Questions and concerns about moving to California for school
I’m 19, I did 2 years of university (with little success) in Canada, and I’m battling the decision of whether I want to go back to school or not. The way I see it, I have 3 options:

+ Don’t go back to school. Work a steady job making a decent living until I manage to get a job as a software developer.

+ Go to a community college here in Florida and eventually transfer to a university to complete my computer science degree.

+ Move to California (in the Bay Area) and attend community college there, eventually transferring to a UC school to complete my computer science degree.

Each of these options has its own merits in my opinion:

+ The decision to not go back to school would allow me to work full time, make a decent living, and focus on becoming a better programmer. The downside would be the difficulty that I would have finding a job for lack of a formal post-secondary education.

+ Staying here in Florida means I would qualify for in-state tuition, which would make things cheaper for me. I’d be near my mom if I needed any help and I’d get to continue to live at the beach. On the flip side, there isn’t a huge software industry where I’m at. I have yet to meet anyone who shares my passion for developing software and this can make it hard to stay motivated.

+ Moving to the valley would put me in a place where I can meet many like-minded people who share my enthusiasm and passion for technology. Graduating from a CCC would guarantee me a spot in a number of UC schools -- with the exception of Berkeley and UCLA, I believe. The only thing stopping me from doing this is that I would have to pay out-of-state tuition and I honestly don’t know if I could afford to do that. I already have $30,000 in student loans.

If I had my pick, I would move to California. I feel a need to be in the hub where everyone is doing things that are interesting and cool. The computer science programs are larger in California and the school I would end up at if I stayed in Florida (University of Florida) is making a major change to its computer science program that appears to be for the worse.

Here are a few questions I would be grateful for if someone could address:

+ Obviously, the major issue is money. I could probably save $5,000+ if I took a year off before moving to the Valley, but that would only go so far. My cost-of-attendance for a CCC is approx $22,000 and I think I’m eligible for ~$7,000 in need-based scholarships and grants. That leaves about $15,000 that I would need to somehow come up with. What are my options? I know of Stafford loans and I’d be willing to take out the most I can if it means getting a fantastic education and being in a prime networking spot, but what else can I do?

+ Are there many part-time jobs for computer science students in California? The minimum wage is $8/hr -- just under $1,300/mn before taxes. That would barely be enough to live on here and the rent in San Francisco is significantly higher. If I move then I want to be able to make it on my own. What are my options here? Are there software firms that employ students part-time during the school year (internships included)?

+ In your opinion, would moving to California for school be a good idea, seeing as I want to start my career in the Valley? Opinions backed by experience will certainly carry the most weight here.

I have a real passion for software and I want to be around people who share these feelings, which is not something readily available where I am now. I’m open to any additional thoughts, concerns, or tips that HN has to offer.