shirenomad (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
shirenomad) wrote2002-05-09 12:35 pm
shirenomad) wrote2002-05-09 12:35 pm
Entry tags:
Cost of living
My mom was in town yesterday. She normally doesn't come by Orange County in the middle of a quarter, but she's best friends with the mother of another UCI student whose senior recital was last evening, so she decided to come on down, enjoy some cello music, and visit with me in the meantime. Also talked my grandmother into coming down.
While she was around, we discussed my upcoming trip to Japan (for those who haven't figured out as much from earlier LJ entries and the occasional board post, I leave in August for a four-month foreign exchange). Went over a few forms, but somewhere along the line the cost came up. Total estimated expense (including tuition, air fare, food, housing, utilities, transportation, and incidentals): about eight grand. Financial aid will only cover about $1500.
Now, I've been looking for work for a while with no luck. The economy's in a slump, my school schedule makes it hard to find something with decent hours, and most companies would rather hire people on a more permanent basis. That last part has been killing me in the interview process, when I have to admit that I'll be leaving the country in two and a half months. There was at least one job where I was rejected purely on that point. And once I get to Japan, getting hired is absolutely out of the question, since I won't have a permit to work there.
So I mention my job frustrations to Mom, and she suggests just giving up my career hunting at the moment and focusing on getting through the quarter. I ask how I'm supposed to afford the trip, then... and she says pay what you can; she and dad will handle the rest. All $6500, if necessary.
I honestly have no idea how to react to this.
While she was around, we discussed my upcoming trip to Japan (for those who haven't figured out as much from earlier LJ entries and the occasional board post, I leave in August for a four-month foreign exchange). Went over a few forms, but somewhere along the line the cost came up. Total estimated expense (including tuition, air fare, food, housing, utilities, transportation, and incidentals): about eight grand. Financial aid will only cover about $1500.
Now, I've been looking for work for a while with no luck. The economy's in a slump, my school schedule makes it hard to find something with decent hours, and most companies would rather hire people on a more permanent basis. That last part has been killing me in the interview process, when I have to admit that I'll be leaving the country in two and a half months. There was at least one job where I was rejected purely on that point. And once I get to Japan, getting hired is absolutely out of the question, since I won't have a permit to work there.
So I mention my job frustrations to Mom, and she suggests just giving up my career hunting at the moment and focusing on getting through the quarter. I ask how I'm supposed to afford the trip, then... and she says pay what you can; she and dad will handle the rest. All $6500, if necessary.
I honestly have no idea how to react to this.