You need a co-signer to make-up the difference in tuition. I doubt your parents would be willing to do that. Even if they did, you would drown in student debt, which would literally sabotage an early career. Colleges are not dreams. Dreams are something that can be converted into accomplishments later, otherwise it’s just a fantasy. Being a lawyer, doctor, programmer, dancer, artist, etc., those are dreams and you don’t need California to accomplish that.
“The mid-west is a lot nicer.”
For you. For others, not so much. Read about the significant migration out of the mid-west to the south, west, southwest and west coast.
Also, in terms of voting with one’s feet, the Midwest states and New York mostly have net migration to California, while net migration from California goes mainly to other western states and Texas.
http://www.sacbee.com/site-services/databases/article32679753.html
@katliamom , as one of those people who isn’t in California any longer, I agree with you that there are lots of very nice places in the country. My family lives in some of those enclaves I mentioned and life is good there. But for most families, the coastal urban regions are no longer affordable. $800K for a 3 bedroom ranch in LA, or $3 million for a 1200 sq. foot house in Los Altos along with the ridiculous property (assuming you didn’t buy your house in the 80’s) taxes, sales and income taxes put housing out of range for most families. And don’t get me started about the traffic.
You could buy the same house in Indiana for $150K.
California is now the biggest net-loss state, according to U-haul.
https://www.uhaul.com/Articles/About/13040/U-Haul-Growth-States-Texas-Remained-No-1-IN-2017/
As I said, @ucbalumnus , racially segregated neighborhoods are irrelevant because they are done by choice. In the case of Detroit, the city government was racist for decades and mayor Young told white people to stay out. That didn’t change until the city went bankrupt a few years ago. Now the city is more mixed.
For the OP, the high costs and unfriendly business climate are a real detriment. Have you seen the rents around the Berkeley campus?
A choice of people to self-segregate suggests a higher level of racism among people in the area, not exactly a desirable aspect of the area.
In response to the question in the title. Following a dream you can’t afford is a recipe for turning your dream into a nightmare.
@TooOld4School I’m well aware of the drawbacks of life in California – lived there for 17 years and it’s where most of my immediate family lives. We all lived in the mid-west and in the East coast, as well, so we can compare lifestyles. To say to someone “the mid-west is better” is silly. To each his own – you like the mid-west, we didn’t. And BTW, although I’ve lived for a long time in Colorado, I do plan to return to California when my husband stops working. Yes, we will pay more for less, when we buy a house there. It’s still worth it to us. Because worth, like tastes, are individual.
In any event it appears that the OP has not been back since he/she first posted – probably wasn’t getting the hoped for answers.