<p>Sorry if this is long. I currently live in Tennessee getting ready for my senior year of high school. I’m not staying here, because I can’t stand this place and there are no good colleges that I can think of that have my major. My family is planning on moving back to Florida after I graduate and is asking me to come with. I would be living a few hours away and if I needed help with anything I would have family to do so as my grandparents already live there. The thing is I really want to move to California. What I want to major in California is the best place to do it and also this is where I would land the job I want after college. The biggest problem the only safer places I would be living are really expensive. I plan on doing community college until my junior year. I really don’t know what to do.</p>
<p>Would moving with your family to Florida, and commuting to community college so you can save up for the expensive college with your major work? It seems you don’t like Tennessee, but it’s not about moving away from your family, if I understand correctly. And there’s not much point in going to a community college in California, where you’d have to pay room and board on top of tuition, unless there’s some additional benefits you couldn’t get in Florida.</p>
<p>Don’t panic – you’ve got time! :)</p>
<p>I’m not going to sugarcoat it. California is a financial basket case, and the colleges (at least the public ones) as well as fire and police are the first things that get cut. I strongly recommend going to Florida with your family and looking for a good college there. What’s your major? You might be able to get some college recommendations from the Florida locals if you post on the Florida section of this board.</p>
<p>The other issue to consider is that you will have to pay out-of-state tuition in California. I also think that you should look into Florida community colleges. Whatever your intended major (you didn’t say), you will have to complete general graduation requirements that are going to be the same courses wherever you go. So, I would recommend looking into the 4-year colleges that you hope to transfer to, and the major(s) that you hope to pursue. You can look up the general graduation requirements for those colleges and majors, and you will see what you need to take during your first 2 years. If you complete all those courses, you will be in great shape to pursue your major-level courses after you transfer.</p>
<p>If you want to transfer to a CA college, you will still face the same out-of-state tuition problem. You will either have to spend a year in California working and establishing residency, or transfer to a Florida college.</p>
<p>Don’t come to California unless you’re going to a community college here first and plan on working. Even then, you’ll have to pay for your tuition and your own place to stay. There’s no point in coming here. California is going downhill.</p>
<p>The cost for out-of-state students is ridiculous. My friend from UC Berkeley is transferring to my school to cut down on costs that was an in-state student to begin with.</p>
<p>My advice: Come here if you want to go to graduate school.</p>