How could anyone possibly support themselves on a part time low wage job i NYC and pay tuition at columbia gen studies?
The cost of living is basically untenable, but the tuition is part of the problem too. I am getting around 75% of my tuition covered (approximately).
I am trying to find a cheaper place to live in NYC, for sure—somewhere in the outer boroughs. I thought about moving to New Jersey, but I don’t have a car anymore, so I don’t think that’s a viable option.
Unfortunately, I can’t take classes online. Only real exception to that is that there is one class that I need for my major that I can take online. Otherwise, the online classes offered don’t count towards my degree. I may be misunderstanding you a bit, but I am not able to do cheaper college credits elsewhere and have it count towards my Columbia degree. The school officially forbids that. I probably need an extra $3k a month, to be honest.
How many roommates do you have? My daughter pays $1000+ a month in Boston, has 3 roommates. Here in NJ it can be $1000 a month per bedroom too, although places are bigger, and it is harder to be car-less (and places where you can live without one are more expensive). She manages to pay for rent and food bartending 3 shifts a week (her grad program is full time 5 days a week so she works nights and weekends, brings in over $2000 a month).
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Look for cheaper housing. Go farther north (Bronx, Westchester) or to NJ. There is a free shuttle from Ft Lee NJ to Columbia Medical Center. Can also take the PATH train or NJ Transit into Columbia.
If you only need 23 credits, then its not worth transferring. Cut your expenses and look for ways to increase cash flow. I know that many Columbia students do online tutoring to HS students to make extra money.
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I wonder if there’s anything CU can do for you with housing, you’ve likely asked, but whether it’s an in-residency RA situ, or even sublets. CU has a lot of real estate, just spit-balling. Washington Heights/Yonkers/Bronx have cheaper housing but safety can be an issue. No car needed in those areas.
3k is going to be tough to find in the short term. Your best bet is to bring these issues to the administration at CU. You certainly are not the only student that has been in this situation.
Journalism is dead. Above poster saying the Canary in the Coal Mine is not wrong. I published in magazines 20 years ago and even then it was circling the drain. There are courses/certs you can take to make it more marketable and I hope they can become part of the curriculum that remains.
Best of luck to you. Let us know if you get any resolution.
Another idea: Have you considered ROTC? Columbia has Navy and Marines.
ROTC will pay for tuition + books + monthly stipend in return for a service commitment. You’d probably have to extend your graduation date in order to qualify. And also consider a change to a STEM major.
Probably not what you were looking for, but I thought I’d mention anyway.
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When I used to work in ny back in the day, I lived in cheap parts of New Jersey that were commuter friendly. I rented a room in a house that allowed me use of the kitchen for years. Can you find a situation like that? Back then, I took gypsy vans into nyc across tunnel and then subway. I couldn’t afford living in nyc even while I was working. But the benefit of ny is that you don’t need a car.