Potential Move from Oklahoma to Portland Advice... (Dallas, Detroit: home, employment)

[Surging Chaos]

No wonder this country has become so ridiculously polarized. People like the OP keep wanting to live with other like-minded people, which in turn generates echo chambers and creates an endless positive feedback loop of increasing polarization.

I'm sorry if I come off as a bit crass, but I wish people made more of an effort to get along with their neighbors who might have different opinions instead of just waving the white flag and moving elsewhere. I would consider myself to be a libertarian, and as such, I am very out of place in a state like Oregon. But I'm not moving to New Hampshire (the most libertarian state in the entire US) any time soon.

[Leisesturm]

Originally Posted by Surging Chaos

No wonder this country has become so ridiculously polarized. People like the OP keep wanting to live with other like-minded people, which in turn generates echo chambers and creates an endless positive feedback loop of increasing polarization.

I'm sorry if I come off as a bit crass, but I wish people made more of an effort to get along with their neighbors who might have different opinions instead of just waving the white flag and moving elsewhere. I would consider myself to be a libertarian, and as such, I am very out of place in a state like Oregon. But I'm not moving to New Hampshire (the most libertarian state in the entire US) any time soon.

There is a very big difference between being Libertarian in a state like Oregon, and being Liberal in a state like Oklahoma! I love to hear Conservatives that live in well run Liberal cities rail against the very amenities they take for granted and would miss if they ever got their way. Being Liberal in some scorched earth Red State where Women's Clinics are bombed, and "Stand Your Ground" or "Castle" doctrines sanction manslaughter is the real definition of hell on earth. I still don't feel the o.p. is ready to strike out for Portland just yet, but I get why he would want to leave OK, and I get why you want to stay in Oregon...

[karlsch]

Originally Posted by EasyBeezy

A little advice....

...........Have you looked into places like Asheville, NC? Or maybe Utah? Overall it's politically conservative, but it's not the same sort of conservative as you would find in Oklahoma or Texas. And there are a surprising amount of liberals there as well.

Utah is a very good idea. An article I came read a couple of days ago:

"I went to Utah precisely because it’s weird. More specifically, because economic data suggest that modest Salt Lake City, population 192,672, does something that the rest of us seem to be struggling with: It helps people move upward from poverty. I went to Utah in search of the American Dream."

The whole article: https://www.bloomberg.com/view/artic...an-dream-alive

[Surging Chaos]

Originally Posted by Leisesturm

There is a very big difference between being Libertarian in a state like Oregon, and being Liberal in a state like Oklahoma! I love to hear Conservatives that live in well run Liberal cities rail against the very amenities they take for granted and would miss if they ever got their way. Being Liberal in some scorched earth Red State where Women's Clinics are bombed, and "Stand Your Ground" or "Castle" doctrines sanction manslaughter is the real definition of hell on earth. I still don't feel the o.p. is ready to strike out for Portland just yet, but I get why he would want to leave OK, and I get why you want to stay in Oregon...

It is horrible being a libertarian in this state.

If you extoll the virtues of free market advocates like Friedrich Hayek, Ludwig von Mises, and Ayn Rand in Portland, you will be yelled and screamed at.

If you don't openly support the military and you're not socially conservative in southern and eastern Oregon, you will be yelled and screamed at.

At least if you're conservative or liberal, one side will welcome you in with open arms. But if you're a libertarian? Both sides openly hate your guts. You can't win.

[harrishawke]

No offense, but if your already 26 and don't have your Master's degree yet, I don't think Portland is for you. The job market is extremely competitive. You don't have any network setup. I think the better choice would be to transfer to U of W or maybe even U of O and that way you can do internships and get a job lined up after you graduate. BTW PSU, is really just a regional school, it doesn't have the clout of the other Universities I mentioned.

[magicturtle]

Originally Posted by Leisesturm

Isn't PSU an accredited 4 year institution of higher education with the usual acceptance/matriculation requirements? I wouldn't know that much about it being largely self-educated, but... how can one talk about attending such and such university? Don't you have to be accepted there first? And loans have to be secured... I can't see even the lenient govt. lenders having much enthusiasm for the o.p.'s circumstances unless parents or other family are willing to co-sign for them. Might be cheaper all round to just let them support the o.p. in place. IOW the Devil you know...

I don't understand being 26 and undefined. I'm sorry, I simply do not. It bespeaks unexplained ... issues... that must be addressed going forward. The details, obviously, none of my business, but the o.p. in effect is seeking advice and/or encouragement for a venture that, on its face, looks like a complete non-starter. So that is mine. Don't do it. Don't even think about it. Finish school in OK. Obtain gainful employment in OK. The success, or not, of doing this will advise future options.

PSU doesn't appear to have stringent entry requirements. I doubt that would be an issue.
And Stafford Loans don't have cosigners.
I do think people should stop just going to college thinking that will solve your unemployment problem.
If you just need a skill and need to solve your unemployment problem, become a welder or carpenter or plumber.

Also, and I feel like this is the most important thing. When I worked for a behavioral healthcare firm years and years ago, one of the biggest claims we had from clients in this part of the country, was for those lights to treat SAD.
I think the weather is going to be a big issue if you already have issues.
Denver has around 300 days of sunshine a year.
I'm just saying.

Also, I didn't think Portland was known for culture at all. My thoughts were that this is the place to go if you want to walk around in the mountains.

[RosieSD]

Originally Posted by Traveling_Cipher

This is exactly why I'm considering PSU as a first option. It's hard to beat an 86% acceptance rate affordable 4 year Uni located right in the heart of the city.

Like I mentioned before, my cousin graduated from Berkeley, so I'm pretty familiar with how difficult that (just getting accepted) would be in comparison to someplace like PSU. However, newer legislation in the state that I'm just now hearing about: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfri.../#5925b2d716b6

https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfri.../#304f9d762bb6

That might just be my best option if I consider Cali over Portland. I'd have to survive for a year there, but that option is hard to beat if it passes. What are people's opinion on this compared to attending Uni in Portland?

UC Berkeley will run you $56,000 a year as a non-resident. As with most public universities, you won't be eligible for in-state tuition if you move to California for school. You'll have to establish residency (including having a job) for a full year before you enroll in order to get in-state tuition. The legislative proposal you linked to is only for California residents and only for community college, not 4-year public institutions like Berkeley.

Also, it all depends on what you are planning to major in. For instance, if you're thinking about majoring in business, one of the Cal States might be a good an option and a lot cheaper, even out of state.

My advice (for what it's worth) is this:

Don't move expecting all of your problems to be solved. Solve the problems first, then move.

One problem you have right now that needs to be solved is figuring out what you want to major in and then committing to it as a career path.

As a transfer student, you really need to have this figured out before you transfer, unless you want to spend many more years paying for college. Once you know for sure what you want to study, then find out how the courses you've already taken align with the general education and major requirements at the school(s) where you hope to transfer.

Also, at places like UC Berkeley, transfer students have to apply for a specific major and show that they've completed pre-requisites for the major and thought about why they've chosen that major. You won't get into UC Berkeley saying, "I don't have a clue what I want to study but I sure would like to go there!"

Are you currently enrolled in school? If so, I would suggest making an appointment with the career services office at your current school to discuss your confusion over your major and career.

Put first things first. It's like planning a big trip. If you just head out without any idea of where you want to go, it's a sure bet you won't get there.

[RosieSD]

Also, Oklahoma is a member of the Southern Academic Common Market. This is a cool program that lets you attend colleges in selected other states for close to in-state tuition.

You might want to check that out as an option for getting out of Oklahoma.

Academic Common Market - Southern Regional Education Board

Don't immediately look at the states on the market and say, "Those aren't progressive!" You need to take a close look at the individual universities in the program, as many of them are just as liberal as PSU or Berkeley.

Outside of the Academic Common Market, if you're going to pay full out of state tuition at a public university in another state, you might as well also look at some private colleges, which tend to have better free financial aid (grants/scholarships) for transfers than public universities have for non-resident transfers.

But first, you need to solve your problem of not knowing why you're going to school in the first place.

Good luck!

[the_potion_darling]

To the original poster: Eugene might be worth checking out based on what you've listed as priorities. It's a college town definitely liberal minded, lots of culture and art. Less expensive overall than Portland.

Good luck with your move!

[kander63]

I'm not sure I have much to add to what others have already said but I would encourage the OP to get help for his depression before making a move. Portland is also not an easy place to get a good job, and technology is not easy to break into. I have worked in IT for almost 25 years. After I moved to Portland 13 years ago, I decided to take some time off to get an MS in Computer Science--it certainly wasn't necessary for my career but it was something I really wanted to do. I actually had a hard time getting a job again afterward, because people thought it was weird that I took time out to increase my education - IN MY FIELD!!!! It's not like I took two years off to study basketweaving. And that was with blue chip experience too - having worked for Big 6 consulting firms and 2 Fortune 500 corporations. So I can't imagine the the technology job market here would be terribly friendly to someone coming from out of state, with no employment history.

If the OP is truly interested in a technical career, I would strongly encourage him to get at least an associate's degree from a community college in Oklahoma in technical subject. He can always transfer to another school to complete a Bachelor's degree after that.

I can understand wanting to get out of Oklahoma if you're liberal, but probably almost any other city of over 500,000 people in the county would be in improvement on that score. After all, Oklahoma is the only state in the country where not a single county voted for Obama. While I understand that politics at the state level still has an impact, I think that if you lived in the core areas of places like Dallas, Houston or Atlanta you'd find plenty of like-minded people.

Finally, I think Portland as slacker paradise is pretty much over...not sure where the next Portland is. If I were young and adventurous, I might think about a place like Detroit or Cleveland. They have water, and as the effects of climate change get worse, they may start to become more attractive as places to live.