Sustaining a living at college?

[yhelothar]

I'm going to a UC now. So basically my grants and loans covers just about up to my tuition.
Rent costs $720/mo, and I still need to pay for food, phone, books, gas, and car maintenence.
I'll have a part time job, but I doubt I'll make much more than 600-800.
Should I get more loans? If so, where?
What's a college student gotta do to survive?

 

[onlyCOpunk]

government loans, it's what i'm living off of now. although i tend to piss it all away, you have to get drunk somewhere.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Top Ramen <-- fixes the food issue for many a college student

 

[vi edit]

I had roomates. We were in a very cheap area where a whole house was $520/mth. Between 4 people rent and utils were like $250 a person. We'd shop at Sam's Club and split the food costs too.

I had a decent internship (made $13/hr in '98-'00) and worked 20 hours a week on nights & weekends to cover the bills.

 

[SagaLore]

Debt.

 

[moshquerade]

don't let the debt overwhelm you. you have to do what you have to do.
go to your college's financial aid office and they will set you up with loans.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Originally posted by: moshquerade
don't let the debt overwhelm you. you have to do what you have to do.
go to your college's financial aid office and they will set you up with loans.

This first and foremost.

I work full time and goto school full time to cover my monthly expenses... It sucks but what I gotta do.

 

[nageov3t]

I worked my ass off every summer and winter break, saved all my money, and that was the money I lived off of all semester.

I also tutored and TA'd for some extra cash.

 

[SneakyStuff]

The trick with food is to buy the right things, I made the mistake at first of getting what I wanted to eat whenever and I was spending an absurd amount of money each week. Some low cost items I've found include... chicken/burger patties in bulk boxes, tuna, pasta, frozen totino's pizza, cereal, powdered drink mixes, and canned foods like chili. As for your living situation I only pay $350 a month with 3 other roommates, your rent struck me as rediculous for a college student, is that just the norm for California?

 

[JohnCU]

i lived off CCs and just paid the minimums back when they were low minimums. then they raised the minimum payments and well toward the end i'd pay the minimum and then go do a cash withdrawal from the ATM on that card to get the money that i just put on back off haha. it got me through for a month or so but it was damn scary living.

 

[Xavier434]

You really have no choice but to either go into debt or acquire additional financial aid. You can work at a job too, but that will only bring in so much income and a lot of students fall into the trap of working so much and relying on that income that it greatly impacts their performance and progression towards getting their degree. Don't be one of those students. Balance your time and resources even if it means going into debt. Just don't be stupid about it. Don't use CCs if you can help it because their interest rates are going to be much higher than student loans in the vast majority of cases. You know what to do and if you hesitate then ask which is what you are doing here and I commend you for it.

 

[akubi]

find roommates. $720/mo rent for a college student is utter stupidity. move into the student dorms if that's an option.

 

[nanette1985]

Work more and find higher paying jobs.

 

[darkxshade]

Ask for a government bailout

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: akubi
find roommates. $720/mo rent for a college student is utter stupidity. move into the student dorms if that's an option.

student dorms start at $1075/mo
i just actually cancelled my dorm plan because i found out it's at the exact same place as these off campus apartments that I just went to sign up for $720/mo.
i'm guessing you don't know california housing costs?

 

[yhelothar]

How much loans did you guys take out a year?
My loans are currently at $5500 a year.

 

[nonameo]

Live in a tent?

 

[ViviTheMage]

I sucked it up and used my credit cards (10k limit @ 10%~~)....it was fine for me, lasted 2-3 years, with a part time job @ 30-35 hours a week.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Originally posted by: nonameo
Live in a tree?

Fixed, because well it is California and all.

 

[GenHoth]

Originally posted by: astroidea

Originally posted by: akubi
find roommates. $720/mo rent for a college student is utter stupidity. move into the student dorms if that's an option.

student dorms start at $1075/mo
i just actually cancelled my dorm plan because i found out it's at the exact same place as these off campus apartments that I just went to sign up for $720/mo.
i'm guessing you don't know california housing costs?

Good lord, I'm glad I live in the midwest!

 

[Born2bwire]

Originally posted by: astroidea

Originally posted by: akubi
find roommates. $720/mo rent for a college student is utter stupidity. move into the student dorms if that's an option.

student dorms start at $1075/mo
i just actually cancelled my dorm plan because i found out it's at the exact same place as these off campus apartments that I just went to sign up for $720/mo.
i'm guessing you don't know california housing costs?

If you can't get enough aid to cover room, board and tuition then something isn't quite right.

Me, I got a part-time job, interned in the summer and lived in a four bedroom townhouse with three roommates. I ended up with $15K in loans.

 

[akubi]

Originally posted by: astroidea

Originally posted by: akubi
find roommates. $720/mo rent for a college student is utter stupidity. move into the student dorms if that's an option.

student dorms start at $1075/mo
i just actually cancelled my dorm plan because i found out it's at the exact same place as these off campus apartments that I just went to sign up for $720/mo.
i'm guessing you don't know california housing costs?

actually I'm in nyc. dorms are usually subsidized by either the college or the government --- the cheapest option. which UC? doesn't sound right if you are paying market price for dorm housing.

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: akubi

Originally posted by: astroidea

Originally posted by: akubi
find roommates. $720/mo rent for a college student is utter stupidity. move into the student dorms if that's an option.

student dorms start at $1075/mo
i just actually cancelled my dorm plan because i found out it's at the exact same place as these off campus apartments that I just went to sign up for $720/mo.
i'm guessing you don't know california housing costs?

actually I'm in nyc. dorms are usually subsidized by either the college or the government --- the cheapest option. which UC? doesn't sound right if you are paying market price for dorm housing.

I can't speak for nyc, but I can tell you that dorms are a more expensive option in pretty much every college in FL even if you move into the crappiest of the selections.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: RadiclDreamer
Top Ramen <-- fixes the food issue for many a college student

and gorge yourself whenever you have a buffet or go back home to visit,

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: astroidea
How much loans did you guys take out a year?
My loans are currently at $5500 a year.

lol 5500 would not have even covered my room and board

i have about 26k from 4 years of undergrad, my rents have like 50k from it

++ for rents willing to help