I am done with sh*t living in the Bible Belt Kansas. When I turn 18, I want to get the hell out of Dodge. What is an easy way to support myself through college in San Francisco, particularly in the Castro district? I know the cost of living is high, but I think I can make things work. Any advice?
Yes, don't give up... And you could try to do like that google guy who is living on a trailer, to repay student loans quicker and also to get rid of commuting and expensive rent. Doesn't have to be Frisco right away : You could start with somewhere nice and small in California, and work your way in a couple of years. Save money, get a strong social network, etc...
There are a few ways you could manage it. Scholarships are crucial; see what the college offers, but also look at scholarships that aren't attached to a particular school. You can also see if there's a work-study program. I never tried it, since my major kept me very busy, but it can work well for many people. You could look for any competitions in your field of study. And of course there's the obvious one, working part-time. Aside from that, anything you can do to cut your cost of living will help. Keep a careful budget, especially on things like food and entertainment that you could easily lose track of.
Make sure to study in areas related to higher-paying jobs before you get settled there. Housing prices will be your greatest adversary there, but if you can manage, it'll be totally worth it.
Just a few thoughts - Yes, college is a good way to go with this, and there are several good schools (unsurprisingly, perhaps) in the Bay Area - start looking into them and seeing which ones you'd be interested in. Financial aid will be a key factor, and don't be afraid to contact the financial aid offices for schools. Cost of living, though - to say that it is high in the Bay Area is a drastic understatement. Not to be negative, but if you really want to get out there, I would let go of the idea of living in the Castro district itself. What's more, it's not really all that essential - it's not the solitary epicenter of gay culture that it used to be. That's normalized to most of San Francisco and Silicon Valley at this point. There's a lot of cheaper places to stay in, say, San Jose and Santa Clara, and a lot of recommend them as places to live on their own. Plus public transport into the city is pretty accessible. More than any of this at the moment, though - what's happening that has you desperate to leave Kansas? Anything specific?
You can always rent a room in someones house on the beach in San Francisco or in downtown San Francisco. Whichever rent for a room in someones house usually costs $600+ a month. You can get a job at an airport in customer service or ramp they pay about 13/hr with no experience required. You can definitely do it. It's do able. If you decide not to live in S.F. You can move to San Jose, or Oakland as well. San Jose and Oakland also have some good colleges. You can also try to get work study. But I believe you must sign up with FAFSA to qualify for work study at a college.
Um, if you are talking about a room in San Francisco, the cost for a room in someone's house is in the $2000-3000/month range. That's for a minuscule room, probably without house privileges. San Francisco housing is completely out of control. As far as the Castro... These days it's mostly people over 40. There are much better, hipper places with young people, that are quite a bit more affordable (but still obscene -- $1000-1500 for a room in a shares house is not uncommon) across the bay in Richmond d or El Cerrito. One of my friends who is a student at SF State is currently paying $1400 for a *shared* tiny bedroom in a crappy house in South San Francisco. She works two jobs and has student loans out the wazoo. Doable, yes... But there are a lot of sacrifices.
I just got a job right in downtown S.F. and was looking into rooms for rent. Maybe some are shared rooms but I found rooms from Bernal Heights to Sunset from $550-600 a month. Even found a room with ocean views on Treasure Island for $550/mo but I think it's shared.
Interesting. I know a half-dozen people who just got housing (within the past 6 months) and the rock-bottom cheapest of anyone I know got was $1250, and that was for an 8x10 room, shared with someone else, with no windows and no house privileges. But... in checking Craigslist, I do see a couple that are under $800. So -- if they are real -- perhaps prices have gone down or something. I stand corrected. In any case, it is *obscenely* expensive for everything in SF. Unless one has a really good paying job (over 75K), I'd choose either somewhere in the east bay, or perhaps somewhere other than northern CA... there are plenty of lovely gay-friendly cities with thriving young gay populations that aren't nearly as expensive as SF.
Prices are insanse. But bernal heights has always been a little cheaper to rent in. Also Daly City is not a bad idea as it's right next to SF a little cheaper to rent in and has transit and a short drive right into the city.
