Life decisions. Car buying. A rant.

"Frosted" (frostedbuns) 03/14/2014 at 12:36 • Filed to: None

1

57

So last night I was having a weird/deep conversation with a college buddy about life (liberty and the pursuit of happiness). I've reached a point in my life where I'm generally unhappy for 90% of the day, every day. I go to a crap school that I hate, and I dorm there with people who aren't terrible but aren't friends either. Most of the people who attend are people I'd rather not associate myself with so besides the guy I was chatting with and my girlfriend, I don't really hang out with anyone at school. My major is geology. There's only one other person in the same field as myself and she's graduating after this semester.

The school already jerks us around by cancelling classes and threatening to drop the geology program all together. I'm on my fifth semester now and I've just had it with this school. I could go elsewhere but I'm kind of just had it with being in school altogether now, as my experience on a whole leaves me with a sour taste. It doesn't help that I'm also at a point where I don't care about geology anymore. Started out great but 5 semesters later and I'm burnt out on it.

I've been thinking about just taking a semester off to work and make money and maybe going back/going to a different school after a semester or a full year. Yet at the same time I'd go back next semester as a commuter and only take 2 or 3 classes instead of 5 or 6. And that might improve the experience tenfold but who knows.

Anyways, I do plan on getting a job this summer and working, hopefully full time. I don't really care where or doing what at this point, I just need money. And as such, I've given myself a goal. I have to get a job and, by next winter, have saved enough to buy a car, brand new. The budget is 20k but I'd go a little over that. The cars I'm looking at are mostly an Impreza (maybe WRX?), and Lancer SE AWC (AWD model with the exterior package ran me 22k, not awful really). Maybe a Mazda 3 as well.

Can anyone here think of what other decent new cars one could get for low 20,000$? Criteria: Japanese, not a Toyota/Honda.

TL;DR? College blows, I'm tired of sitting in someone else buttsweat.

Have some cars for yer time -

shinsen > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 12:41

9

Father?!?

Where have all the lightweights gone? > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 12:42

0

I bought my Mazda3 just as it started getting really snowy/cold here in Chicago. It has been a champ through all of it.

Frosted > Where have all the lightweights gone? 03/14/2014 at 12:45

0

Regular Mazda 3 or a Mazdaspeed 3? I can't recall seeing a newer 3 in person, usually it's a speed 3.

Tom McParland > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 12:45

2

Low 20's can get you some nice rides. The Mazda 3 is a solid pick but I would stay away from pre-hooned WRXs at that price range. The Fiesta ST is a hoot and can be had for within your budget so can a lightly pre-owned Focus ST. If you want small and spunky deals on Fiat Abarths are insane, Iv'e seen new ones (2013) sell for as little as 18 grand!

Where have all the lightweights gone? > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 12:47

0

I bought a regular 2013 3 on clearance. Saved about $2-3k and got a better-looking car and interior (IMO) to boot.

Frosted > Tom McParland 03/14/2014 at 12:49

0

For some reason I thought the WRX started at 18 grand. Double checked and no it doesn't. I normally am all for used cars and a lightly used ST would be fun but at the same time, I've owned 6 cars in 5 years, all used and kind of want to experience a new car. I'd rather stay with a Japanese car so I can overnight parts from Japan JDMBROSWAG etcetc.

Party-vi > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 12:53

2

From personal experience, if you take off a semester or more you probably won't go back. Stick with it and get this awful shit out of the way to make room for the fun part of your life.

HammerheadFistpunch > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 12:55

2

my advice? Work hard, minimize school debt and buy the car you REALLY want when you are done. Seriously, power through and enjoy the fruits of your labor in season.

Frosted > HammerheadFistpunch 03/14/2014 at 13:01

0

The cars I really want aren't too far off from what I've listed (an Evo X, STI or Mazdaspeed 3.) But I see your point. One big problem I have though is that most good paying Geology jobs don't open up unless I get a masters, which I don't plan on doing. I've been throwing around the idea of going to a few local garages and seeing if they'd let me to an internship or something so I could get some hands-on experience working with cars and getting a part time job for income.

Sn210 > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 13:04

2

Stick with school and get that piece if paper. If you can work part time or even full time and keep taking classes, do that. It will be worth it once it's over. And what wrong with geology? Geology rocks!

HammerheadFistpunch > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 13:06

1

I only say this because I see people in your situation all the time, and had [have] friends in the same boat. They delayed school for work, spend all their money on toys or cars and generally lived it up pretty good...but I'm graduated now with the cars, house and job i want...they are still in school with their nice car payments, crappy apartments and dead end jobs...but they have their toys!

Frosted > Sn210 03/14/2014 at 13:06

1

I love geology, it's fun. But constantly having classes canceled or taught by professors who aren't in any of the earth science programs has taken its toll on me.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 13:10

1

A buddy of mine isn't really the school type. We graduated high school in 2003. He is still trying to finish a degree. He does the i'm sick of it and I'll finish later. Just consider how long you want this crap hanging over your head.

Frosted > HammerheadFistpunch 03/14/2014 at 13:12

0

I'd thoroughly plan on finishing, it's likely just the way my school is with this particular program that has finally gotten me to feel this way. Transferring elsewhere might be a better idea than stopping.

mazdaspeed2 > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 13:16

1

I am in a slightly similar situation. I am living at school and I don't like dorm life at all. There is no way I will not be commuting next summer and I am also buying a new car this weekend. I can't afford it all on my own, so my parents are helping me as their way of helping to pay for my school. This semester can't be over fast enough, and I am coming up to spring break (3 hours!!). My fear is being at home for spring break will make being here that much worse when it's over.

MOMMA THERE GOES THAT MAN > HammerheadFistpunch 03/14/2014 at 13:17

1

As someone who just got to the light at the end of that tunnel, I cannot recommend this more. The ecstasy effect (or ecstasy, idk) hasn't worn off yet.

HammerheadFistpunch > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 13:18

0

I have a buddy in this exact same boat, the program was giving him no love, so for a while he went on vacations, took the time off and bought cool cars and toys. 7 years into a 4 year degree, he's wised up, buckled down, dropped the unnecessary stuff in his life and is actually making progress. I don't know your situation and I'm not your dad, but i will say that delayed gratification on the things you want isn't as bad as it sounds. if you want, get something cheap but fun and really learn about cars the hard, right way (by having it break down and needing to fix it yourself) and get an appreciation for cheap fun cars that will make you love your nice cars more. Just my 2 cents.

Brian Silvestro > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 13:18

0

I'm just picturing the guy from Prometheus,
"I like rocks, I love rocks!"

CalzoneGolem > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 13:21

0

Life. Don't talk to me about life.

MOMMA THERE GOES THAT MAN > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 13:23

2

Was in a similar situation (except my department sucked instead of being almost closed like yours). As someone who made it to the end, some advice:

- Transfer schools. Really, college should be a great time, but yours sounds like a bummer and your department sounds like it sucks. Geology is a great major with even more amazing potential if you're willing to take the jobs . The oil industry salivates over people with your degree and will reward you just as handsomely.

- Summer internships & co-ops. I took an 8 month co-op which (1) will satiate your hunger to work and "make money." It was a nice break from school for me and let me bank $30k cash after living expenses. I then went on and did 2 more summer internships at different companies. Lets you branch out and discover what you like.

It'll suck at times, trust me. You'll see all your friends with new (used) Bimmers, 'Stangs on lease, etc. while you're stuck with your Corolla whose coilovers won't stop clunking over ever bump. You'll be spending weekends or nights studying while friends are at TX2k down in Houston. But I'm at the end of it now and it's great. I threw down $20k in cash for a new car and have the rest in the bank to back the finance (to build credit). I make enough in a month to live more than comfortably in a great apartment in a city that I love. It truly made all the waiting and "missed opportunities" worth it.

thebigbossyboss > HammerheadFistpunch 03/14/2014 at 13:25

0

Hm. Considering going back to school now after 5 years in the work world. Your advice was insightful...thanks!

I am scared to leave my reasonable wage job to pursue a masters degree in economics, especially now that at 26, pretty much all my friends have finished school and are starting to do things like get married and have nice things. Life choices are hard, man!

Sn210 > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 13:25

1

Yeah that's frustrating. I needed to take two courses my last semester to get an ops management degree but they weren't being offered so I ended up with a human resources degree. I've now got a career going in neither of those fields! Any chance of transferring?

HammerheadFistpunch > thebigbossyboss 03/14/2014 at 13:26

0

I'm thinking about school again and I'm 31 with kids and house and such. 26 is not too late, give it some good though, but its my opinion that a masters degree is going to be the new Bachelors degree pretty soon, so it couldn't hurt.

Frosted > HammerheadFistpunch 03/14/2014 at 13:28

0

I'll have to really buckle down for the rest of this semester (my whole not caring attitude has gotten me some less than stellar grades so far, including a 14/100 in pre-calculus (lowest grade is dropped at the end, I don't plan on getting lower than a 14) and hopefully I can turn things around in the second half of this semester).

thebigbossyboss > HammerheadFistpunch 03/14/2014 at 13:29

0

Yeah plus even though it's an arts degree, it does teach you thing like making mathematical models projecting trends into the future and stuff. (That's a skill right??) Thing is I undergrad-ed in something not related, so qualifying year is going to not only be hard, but have to be completely self funded. Tough to give up $50K/year for that.

Frosted > Sn210 03/14/2014 at 13:29

0

If I don't lose all of the credits I have so far, yea I'd transfer in a heartbeat. Otherwise I might be at an impasse with the current school.

thebigbossyboss > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 13:30

1

This really reminds me of a Nissan Leopard.

Sn210 > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 13:31

0

I'd check into it. I mean it's easy to say for me because there's about a million schools around me, but if you're close to graduating you might just have to stick it out

Frosted > CalzoneGolem 03/14/2014 at 13:32

0

Life stinks. Let's all buy Miatas and have track days forever.

HammerheadFistpunch > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 13:32

1

All I can say is, go for it. you wont regret it. need a place to vent on how much stuff sucks from time to time? oppo

Frosted > Sn210 03/14/2014 at 13:33

0

I'm close (junior now, 2 classes away from being a senior). I live 5 minutes away from a well known school (Rutgers) and chose instead to go to a school 40 minutes away and dorm there which I regret almost daily.

HammerheadFistpunch > thebigbossyboss 03/14/2014 at 13:34

0

"Tough to give up $50K/year for that." I know that feel.

thebigbossyboss > HammerheadFistpunch 03/14/2014 at 13:38

0

I am gonna complete my application this weekend and think about hard before decision time. Just petrified of leaving this job and then getting a masters and you know, then stocking shelves at W-mart. Life be scary!

CalzoneGolem > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 13:38

0

But ... I don't want a Miata.

SPNKiX > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 13:46

1

Stay in school. Transfer, but don't take time off. Transfer while you're still in school. The problem with taking time off is that it slows your momentum and if getting through school is difficult right now, your momentum is already slow. If you know you're going to a new school, you'll feel more purposeful. You are the only one in your program. It will be much better if you can go to a school that has more people who are graduating with your major. You probably still love it, but the circumstances are what are weighing you down.

/$.02

Frosted > SPNKiX 03/14/2014 at 13:48

0

Yea, not having other pupils around to study with makes the program/classes a lot tougher than they should be.

Frosted > mazdaspeed2 03/14/2014 at 13:49

0

They told me dorm life would be fun. THEY WERE WRONG.

We're literally in the same boat, my parents helped me buy my current Volvo when the last one became a rolling break down machine and still help me pay for college to minimize debts. Except I've been on spring break all week and go back on Sunday. I don't wanna.

Frosted > MOMMA THERE GOES THAT MAN 03/14/2014 at 13:54

0

I always get emails about earth science internships but they're never even closely related to geology, always for meteorology majors or education majors. My school already combined geology into earth science (my degree will be a B.S. in Earth Science Geology) but they're consistently not offering courses I need, claiming they'll be offered next semester or something. And then not offering the class. Or canceling it a week before school starts and that leaves me scrambling to find a replacement course. I'm taking a course now called Understanding Images where all we do is watch the Matrix for 3 hours every week because on of my freshman level course, which has not been offered in my 5 semesters attending, was canceled 2 days before the semester started due to a low registration count. Lemme tell you what we call that in these parts. We call that horseshit.

MOMMA THERE GOES THAT MAN > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 14:02

0

Yeah, you need a school transfer. That's a piss-poor department.

My girlfriend is a petroleum engineer with a job at one of the top 3 oil services industry. She told me the pecking order for hiring goes geology <= petroleum engineering < mechanical engineering. Where are you located if you don't mind?

Frosted > MOMMA THERE GOES THAT MAN 03/14/2014 at 14:05

0

I'm in New Jersey, Edison to be exact.

oldestyoungn > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 14:06

0

Get the 2013 Sport Mazda 3. 6 speed manual with the SkyActiv engine and it's not bad. I'm a teen though so I haven't had much experience but according to my parents it's a zippy little car for what it is. Steering is superb and with my heavy left foot getting to the speed limit fairly quickly I average 31 MPG's.

Right now with the newest 3 coming out the 2013's are cheaper and most manuals aren't getting sought after. There's not a huge aftermarket following for that generation (and you can't use the 2010/2011 visual parts) so that's a downside I guess.

However if you could spring for an AWD Lancer you should do that because you just slap a turbo on and have a Lancer Evo minus the gadgets (or so I'm told).

oldestyoungn > oldestyoungn 03/14/2014 at 14:08

0

oh and...
I have relatively the same feelings about life and how it's crappy at the moment but driving this thing is quite fun.
Also Lancer is a bigger car.
Oh and I once did a small Scandinavian Flick in my 3 and it was amazing.

MOMMA THERE GOES THAT MAN > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 14:41

0

Ah, I'm not too familiar with any schools up there except Purdue, C-Mellon, Rutgers. All my family from up there is either in ridiculous debt, or joined the military to escape debt, sorry. I still stand by the recommendation of finding a school with a better geo program, or look into a related field that maybe your school has a better department. If you're serious about moving, Texas universities have some good geology/petroleum degrees.

awe46m3zcp > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 14:53

0

Just wait till you hate your boss.

Seriously I was in a similar situation. I was going to take a semester off, and work full time to save some money. Guess what? I never went back. My advice is transfer somewhere else. CSU is a great school for geology, and people here are great. Colorado is also a great place to get a job with a geology degree. Lots of oil and gas companies hiring here.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > MOMMA THERE GOES THAT MAN 03/14/2014 at 15:00

0

Also, Oklahoma.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 15:01

0

I only read your post because of this picture.

Hope it gets better. Stick with it; transfer to a better school/situation.

MOMMA THERE GOES THAT MAN > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 03/14/2014 at 16:07

1

Yep great suggestion, but I'm not allowed to recommend them because I'm from Texas and we are superior.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > MOMMA THERE GOES THAT MAN 03/14/2014 at 16:12

0

Of course.

I'm from Missouri but live in Tulsa (my wife and I both work in oil & gas), and I've never been in a place where the dislike for another sports team is more important to certain people than the like for their own team. There are many vehicles that I see in Oklahoma that don't have any OU stickers on them, but do have an upside-down longhorn on them...

MOMMA THERE GOES THAT MAN > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 03/14/2014 at 16:16

1

hahaha that is most definitely the OK/TX relationship. I visit my buddy in Duncan a lot (aka Halliburton-ville) and there's really no better summary of Oklahoma than "well, they're trying really hard to be Texas."

But y'all have casinos, dammit. And very pretty grass.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > MOMMA THERE GOES THAT MAN 03/14/2014 at 16:23

0

We lived in Duncan for 3 years, while my wife was working for Schlumberger (a little Blue needle in the side of Redville). There are some cool places in western OK, like the Wichita Mt. Wildlife Refuge, but I much prefer the greener, hilly-er areas around Tulsa. And closer to the driving nirvana that is the back roads of northwest Arkansas!

MOMMA THERE GOES THAT MAN > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 03/14/2014 at 16:29

1

Ah, very nice. My girlfriend is going to work for Schlumberger this summer! I'll have to remember that wildlife refuge for next time I visit. Any other recommendations? We normally go to OKC or Norman if we're bored.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > MOMMA THERE GOES THAT MAN 03/14/2014 at 16:51

1

As a field engineer, or in another role? My wife was in the field - it was a rough three years, but she learned a lot, made good money and made it through!

Get a seismic Meers burger when you're at the refuge - http://www.meersstore.com/ We also liked camping around Turner Falls and this is park nearby - http://www.nps.gov/chic/index.htm

Good Italian food in Marlow - http://www.giuseppesitaliandining.com/

samssun > Frosted 03/14/2014 at 21:23

0

Here comes honesty. Don't buy a car yet, don't buy a sub-20k car new ever, and certainly don't buy a new, bottom tier car, while you're still in school, with a major that won't pay much. And don't take time off out of frustration, very high likelihood of not coming back or dragging your feet.

Save for now, switch to a major important enough that canceling it won't ever be discussed, preferably involving math, push through to finish it ASAP, graduate into a job paying twice as much, buy something fun 2-3 years old for a 40% discount, continue to make multiple times as much forever and therefore buying better cars forever.

MOMMA THERE GOES THAT MAN > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 03/14/2014 at 23:16

0

Field engineer, yup. I hear Schlumberger treats their new hires - especially the women, pretty rough. Things like always "on call" even after your 12 hour shift, etc. Any validity to that?

mazdaspeed2 > Frosted 03/15/2014 at 14:14

0

I just started spring break for this week, and trust me you aren't alone. At least we have cars and oppo to keep us sane.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > MOMMA THERE GOES THAT MAN 03/15/2014 at 19:41

0

I think the worst parts were the calls in the middle of the night to drive 6 hrs to get to location... Part of the job! She'll need thick skin, for sure, but if she's smart, wanting to learn, and tough and sticks up for herself, she'll do fine. Hope she gets a good group of people to work with - made all the difference for my wife.

MOMMA THERE GOES THAT MAN > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 03/16/2014 at 20:23

0

Thanks, I really appreciate it. She'll be working near Laredo so I worry sometimes :p