Relocation Advice: San Diego area (Long Beach, Columbia: rent, high crime, credit)

[Mrs.SnowBunny]

Hi guys,
Im hoping to get some advice. Im from Long Beach, CA. Never cared for Long Beach personally, except for I like the cooler overcast days. Weather can make or break me and I like colder weather, 30 to 80 degrees but any hotter than that and I turn into a real pain.

I want to get my associates degree and follow that up with a certificate in something like Medical Billing or Paralegal or something in demand with decent pay. I do customer service right now, make pretty good money, and have lots of experience doing that. However there is not much room to go up in my career doing this with no degree.

My ideal place I would like to move or end up is WA. I love the weather there and its beautiful. Its much more "me" than CA. Also Seattle recently was named the best economy in the nation. I think its expensive there but not as much as CA. However school is more expensive there than where I live in CA.

I could move to San Diego, have less expensive rent (about $800 to $1000) and pay only $26 per credit at college. But its not really where I want to be.

Should I
1) Move to San Diego for school since its so much more affordable and try to make my peace there?
2) Move to WA like Ive always wanted to and pay more for school?
3) Live in San Diego while I go through school and then move to WA when Im done with school?

PS....any info you can give me about San Diego would be helpful in making my mind up. Thanks!

[Snort]

Another option would be to land a job up there, spend a year to earn state resident status, and then go to school there. You have to keep in mind though that the biggest problem with the weather there is the utter lack of sunlight that goes on for what seems like forever. I lived there for a year, and when I found myself trying to walk to the place where a single ray of sun was shining through the ever-present cloud, I knew it was time to move back to CA.
The San Juan Islands should not be missed! The same goes for Victoria.

[htnspz]

I don't understand why you would move to San Diego when the fees for the community colleges are the same in Long Beach.
I agree with Snort, go there and get residency to go to school there.

[Mrs.SnowBunny]

Even with residency in WA its still about $200 less per class in San Diego. At least at the community colleges I looked at online for WA. Long Beach is over priced for the high crime you get. I have been to San Diego several times and like it much better. Plus I can get a one bedroom in SD for like $850. There is a lot of college areas in SD so it would be easy to get to school. Its not really the same in LB.

[PharmboyinNC]

Judging from what you prefer, Seattle seems like a good fit. Again, it is a little wet there, but economy is more robust and the city is growing. I've been to Seattle,worked a little in the Columbia Tower, and really liked it.

I don't think SD is going to be much of a change, other then it being cheaper, but I have no experience to back this up.