Some advice please

[guilty.by.association]

Right now i'm torn between where to go from here in life. I'm almost 19 and I haven't really started doing anything yet, and I have 3 options which i'm torn between.

1) Stay here in Auckland (which I don't like) and live at home while going to University here, for which I need to do a years preliminary course because I left highschool without the required University Entrance qualifications. I would study Psychology and I would be able to afford a car most likely.

Positives: It's doable, cheaper, I have people here, I can get a car and i already have a job here
Negatives: I dislike Auckland, I miss my hometown, my family aren't here

2) Move back to my hometown Christchurch. From June, do a prelim course at the Uni there so I can get in to Uni and do Psychology there. I love the city, my family are there, I want to live there. But will be financially difficult.

Pos: I love the place, family, I miss home like crazy so it'd be good to be back, I would enjoy Uni there more.
Neg: Financially difficult leaving home and moving city, I will know almost no-one apart from some family.

3) Go overseas like I planned, before doing University. I have a strong urge to travel, I do need to go to University and get a career but I really want to go overseas so bad. And who knows if i'll be able to after University or whenever.

Pos: I get to travel and have a great time away from home. Not much else to say really
Neg: I would have to postpone university and my career for longer. I would have to save my ass off.

So what do you think? I just want advice I'm not going to base my decision around the answer of one person. It would just be nice to have insight on where to go from here. I had initially planned on travel because kiwis can go to the UK for 2 years without a visa and i could work, allowing me to make money to travel while being there. Problem is the recession kicked in and there's no work which killed my idea.

[rappo]

I'm going with the first choice. It's obviously your life and ultimately your decision, but if I were you I'd go with the first one. The second option isn't bad either, but I think numero tres is a bad choice. I too have the urge to travel so I know where that's coming from, but without an idea of what your future is going to be traveling probably isn't the best option. I suggest going to school while you're young, postponing it will make you less likely to actually finish.

[Layorz]

I know how much you would love to travel but as rappo said it's not the best option for your future. Financially, the first option is best, but at the same time I also know how much you love chch and your family. It's tough for me to say it but I think Christchurch would be best for you in regards to finding your way through the next few years, so long as you can afford it. The amount of support karma and the rest of your family can provide is more than anyone but your mum could

[guilty.by.association]

I can't trust my sister Michael she's incredibly unreliable. There is no way I would be living with her if i went down there. Unless I were desperate. It was evident last time i saw her. And I strongly disagree with her parenting decisions. Staying with her is a really bad idea. I would just enjoy visiting occasionally. Especially for my niece and nephew.

[victim]

Have you ever considered studying abroad? It's a great way to travel and study at the same time. It's like a combination of option one and three.

You always have the option of going to university and then perhaps deferring for a year (or a semester/whatever) to travel after you've saved up a bit more money.

[Layorz]

I can't trust my sister Michael she's incredibly unreliable. There is no way I would be living with her if i went down there. Unless I were desperate. It was evident last time i saw her. And I strongly disagree with her parenting decisions. Staying with her is a really bad idea. I would just enjoy visiting occasionally. Especially for my niece and nephew.

Oh yeah living with her wouldn't work, I wasn't suggesting that at all, just that family support means alot. Ultimately it all depends on what you want and what you can afford. Whatever your decision, you'll always have a multitude of people willing to support you

[guilty.by.association]

Have you ever considered studying abroad?
International students pay so much more though :( no way I could afford it

[rappo]

You could enroll in a NZ university and do a study abroad program through that, probably after a year of studying there. Generally you'll pay around the same as your own tuition.

[Legham]

I also voted #1. Makes the most sense financially, and you can always visit your hometown in holiday periods. Also, no need to rush off travelling. You'll have plenty of opportunities later in life where you can take holidays and you'll have plenty more money to spend on travel.

[xelasha]

Can't live where you hate it. That just gives you a negative feeling 24/7.

[.:Mouldy Punk:.]

I'd say option 2 because it's pretty similar to what I did when I went to university. Except, instead of moving home and going to uni there, I moved miles away from home, friends and family to where I knew nobody (like most people do when they go to uni here).

But not knowing anybody when you go to uni isn't a problem at all because everybody is in the same boat so it's REALLY easy to meet new people and make new friends and stuff. I'd assume it's the same for you NZ lot?

[guilty.by.association]

Yeah it is, it's my current plan to do number 2, but as you can imagine i have so many things running through my mind i'm not 100% certain on it. But it makes the most sense since i've been here since I was 3 and i've missed my hometown ever since.

[victim]

You could enroll in a NZ university and do a study abroad program through that, probably after a year of studying there. Generally you'll pay around the same as your own tuition.

Pretty much what I meant by "studying abroad".

[guilty.by.association]

Yeah I might look into that once i've been at uni long enough. I can do that regardless of if i'm at Auckland Uni or Canterbury so it's probably my best bet.

[victim]

Student travel (air fares and the like) is a lot cheaper than regular travel as well. It is here, at least, not too sure about your neck of these woods.

[DemonKing]

I'd say choice 3 but I'm pretty biased myself. One day I'm just going to disappear into the vast wilderness of the world out there. I'm not sure where'd I travel round, Russia, The America or both/more. So yeah choice 3 from me would be biased. In the end it's your decisioin. Christchurch is an alright place, although too spread out for me, unless you've got transport or you want to use the bus regulary it's a piss city to navigate. But then again you do live in Auckland so it's probably the norm for you ;).

Your best wellbeing would probably be to stay in Auckland and take up uni there, then travel round when that's done. But as you know that could be a while, it's down to whether you want your degree sooner than later. Of course the money involved in travelling is pretty costly to say the least.

But yeah, whatever choice you make I'm sure it will be the best you feel for yourself deep down.

[guilty.by.association]

Hey charlie ;D

[baleent]

I choose 4. ?? Profit.

[guilty.by.association]

Alright i've semi made my decision. Based on the fact I don't see how option 2 will work unless I get hired by an employer as soon as I move down to Christchurch (which is so unlikely with the current job market). If I don't get hired then I've wasted so much time and all I can do is fly back home and start again. Do I really want to risk that, purely because I like the city more down there? I don't think so. I have everything here and I could go to University here if I work hard enough. Plus there are people who would take me if i needed a roof over my head. I think I might just stay here, I can always move elsewhere later on, no rush. Ofc if my work can give me a transfer to a supermarket in Christchurch then I will probably take it, but as that's unlikely, I think i'll aim to stay here for now. Thanks for all your advice.

[rappo]

Hell yeah Legham we won!

[Legham]

Wooooooo! :D What do we win?

*high five*