HELP plz! I don't think i will have enough to FEED MYSELF in college!

College Life
1

<p>Thank you for reading this.</p>

<p>I am going to UC San Diego this September. The problem is that I am not sure how i will ever be able to support myself.</p>

<p>Problems:
1, My parents will provide $0
2, Financial aid package: 1/4 are grant, 3/4 loans
3, I have $500 in savings
4, Coming from another country 4 years ago, I’ve never been to San Diego
5, I did not get dorm as a freshman due to my transferring status</p>

<p>Questions:
1, What jobs do i get to FEED myself??? I assume that I would have to work like full time to find enough money. anyone have experience/tips?
2, How will be able to find a apartment?
3, How will be able to make friends without living in the dorm?</p>

2

<ol>
<li>Contact the Finacial Aid Office. If your EFC is $0, then your package might be able to be reworked. They might have other ideas for places to get money. You might qualify for work-study and your hours can be adjusted to fit your class schedule. If you have an EFC of something and your parents just won’t pay, then you have other issues to deal with.</li>
<li> Check with the housing office – there may be a list of students looking for roommates or rooms for rent in houses. This will be cheaper than you trying to get your own apartment.</li>
<li> If you don’t have a summer job, get one and save everything.</li>
<li> You will make friends through your classes, just not as fast as those in dorms.</li>
</ol>

3

<p>Try to land a job in a dining hall if you’re on meal plan. They should significantly reduce the cost of your plan or allow you to have free food (It’s what my dad did when he worked as a post-doc for MIT and couldn’t afford food)</p>

4

<p>Oh wait, I realized I didn’t answer the remainder of your questions, but LWMD seemed to have some really good answers</p>

5

<p>Learn to cook you’ll save a lot!</p>

6

<p>ramen noodles</p>

7

<p>Thanks guys ( or gals) for the advice.
To answer LWMD, the EFC is $0 in the first place</p>

<p>The following is the financial aid package. I think most of my problem comes from fear for the new environment. Anyone has other tips they could share?</p>

<p>Thanks a bunch</p>

<hr>

<p>Financial Need $22,654</p>

<p>Pell Grant $4,310
Possible Cal Grant B $1,551
UCSD Grant $7,993
Federal Work-Study $2,875
Perkins Loan $800
Subsidized Stafford Loan $3,500
Parent PLUS Loan (optional) $1,625
Other Outside Aid $0</p>

<p>Total Awards $22,654</p>

8

<p>You should take a look at the “Cost of Attendance.” It’s what your financial aid covers.</p>

<p>In that, you will see that there is some money set aside for food, housing, utilities, travel and personal expenses, etc.</p>

<p>You should check and see if maybe that’s enough in and of itself. It seems to me you think that food and living expenses are above and beyond the money given to you (in grants and loans) by the school.</p>

9

<p>Eating can be cheap. I can eat and drink for a $1.50 a day if I have to, but, yeah, look at your FA and contact the office. Meal plans are usually included in the COA.</p>

10

<p>yeah, I think you are right. Maybe I am worring too much.</p>

<p>I guess most of the pressure comes from having to live outside of the dorm, which is definitely not so good for my social life.</p>

<p>I appreciate all your comments:)</p>

11

<p>I agree with what someone already said: if you don’t have a summer job, get one then.</p>