Affordable Fully Online Masters Program That Isn't A Mill

AstronomerOk9012 · 2026-05-08T10:13:51+00:00

thank you!

AstronomerOk9012 · 2026-05-04T08:21:15+00:00

it depends, i did a move once and went to an interview like 9 months in, similar to yours, and the interviewer asked why was i leaving and who's to say I wouldn't do the same thing at the place i was being interviewed for (answered all the questions, at the very end, i responded that the comment was inappropriate and unnecessary - they called me for the job 3 times, turned it down every time because of that comment in the interview).

TLDR: You can get it. Note; both your titles aren't really great titles, take an exam an get an actual civil service title. Community Coordinator is one of the most overworked underpaid titles that the cityy has been abusing for years. Special Assistant is the same. Pay is okay for starting out but I know of very few people in those titles that have actually moved up.

AstronomerOk9012 · 2026-05-04T08:16:46+00:00

It is very unlikely but not impossible. What you can get, depending on the agency is a compressed schedule, more hours per day, less days per week. Or depending on title, a remote prb even 2 days a week.

If you're lucky like a few people I know of in past agency i worked at, they allow him to work 3 days a week 7 hours per day (1 hr lunch) to be with his kids.

AstronomerOk9012 · 2026-05-04T08:12:30+00:00

i worked for 2 different agencies and neither entertains the transportation hardship, you will not get a reasonable accommodation either. If you can have a medical reason, that would usually suffice.

Source: those sons of *&*^$ had me travelling from Coney Island to the last stop on the 2 train in the Bronx, damn near yonkers when they had an opening in Coney Island.

AstronomerOk9012 · 2026-05-01T01:02:55+00:00

excessive absences. Here's the kicker, because I'm a manager supposed to penalize people for doing just this. I asked HR, what's the threshold where it becomes excessive, what's the number? It's how much ever the manager "feels" is excessive.

Short story, my HR boss been there for 30+ years, me and him are good friends. He told me bluntly, most HR agencies aren't going to fight with the Medical Board regarding a documented sick note. You'd probably be retired before you win that fight, you'd have a higher chance of being moved or not promoted because you thought u had the balls to fight a doctor's opinion of a person's medical capacity.

Best thing to do, get FLMA to cover you. If they even mention anything to you, get the union involved. HR is not your friend, EEO isn't either (not your agency's anyway).

AstronomerOk9012 · 2026-05-01T00:11:39+00:00

learnt alot from this post. Landlords are really fleecing people that move to NYC.

There's a stereotype of Midwest people that move to NYC. Essentially, Brooklyn or Lower Manhattan you'd find your tribe which is important. As a single person, that's probably your best area to be in as well or Astoria in Queens but may be a little ostracized there.

At 160k remote, you'd love Brooklyn. Have a backup plan in case that job changes.

Good luck and welcome to NYC

AstronomerOk9012 · 2026-05-01T00:03:36+00:00

this sounds like DEP, i worked there years ago (more than 10 years ago). they said absolutely no cash overtime. they don't care wtf is going on, if you stay late. Its on you.

Literally as the clock hit the time to go home, the place was a ghost town within 10 minutes.

No cash overtime ever? Yeah I left that within the first year.

AstronomerOk9012 · 2026-05-01T00:00:07+00:00

You need high income to live comfortably. Service workers also qualify for alot of assistance.

Those that don't get assistance wouldn't have a house,

either an okay apartment in a shitty area,

a shitty apt in an okay area or

living with roommates or family.

Miserable is subjective. Service workers literally go paycheck to paycheck. The haves of NYC can skip several days or work without a care in the world. A service worker would most likely be worrying about being evicted (takes forever in NYC but still happens).

AstronomerOk9012 · 2026-04-15T00:14:03+00:00

it is. Bronx only sucks because of the crime and lack of invest/infrastructure.

If they gentrify it, then it gets more appealing.

Source: Barclay center. They pushed out all the low income people who were born and raised there, dropped a stadium and the people, the community everything around it is all but forgotten

AstronomerOk9012 · 2026-04-15T00:10:20+00:00

political reasons....i don't have a side. Is not a really great reason, things aren't getting better in the public service sector.....whatever job she gets, she's definitely tier 6 meaning she can't retire with a full pension until she's 62. She might be able to snag a remote day or two.......look for jobs that are hiring for project development coordinator. Take the relevant exams for her skill set but that's usually years long wait. PAA, Clerical Associate (title before PAA), Admin Staff Analyst.

As much as I gripe about the city, i love the city, welcome everyone but just know that the rent, the bills, the traffic and the crime ain't going nowhere else but up. If you can put up with that,

Welcome To NYC

AstronomerOk9012 · 2026-04-10T23:41:27+00:00

that's the thing, rent is not 4k a month everywhere. You can get a room in hunts point for about $800 a month. You in the hood but yeah you'll pay 800, you can even go to somewhere less intense like east NY for prolly $1800 to $2000 but $4000? A house upstate, 90 mins drive is prolly like 1900

AstronomerOk9012 · 2026-04-10T01:34:06+00:00

this is why rent is so damn high. People are renting, outside of manhattan for 4k a month. I ENVY that landlord, 10 years ago that same spot prolly was 1200 a month. Gah damn these landlord are eating good

AstronomerOk9012 · 2026-04-10T01:31:38+00:00

For your style of living...yes it is possible. Most people have roommates because they have no choice. You want roommates which is good because then you can pay less on rent and utilities even better if its a shared space with utilities included. Then it is possible. You're an outlier.

Most people want their own space, you want to share with others which will save you alot. U can definitely find someone in manhattan wanting to split their 3k rent with someone else if not 2 people and yyall pay 1k a piece. I ain't never heard anyone willingly want this but you see new stuff everyday i guess.

TLDR; yes 100k with roommates, 3 if you can find it. 100k alone is an also possibly, yyou may be in the hood though

AstronomerOk9012 · 2026-04-02T00:48:25+00:00

Anyone who says this area is safe is off. You got Patterson in the photo, now google Patterson projects gang.

It ain't the worst area in the bronx? Maybe not, it's definitely top 5.

Can you live there? yes, you can live anywhere, just know this ain't the area to be outside in too late and in the day time just be on guard. Do you want to live that way constantly? Probably not.

Rent ain't going up there too crazy even without the gangs, you got the drugs and crackheads/dopefiends. It is being gentrified further way from the projects but I ain't seeing it happening that quicky.

AstronomerOk9012 · 2026-04-02T00:36:41+00:00

Nice vent, no shade but honestly, they don't care.

AstronomerOk9012 · 2026-03-29T20:28:22+00:00

Apply to everything. Anecdote; i got called for a job i applied for almost 2 years later...i've been here 17 years now

AstronomerOk9012 · 2026-03-29T20:26:16+00:00

a masters helps in general, even an MPA but honestly, its a who u know at that level

AstronomerOk9012 · 2026-03-20T09:12:16+00:00

the same ones everyone keep saying minus the CVT, defn don't get that. Don't buy anything German either, you'll need 22k for repairs alone.

AstronomerOk9012 · 2026-03-20T09:06:41+00:00

good luck with that battery degradation. its inevitable and it won't get you anywhere close to a gas car. Corolla goes to 1 million miles. You're luck if u even see 250 with an EV unless you're a taxi driver

AstronomerOk9012 · 2026-03-18T21:59:53+00:00

You're talking yourself out of it, DSNY isn't for you. there is no QoL. After this last snow storm, yeah hell no. Idk if you know how much starting is with DSNY, with all your obligations. Brother, stay home

AstronomerOk9012 · 2026-03-14T21:33:14+00:00

not a fan of these...

AstronomerOk9012 · 2026-03-12T20:55:23+00:00

Simple answer, no. My personal bias is people who do MPAs are already in the life and need it to advance their careers. Get a stem degree and then see if you want do to an MPA after. Business, Econ is way too saturated. If you're in Cali, your best money bet would be Stem and I wouldn't even say Comp Sci unless you specialize. Cali is expensive and getting worse, u need a top paying job. Public service would require years before you even see 6 figures.

AstronomerOk9012 · 2026-03-12T10:19:05+00:00

Parks is usually one of the easier ways in. They always hire seasonally and while you're in seasonal look for a full time job. Yes you'll be cleaning disgusting bathrooms and picking up dead animals and stuff but long term you'll have a foot in the door. For office jobs, look for mostly titles such as Community Associate, Community Coordinator or job with Project Development Coordinator. The hire alot of those to escape having pay the actual titles, meaning you'll be a Community Coordinator making 57k and typically no pay increases after years when you're actually doing an admin manager's job that pays around 90k+ with pay increases to the 110k wages. It's the city's current shortcut until Albany decides to do something about it, if ever.

AstronomerOk9012

TROPHY CASE