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brownj1594
Joined: 07 Dec 2011
Posts: 19
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 Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 1:11 pm Post subject: Re: Pay off debts first or GO NOW? |
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You said you studied speech language. Here's where you should be looking for jobs: Sterling Overseas educational and Development intervention services. They�re connected to the military: read: money. they send peopel all over the world and you'll be making more than a teacher. Not sure about the quals you need exactly, but look them up. |
Thanks- I do know about this group, but they don't have any positions to offer me until I have a masters degree in SLP (which i'm in no hurry to get) |
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brownj1594
Joined: 07 Dec 2011
Posts: 19
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| Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 1:12 pm Post subject: |
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| contented wrote: |
I don't have much to add, but rather just support for you to go make your dreams happen now.
I left university with $10,000 in debt. Nothing compared to your $60,000. It's better to go now and teach overseas rather than waiting or else it may not happen. Things happen in life that can change your course.
I'd suggest Korea too. It is a good place to start out. Well, it was for me. |
Thanks, I've pretty much made my mind up about going now  |
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SahanRiddhi
Joined: 18 Sep 2010
Posts: 267
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| Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 3:16 pm Post subject: |
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We officially grant you our approval to get on that plane and go!
But let me reiterate, I think you should make the loans your priority. You may never get a chance to pay them off (relatively quickly) to the extent you can in the country we can't talk about here. Trust me, when you've been dealing with debt for a while, there is NOTHING so liberating as sending in that last payment and telling your creditors to take a hike. Anything less is indentured servitude. |
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brownj1594
Joined: 07 Dec 2011
Posts: 19
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| Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 5:19 pm Post subject: |
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We officially grant y
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| ou our approval to get on that plane and go! |
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| But let me reiterate, I think you should make the loans your priority. You may never get a chance to pay them off (relatively quickly) to the extent you can in the country we can't talk about here. Trust me, when you've been dealing with debt for a while, there is NOTHING so liberating as sending in that last payment and telling your creditors to take a hike. Anything less is indentured servitude. |
I agree with what your saying. I DON'T want to be an indentured servant that's for sure!
Thank you all for your input! |
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sohniye
Joined: 15 Mar 2011
Posts: 90
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| Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 7:57 pm Post subject: |
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Hello Brown,
Hope I am not too late! I also say go!!
I actually owe more in student loan debt than you! I have my BA in a fairly �useless� subject: Political Science (I thought I was going to go law school and thankfully did not) and my MA in a high demand area: Special Education, I am a trained but novice teacher. I am passionate about teaching. The reality is the American economy is terribly down right now, frankly you�ll be making 25k in a job as a recent graduate if you are lucky enough to find an employer who is willing to pay you that much or find a job quickly at all. I know that right now all age groups and demographics are having a tough time but I especially empathize with recent graduates. Because most employers now demand the moon.
I do believe you can have your cake and eat it too. I know I plan to---send about 800.00-1000k a month to my student loans, live frugally and try to save around 1k a month. I am way into backpacking travel and I promised myself that until I die or my body won�t let me do it I am going to backpack around one week each year, generally that won�t cost more than 1,500.
I am making it a priority pay off my student loans in 10 years or less (I estimate it will take 7.5)because I have no the intention of continuing my education any further until I get this first set under control. I can understand why you aren�t rushed---after all you are right---in your field postgraduate study is necessary. I caution this though: education is not getting any cheaper and the longer you take to pay off the student loans the more interest you pay. �But if you are only going to pay off one set: definitely the private ones first.
I think we have a lot in common is that we could be making some very decent money in our respective fields but work/life abroad beckons for a while first. I am not sure what your long term plans are but I don�t have much intention of working in international education forever because there is probably more stability in our respective fields; but life moves so fast and there might not be another time in your life to freely live abroad.
Cheers,
Sohniye. |
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EFLeducator
Joined: 16 Dec 2011
Posts: 595
Location: NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS
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| Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 10:57 pm Post subject: |
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| sohniye wrote: |
| I actually owe more in student loan debt than you! |
I probably have you both beat. 
| sohniye wrote: |
| The reality is the American economy is terribly down right now |
It is. I'm starting to see that if you want a job in the U.S. you have to do what most Americans don't want to do...real, labor intensive WORK. No one can get an office or teaching job like ESL or any other type of teaching because everyone wants those jobs. Take the alternative route like trucking for example. The pay is great but it is WORK. Too many people in the U.S. want those sit down jobs in a school or office. Not going to happen because there just aren't enough jobs in the states anymore. I applied for a greeter position yesterday for example. Wanna know how many others applied for it? 1,225 people. The site I used allows you to look at how many applied for the position if you'd like to know. Unreal.
| sohniye wrote: |
| I plan to---send about 800.00-1000k a month to my student loans, live frugally and try to save around 1k a month. |
I don't believe I saw where you plan on teaching but I hope it is somewhere in asia. You want to send $1,000 home every month for student loans and SAVE around $1,000 a month as well??!  PLEASE tell me where you can make that kind of money teaching EFL?! Japan or S. Korea?? |
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brownj1594
Joined: 07 Dec 2011
Posts: 19
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| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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| The reality is the American economy is terribly down right now, frankly you�ll be making 25k in a job as a recent graduate if you are lucky enough to find an employer who is willing to pay you that much or find a job quickly at all. I know that right now all age groups and demographics are having a tough time but I especially empathize with recent graduates. Because most employers now demand the moon. |
So true. And then the 25k jobs that are out there for me involve so much uprooting that most that money is gone so fast! They have SLP assistant jobs for those with bachelor degrees which require me to be 100% bilingual in spanish and/or move to the northeast. And mind you these jobs aren't paying for housing! I just feel its not worth it at this time.
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I do believe you can have your cake and eat it too. I know I plan to---send about 800.00-1000k a month to my student loans, live frugally and try to save around 1k a month. I am way into backpacking travel and I promised myself that until I die or my body won�t let me do it I am going to backpack around one week each year, generally that won�t cost more than 1,500. |
Wow! I know you will accomplish that! I'll be cheering for you!
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| I am making it a priority pay off my student loans in 10 years or less (I estimate it will take 7.5)because I have no the intention of continuing my education any further until I get this first set under control. |
I'd like to do this too if i could.
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I can understand why you aren�t rushed---after all you are right---in your field postgraduate study is necessary. I caution this though: education is not getting any cheaper and the longer you take to pay off the student loans the more interest you pay. �But if you are only going to pay off one set: definitely the private ones first. |
Thats what i plan to do, and interest is a beast! Then the private loans have "financing charges!"
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| I think we have a lot in common is that we could be making some very decent money in our respective fields but work/life abroad beckons for a while first. I am not sure what your long term plans are but I don�t have much intention of working in international education forever because there is probably more stability in our respective fields; but life moves so fast and there might not be another time in your life to freely live abroad. |
Yes, we do have a lot in common! Special ed is very similar to SLP as well! I don't plan to do it forever either.
Thanks Sohniye! |
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sohniye
Joined: 15 Mar 2011
Posts: 90
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| Posted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 11:40 pm Post subject: |
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| EFLeducator wrote: |
| sohniye wrote: |
| I actually owe more in student loan debt than you! |
I probably have you both beat.
| sohniye wrote: |
| The reality is the American economy is terribly down right now |
It is. I'm starting to see that if you want a job in the U.S. you have to do what most Americans don't want to do...real, labor intensive WORK. No one can get an office or teaching job like ESL or any other type of teaching because everyone wants those jobs. Take the alternative route like trucking for example. The pay is great but it is WORK. Too many people in the U.S. want those sit down jobs in a school or office. Not going to happen because there just aren't enough jobs in the states anymore. I applied for a greeter position yesterday for example. Wanna know how many others applied for it? 1,225 people. The site I used allows you to look at how many applied for the position if you'd like to know. Unreal.
| sohniye wrote: |
| I plan to---send about 800.00-1000k a month to my student loans, live frugally and try to save around 1k a month. |
I don't believe I saw where you plan on teaching but I hope it is somewhere in asia. You want to send $1,000 home every month for student loans and SAVE around $1,000 a month as well??! PLEASE tell me where you can make that kind of money teaching EFL?! Japan or S. Korea?? |
Ah, I am actually on my way to Russia. That being said about four years ago, before I got my MA and I gave the eikaiwa gig in Japan a go I made around 2k a month and probably could have put a big chunk of that towards student loans...if I wanted 
Even those intense labour jobs you speak of are crap right now. My Dad is one part of that demographic. 50 years old, mechnically inclined and talented, but Native American and not educated beyond high school. He has a job but it pays 10.50 an hour and I saw him looking the other day at possible other work and the pay seems to be that low for everything! Some welders make around 15 an hour in my area which is better.
He hopes to get a CDL lisence in 2012 so hopefully that will increase his earning potential.
Brown keep us updated on what you chose! Interesting note: I am Spanish Bilingual too and I used to get a lot of interest in my resumes for this reason---no longer In fact I took a temp assignment last year and the employer had the audacity to suggest that my regional accent wasn't good enough...uhhh. |
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Prof.Gringo
Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 2236
Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!
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| Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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| EFLeducator wrote: |
| sohniye wrote: |
| I actually owe more in student loan debt than you! |
I probably have you both beat.
| sohniye wrote: |
| The reality is the American economy is terribly down right now |
It is. I'm starting to see that if you want a job in the U.S. you have to do what most Americans don't want to do...real, labor intensive WORK. No one can get an office or teaching job like ESL or any other type of teaching because everyone wants those jobs. Take the alternative route like trucking for example. The pay is great but it is WORK. Too many people in the U.S. want those sit down jobs in a school or office. Not going to happen because there just aren't enough jobs in the states anymore. I applied for a greeter position yesterday for example. Wanna know how many others applied for it? 1,225 people. The site I used allows you to look at how many applied for the position if you'd like to know. Unreal.
| sohniye wrote: |
| I plan to---send about 800.00-1000k a month to my student loans, live frugally and try to save around 1k a month. |
I don't believe I saw where you plan on teaching but I hope it is somewhere in asia. You want to send $1,000 home every month for student loans and SAVE around $1,000 a month as well??! PLEASE tell me where you can make that kind of money teaching EFL?! Japan or S. Korea?? |
Yeah, I am fortunate to have a job in the USA which allows a rare combo:
Excellent pay, lot�s of time off (try getting 4-6 months a year free, it is nice), paid medical, dental, 401K, pension plan (fully funded at over 116%), paid training and a career path. Lot�s of paid travel.
So I can live where I want, work when I want to, enjoy my job, travel the world and get as much time off as I want all while making a very good income (far better than EFL in Mexico). |
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Prof.Gringo
Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 2236
Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!
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| Posted: Fri Dec 30, 2011 3:42 pm Post subject: |
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| sohniye wrote: |
| EFLeducator wrote: |
| sohniye wrote: |
| I actually owe more in student loan debt than you! |
I probably have you both beat.
| sohniye wrote: |
| The reality is the American economy is terribly down right now |
It is. I'm starting to see that if you want a job in the U.S. you have to do what most Americans don't want to do...real, labor intensive WORK. No one can get an office or teaching job like ESL or any other type of teaching because everyone wants those jobs. Take the alternative route like trucking for example. The pay is great but it is WORK. Too many people in the U.S. want those sit down jobs in a school or office. Not going to happen because there just aren't enough jobs in the states anymore. I applied for a greeter position yesterday for example. Wanna know how many others applied for it? 1,225 people. The site I used allows you to look at how many applied for the position if you'd like to know. Unreal.
| sohniye wrote: |
| I plan to---send about 800.00-1000k a month to my student loans, live frugally and try to save around 1k a month. |
I don't believe I saw where you plan on teaching but I hope it is somewhere in asia. You want to send $1,000 home every month for student loans and SAVE around $1,000 a month as well??! PLEASE tell me where you can make that kind of money teaching EFL?! Japan or S. Korea?? |
Ah, I am actually on my way to Russia. That being said about four years ago, before I got my MA and I gave the eikaiwa gig in Japan a go I made around 2k a month and probably could have put a big chunk of that towards student loans...if I wanted
Even those intense labour jobs you speak of are crap right now. My Dad is one part of that demographic. 50 years old, mechnically inclined and talented, but Native American and not educated beyond high school. He has a job but it pays 10.50 an hour and I saw him looking the other day at possible other work and the pay seems to be that low for everything! Some welders make around 15 an hour in my area which is better.
He hopes to get a CDL lisence in 2012 so hopefully that will increase his earning potential.
Brown keep us updated on what you chose! Interesting note: I am Spanish Bilingual too and I used to get a lot of interest in my resumes for this reason---no longer In fact I took a temp assignment last year and the employer had the audacity to suggest that my regional accent wasn't good enough...uhhh. |
I have always kept my class A CDL for just this reason...Just in case. I am not currently using it (for employment) but it is current through 2014 and there is always a market for commercial truck drivers all over the USA. |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
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| Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2011 12:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Prof.Gringo wrote: |
| So I can live where I want, work when I want to, enjoy my job, travel the world and get as much time off as I want all while making a very good income (far better than EFL in Mexico). |
That's one of the advantages of working for the govt! |
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Prof.Gringo
Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 2236
Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!
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| Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2011 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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| naturegirl321 wrote: |
| Prof.Gringo wrote: |
| So I can live where I want, work when I want to, enjoy my job, travel the world and get as much time off as I want all while making a very good income (far better than EFL in Mexico). |
That's one of the advantages of working for the govt! |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
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| Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2011 3:11 pm Post subject: |
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| YOu're CSM, right? Maybe I should work for the govt too. |
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Prof.Gringo
Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 2236
Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!
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| Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2011 11:05 pm Post subject: |
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| naturegirl321 wrote: |
| YOu're CSM, right? Maybe I should work for the govt too. |
PM if you want more info, NG321 |
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ayisha881
Joined: 28 Feb 2011
Posts: 9
Location: USA
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| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 7:17 pm Post subject: |
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| I would go for the CELTA and then go for the job overseas. Then try to work at saving that money up while you are teaching to pay off the loans when you come back to the states, or even see if it is possible to pay the loans monthly while teacing overseas. |
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