.</p>
<p>I can’t worry about this. She always seems to find herself work in any case (working all summers and part of the time during school). My S is 2 years behind her, although seems to be taking a more “practical” route (BS in economics), but who knows what things will be like in '13???</p>
<p>I have never heard of ANYBODY being supported after Med. School. One big reason they go to Med. School is to have job security. I know very many MDs, none of them is unemployed. Actually there is artificially created shortage.</p>