<p>IJust remember to give it a little time to settle in. You may be a bit lonely at first. That’s the way it is for some kids when they start college. In the beginning they are miserable and by Christmas vacation, they want to get back as fast as possible. You may have the same experience with a new job/city. So, don’t panic if it takes a while to settle in. </p>
<p>If you have a facebook account and have not already done so, update your status to say you’ll be living in DC and ask that if anyone knows anyone there who can show you the ropes, you’d appreciate an intro. Someone you know may have a cousin, sorority sister, frat brother, childhood friend etc. who lives in DC or is also moving there.</p>
<p>Find out if you college has an alumni org, as someone else said. Also if you can find out if it has a bar. I’m serious. There are several bars in DC that show football, basketball games, etc. and fans from certain colleges tend to meet at the same one. If your employer sponsors any athletic teams, join. </p>
<p>If you are at all religious, join a congregation. </p>
<p>It’s going to be tougher because you have a serious boyfriend. Don’t spend so much time talking w/, skyping, texting him that you don’t reach out and make friends.</p>
<p>Also, if you have a HS that tracks alums, see if they have any alums in the DC area. Our kids’ HS has tons of alums that are in DC, as does the college S attended & graduated from. They are useful as contacts to help you get settled.</p>
<p>You can check to see if you can still re-add your kid if said kid is under 26 years old and WANTS To be added back to your insurance. It would be dual coverage & if there’s an expensive condition that requires expensive meds (or high co-pays or deductibles), it can be a great thing to have.</p>
<p>When my DD moved far from home we suggested she rent a room via Craigslist for the first month, this meant she did not stress finding a place from afar and it gave her a few weeks to live in the town and explore various areas before signing a lease. It worked out well for her. You might consider something like that.</p>
<p>DD also noticed that when you are not in an educational setting it can be harder to find friends, that plus leaving a huge college friend base made her first month or so rather lonely. Pick you passion- sports, arts, clubs, whatever and join or attend. Get out and give yourself the chance to meet people who will be your friends.</p>
<p>We did re-add our DS back onto my health insurance when he was 24.
He had been dropped at age 22;
But, only able to do so because he did not have his own insurance yet.</p>
<p>By time he turned 26, he had his own coverage through his own employer.</p>
<p>M daughter graduated last year. She really started to feel like there was no turning back when it came to back to school shopping g sales and she wasn’t going back to school any more. Also when she framed posters.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Health insurance: At some companies, it must start on the first of the month. So if your start date at your job is June 20, you don’t get insurance until July 1. Make sure your current plan (through your dad’s job, presumably) doesn’t stop covering you until the new one starts.</p></li>
<li><p>You will probably find that DC rents are higher than you expected. One way to cut expenses so that you can afford your rent is to get rid of your car. If you can find a place to live that’s within walking distance of a Metro station (or perhaps a bus line, if you’re willing to use buses), you don’t need a car.</p></li>
<li><p>Capitol One bought out another bank in the DC area recently. As a result, there are Capitol One branches and ATMs everywhere. This may make it the most convenient bank. But there are also plenty of other banks that you can use.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I would also like to add to jonri’s post - as difficult as it seems, try to concentrate on building your new life, and not spend many hours on skype/phone with the boyfriend.</p>
<p>I was super upset moving for my first job, even though it was less than 100 miles away. You would be surprised how different the culture was, from liberal college town to confederate capital of the south… The first thing that helped was when the movers moved all of my ridiculous furniture into my new apartment. Then, getting an edible arrangement from my mom was super nice. My parents came to visit for the next weekend and that was really nice, too. And I went back to visit my college town (my family lives 5 hours away but I was used to that from college) about once a month. At winter break I was still seriously struggling, despite LOVING my job.</p>
<p>My problem was more a lack of permanence… After winter break, I started dating my current boyfriend. It is less that I feel settled, but more of I have something completely outside of my college life (I was planning on working near my college but it worked out that I came here instead). My job actually almost got budget-cut this year, but it worked out that I am staying for one more year before moving to… lol… DC with my boyfriend. I was less than thrilled about that possibility (I have lived in northern va before, and grew up in a huge suburb city deal, and liked the rural better) but I am excited now, I think it will be a good fit for us. And my boyfriend’s sister is moving to my college town so I will get to keep visiting there.</p>
<p>I will say that it will make you a better person to live by yourself for a year before your boyfriend moves out to DC. You do not know what you are giving up until you live by yourself. And as for settling, it helps to have a view of what is coming to push you forward. I’m sure you feel in limbo until your boyfriend moves out… It will be easier to evaluate what is going on once you are starting your post college life together, but you’ll still grow a lot this year I think. Good luck!</p>
<p>I called our health plan and they said yes, they’d insure our adult kids even if they are self-supporting and their employer offers them health insurance but NOT if their employer health insurance would cost them under $100 per month premium. Son’s is no charge for just him so he would need to stay on his, which has been just fine (blue cross/blue shield). I just feel like one of my mom jobs got halted abruptly when he stopped being under our “umbrella”.</p>
<p>Our son enjoyed joining a basketball league for young adults after he started working. Now he does that and a handball league. I think being in an office all day was hard on him at first because he was used to walking a campus and being more physically active. </p>
<p>In general, he has liked work life a lot more than college life. I’m a little upset by this because I think he should get a post-graduate degree. Mom’s are never satisfied. :)</p>
<p>there’s a moment in life that you feel depressed and misled but just have faith in your abilities, your future. Keep all the positive thinking and i think you’ll make it!!!</p>
<p>When I graduated from college, I moved from Iowa to Upstate New York. The job search had been long, so I was thrilled to get a job. HOWEVER, it was a huge adjustment.</p>
<p>Looking back more than thirty years after that move I often think how brave I was to make that move. The people in Iowa could not believe I was moving so far away and were worried about my safety even though they were closer to Chicago than I would be to NYC. </p>
<p>If I had to do it over again, I would have joined more organizations and worried less about wanting, getting, keeping a boyfriend. It was important to me to know that I could support myself and live successfully on my own, and I did. I do think it is natural to have emotional swings, but they will settle down. Now I live about 90 minutes from DC, and we are soon to be empty nesters, so if you get homesick, you can come up to our house!</p>
<p>Thanks for all of the help, everyone! I actually made the 11 hour drive from Indiana to Maryland yesterday and am spending my day looking at apartments today. A few quick points on my end:</p>
<p>-I am covered on my dad’s insurance until I take my own, which does start on the 1st of each month
-I have already reached out to my sorority’s local alumnae group, and some of new transplants have already made plans for happy hours in late August/early September!
-My BF is pretty involved in his fraternity and an internship, so we have built-in checks and balances on our skyping. I also can’t have my cell phone at work, so that works to balance our texting as well. </p>
<p>Thank you so much for all of the advice, everyone! So many of my friends have taken jobs close to home (Chicago, Indianapolis, or wherever their hometown is) or found jobs in our college town, so it’s been tough trying to find someone to seek advice from. My dad has also lived around the town he grew up in his entire life, so he’s even at a loss for comparison.</p>
<p>soccergurl, it sounds like you are doing all the right things. I think finding a soccer team to join would also be a great idea. I did the same thing when I was out of school and it was a great way to meet a bunch of new people.</p>
<p>D.C. can be very hectic. I also spent time there when I was your age, and am from the midwest too. Remember to carve out space for yourself, just to have a little down time. Also remember that this job doesn’t have to be forever - they usually aren’t. You’re going to get some great experience that should be fairly portable. And remember, you can find defense-related work outside of D.C., particularly if you have experience. There is a lot of opportunity in Ohio around Wright Patterson AFB, for example. Good luck!</p>
<p>Post your questions and we try to help. I work in DC, lived in Md and now live in VA. When I first moved in the DC area out of college, I had no idea what I was doing with no family or friends in the area. No internet or forums to ask questions. Your dad already gave you a good advise. Take a step at a time. There are lots of young people and transient people in DC and I am sure will be find new friends and activities to join in no time. Check out ■■■■■■■■■■ for activities that interest you. Try Ski Club of DC [Ski</a> Club of Washington, DC (SCWDC)](<a href=“http://www.scwdc.org%5DSki”>http://www.scwdc.org). They do a lot more than skiing or you can learn to ski. There are organized and pick up soccer games around the area.</p>
<p>The first you need to do is secure a place to live. Most other stuff can wait until you start working. Your new colleagues are very resources. Since you interned in DC and looking for housing in MD, I guess you already have an idea where you want to live or still need suggestions? I would chose a place as close to work as possible as long as your budget allows. Typically, landlords like to see you grass salary 3x times the rent amount. If you rent from private owner, they could be more flexible. Many will require credit check. Again a private owner may cut you some slack as new graduate or they may require a co-signer. A lot of time the rent in the areas you like may not be what you can afford and it is not uncommon for people to share house. So budget purpose, you should not be spending more 1/3 of your gross salary on housing. You still have to pay tax and transportation expense to work. </p>
<p>Are you aware that income tax for MD is higher than VA? On top of the MD tax, they pig-back a county tax (I think is 55% now). Car insurance will more expensive in the DC area, but MD is more expensive. At least it was when I move from MD to VA (closer to DC), my insurance dropped 20%. </p>
<p>Your colleagues are probably the best source for suggesting an insurance plan. Geico is typically the cheapest insurance in the area. You may find cheaper but be careful about coverage and reimbursements.</p>
<p>For banking, we use Capital One. They bought a local bank (Chevy Chase) that has a lot of branches throughout the DC area. Choose what is more convenient to your work and where you will be living.</p>
<p>First job is not as important. Most young people move to new jobs after a couple of years. </p>
<p>On thing puzzles me. It sound like you will be working in the private sector. Typically they give you an offer and you agree on a start date. Why does it take 14-60 days for your paperwork to clear. This is typical the case if you are working the government so they can do a background check after the offer. Depending on the agency, it can take a couple of weeks and may take longer than 60 days. If that is the case, you may be committing to a housing arrangement too early?</p>
<p>Back from a long day of apartment hunting in Silver Spring and Bethesda…found a couple of good places, but I’m not signing a lease until I get a firm start date (just in case something falls through, I’m not stuck). Downside is there are mixed online reviews on these places, but I feel like that’s something everywhere. My current college apartment got a 6% on apartmentratings.com At least these are in the 40s%</p>
<p>I would live in NoVA in a heartbeat, I loved the area and it’s where most of my friends live, but the commute from there to Ft. Meade would be more than I can bear. I can do an hour max, but to NoVA it’d be like 1.5-2 since most of it is on the Beltway. </p>
<p>@Marian–You are correct, although I already have my clearance from a previous internship. It just has to be transferred, and my holding agency is slower than molasses on a cold day. I’ll be a contractor, so it’s even worse. If only Congress was more agreeable, I’d be working full-time for my intern agency.</p>
<p>On the plus side, it looks like my car insurance might be going down. My car is insured in a high risk area (my hometown is ~20 minutes from Gary), so my dad (who paid my car insurance in HS and college) pays more than like 95% of people i know. I drive a 4DR sedan, so it’s not like it’s a hot rod, haha.</p>
At least these are in the 40s%</p>