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What exactly was inappropriate in my question to both ladies? I am a nurse and an educator. Their home areas have excellent schools and colleges of nursing, both state-supported and private. I was merely curious why someone with excellent local opportunities would move to our great state and be subject to horrendous out-of-state tuition. If the young lady in Ohio has a scholarship to one of our great colleges, tuition is moot. North Carolina has a rich heritage in nursing practice and education and as my past posts on the subject indicate, I whole-heartedly encourage any nurse to come here and practice. Inappropriate - sorry, but not. This is the end of this discussion on my part.
Hello. I'm from NYC. I'm thinking about moving to Winston-Salem to study nursing. What's life like there? Any tips for a near middle-age single woman with no kids who is relocating as a student? Do I need to learn to drive? Do I need to know anything special being an African-American? Any suggestions on where to worship? Thanks everyone.
No way you can get around Winston Salem without a car. I'm going to Forsyth Tech in Winston Salem. You'll be so busy with school you'll not going to have much time for anything else.
You'll find life much slower, with less diversity than in NYC. Being an African-American is no big deal. People pretty much tend to their own lives here and that's not an issue. You'll definitely need to learn to drive. W-S has a bus system, but it's not the kind of mass transit that will allow you to get around everywhere quickly.
You should find a job as a nurse here almost instantly once your studies are complete. W-S has two major hospitals: Wake Forest Baptist http://www1.wfubmc.edu/ and Forsyth Medical Center http://www1.wfubmc.edu/ In the last few years, Baptist has been bringing nurses in from the Phillipines because of the shortage of trained medical personnel.
As far as worship, you'll find just about any flavor in W-S. As in other southern cities, there's no shortages of churches. We even have Moravian and Friends. I find (even without being a worshipper) that W-S seems to be very diverse that way, even if it is smaller than Charlotte or Raleigh.
The key words are going to be "sloooowww dowwwn". W-S is not as frenetic; more Old South; as Charlotte and Raleigh, that's why I myself prefer this city over the other two.
Good luck
Not only are there hospitals in Winston, but in also neighboring High Point and Greensboro which is about a 30 minute drive.
I think you're going to be shocked at how bucolic Winston-Salem is. It's an economically very ill city that has denied economic realities these past two and half decades and is now paying for it (there are locals screaming at this sentence right now, they're so deluded).
After landing at Raleigh International, and renting our car, we made the foolish mistake of bypassing Raleigh for W-S to house hunt for our pending move from Seattle, WA in 2001.
While housing here is a buyers' market and is very depressed in price (I'm a licensed broker as well as licensed professional engineer) it reflects the surrounding and very bleak lack of "real" jobs. Retail and restaurants are popping up like zits on a 12-year old, and so too are the numbers of foreclosures (we bought two), but no truly middle-class family wage jobs. No factories are going up (Dell? Big deal!).
Night time entertainment has been effectively "refused zoning" by the stoic Christian Right for so long that - well when people in W-S go home at night, the sidewalks roll up - and we're talking a blasted CITY here.
Being a single woman - who cares about your age - I imagine you would like to meet people and have some fun dancing or finding truly fulfilling entertainment on your free-from-homework nights. I'd like to suggest Chapel Hill where UNC is. A quaint town blanketed in the atmosphere of higher education provided by one of this country's best schools.
Or perhaps Durham, homeof Duke University - although right now people reading this are whincing at that thought. Sure, in W-S there's Baptist/Wake Forest Medical School and hospital, and Forsyth hospital, but that's just work.
My wife is a BS RN and I wish she could tell you about working in the [only two] hospitals in the immediate area. The wages suck compared to other states AND there are NO unions, ma'm! This is a serious impediment to your nursing wages being comaprable to your peers in other cities. And Baptist at least will threaten to fire you if you even MENTION unions.
Nc is a so called "Right to Work" state - which invites a wholly new kind of "prejudice" where supervisory and upper management people who have personal issues with workers unrelated to their job performance can abuse them and discharge them without cause and you're outt'a luck.
But other than that, NC is still Our State and we are doing what we can to improve our life styles.
Cheers from NC wine country!
Doesn't look like your move to Winston was a good one. I live in neighboring Greensboro and really like it here. I do agree that finding a job as an engineer can be challenging and you would have done better in the Research Triangle area, but overall I don't think Winston is as bleak as your post. Hope things are going better for you.
Hear, hear! Someone who has the intestinal fortitude to tell it like is. The only thing I disagree about is Chapel Hill. I'm from there. AFAIC, it took a huge nosedive when Money Magazine rated it the #1 place to live in the USA years ago.
So much for those ratings that people seem to put so much stock in.
P.S. "Right to work" states are more accurately labeled " hire and fire at will" states.
Regards,
Cassie
I think most states are 'employment at will' states. Basically, the employer can fire you at any time without notice, and you can quit anytime without notice. Of course the traditions 2 weeks notice is happily accepted. I was the victim of this not too long ago. I was 'laid off' because the company isn't 'doing well' (basically because the owner doesn't give a crap and has been getting rid of people left and right, for personal or financial reasons and not re-hiring anyone to do their job functions so the company has suffered) And he hasn't stopped 'laying people off' even though he is in the process of selling the company.. Anyone can really do that, if they want. If it is against the law it is up to the person to take legal action.
I have been thinking about moving to NC for years and reading this post and replies has truly scared me...
I think you're going to be shocked at how bucolic Winston-Salem is. It's an economically very ill city that has denied economic realities these past two and half decades and is now paying for it (there are locals screaming at this sentence right now, they're so deluded).
After landing at Raleigh International, and renting our car, we made the foolish mistake of bypassing Raleigh for W-S to house hunt for our pending move from Seattle, WA in 2001.
While housing here is a buyers' market and is very depressed in price (I'm a licensed broker as well as licensed professional engineer) it reflects the surrounding and very bleak lack of "real" jobs. Retail and restaurants are popping up like zits on a 12-year old, and so too are the numbers of foreclosures (we bought two), but no truly middle-class family wage jobs. No factories are going up (Dell? Big deal!).
Night time entertainment has been effectively "refused zoning" by the stoic Christian Right for so long that - well when people in W-S go home at night, the sidewalks roll up - and we're talking a blasted CITY here.
Being a single woman - who cares about your age - I imagine you would like to meet people and have some fun dancing or finding truly fulfilling entertainment on your free-from-homework nights. I'd like to suggest Chapel Hill where UNC is. A quaint town blanketed in the atmosphere of higher education provided by one of this country's best schools.
Or perhaps Durham, homeof Duke University - although right now people reading this are whincing at that thought. Sure, in W-S there's Baptist/Wake Forest Medical School and hospital, and Forsyth hospital, but that's just work.
My wife is a BS RN and I wish she could tell you about working in the [only two] hospitals in the immediate area. The wages suck compared to other states AND there are NO unions, ma'm! This is a serious impediment to your nursing wages being comaprable to your peers in other cities. And Baptist at least will threaten to fire you if you even MENTION unions.
Nc is a so called "Right to Work" state - which invites a wholly new kind of "prejudice" where supervisory and upper management people who have personal issues with workers unrelated to their job performance can abuse them and discharge them without cause and you're outt'a luck.
But other than that, NC is still Our State and we are doing what we can to improve our life styles.
Cheers from NC wine country!
I too am from New York and face the distinct possibility of moving to Winston-Salem for a job, and would more likely have to live there. Although I am sure that you are speaking from the heart, I must admit that it is very depressing knowing that I would be moving to somewhere life for my family and I would seem hopeless and over as we know it by living in Winston Salem.
Based on what you have described, is there any way out of this? What I mean is, if there are places close by that would be in much better shape to live but close enough to commute to Winston-Salem? I am considered a minority and would also like to know how I would fare in that part of NC? You seem to be very knowledgeable about the place so I would appreciate your feedback and help if you may . Is Greensboro close to Winston-Salem? Is Greensboro a better option than Winston-Salem, and if so is it close enough to live there and commute to Winston-Salem?
I too am from New York and face the distinct possibility of moving to Winston-Salem for a job, and would more likely have to live there. Although I am sure that you are speaking from the heart, I must admit that it is very depressing knowing that I would be moving to somewhere life for my family and I would seem hopeless and over as we know it by living in Winston Salem.
Based on what you have described, is there any way out of this? What I mean is, if there are places close by that would be in much better shape to live but close enough to commute to Winston-Salem? I am considered a minority and would also like to know how I would fare in that part of NC? You seem to be very knowledgeable about the place so I would appreciate your feedback and help if you may . Is Greensboro close to Winston-Salem? Is Greensboro a better option than Winston-Salem, and if so is it close enough to live there and commute to Winston-Salem?
Please don't let one, ill-informed person's perception of a wonderful city prevent you from moving to WS. True, we may not be coffee connoisseurs here in the south like they are in Seattle, however WS does have PLENTY to offer.
Abby thanks for your input and the link to that site. I guess it all depends on who you talk uh :-). I do appreciate your feedback and welcome any others that may come my way.
Abby thanks for your input and the link to that site. I guess it all depends on who you talk uh :-). I do appreciate your feedback and welcome any others that may come my way.
Absolutely! I've lived in WS most of life (was not born in NC) and have moved away to larger cities - Ft.Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Phoenix - and always moved back - travel to NYC at least twice a month and other US cities and Europe yearly. I do have a well rounded perspective and of course, we may not have the same amenities as some of the larger cities, but it is far from bucolic.
I know you have a difficult decision to make and I wish you all the best!
Winston-Salem is like heaven on earth!! My family moved here in 1973 and stayed. Some people will say that the city is bucolic, boring, ssslllloooowww, nothing to do. Believe me , the city is very active in the arts, academia, sports, etc. Jobs, specially in the medical field, are plentiful and the pay is good considering the standard of living. Your salary may be less compared to NYC salaries but your living expenses are also less.
You will have a blast in W-S, see for yourself!!!
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. Is Greensboro close to Winston-Salem? Is Greensboro a better option than Winston-Salem, and if so is it close enough to live there and commute to Winston-Salem?
