Montana?

[Tin]

Anyone ever been or lived out there? Pro's and Con's?

[OHIO]

My buddy just got back from a month trip out there.

He said it was beautiful and the hunting and fishing is great.

He is going back there to go to college in the spring and can't wait.

He said everything was cheaper than it is here in Ohio too, so that's a plus.

It gets extremely cold in the winter and fall, so if you don't like the cold I wouldn't move.

Why are you thinking about moving out there? Family? Job? Or just a change of scenery?

[Tin]

School ... I had a cousin move out there and she loves it. The schools I would like to go to I could get into but I just do not want to pay 35-45k (Syracuse, Duke, Vermont) a year for the next 5-6 years. I really want a smaller town (sick of the city stuff) and big change of scenery.

The place is 20k a year out of state and I would probably just live out there and get residency after the first year, where as Cuse or Vermont I might just live there during the school year.

They might hate the accent out there though, lol.

[SDoolittle]

Five or six more years? What kind of degree are you working on?

[OHIO]

Your situation is about the same as my friend's.

He is so tired of the yuppies and stuck up people we have out here that he just wants to get away.

I am in the same boat. I go to the University of Cincinnati right now and I am transferring schools to a smaller town and can't wait.

Make sure that you think your decision through fully though.

You can't go through life with regrets, so do what you feel is right.

[Tin]

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Five or six more years? What kind of degree are you working on?

phD in psychology, it's essentially four of school and two of clinical type stuff.

[J Francho]

U of R, dude.  We can fish every weekend, LOL.

[Tin]

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U of R, dude. We can fish every weekend, LOL.

Dude...50k a year lol

[J Francho]

Get a loan like the rest of us, LMAO.

(Actually, I'm a three time college dropout, but don't tell IBM that  )

[Tin]

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Get a loan like the rest of us, LMAO.

(Actually, I'm a three time college dropout, but don't tell IBM that )

One of the father's whose kids I work with is a big-wig at IBM in the CT/NYC area. He drives the two hours every day but makes 200k+ a year. He doesn't have a college degree but did his school in India, sp he says it is like a bachelors over here, lol.

[J Francho]

Funny, my job is teaching the offshore India team how to do my job.  I love it, those guys simply can't cope with ingenuity.  But the people that emigrate here from India to work in IT are some of the best I've ever worked with.  Solid skills.  Friendlier, too.

[Tin]

Yup, I work with 3 Hindi families. All of which have moved from India in the past five years. They are all great and probably some of the smartest people I have ever met. An interesting culture and some dam good food.

[fourbizz]

Pros: It is not Rhode Island

Cons:

[1inStripes]

Go to East Tennessee State and live with Burley....

[ROCbass]

I'm not sure what you want to do with your psych Phd or if you would want to stay out there when its done, but the job market in Montana is pretty good for education related jobs. My girlfriend just got her bachelors in special ed, and she had job recruiters from Montana offering her jobs upon graduation while she was still a junior. She decided to stay in Rochester to get her masters, and I'm working on my masters/CAS in school psych, but after she finishes we're thinking about moving out there for the internship year of my degree.

[NorcalBassin]

University of Montana (Missoula) was one of my college pit stops while chasing some degrees. Missoula is in a valley tucked up against the mountains and has a great combination of small town feel with a lot of the amenities of a larger town. It is also a "college town" by every sense of the imagination, which makes it a blast to go to school there. Despite living in NoCal now, I'd love to send my kids off to be Grizzlies some day.

Not sure how good the bass fishing is there (only trout fished back then), but Northern Idaho has some phenomenal bass fishing just 2 hours away from Missoula (Spokane also has a nice airport for flying back east just 2.5-3 hours away).

Montana State in Bozeman is also a pretty nice school and closer to some world class fly fishing (Yellowstone), but I don't think it's 1/2 the college town of Missoula. Missoula is the place to go to school, party, and have a great college experience and Bozeman is a place to settle down in and raise a family. Besides, Grizzlies are much cooler than Bobcats.

Best of luck on your journey.

[Tin]

Thanks Guys

[farmpond1]

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School ... I had a cousin move out there and she loves it. The schools I would like to go to I could get into but I just do not want to pay 35-45k (Syracuse, Duke, Vermont) a year for the next 5-6 years. I really want a smaller town (sick of the city stuff) and big change of scenery.

The place is 20k a year out of state and I would probably just live out there and get residency after the first year, where as Cuse or Vermont I might just live there during the school year.

They might hate the accent out there though, lol.

I don't wish to be a wet blanket but you might check on the residency thing.  Although I don't know this for certain, you might not be able to change residency if your primary purpose for being there is to attend college.  If you haven't already, you should look into this before banking on it.

But Montana sounds cool.  I'd go!!!

[Captain Obvious]

If anyone is looking for schools in a small town then I'd suggest the University of North Texas in Denton.

Cheaper than most schools. There is some world class bass fishing in Lewisville and Ray Roberts.

Then again you can always stop by Lake Grapevine or Hubared.Not to mention you can always take a weekend trip to Fork

Its rated as the best music program in the country. The business program is getting a big make over, including a new 7 million dollar state of the art building . All its arts programs are also great

Other than football all our other sports programs are up there with the best. Including bass fishing.

There is my shameless plug for my school

[Dan:]

You do realize how cold it gets in Montana, right?

Why not head somewhere in the Mid-Atlantic, South, or Midwest? There are plenty of small town types of schools you could go to....plus fewer Pauly-Ds...

[Tin]

I checked it out Farmpond, it is 12 months residency and an attempt to become a resident (Montana drivers license, registering to vote, or registering a car in Montana). I know for undergrad you are only allowed 6 a semester the first year to establish residency. I'm not sure how grad works and even then is listed as "may" disqualify you for residency purposed.

And Dan, yes I realize it. I ski and live in ice-rinks for hockey year round, I don't have an issue with the cold. I would take the cold over heat any day.

[farmpond1]

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I checked it out Farmpond, it is 12 months residency and an attempt to become a resident (Montana drivers license, registering to vote, or registering a car in Montana).

Okay, cool. Glad to hear that! I worked at a community college in Illinois where establishing residency was/is more difficult. We had tons of students who would say "but I've lived here for over a year!" and then still be required to pay out of district fees. Just didn't want that to happen to you.

[=Matt 5.0=]

Just come back to work and grind it out until you get to drive... 

[NorcalBassin]

Tin... sounds like you've done your homework on this. That's the same rule they had when I was there. One year of <6 units and you're considered a resident. The weather in Missoula is very mild by Montana standards since Missoula sits in the valley. Sure it will be cold and you'll get some snow, but I get way more snow up in the mountains of CA than I ever had in Missoula. Have a blast... you're gonna love it.

[Pond Hopper]

Iowa, great psych program and all kinds of outdoors activities. 

The only con is all of the tree hugging hippies in Iowa City.