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Making the right choice? School work/Work? Help!

4K views 20 replies 9 participants last post by  SonnyWimps 
#1 ·
Okay well next semester (sp) I'm officially off my dad's health insurance, so I have two choices
1) Go to college full time and be covered under my dad's health insurance
2) Work 30-40 hours and get health insurance through the pet store that I work at

If I go to college full time that's approx 4 classes. I'd try to take them Monday, Wednesday, and Friday...all of them on those days and have Tuesday and Thursday for homework.
Now my working days would have to be Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday (mom won't let me work Sundays). And I need to work at least 20 hours to afford Sonny (no I will NOT sell him). That means I'd have to work 8 hours on Tuesday and 8 on Thursday...and Saturday only 4 because I can't work more than that because I have church at 4 pm.
Which means on Tuesday and Thursday I'd have to work from either 9 am - 5 pm OR 12 pm - 8 pm....so that really leaves me 5 hours max Tuesday and Thursday for homework.
In the mean time....Sonny time would be
*Monday: 4 pm - 6 pm (it gets really dark quickly)
*Tuesday: none
*Wednesday: 4-6
Thursday: none
Friday: 4-6
Saturday: none
Sunday: possibly 4 hours somewhere inbetween homework
It takes me a good hour to groom him (yes I'm slow and I like a clean horse) so really I'd only have 30 minutes to ride because then afterwards I quicky regroom him and put him outside.
So I wouldn't have really have enough homework time and defiantely not enough Sonny time. I'm stressed out enough as it is with just 2 classes, so I know I'll be worse wth 4.


OR my other choice


I could take 1 college class Tuesday and Thursay from like 10 - 11:15 (am)
Then I could work
Monday: 9 am - 5 (or 6 pm)
Tuesday: 4 pm - 8 pm
Wednesday: 2:15 pm - 8 pm (yes weird time to start)
Thursday: 4 pm - 8 pm
Friday: 9 am - 5 (or 6 pm)
Saturday: 9 am - 2 pm
So I'd be working 34 -36 hours (I believe health insurance starts at 30 hours...so I could even take off one of the 4 hour days)
And for Sonny time:
Monday: 6 pm - 8 pm (no riding)
Tuesday: 12 pm - 2:30 pm
Wednesday: possibly 9 am - 11 pm
Thursday: 12 pm - 2:30 pm
Friday: 6 pm - 8 pm (no riding)
So I'd have a little more Sonny time.
But working that much I'd have enough time for homework, and I'd defiantely have enough to afford Sonny.


And an option I'm considering is leasing out Sonny also. If I go with option 1 I'd really have to find someone quick so I wouldn't have to work as many hours. But if I go with option 2 I could take my time to find the perfect person since I'd have more than enough time and I wouldn't be in a hurry to find someone to lease.

At the moment, I'm leaning more towards option 2. My mom is semi-okay with it...but I haven't even broughten the idea to my dad yet. He'll be POed.

What would you do and why?

I'd offer cookies and candy for reading the long thing, but since it's a day after halloween and everyone is sick of candy I'll offer pizza instead!
 
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#2 ·
Hey sonny, my situation is somewhat similar except for the insurance part. I am on my moms insurance until i am 25 and I do not have to be a full time student either (even tho i am).

Sonny my schedule is worked out like this and maybe it will work for you.

Monday: College classes- 8:30 - 2:15
Work- 4 to 9
Tuesday: Free day

Wednesday- College classes- 8:30 - 2:15
Work- 4 to 9
Thursday and friday -free days

Saturday- work 8 hours
Sunday- work 8 1/2 hours

That means i get 26 1/2 hours of work a week...
3 days of study and to see my girl

Now maybe you can kinda play with that schedule and get it to work out.
 
#3 ·
I defiantely could get easy hours if I was able to work more on Saturday and then on Sunday.
My mom says no working on Sundays period...and for Saturday I can only work 4-5 hours. I have to leave at 2 because my mom and I always go to church on Saturday at 4 pm and she says "I need enough time to eat, and get ready"

See, you're lucky that her insurance covers you till your 25....my parents will only cover me till I'm 19.

I'm just worried though about leasing Sonny. I mean I don't want him to become a fat pasture pony, but I'm worried that the leasee will do things to him that will make him the way he was.
Gingerrr, you should move closer to me :) I know you'd take good care of Sonny if you leased him :D
hehe

It's just hard to choose because my dad will say "education comes first" and then will just say sell Sonny. Where as my mom seems alright with me just taking 1 class
 
#8 ·
Moo, It's an outdoor arena and there are no lights. I will defiantely come up just to visit him, but I don't want him to be the 5000 lbs Paint lol

hot, my mom said I HAVE to be insurance, no ifs ands or buts. My mom is peranoid that Sonny will kill me :roll:

claire, I go to church on Saturday instead of Sunday so I can ride in the early morning...but my mom says that it's bad to work on Sunday. I wouldn't mind working then....but I'd get alot of crap from my mom.
 
#9 ·
If you don't mind it and don't feel it conflicts with your faith, perhaps you can discuss it with your mum and come to an agreement. After all, you still have Saturday to worship and you needn't work all day Sunday, necessarily. Perhaps if you can find a way where you're both comfortable with you still having time to worship and show your respect for the Sabbath then you'd be able to work and sort out your schedule more easily.
 
#13 ·
I think leasing Sonny out should be your very last option because I don't think you would be happy with that at all.

As for college/work... I think it's up to you. I started out as a part time college student becaue I wasnt sure if I had the maturity to handle it full time... And it turned out that I didn't. It took me a few years before I was able to juggle work and college. I finally figured out a way (I think it had something to do w/ "growing up"...)
 
#14 ·
well mainly I was thinking of leasing because I wouldn't know how much time I'd get. I don't know if I really would. My friend was talking about boarding at the stables so I could always have her ride him for me. Mainly I just don't want him to get so fat that he gets really unhealthy.
I'd probably just be leasing him out to a friend (probably for free or a small ammount)
 
#15 ·
I say focus on school. School only last a period of time and it's going to lay the foundation of you getting a good job later on. If you go to school and try work it's going to be to stressful. I know because I did it and I don't recommend it. If school is not something you are concerned about at all then by any means go to work. My preference would be for school tho :)
 
#16 ·
M2G,
My only concern is that I'll get too stressed out to work while going to college full time...cause I'm stressed out as it is now with stuff and I'm only taking 2 classes....and then I'll have to quit working so I won't be too stressed...and if I quit working I'd have to sell Sonny because I wouldn't be making any income and my parents might pay for him for a while, but not for more than a month.
And as I said, selling Sonny is not an option.
I'm not too concerned for school only in the meaning that I don't mind taking years and years to finish....I don't care if I get it all done in 2 years. I have a hard time staying interested in things and I think if I did all that was required in the 2 years that I'd get bored and would HATE doing it, which if that happened, I'd definately just stop and not finish.
 
#18 ·
Why don't you work on sunday, I hope its not because of sabath or anything; The sabath is actually saturday. Anyways, I don't see why you couldn't work a few hours on sunday. You don't have to pull an 8 hour shift but you could do a 5 or so and then still have plenty of the day left to ride and do homework.. or just do homework
 
#19 ·
I think I've made up my mind.
I will only take 1-2 classes and work more hours and pay for health care....and since I'll be "saving" my parents money because I don't be going to so many classes and won't need books, I'll see if they will go halves for health insurance (maybe).

I figured...if I worked 30 hours with my $8.75 per hour pay, I'd be able to make a little over $1000 a month. The quote I got from just one health insurance place said it would cost about $425 a month to be covered by them (only quote I could get without putting all my information in like address, phone number, etc)....so I don't think it would get higher than that. It included prescription drug coverage, hostital coverage....the only thing it did not include was physician and refurals I believe (but not positive). I hate doctors so it's not like I'll go there every time I have a cold.....but I'm wondering about if it would cover dentist stuff.....mainly because I am thinking of getting braces because my bottom teeth are all scary looking (extremely crooked) and if I happen to get cavities (haven't gotten one in a good 3-4 years though).
But I'll look around and maybe my dad will help with that also.

I have yet to mention that idea to my dad....my mom mentioned it and she said he wasn't happy about that at all but he didn't mention it to me when I got home so he wasn't super upset.
 
#20 ·
i know you made up you mind but you really should get school done asap... cost to go to school increases every year, also for books I would find out what I needed and then would buy them used on Amazon for way less then the college bookstores.

I would go to school and then work after... I had 22 credits and 20-30 hours a week for work, I did manage to find some time to ride during school but we all have to make sacrifices some time in our lives. After two years I am just working, I have health insurance with my job, and I have some time to spend with the horses.

I would also work on Sundays, IMO you should be old enough to make some decisions on your own. If you are making it to church on Sat night then you should be able to have Sunday to work. Otherwise maybe work longer on Sat. and go to church on Sundays, if your parents are "mandating" you to do things they need to be flexible.
 
#21 ·
I get stressed extremely easy and just with two classes this year I'm extremely stressed out on getting homework done. Being able to work 35 hours (have to work more cause taxes will increase in January :evil:). I talked to a co-worker and she said that she pays nothing for health insurance.........and they cover everything she says. So i might give that a try. Even if I'm paying a little bit at least I'll be covered and such. I don't care what doctors they cover since ATM I HATE my current doctor and need a new one.

Also my concern is, Sonny puts on weight extremely quick. And I know if I don't ride him enough he'll turn into a ball of fat. He's on unlimited hay and no I can't decrease his ammount. I want him to have unlimited hay cause it's healthier for him. But I don't want to take any chances with founder or what not.

I'm going to try to take 2 classes next semister like I'm doing now....and hopefully I'll still be able to work 35 hours or so
 
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