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Yesterday I was this close to withdrawing from the Japan program. The only reason I didn't is because the big WITHDRAW button isn't there anymore. They must have figured anyone who's this far won't want out at this point. I wasn't in my right mind a the time- it was, like, 6 in the morning and I hadn't slept and was just lying there going over all the thinks that are wrong right now and kinda freaked out and grabbed the laptop to withdraw and get it over with- so it's a good thing that button wasn't there.
There's a slim chance this may still work, but there's so much stuff in the way. My federal loan was canceled (at "lender's request" is all they said), so if I'm going to have to get a private student loan to pay for anything. I'll need the loan even if I stay in Philly, but it'll be less money.
(And on the note of money, the finance guide Temple has for this program recommended $3,000 for food per semester. $3,000? For 4 months for one person? I've never really kept track of my food bills, but that seems reeeeallly high. I will live off instant noodles and rice if I have it, but there's no way I'm spending that much on food.)
I still don't have a passport or a visa. This is all my fault though- I didn't keep track of due dates and didn't read the list of documents I need to get a visa until just before the deadline. I need my passport (which I don't have) to get the visa and my birth certificate (which I lost) to get the passport. So right now I'm waiting for a copy of my birth certificate to get here, but the entire process of getting the passport and visa may take too long. My dad's girlfriend does work with an international student exchange program so she knows how it all works and said it might be doable fairly quickly. There's a lot of maybes in all this business.
I'm going through Craigslist looking a job right now, and there are a few good possibilities. But I'm worried no one will hire me if they think I'm just a summer vacation temp who'll quit once school starts- and the thing is, I'm not even sure if that's the case. If I don't go to Japan I'll be able to work something out and stay on, but I'm still trying to make the Japan trip happen, so I don't know. I'm considering not telling potential employers about next semester's plans, just avoid the whole thing unless they ask directly. That's kinda rude though isn't it, getting a job then 2 months later be like LOL BYE, JAPAN NOW. Probably what I'm going to do though.
There's a slim chance this may still work, but there's so much stuff in the way. My federal loan was canceled (at "lender's request" is all they said), so if I'm going to have to get a private student loan to pay for anything. I'll need the loan even if I stay in Philly, but it'll be less money.
(And on the note of money, the finance guide Temple has for this program recommended $3,000 for food per semester. $3,000? For 4 months for one person? I've never really kept track of my food bills, but that seems reeeeallly high. I will live off instant noodles and rice if I have it, but there's no way I'm spending that much on food.)
I still don't have a passport or a visa. This is all my fault though- I didn't keep track of due dates and didn't read the list of documents I need to get a visa until just before the deadline. I need my passport (which I don't have) to get the visa and my birth certificate (which I lost) to get the passport. So right now I'm waiting for a copy of my birth certificate to get here, but the entire process of getting the passport and visa may take too long. My dad's girlfriend does work with an international student exchange program so she knows how it all works and said it might be doable fairly quickly. There's a lot of maybes in all this business.
I'm going through Craigslist looking a job right now, and there are a few good possibilities. But I'm worried no one will hire me if they think I'm just a summer vacation temp who'll quit once school starts- and the thing is, I'm not even sure if that's the case. If I don't go to Japan I'll be able to work something out and stay on, but I'm still trying to make the Japan trip happen, so I don't know. I'm considering not telling potential employers about next semester's plans, just avoid the whole thing unless they ask directly. That's kinda rude though isn't it, getting a job then 2 months later be like LOL BYE, JAPAN NOW. Probably what I'm going to do though.
