[Rapunzll]

Wow, I see from another post of yours that you are in the ninth grade. That's great that you are looking ahead.

As far as college goes though, how are your grades? Will you be able to get scholarships or can your parents afford to pay out of state tuition? Those are some other things you might want to consider.

Does your family travel much? Maybe you could suggest a family trip to Michigan to check things out. There's a lot to see and do in this state and the whole family would probably have a good time as long as you didn't spend all your time in the Detroit area.

[4WD Greg]

I would not recommend Sterling Heights though. It's 36 square miles of subdivisions, strip malls, and asphalt pavement. I would recommend Ann Arbor, or one of the adjoining townships. A great area to live and to raise a family. There are a few bad neighborhoods in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, so do your homework before buying/renting anything.
I guess it really depends on where you're going to be working though. Troy is a fairly nice area, but the Oakland country traffic jams really suck.

[detshen]

The out of state tuition would be pretty expensive so if your parents are involved in paying for it so you may want to discuss that with them before you get serious about picking a college, they might prefer you to attend one of the great CA schools and you could move after graduation. Ann Arbor and U of M are great,and you would probably love it. I hate to sound like a mom, but I think you have plenty of time before you need to settle down and start a family. I't important to finish college and have a career so you will always be able to take care of yourself. Michigan is a long way from CA and you may miss your family more than you think you will. It's not easy to only see them a few times a year and to have to fly so far.

Why Michigan? Do you have family here? It's a great state, but there are places closer to CA that have snow and weather changes.

[misskatch]

Try U of M in Ann Arbor, and Pinckney is a small town 25 min north that you would love to start your family in.

[looking2reloc8soon]

Why on earth would you think of moving to from California to Michigan? I'm not trying to be a downer, but I have lived here almost 30 years and I am about to say good-bye!

The economy is horrible and as long as the morons in here keep voting in Democrats it will stay this way. I have been lucky and have worked for a reputable telecommunications company for 8 years making great pay, however, that is not the case for the average Michigander. The job market is in crisis, the housing market is in crisis, and the outlook for the future doesn't look much better.

The seasons are beautiful though (if you don't mind freezing your butt off from November-March).

My 2cents.

[deslok]

Agree with the last poster. It is a very democratic state, and not in a good California type way. The democrats here need handouts, most of those I know in parts of Cali are liberal but have the money to give to causes. Ann Arbor and U of M is a great representation of what Michigan could be, diverse, vibrant, and full of interesting intelligent people. From southern Cal that would be really the only option.

[deslok]

On the other side of things, at your age, you might do very well socially coming to Michigan from over there. Younger folks tend to associate you with cool TV shows like the OC or The Hills, so that would give you a social advantage. The fact that you are looking into these things is great really. I think anywhere you call home is going to be fine, and you would make Michigan a better place.

[detshen]

Originally Posted by looking2reloc8soon

Why on earth would you think of moving to from California to Michigan? I'm not trying to be a downer, but I have lived here almost 30 years and I am about to say good-bye!

The economy is horrible and as long as the morons in here keep voting in Democrats it will stay this way. I have been lucky and have worked for a reputable telecommunications company for 8 years making great pay, however, that is not the case for the average Michigander. The job market is in crisis, the housing market is in crisis, and the outlook for the future doesn't look much better.

The seasons are beautiful though (if you don't mind freezing your butt off from November-March).

My 2cents.

I disagree. I moved to Detroit from San Diego and I'm quite happy here. It's true that the economy is not great, but if you are a student, part time jobs are easy to come by and by the time you graduate we may have turned things around.

[chance2jump]

One thing not mentioned...

.... can you handle not seeing the sun a good chunk of the year?

This may seem like a silly question, but it is a huge issue. You currently are used to being in the sunlight. It is out.. 90% or better... year after year in CA. You take that for granted.

Coming to a cloudy Midwest state is a huge change. You do not see the sun much more than 50-60% of the year, or more depending on the year. It will take a toll on your body, mind and soul. Many people in the Midwest have seasonal depression because of the lack of sun. I have a good friend born and raised in So. CA that is currently in MI for her Masters/PHD. She is ending school early because she cannot take the cloudiness any longer. She will be out this May. She had no idea that the Midwest had so many cloudy days, and no one warned her how it would affect her.

[Phriend]

Hi Melissa,

Well.... I guess it's kinda impossible for us to tell you whether or not you'd like it here. I visited SoCal about a year ago -- and instantly wanted to move there!

Given that you are looking for a college, I will assume that you are somewhat young. And given that you are somewhat young, the best city that I can recommend for you would be Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor is probably our state's trendiest city. If you have outstanding grades, you could attend the University of Michigan there -- though the city also has several community colleges that you could attend as well.

If I had to pick a second city in Michigan, I'd probably go with Grand Rapids. It's not as trendy as Ann Arbor, but there are lots of college-aged kids there (and several colleges). From what I hear, the people are friendier over there, too.

The only thing that I would warn you about is that the winters here are harsh. Maybe it's fun to be here for Christmas and Thanksgiving.... but the other four months of winter SUCK! You might look into areas like New York and Boston which still get some snow, but aren't as freaking cold! Heck, even places like Nebraska and Colorado might get some snow around Christmas (and wouldn't require you to move quite so far).

(Additionally, holidays seem to be a lot more enjoyable when spent with family. So.... I don't think you'd want to be here (alone) during the holidays anyway).

Feel free to PM me if you have any further questions.