[MGD]

Yes, I have read around on the site to know the city is beautiful in summer and wicked snow in winter...

The reason I am leaving is a little complex but can be summed up in one sentence:

Northwest Michigan College is the only school providing an RN degree (AS) that has little hassle with getting into the nursing program after the prerequisites are done (which is not the case with universities' bachelor degree programs for nursing, which are also more expensive in the long run), has on campus FAMILY housing for students t (with space available in a reasonable amount of time) AND is zoned for a GOOD elementary school. Those are complex requirements, because herein florida, and most places nationwide, community colleges are the only ones providing RN degrees.

I cannot live where I am in Florida without my car, but I can, however, sell the car, register for classes, and live on campus where i have already found a great school (Eastern elementary) for my older child, and a church daycare and church all within walking distance of the campus. I can't walk to all 4 of those necessary places anywhere an RN degree is offered in Florida, you need a car to live here.

I do intend on getting another car later on, but right now, the fact of the matter is, 95% of single mothers (whether through divorce or what have you) that have lost their jobs (as I did) either go back home to parents or go find a boyfriend or husband to take care of them asap. I have no home to go back o and am not willing to get a man out of desperation. The other 5% do low-status things like stripping to pay their bills...I am not willing to do that either. It is very hard to find a job within childcare hours of M-F 7-6...and even with public assistance I can't afford the remainder of the bills. There is no help from the other half that helped make the kids and going after that even with low income legal aid takes time, during which I still need to provide somewhere to live for us and get new job skills that are immediately needed ANYwhere, because right now I have a bachelors degree and two years of finance experience but that is where many layoffs and cutbacks are happening.

The only two job prospects in the town I am in, one is as a financial advisor and i would have to pay for the series 7 and series 66 exams out of pocket, and that whole process plus developing contacts to make money from commissions will take months...I don't have that kind of time left. The other is a state interview for a financial examiner where i would be required to be out of town at least 1 week at a time, often...I have no one to leave my children with for weeks at a time, and I can't even afford childcare after this month to go look for a job.

So wherever I spend the proceeds from sale of my car has to benefit me for the long term even after the money is gone. Nursing is a great option, and financial aid will be there to cover even part time daycare just so i can attend class...and I need a break from the constant worry of keeping a roof over our heads and the lights on...living on campus will do that.

Just answering a many questions about why I would even think of Traverse City as possible. I am in a college town now of about 150,000 people, and I know TC is way smaller, but I am use to the country and the green, and as I haven't been able to afford a babysitter to have a social life for months, not having big city excitement is not going to bother me.

As a small plus, the school is located 4 hours away from the only guy seriously interested in a relationship right now, but that is coincidence cause he just had to move back home to Detroit because his parent had an accident and is old and retired and needs him.

Even a temp agency here told me they laid off their office staff because things were so slow. Many positions I have applied for have come back CANCELLED or someone else better qualified was hired (and this will be for even jobs like being a hospital food aide, just to run the food from the caf to the patients, they found someone whose "background better matched...????" I take it that means I am overqualified.

Ok open to all information you think I should know!

And yes, although I love what I saw on greatschools.net as far as school zone and overall city ratings, I am prepared to move out of there for a job once I am an RN... I like living somewhere with excellent public schools though...that's been the big limitation in moving on campus anywhere...

[sunshineann]

My husband goes to Northwest right now. He did a major career change and we moved here in December. We live outside of Traverse, and love it. We looked into the campus living. They have the family campus from the regular campus living. And decided to go off campus. Your child can go to the school of their choice up here. There is no city limit "rules" as in other states. I'm not really sure what you are asking.

[jodyrose]

Originally Posted by MGD

Yes, I have read around on the site to know the city is beautiful in summer and wicked snow in winter...


Ok open to all information you think I should know!

I live in N Indiana, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE TC area. Not sure I could handle the extreme winters, but I can tell you I lived in Sarasota FL for over 24 yrs and didnt have any trouble at all in adjusting back to winter climate here.

The only caution I would give you is to try to find a job or at least see what the prospects are in the TC area for work before you pull up stakes and go. Beings that its in a smaller area and in Michigan, where the unemployment is bad anyway, that would be my main concern.

Good luck to you, if you are heading into medical training, thats the place to be these days!

[MGD]

Originally Posted by sunshineann

My husband goes to Northwest right now. He did a major career change and we moved here in December. We live outside of Traverse, and love it. We looked into the campus living. They have the family campus from the regular campus living. And decided to go off campus. Your child can go to the school of their choice up here. There is no city limit "rules" as in other states. I'm not really sure what you are asking.

Hi, interesting news about the schools, thanks! But Eastern is a good school and walking distance from the college, and as I would have no car when I move, that would be the best bet. My child is being evaluated for gifted classes right now, which i heard in Traverse City is only offered at one school, but if anything once I get a car I can take him, for now I need to cut down the stress of affording transportation on top of everything else.

I am in about exactly the same boat as your husband then! (Major career change.)

Yes discovering a community college with on campus family housing through Google is how I came to even be plotting this drastic of a move, actually. And zoned for a good school! Its an answer to prayer.

I am already applying for oncampus jobs.

I am asking for anything you think I should know, good, bad, or neutral, about moving there. I see a lot of dire warnings on the michigan board about staying far away if i have no job...but to be honest my situation is a little past dire and getting worse, and the on campus housing and retraining at the same time for a new career solves all these problems immediately AND for the long term. If I can't land a nursing job in that town, I am fine with moving again, but if I stay where I am, I can neither afford childcare to go find a job, nor find a job to afford childcare. With this move I just have to scrape by the next two months and then get the hell out of here.

Question how did you find a job while your husband is in school?

Originally Posted by jodyrose

I live in N Indiana, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE TC area. Not sure I could handle the extreme winters, but I can tell you I lived in Sarasota FL for over 24 yrs and didnt have any trouble at all in adjusting back to winter climate here.

The only caution I would give you is to try to find a job or at least see what the prospects are in the TC area for work before you pull up stakes and go. Beings that its in a smaller area and in Michigan, where the unemployment is bad anyway, that would be my main concern.

Good luck to you, if you are heading into medical training, thats the place to be these days!

Unemployment is a serious issue where I am right now. There are people in major cities in florida that can't find work for a year or more. Where I live is a one-horse town, where the gov't and the universities are the only major employers. The gov't is laying off by the hundreds and more because Florida faces a serious budget crisis, and the universities are state-run, and facing lots of education funding issues...plus there is a small town mentality where if youdon't know somebody in the right places, good luck getting a GOOD job...the one here that is private is so expensive that I will HAVE to have a job to have any money for other expenses while attending school, and that is the original problem, I dont have work and don't see prospects opening up anytime before I am completely out of options. It costs 3 times as much as the out of state fee to attend Northwest!

Thanks on the advice...the sale of my car should be enough to finance the move until financial aid comes in...and from what I read, the nursing crisis is everywhere. One company in this town actually told me if I provided proof of acceptance into a nursing school, they would pay $7,000 towards it provided I committed to one year of service for each $2000 they spend. That's great, but that covers only one semester at the private university, and I would still need to figure out how to pay rent and childcare and such to go...I also can't sell my car i I stay here because nothing is walking distance...if I move to Northwest Michigan...the major things I would use 5 days a week will be walking distance so I would not need the car, just to budget for bus or taxi a couple times amonth to go get groceries.

Jobs seem to be an issue everywhere...that's why I am going back to school (that and the need to house my children in a way that doesn't depend on a job or a man)...

[MGD]

I also never realized how BEAUTIFUL michigan is until i started reading around here and looke at some of the pictures, especially in the two threads at front right now...someone showed pics of traverse in winter and SUMMER...wowwww...

[xlabel]

Originally Posted by MGD

I also never realized how BEAUTIFUL michigan is until i started reading around here and looke at some of the pictures, especially in the two threads at front right now...someone showed pics of traverse in winter and SUMMER...wowwww...

I moved up here from Citrus County FL, so I know how tough it can be to find a job down there. Moving up here though may be jumping out of the fryin pan right into the fire. When things are tough up here, even stuff like temp services and the burger joints don't hire. The last thing I'd do is sell the car, then your just boxing yourself in and closing more options. Maybe under your present circumstances an RN might be a little out of reach. My g/f is a LPN but started out as a CNA. You would think somewhere around there, theres nursing homes that need CNAs that would provide you some income while you go to school to get your degree and that seems like it would be easier to do in Florida(aka god's waiting room) than up here. Some counties offer training programs, placement help and in 6 or so weeks your employed, they even do that up here on occasion for CNA work.

[Rapunzll]

I just sold my home in TC in Sept., but lived there for many years, 20+, raised kids there, graduated from NMC myself, and also worked at the visitors bureau for a long time.

My only question is about the nursing program. I didn't think it was all that easy to get into. Qualify maybe, but that doesn't neccesarily mean it is easy to get into the nursing program. The other thing is, it is only a two year program, unless you can finish up a bachelors at the University Center.

You are right though, Eastern is one of only three elementary schools I would want my kids to go to. Mine all went to Old Mission, another great school. The BATA bus does stop on campus, and also stops at Toms's East Bay, so you could go grocery shopping too without too much hassle. Bay Area Transportation Authority

Good luck to you! It is a wonderful place to raise kids and not your average resort town, as very little closes down in the winter and there are great fun things to do all year round. Also, Munson Medical Center is a top 100 hospital.

[MGD]

Originally Posted by xlabel

I moved up here from Citrus County FL, so I know how tough it can be to find a job down there. Moving up here though may be jumping out of the fryin pan right into the fire. When things are tough up here, even stuff like temp services and the burger joints don't hire. The last thing I'd do is sell the car, then your just boxing yourself in and closing more options. Maybe under your present circumstances an RN might be a little out of reach. My g/f is a LPN but started out as a CNA. You would think somewhere around there, theres nursing homes that need CNAs that would provide you some income while you go to school to get your degree and that seems like it would be easier to do in Florida(aka god's waiting room) than up here. Some counties offer training programs, placement help and in 6 or so weeks your employed, they even do that up here on occasion for CNA work.

That's the same down here far as temp agencies and, in this case, gas stations, not hiring...as I noted in my earlier posts, the temp agencies are letting their own staff go...I'm in North Florida, which is slower than the rest of florida even in the best of times.

I do not qualify for the county assistance programs because I already have a bachelor's. They won't train me, they said I already have an "advanced" degree, they are geared towards people who didn't, or barely did, graduate high school.

There are no RN programs (which is an associate's degree) and no universities even if i could wait on their longer admissions process, that has on campus family housing. The point of this is that I need a career change, and I need to get out of owing rent and utilities on top of childcare and everything else for a while while I retrain myself and get back on my feet. The only way to do that is to live on campus...and I refuse to go live on campus somewhere that is zoned for a bad school.

Also, I don't think it is quite jumping into the fire except with weather...keep in mind, nothing is walkin distance in Florida, so I NEED the car down here...I did my research, the university is walking distance from a church, the church's daycare (which is already mailing me information and has confirmed that they do have space comes May), the school (who I also already called to find out what they need), and I have the BATA route maps printed out...I have researched the phone services that get reception up there through the wonderful threads on this board (a word search) and discovered my best bets are alltel and at&t...and at&t has $100/mth package deals for phone, tv, and dsl or phone, tv, and cell...if i get that first option, it comes with digital cable which will give us something to do in the winter months or when we can't afford to go anywhere, and I won't need a cell phone with a home phone, and i keep in touch with my scattered family through the net anyway so that is all i need.

My children can get involved in church activities for something to do, and the university has said their single parents in the family housing tend to help each other out. My friend in Detroit said a couple nights ago he has friends in the area and knows the area, so if an emergency happens, I can call him and he can get in touch with someone, not to mention I plan on getting involved in the church, which is non-denominational, so that I won't feel completely alone.

Noone that is hiring here will take a cna to train...not when so many are available with lots of experience. Even the housekeeping jobs (I did apply for one at a retirement community nearby) want someone with at least 6 months experience! I have worked for mcdonald's and a gas station before while doing my undergrad, so it's not like I am too good for certain things, but they are either under hiring freezes or have hours they need for which i just do not have the child care, the one person that use to be available weekends is no longer doing weekends, and is across town.

If I stay here, I will not have a job, and will not be able to sell the car.

If I am at NMC, I won't need the car. I may want one when it is icy and cold, but again, I won't NEED one.

The only program that i found a company offering to pay for is the RN program...nobody wants cna's and lpn's bad enough to pay for one, it's RNs they need. It's a 2 year degree.

NMC is the only 2-year degree college zoned for a good public school that has family housing (aka covered by financial aid).

Also, I didn't mean to imply their nursing program lets anyone in, but there just aren't as many people trying to go to school for any major in Traverse City as there are in sunny, "sexy" florida...

Keep in mind, I can do my two years there and find a job elsewhere, even right back in Florida...but if i find a job after graduation in traverse city, from what i'm reading on the quality of life, why leave (unless I just can't stand the winters)?

I do plan to get another car later on, and I am looking for jobs on campus since I will not have a car.

If I could avoid selling the car, I would, but to be honest the only money I have coming aside from the car money is a small tax return that will go to cover the basics here and when that is done, I must be able to leave or else...

I wrote down a list of pros and cons for both the university here that happens to have the RN (2year) degree/staying put and for NMC/Traverse City...NMC/TC has WAY more pros than cons. And as the job market there is EXACTLY like the job market where I am...only difference is, I am going for school and on campus housing in a good school zone, I am not going there just to set up shop and look for a job. If you can find me a 2year degree program in Florida with FAMILY housing on campus and it's zoned for a GOOD school...by all means, I'll consider it...but to move anywhere takes money, and the only source of money I have is my car, which, again, if that's gone, florida is not an option. So that's a catch-22. For the bus system in traverse city to be working...somebody's braving the cold and ice/snow to take it...if I have to stock up on thermals layer all my clothes to walk out the door, that is still better than ending up homeless and jobless with 2 children.

Plus I can sign up once in the nursing core courses for programs that forgive your nursing student loans (they don't forgive cna or lpn school debt) if I agree to go serve in some needed area, and I am sure rural areas are on that list, and traverse city is right there by rural areas...by graduation I should have a car and can do that kind of nurse job.

Also, I called a childcare referral program up there, and they came up with FOUR daycares up there that operate 24 hours during the week, and TWO of those are also open on weekends! I would need a car for those, but that means it's actually POSSIBLE for me to get a little retail job up there and be available on the weekends...versus where I am that has only ONE 24 hour daycare, and it's across town...don't even have the money to register the kids there until I have a job. Registration fees here are $100...for the daycare my younger would be attending in TC, it's a mere $25. If I am in school while unemployed, my son can come straight home after school, no need to pay for afterschool, and i can just take my classes during his school time. And send the younger one part time...the beginning childcare expense until financial aid kicks in is part of what I need to sell the car for.

Sorry this was long but I wanted to explain again the various things that work out in TC with the sale of the car (esp. everything walking distance) that just don't happen in Florida, with and without the car...

[magellan]

Sounds like you have a pretty good plan MGD. You might want to try and visit the TC area in the winter to see what it's like, if you haven't already. And you might want to try and pick up winter coats, boots, SNOWPANTS, gloves and hats now that the season is winding down and stores (here) have everything marked way down. My wife always buys the kids new coats this time of year for next year, because most of that stuff gets destroyed by kids in one season. You can probably find stuff online if you're not going to be in Michigan any time soon.

http://www.target.com/Girls-Outerwea...&node=15750831


And the pictures posted on this site don't even come close to showing the beauty of the Grand Traverse area (not that the pictures are bad). You'll have a lot of fun just exploring the area.

[MGD]

Originally Posted by Rapunzll

I just sold my home in TC in Sept., but lived there for many years, 20+, raised kids there, graduated from NMC myself, and also worked at the visitors bureau for a long time.

My only question is about the nursing program. I didn't think it was all that easy to get into. Qualify maybe, but that doesn't neccesarily mean it is easy to get into the nursing program. The other thing is, it is only a two year program, unless you can finish up a bachelors at the University Center.

You are right though, Eastern is one of only three elementary schools I would want my kids to go to. Mine all went to Old Mission, another great school. The BATA bus does stop on campus, and also stops at Toms's East Bay, so you could go grocery shopping too without too much hassle. Bay Area Transportation Authority

Good luck to you! It is a wonderful place to raise kids and not your average resort town, as very little closes down in the winter and there are great fun things to do all year round. Also, Munson Medical Center is a top 100 hospital.

Thank you for the info on Tom's! I didn't really know the grocery stores up there, and was thinking if it takes two buses to get to the nearest one, I will probably work out shopping only twice a month to save that hassle. One bus to and from is doable, although of course you can walk with many things as you can drive with.

And thanks for the info on the medical center...I don't know if they will need RNs by the time I graduate, but there are many places willing to relocate a nurse and while I don't want my kids going to school in detroit, I can always live outside it and go work as a nurse there.

Also, RN degrees are 2 year degrees. The 4 year BSN (BS in Nursing) still only makes people an RN, it just makes them more promoteable...I already have a bachelor's so I am already promotable, according to someone in the health field...it's just if I want advanced nursing degrees later on, then Iwould need the BSN to get anything above it.

As it is a career change, I don't want to jump into another 4 year program because one thing my time in school has taught me is that things can change DRASTICALLY while you're creeping through school...plus being in school means being broke for a while and while 2 years is not bad, 4 years is aggravating. I can work as an RN and finish the BSN online...many many programs for that. And not be broke. lol. And have the company pay for those extra 2 years. So that's why it makes sense to do the RN degree first.

2 years of nursing school and you are eligible to take the national nursing exam, NCLEX-RN, and then apply to be licensed (assuming you passed), in ANY state, because it's a national exam and all states use that same exam to determine whether to license you.

So i can do my AS in Nursing in Michigan, take my NCLEX, and still go back and be a nurse in florida. Especially as I will be considered out of state the entire 2 years cause Grand Traverse County only allows people who own property or live off campus for at least 6 months without being in school 6 hours or more to be considered residents...I am not willing or able to do either, so I will be a florida resident those 2 years...very possible I could leave here for school and walk back into a job, funny and indirect as it sounds.

Sounds like the only bad thing about TC are winters and jobs. If weather was my only problem I would have no problem, and when I am tempted to complain about the cold I want someone to point this post out to me and remind me I said so, lol. Jobs...going for school, not work, cause nationwide many of us who just graduated college can't find work, companies we use to work for are laying off by the hundreds, or on hiring freezes...

Anyway, just wantedto clear up that I don't need to transfer to get the actual nursing degree...it's one of the few rare professions that someone can earn a livable wage off only a 2 year education. If I can stand for hours dealing with convenience store and fast food customers, I can stand for hours helping people feel better and actually be able to take care of my children while doing it...