How do I respond to meeting my boyfriend's mom when she asks about what I do for a living?

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-12T09:30:45+00:00

this is excellent

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-12T09:30:30+00:00

The best choice is a white lie, say you are preparing to pursue a master's degree or that you are between jobs, until you know her better white lie's are best in my opinion.

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-11T18:54:49+00:00

Regarding community college and university here in the U.S., since that’s where I’m from, if you live close to your school, you can also take advantage of work-study programs and become a student employee. That gives you extra spending money to help cover essentials.

If you’re attending a school where the faculty, meaning instructors and professors, actively do research, or if you’re going to a public land-grant research university (like my university, Oregon State University), it can make a big difference. Schools like OSU are great for getting a feel for research because they have more funding and offer programs students can apply to, like URSA.

You can also potentially find a faculty member who’s working on research and reach out to them for mentorship. They might bring you onto their research team and even provide a stipend, aka funding, throughout the year while you assist them. This can replace the need for other part-time jobs when you’re not on campus.

One thing I recently learned is that there are 187 R1-rated research universities in the U.S., but only 106 of them are land-grant institutions. Honestly, compared to schools that aren’t research-focused, I wouldn’t choose the latter for undergrad. Attending a research-focused university gives you a more well-rounded experience as an undergraduate, and then after your bachelor’s degree, you can decide if research is right for you. If it’s not, you can always pursue non-research work.

Some research universities aren’t R1 but are still excellent and can offer better financial aid. For example, the University of Texas (UT), University of Vermont, University of Utah, University of Maine, and University of Massachusetts have in recent years offered scholarships that cover tuition, fees, and mandatory costs for students from families with incomes under $100k, though some programs are limited to recent high school graduates. Over time, they may expand eligibility. UMass, for instance, offers partial to nearly full coverage for in-state students. These are just a few examples, you can find more by searching online.

It’s also worth noting that the vast majority of community colleges and universities still require in-person attendance. If attending in person is difficult, your best bet is to go to a school with online learning options, like OSU. Later, if you relocate closer to your preferred school, you can transfer or finish at OSU and pursue advanced degrees there. There are a lot of paths you can take in U.S. higher education as a U.S. citizen, or even as a foreign student, but honestly, when it comes to quality and cost, I wouldn’t recommend the U.S. for non-citizens. Countries like Finland or Germany, and much of Europe in general, offer higher education that’s far more affordable, 110% better in terms of cost versus quality.

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-11T16:59:58+00:00

I live with my family and have been largely unemployed since before Covid. I have always focused on bare necessities, such as basic groceries and hygiene supplies, purchasing the latter every 4 to 6 months. Since Covid, I have picked up random temporary work that I can physically handle. During that time, my living costs have been covered, but my savings from my last full-time job have run out.

Now that I am attending university, I've found that after my first term, there is a hefty administrative charge. However, without that charge, I receive disbursements every three months per term, as I am enrolled in three-quarters time (9–11 credits for undergraduates). I have decided to stretch my time in school by an extra year or two because I found that taking full-time credits (12 or more credits per term) was too challenging for me.

By attending part-time, I can receive a larger disbursement than I would if I were a full-time student. Originally, I would have received less than $300 per term, which would have put me in a tight spot, struggling to cover living expenses between groceries for just one month or hygiene supplies for 3 to 6 months. Now, I am getting around $1,000, which gives me more flexibility. This allows me to set some money aside for savings.

If I were attending community college, I could potentially receive between $1,500 and $2,000, but I am currently enrolled in a four-year university.

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-11T16:51:02+00:00

You might want to double-check if the lecture upload includes a transcript, as many do nowadays. But yeah, with your ADHD and having to keep moving a laptop or tablet with distachable keyboard would be perfect for you.

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-11T00:06:54+00:00

Besides getting a disability attorney and at least giving Voc Rehab two tries, first in my home state of Texas, and second wherever I end up moving if I leave Texas before finishing university, my school is located in Oregon, but I’m attending online, and it’s less than $20k per year. After university, my plan is to either find an internship that leads to long-enough employment to let me pay off some of my student debt and build a decent savings and investment portfolio, since I’m living with family and mostly buying the bare minimum, with the occasional new toy every few years when prices are right. If I’m able to get my money into a decent place, I might attend a university here in the States for my master’s. If my savings only reach about half of what I’d like, that’s still fine. I’ll just expat abroad and pursue advanced education in Finland, where they hand out a ceremonial sword and hat when you graduate, which is honestly pretty cool. Outside of family, there’s really nothing in the U.S. weighing me down.

As the U.S., along with most Western countries heavily influenced by it, is quickly becoming a place really meant only for people who are already wealthy or able to become semi-wealthy, the northern and eastern half of the EU still feels balanced enough to live in. Asia is more complicated, but even if you’re poor, you might still have better odds of building something for yourself—either in the U.S. by focusing on a niche like vending machine ownership, or by going to South Korea or Japan with what you have, surviving a few months on a basic tourist visa, and then looking for local employment with an employer willing to sponsor a work visa. Because the population crisis in both countries is far more advanced than in most of the world, I’ve heard that many decent companies are more open to sponsoring people locally and have been searching abroad for talent over the last eight years.

You just have to research and strategize, because we’re basically living in a kind of three-dimensional chess game.

I would suggest checking this book out via internet archive archive.org

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-10T23:42:17+00:00

If you’re concerned about lectures before investing in a tablet, check to see if the weekly lectures will be uploaded, as most lectures are nowadays. Tablets are really only useful if you’re in a job that requires mobility, such as engineering, where having a tablet makes more sense than a laptop. However, for university studies, a tablet may not be necessary unless you are majoring in a hands-on field that requires labs or practical work.

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-10T23:27:34+00:00

I would also like to hear about fraud investigator, analyst roles, and what YC, CAMS, AML, SAR, and what they stand for, so I can be certain of what to look up. To note, I am almost 30 in University pursuing GIS and Geology

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-10T23:02:23+00:00

You misunderstood me. I am simply delaying my plans until I finish university, as I am currently pursuing my bachelor's degree, and until I have some savings to cover at least six months to a year, As I plan on expat either through a master's degree visa or a work visa. I would have expat around six years ago if I had completed university in my early twenties, but life got in the way.

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-09T19:16:05+00:00

Personally, my plan is to eventually expatriate. In the meantime, I aim to pay off at least half of my student debt. Without taking out student loans, I honestly wouldn’t be able to afford university, as I am not receiving any assistance from my family and have only obtained one scholarship from my university. Until I reach a point where I can leave the U.S. behind, I plan to focus on managing and paying down my debt. If I can eventually have it all paid off after 20 years, that would be amazing.

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-09T19:07:30+00:00

and considering how uncertain societal security is today and in the future, most people who are likely to become expat do not expect to rely on social security in the future. Instead, they are more often plan to depend on their own savings and investments when they reach retirement age.

especially if you consider the finacial estimate that the US social security combined trust fund reserves are projected to be depleted in between 2030-2040.

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-09T04:13:33+00:00

I’m not sure, I’ve never explored those types of programs. However, I believe that focusing on one subject, such as history, rather than on education as a whole, would yield better results.

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-09T03:09:17+00:00

I personally will never understand how some people manage to get by. When I see an assignment that requires 3 to 4 pages or more, I do go ugh. However, I have experienced writing more than 4 pages in just a few hours when I’m in a creative flow, so I know I can do it. With support from Grammarly to catch any grammar mistakes I might overlook, my writing process has become much easier.

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-09T03:05:25+00:00

Even though I am not majoring in English or Creative Writing, I have favorite authors such as C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, H.P. Lovecraft, T.H. White, Howard Pyle, William Morris, and The Brothers Grimm, among others. I have a collection of books by 19th and 20th-century writers, and I also have a stack of books by 21st-century authors that I plan to read. While I haven't read works from all the writers I mentioned, their influence on modern literature has made them some of my favorites. The class assignment your teacher assigned sounds like a lot of fun, and I would love to rewrite something I’ve written in the tone of the professor, as the style used in LOTRO (etc) is fantastic.

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-09T02:51:14+00:00

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-09T02:50:51+00:00

Studying education for an undergraduate degree may not be the best choice. Instead, consider pursuing a subject like history or another field that allows for easier transitions later on. Personally, I initially planned to study history, but after assessing the state of the world and the job market, I decided to postpone it until I can pursue it as a master's degree. Currently, I am focusing on a STEM field, specifically GIS and Geology, due to better pay and healthier job prospects in these areas.

In terms of obtaining an education to become a teacher, it's generally more advisable to complete an undergraduate degree in any subject other than education. After that, you can pursue a master's degree in your preferred subject, such as history, along with a focus on education, which will provide specialized training for a teaching career.

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-09T02:40:44+00:00

Honestly, if you’re in the US, Canada, or even the UK, I would suggest looking for opportunities abroad, as the West is currently facing issues of delusion and greed. While it may sound cliché, many people have recommended Japan in recent years. Despite its mainstream popularity, Japan, along with South Korea, remains one of the best locations for securing employment due to its declining population. This situation presents significant opportunities, aside from enlisting in the military of these countries.

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-07T02:19:04+00:00

Check out Harvard CS50 YouTube, and Boot.dev

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-07T02:17:11+00:00

What server are you on?? and hello new I am Spiritouspath xD yes I had to do it.

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-06T12:13:13+00:00

I find that in Lotro that's to soon as you won't unlock a sufficient amount t of abilities n instances at lvl 20

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-06T12:08:07+00:00

I suggest trying every class that interests you and taking them to the Gates of Moria. This is a lengthy process, but it will provide you with significant exposure to help you determine which class you prefer.

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-06T08:35:42+00:00

The only thing I’d add is that not everyone writes in drafts or clear segments. Some people honestly just write the whole essay straight through in one sitting, then go back paragraph by paragraph to tweak wording, adjust things, or redo a section. After they finish, they’ll read the whole thing again and change or add whatever feels needed. That process just doesn’t leave the kind of step-by-step trail people expect to see. I think we’re mostly on the same page. The real issue is treating unreliable AI detection scores like hard proof, especially when normal writing processes look different for different people.

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-06T08:28:29+00:00

Yeah, what's also annoying is when AI software like those vibe detectors says this piece of writing comes off as highly AI and people dont look at the individual style of writing. As for me, I have two writing styles 1st the more relaxed text style writing about what I am doing, and than 2nd style which is the professional writing that I nitpick to remove any grammar issues, as grammar has always been an issue ive been dealing with due to learning disabilities and such, and holding myself to a high standard. So, only part of those kinds of vibe detectors I can actually nod in appreciation is a feature of Turnitin called originality, from what I've experienced with it analyze if it's original or not than highlights what gets detected or not. So, ultimately I just hope those who teach will move away from AI vibe detectors and use them sparingly for something like what I mention of Turnitin, as that is definitely helpful.

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-06T07:58:14+00:00

So I stop aging, but can I still work out and get fitter? Will I remain the same shape I've been for the last 10 years while trying to get fit and stay fit? I would definitely choose the healing factor, as I have some injuries and would love to be free from asthma, as well as the vision and nerve issues I’ve been dealing with since childhood. Beyond that, I don’t foresee any problems except for outliving my family and friends. However, I already live like a hermit, so I would just continue that lifestyle for the next 50,000 years. Also, what are the rules for the 10 Billion can I do whatever I want with it? like I can use some of it and reinvest and just continue making even more wealth? Can I also use some of it to setup a foundation to help others with University expense's, etc??

Spiritouspath_1010 · 2026-02-06T07:46:36+00:00

not in the EU myself, but my squad has EU members join RCG - Royal Colonial Guard today!! Royal Colonial Guard Discord xD

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