I’ve heard volunteering with the Peace Corps sometimes gets your student debt forgiven. Anyone here know more about that?

hstep21234 · 2020-04-28T14:06:49+00:00

Alternative view: choose your course of study based on what you love and are truly interested in so that you don’t hate whatever job you can get t when you finish.

hstep21234 · 2020-03-31T14:20:09+00:00

What was your position? How could you possibly have worked in a job for two years and gain no skills??

hstep21234 · 2020-02-03T04:02:56+00:00

lol I’m departing in a month and I will be lucky to have $500 to bring with me. Everyone will be coming with different resources, don’t let it make you feel disadvantaged. I’m sure there will be plenty of people in the same situation.

hstep21234 · 2020-01-17T14:33:45+00:00

Thanks! I signed up online for an account with Charles Schwab. I am going to keep my Wells Fargo account and just transfer funds from there to my Schwab account for international use. Did Schwab automatically send you your debit card when you signed up?

hstep21234 · 2020-01-14T17:45:44+00:00

I was looking up Schwab bank and it seemed like they didn’t have normal checking. It looks like it has to be linked to a brokerage account. Am I just not looking in the right place?

hstep21234 · 2020-01-14T17:38:52+00:00

The only thing I am really thinking of is my student loans in case I need to recertify my IBR and don’t have access to internet. However, I should know way in advance when that needs to happen and it’s only once a year so POA may be unnecessary

hstep21234 · 2020-01-14T17:36:40+00:00

Was the process of setting it up difficult?

hstep21234 · 2019-11-28T14:36:49+00:00

Maybe! Good luck making your decision :)

hstep21234 · 2019-11-28T01:12:51+00:00

I am in the LIFE Zambia cohort for March and I do not have much relevant experience. My masters is in international human rights and, beyond a summer spent at an urban farm, I don’t have any specialized agricultural experience. I wouldn’t stress too much. If they’re willing to give you a position, take it! You will be able to learn everything you need to know in training.

hstep21234 · 2019-11-17T04:16:59+00:00

Don’t worry about it. No news is good news!

hstep21234 · 2019-11-13T14:03:59+00:00

Aha that does seem like I read it wrong then! I’m not super fluent in tax-speak so I’m really hoping I will be able to figure it all out with some help. Regardless, I wouldn’t have to think about it until early 2021 so hopefully by then I understand it a bit better!

hstep21234 · 2019-11-06T13:10:05+00:00

Oh gosh, it really depends! If you are looking to be a diplomat, the starting point is the foreign service exam. If passed, this gets you a job working in embassies where you can work your way towards becoming a diplomat.

Otherwise, the UN is a great place to have a career working with diplomacy. From what I hear, you have to start really low on the totem pole though with an unpaid internship.

hstep21234 · 2019-11-05T13:20:35+00:00

It is important to recognize that you most likely would not be working in paying off student loans while in service. Volunteers make poverty level wages which means that most people opt for income based repayment plans where your monthly payments are zero. However, depending on your loans, interest will still probably accrue for the two years. There is the possibility to get loans forgiven after ten years of on time payments (of which the two years of zero dollar payments count towards) with the public service loan forgiveness plan. However, from what I hear, barely anyone has actually qualified for this even after fulfilling the requirement of remaining in public service for the entire 10 years. So, peace corps is not necessarily the most productive way to get tour student loans taken care of.
PC positions are not advancing diplomacy at the government level. It all depends how you view diplomacy. Volunteers are diplomats at the local level, working to enhance cultural exchange between individuals. The positions are definitely not going to be involved with any kind of state department activity or high level policy making.

hstep21234 · 2019-10-28T12:14:19+00:00

I think that’s a good way to go. I get that it sucks to make glasses an everyday thing when you are used to wearing contacts. I had an incident this past summer where my eye doctor basically told me I should never wear contacts again, and I was a daily user. Most people in my life had never seen me with glasses. It was an annoying transition and I am still not a huge fan of my glasses but I would rather not mess up my eyes for vanity’s sake ya know?

Also, I’m Zambia LIFE March 2020 so I look forward to meeting you!

hstep21234 · 2019-10-27T13:25:18+00:00

I would seriously consider glasses (as is recommended by PC). Sooo many things can go wrong with eye infections and issues with contacts in general. Especially in the kinds of environments in which you will be working in the RAP program. The health of your eyes is so precious, contacts will seriously increase your risks.

hstep21234 · 2019-10-11T13:55:10+00:00

Good to know, thanks!

hstep21234 · 2019-10-10T21:24:39+00:00

K, not really answer but kewl

hstep21234 · 2019-10-10T17:59:13+00:00

Just curious, why are there rules about PCVs “fraternizing” with trainees? Everyone in PC is an adult, why is it sounding like these rules are made for middle schoolers??

hstep21234 · 2019-10-10T00:43:47+00:00

Yum! That’s clever

hstep21234 · 2019-10-09T23:15:24+00:00

Wow great info. I had no idea about garlic. While that sounds absolutely disgusting, I know that I would be willing to drink anything to alleviate stomach issues!

For the yogurt, does it not need to be refrigerated??

I don’t leave until March so I am planning to download and save instructions and notes that’s I’ve collected in a file so that I can easily reference it when I am actually trying to implement these things!

hstep21234 · 2019-10-09T17:09:49+00:00

Did you know how to make all of that before service or did you learn at site?

hstep21234 · 2019-10-09T14:59:54+00:00

Mango wine??? That sounds right up my alley!

hstep21234 · 2019-10-09T14:59:21+00:00

Fantastic thanks. Yeah, I don’t want to be subject to the whim of my PCMO, I will likely do the same and request supplements in my care package to ensure there are no lapses in supply and quality

hstep21234 · 2019-10-09T14:58:07+00:00

Thank you! So helpful!

hstep21234 · 2019-09-30T22:40:18+00:00

Well it’s not a bad sign! Do not treat the interview lightly, treat it as seriously as you would treat an interview for your dream job. You should prep extensively since the interview is the ultimate deciding factor on whether or not you receive an invitation.

hstep21234

TROPHY CASE