Recently I decided to move to a different state, but then I changed my mind. I want to know if i'm making the best decision staying? I live in Indiana, in a very small town where jobs are impossible to find (you are lucky if McDonalds is hiring!) A lot of people I hang around with are always telling me that I act like i'm better than them. I don't know if there joking or what, but just because I talk about leaving here (which hardly anyone does) and going to a big city and starting a future, i think Im better than them. I hate it here in my town. Everyone is into drugs. They have terrible drugs busts all the time here. And if you're like me, someone who doesn't smoke, drink, do drugs, party, and focused on the future, you are labeled a loser and you hardly have any friends. I don't have many friends and those I do have, I only text them, they dont want to hang out with me because i'm a loser, I don't have a boyfriend and have never had one even though im 21 years old, and I'm not close to any of my family (except for my mom). I am currently in college getting a degree in English. I really want to work in a magazine. But I plan on going to school for another degree, maybe psychology. I want a second degree because I know it will be hard to find a job in a magazine so this is gonna be my back up plan. I'm an only child and live with my mom and Im close to my mom too. I have a chihuahua so her being happy is important to me. The people around me is always telling me that I will never amount to anything because no one in my family has a degree and has never moved out of Indiana. I'm always hearing negative crap and I get sick of it and really upsets me. My dream has always been to move to New York or California, but I don't have a lot of money. But really, I just want to get out of Indiana. Just the money I will get from student loans, financial aid, grants, and scholarships. But I was planning on finding a job in the city before I moved, when I was moving. The reason why I changed my mind is because I got tired of everyone telling me that I was making a stupid decision. Like one time when I went to the place I used to work at (I had to quit because they wouldn't let me off for school, plus I was getting harrassed by an older coworker) and they said they heard I wasn't thinking about moving away and when I told them yes. They told me not to do it that it was a mistake since I was moving by myself to a place I dont know anyone, I told them my mom wouldn't come with me and they said thats because your mom doesn't want to go. This really upset me. So my feelings dont count? Am I supposed to live somewhere the rest of my life because my mom doesn't want to move? I dont think this is fair. I didn't ask to live here. I felt like telling them well I dont want to work in a grocery store, minimum wage, hating it, barely making it for the rest of my life. Instead I said that I had to move to one of those places because thats where the places are for the jobs i wanted. So I want to know.... am I making a good choice staying in Indiana or should I move??? I was thinking about waiting a year to decide. So if I should move, when do you think I should???|||Will your job prospects be better in a year? Is that when you'll graduate with your degree? Getting a job will surely be easier once you have a qualification, so waiting till then seems like a good idea. However, if you can find a job and a place in a city then why not go? I suspect that it's more because it's a huge, new, scary idea that you're putting it off, rather than what other people say. Try to sort out your own feelings, and dont worry about what anyone else says. Some people are happy to stay where they are, and things are familiar. That doesn't mean you're wrong for wanting something different, but it does mean some of those others will be jealous of your ambitions and say nasty things out of spite. Forget what other people say, and think about what's best for you. Look into jobs in the cities you are interested in. I know it's difficult to get affordable housing in New York, so you might want to do quite a bit of research there. Do the research, make plans, and carry them out. There is nothing to stop you coming back home if you decide you dont like it. Also, you dont need to tell people your plans. That's bound to cause bad feeling, since to them it seems like a criticism of their choice. Keep it to yourself, do research, make plans, and go, if that's what you want.|||hi, you obviously sound very confused & upset, but let me ask you this... would you feel more upset with yourself if you didn't take that chance and moved to a bigger city? do you want to be held back because some of your so called friends & neighbors are scaring your to move away? (it seems like they don't want you to succeed because they didn't... misery loves company...) I can sense you care about your mom & you have big dreams of leaving that tiny town of yours... so my advice is, bite the bullet & live your dreams. You'll regret not taking a chance when you're 40 & working at McDonald's as their night time manager. GO! LEAVE YOUR TOWN! WORK HARD! LIVE YOUR DREAMS! PROVE THEM WRONG =) and good luck you can do it!|||You have to make your own decisions about your life. Don't let these negative people affect your decision to make a better life for yourself. They are jealous, they are stuck in a dead end job in a dead end town and are going nowhere. You can't stay just for your mom either. She has made her decision on her life, you need to make yours. As a mother myself, I want my grown children to be happy, not be responsible for me. Get your degree in English and try to get a job that you can support yourself whereever you want to live. Or you could transfer to another college, at least get out of that small minded town your in, go to an in state college so the tuition is less, live in residence halls, try to get on a work study program and look for part time work for money. This will get you started and out on your own. Get away from all the negativity where you are, make a better life for yourself.|||IMHO, I think you are wise to leave your small town where the opportunities are so limited. However, I would suggest a two-stage move rather than making a major leap. I would suggest first finishing your degree at Purdue, IU or IUPUI, if it is not too late to transfer. Get an off-campus apartment that permits pets so you can take your dog along, or get a room on campus and leave your dog with your family until you find a permanent home and job. During you senior year, find a paid internship in New York, California, or Chicago (don't overlook the advantages of Chicago - big city life, easy commute to home in Indiana). The internship will give you a feel for whether you really like the environment. You will also be more aware of what the job possibilities for you are (and are not). The internship could lead to a permanent job, and it will give you an opportunity to get to know people in the area where you think you might want to settle before moving there permanently. Psychology may not be a good choice as a backup degree unless you plan to go on to graduate or professional school. There are few jobs that specifically require a bachelor's degree in psychology.

火车采集器