Perfectly timed layoff

[EdLongshanks]

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A few weeks ago a had a wonderful thing happen to me. I have been informed that my job is being outsourced to India. As a special Christmas gift, my company is helping me join the ranks of the unemployed at the end of this year.

Now, while this is not so good for my fellow employees, this works out very well for me. With the separation package and what I'm going to put the squeeze on the government for (woo-hoo, now you taxpayers can start supporting ME ), financially I'm in pretty good shape. In the year that I start school I'll show zero taxable income, so that should help student aid, etc.

Now, I am looking for suggestions on how to use this opportunity.

Firstly, time. My last year of school was going to be a little tough, but now I can pile on my spring semester next year without fear - I'll have plenty of time. But between early May and August I have nothing to do.

One of the things that I am preparing for is a cross-country bike tour. I've started training now (seeing this poor 47-year old body puffing up hills is a pitiful sight, but I did 15 miles today and 10 miles every other day this week). I'm investigating tandem bikes and will drag my wife along so that both of us can get into shape together next summer. I need to prepare myself for the rigors of residency.

I also am interested in learning Spanish. I've wanted to do this for years but as a doctor I can see that my need would increase. Do you all have any audio-osmosis type of programs for this, it would work well with the bike trip.

What else can I use this time-bonanza for?

Secondly, financially. I have some ideas for squeezing some of my taxes back from the government. Do family students going to medical school use any welfare-type government assistance? I used to have a totally different attitude on this. I had babies and was making $7/hour and never used food stamps or housing assistance, or any other type of government assistance. I was crazy. I was feeding my babies canned milk while the government was begging me to take free formula. Once I started making reasonable money and checking my pay statements, I realized what a nut I was.

So, what can I do to get my family stable for the long-term, even while I'm in medical school, using the 8 months that I am unemployed and doing nothing but going to undergrad?

 

[eablackwell]

Oh, are you doing bike and build? A friend of mine that I graduated with does that. He's even on their commercial (they won one of those pepsi grants).

 

[Lacheln]

That happened to me too...it was beautiful...*wistful*

I spent my time diving into my volunteer job, relearning french, and occasionally tutoring science students or training dogs (both of which I really enjoy) for extra non-taxed cash. I wanted to travel more, but $$ hindered that a bit. Basically I think your plan sounds great. Relax, spend quality time with your family, get in shape, and ace your classes. Rosetta stone has an audio-only component btw.

As for public assistance, where I am students can't qualify - you have to be working or on disability to get anything beyond WIC. I also think you have to have been po' for a while, ie. sudden loss of income doesn't immediately qualify you. Basically when I looked into it I wasn't going to qualify. Better luck to you.

Have fun!

 

[Dianyla]

Awesome! The same thing happened to my sister 6 months before she went to law school. I think she may have actually volunteered for layoff since they didn't know she was leaving yet, and she didn't want anyone else in her company to lose their job while she kept hers.

So she called me up and we went to Spain and walked the Camino de Santiago that summer. Can't recommend that experience enough!

 

[katiemaude]

I wish I had gotten notice of my layoff! I probably would have started taking classes a semester earlier and I'd be a little more relaxed about completing my prereqs now. I was laid off last May and I don't know how I would have taken the courseload I picked if I had been working full-time. But - because I wasn't 100 percent sure of what I wanted to do (I am still waffling between medical school and PA school), I have taken several classes that aren't critical to the med school journey, though they could potentially be helpful.

You most likely won't qualify for welfare as a student. You will, however, qualify for unemployment benefits. You could qualify for more student loans or institutional grants, depending on what school you are attending for prereqs. I had my first year of community college paid for, including books and materials. Unemployment benefits and severance paid my living expenses. I was able to take a full course load (three sciences with labs and a math class in the spring) plus volunteer 8-10 hrs a week in the local hospital ER.

And, I had enough money to travel over my breaks, and that was a huge stress reliever.

However, my benefits were cut off in May and now I'm paying my own way and draining my savings to get to the goal line. I should be done with o-chem and physics in May, then I will take the MCAT and spend the summer filling out applications. This year is not going to be as fun. I will probably be working part time by January so I can pay for my MCAT class. I just have enough in the bank to survive for a year and apply to maybe 10 schools. If I have to, I will put more apps on my credit card.

Enjoy it while you can!!!

 

[Lacheln]

So she called me up and we went to Spain and walked the Camino de Santiago that summer. Can't recommend that experience enough!

Congratulations! A friend of mine did that this summer and I've been dying to do it myself since she got back. It sounds absolutely amazing.How long did you guys take for it? And how much did you spend along the way?

 

[Dianyla]

Congratulations! A friend of mine did that this summer and I've been dying to do it myself since she got back. It sounds absolutely amazing.How long did you guys take for it? And how much did you spend along the way?

We were 30 days walking, from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago. I took a few extra days at the end to go to Finisterre as well.

Most pilgrim refuges ranged from 3-10E a night. If you're frugal you can keep your per diem under 25E per day. Note: this was in 2004, so costs may have increased. It's a pretty cheap way to spend a month in Europe, and an unforgettable experience.

 

[Lacheln]

We were 30 days walking, from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago. I took a few extra days at the end to go to Finisterre as well.

Most pilgrim refuges ranged from 3-10E a night. If you're frugal you can keep your per diem under 25E per day. Note: this was in 2004, so costs may have increased. It's a pretty cheap way to spend a month in Europe, and an unforgettable experience.

I realize my question is veering away from the original topic, so if it's annoying, I apologize.

I've heard the first third of the walk is the most physically stressful because you are getting accustomed to the 15-20 miles/day and it's through the mountains. The second third is the most mentally stressful because it's hot, flat, and starting to get a little monotonous. And the third is the spiritual part where you reconcile the physical and mental challenges you've faced.

??

Sounds so amazing. And yeah, cheap. I think I am going to plan for this during a vacay month 4th year.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

Ed, my sister swears by Rosetta Stone... not sure if you can make it be in an ipod-friendly format, but she thinks it is the best! Congrats, hope it all works out for you...

 

[Dianyla]

I realize my question is veering away from the original topic, so if it's annoying, I apologize.

I've heard the first third of the walk is the most physically stressful because you are getting accustomed to the 15-20 miles/day and it's through the mountains. The second third is the most mentally stressful because it's hot, flat, and starting to get a little monotonous. And the third is the spiritual part where you reconcile the physical and mental challenges you've faced.

It's not annoying to me, but might be for the rest of the readers.

The three-phase description you're described is spot on. A lot of people even skip the middle part, but I think it's part of the experience.

 

[student1799]

I have been informed that my job is being outsourced to India.

I think outsourced workers may be eligible for special benefits such as extended unemployment benefits and/or payment for college courses to help you retrain for a new career. Tuition benefits would be right up your alley, of course, so you should definitely look into this and take whatever you're entitled to. (Keep your mouth shut about the premed stuff, though, since it's none of their business that you were taking a few classes "in your spare time" before the layoff happened.)

 

[Lacheln]

It's not annoying to me, but might be for the rest of the readers.

The three-phase description you're described is spot on. A lot of people even skip the middle part, but I think it's part of the experience.

Neato. So Ed, there's an idea. Take the fam for a month to walk across Spain. Practical? Not in the slightest. Great family bonding time? Mos def. 😉

 

[wholeheartedly]

Looks like your getting some great ideas to make the most of your time.

As for the language stuff, I just ordered a program called Fluenz myself. It was reviewed on Amazon as much more useful than Rosetta stone in the vocab it teaches you. It's also very slightly cheaper as well.

I'm having some issues with my computers disc drive so I can't tell you how much it'll work but the two long demo lessons I went through on their website were awesome. I absolutely loved it 😍 and was already picking up quite a bit of stuff. They do have some podcasts available as well, not sure how many though. There's another program called Tell Me More Spanish that some online say is pretty good too, but I don't know too much about it.

 

[pretard]

I got canned from my IT contractor job last night and I am anticipating the study time I have for my MCAT date in Sept.

I really, really hate computers, Comcast and cubicles.

 

[EdLongshanks]

Looks like your getting some great ideas to make the most of your time.

As for the language stuff, I just ordered a program called Fluenz myself. It was reviewed on Amazon as much more useful than Rosetta stone in the vocab it teaches you. It's also very slightly cheaper as well.

I'm having some issues with my computers disc drive so I can't tell you how much it'll work but the two long demo lessons I went through on their website were awesome. I absolutely loved it 😍 and was already picking up quite a bit of stuff. They do have some podcasts available as well, not sure how many though. There's another program called Tell Me More Spanish that some online say is pretty good too, but I don't know too much about it.

Thanks, I'll check into that.

 

[thepoopologist]

A few weeks ago a had a wonderful thing happen to me. I have been informed that my job is being outsourced to India. As a special Christmas gift, my company is helping me join the ranks of the unemployed at the end of this year.

Now, while this is not so good for my fellow employees, this works out very well for me. With the separation package and what I'm going to put the squeeze on the government for (woo-hoo, now you taxpayers can start supporting ME ), financially I'm in pretty good shape. In the year that I start school I'll show zero taxable income, so that should help student aid, etc.

Now, I am looking for suggestions on how to use this opportunity.

Firstly, time. My last year of school was going to be a little tough, but now I can pile on my spring semester next year without fear - I'll have plenty of time. But between early May and August I have nothing to do.

One of the things that I am preparing for is a cross-country bike tour. I've started training now (seeing this poor 47-year old body puffing up hills is a pitiful sight, but I did 15 miles today and 10 miles every other day this week). I'm investigating tandem bikes and will drag my wife along so that both of us can get into shape together next summer. I need to prepare myself for the rigors of residency.

I also am interested in learning Spanish. I've wanted to do this for years but as a doctor I can see that my need would increase. Do you all have any audio-osmosis type of programs for this, it would work well with the bike trip.

What else can I use this time-bonanza for?

Secondly, financially. I have some ideas for squeezing some of my taxes back from the government. Do family students going to medical school use any welfare-type government assistance? I used to have a totally different attitude on this. I had babies and was making $7/hour and never used food stamps or housing assistance, or any other type of government assistance. I was crazy. I was feeding my babies canned milk while the government was begging me to take free formula. Once I started making reasonable money and checking my pay statements, I realized what a nut I was.

So, what can I do to get my family stable for the long-term, even while I'm in medical school, using the 8 months that I am unemployed and doing nothing but going to undergrad?

No, but I did this program www.ecela.com and liked it very much. I think immersion is the only way to learn it, or else you might as well listen to music.

 

[thepoopologist]

No, but I did this program www.ecela.com and liked it very much. I think immersion is the only way to learn it, or else you might as well listen to music.

Actually if I wanted to get the most effect out of learning Spanish, in hindsight I would've gotten a spanish grammar book and built up a foundation of tenses and vocabularly, and then I would've gone to South America and tried to test into the highest level possible at that school.

 

[EdLongshanks]

No, but I did this program www.ecela.com and liked it very much. I think immersion is the only way to learn it, or else you might as well listen to music.

I agree that immersion is the only proper way to learn a language well. My problem is time, of course. I have two needs. Lose the belly fat and get in shape enough to keep up with my young fellow-students, and learn Spanish so that I can serve my patients. The key is to find a way to do both in one summer.

 

[sgtbrushes]

Great website, FREE download of hours of Spanish-tutoring .mp3s:

http://radiolingua.com/shows/spanish/coffee-break-spanish/

The guy and gal who do it are Scottish, so you'll learn Spanish from people who speak English with a Scottish accent, but their Spanish accent is spot-on. They toss some humor in their, so you can listen to it for a couple hours straight without wanting to ram your face through a brick wall. The only downside is that they teach Spain Spanish, not Latin America Spanish, so about 5-10% of the vocabulary and pronunciation is of a different dialect than you probably want.

I take Spanish classes at school, but I use this while driving, and it's a great supplement to keep the language fresh in my head.

 

[Lazarus]

.

 

[Lazarus]

Ed,

Same thing happened to me when I was laid off, I decided it was a perfect time to go back to school to get my MBA (I wish I had gone and completed my premed then but...)

It sounds like you have a good plan set out already, volunteering sounds like a great idea.

Sounds like perfect timing, enjoy yourself.

 

[gravitywave]

With the separation package and what I'm going to put the squeeze on the government for (woo-hoo, now you taxpayers can start supporting ME ), financially I'm in pretty good shape. In the year that I start school I'll show zero taxable income, so that should help student aid, etc.

Be advised that your aid for the 2011-12 school year will be based on your earnings from tax year 2010. It may not be the windfall you were hoping for, esp. if the separation package was substantial. personally, I love how the fact that I worked 60 hrs/wk last year ends up hurting me now that I'm going back to school 👎

I was told that all expenses related to the application cycle would be tax-deductible. I don't itemize, but it might be something worth looking into.

If you can get it though, some state aid after years of paying into the system is pretty sweet

 

[EdLongshanks]

Be advised that your aid for the 2011-12 school year will be based on your earnings from tax year 2010. It may not be the windfall you were hoping for, esp. if the separation package was substantial. personally, I love how the fact that I worked 60 hrs/wk last year ends up hurting me now that I'm going back to school 👎

I was told that all expenses related to the application cycle would be tax-deductible. I don't itemize, but it might be something worth looking into.

If you can get it though, some state aid after years of paying into the system is pretty sweet

Yeah, I wasn't thinking of the FAFSA aid. Most of the aid are loans anyway. I was considering the rental assistance, retraining assistance, WIC, unemployment, things like that.

 

[jinx520]

I'm investigating tandem bikes and will drag my wife along so that both of us can get into shape together next summer.

Ed, just make sure Mrs.Longshanks is in agreement, lest she "forget" to pedal uphill.

 

[Dimitry]

I'm thinking quiting full time and find job like bartender or something like that. How can i be approved for tuition assistance and other benefits for poor people ? what is my income should be ? is it 7000 or less a year ?

 

[Dianyla]

Ed, just make sure Mrs.Longshanks is in agreement, lest she "forget" to pedal uphill.

There's a reason tandem bicycles are called divorce-mobiles. I think most couples either love 'em or hate 'em. 🙄

 

[Lacheln]

I agree that immersion is the only proper way to learn a language well. My problem is time, of course. I have two needs. Lose the belly fat and get in shape enough to keep up with my young fellow-students, and learn Spanish so that I can serve my patients. The key is to find a way to do both in one summer.

Come on Ed, the pilgrimage is calling for you!

 

[Dianyla]

Come on Ed, the pilgrimage is calling for you!

You don't even have to be Catholic! 😉

 

[EdLongshanks]

You don't even have to be Catholic! 😉

Well, I could start practicing

Dios te salve, María, llena eres de gracia, el Señor es contigo...

 

[EdLongshanks]

Ed, just make sure Mrs.Longshanks is in agreement, lest she "forget" to pedal uphill.

Yeah, I can see that happening. We do tend to carry one another at times.

You know what I like, is the idea of both of us losing so much weight that we look and feel like different people.

There's an old gospel song that I'll take as my theme with a single letter change of "l" to "w".

"I'll have a new body, praise the Lord, I'll have a new wife."

 

[EdLongshanks]

I know it is wrong to start and thread and then not update it. But I've had a bunch of responsibilities jump on me suddenly. I just found out that an old, but very, very good friend is in a runoff for Congress in a safe seat. So the next 4 weeks decides whether he serves in Congress. I've made him an unlimited offer of help. So I don't think that I can update SDN on a regular basis for a few weeks.

 

[Jlaw]

FYI I had a similar situation, actually the lay off was what drove me to take a shot at doing a post bacc and applying to med school.

If you go to school full time, more than 2 or 3 classes depending on your state, then you are not eligible for unemployment. Just keep that in mind because if they catch you then can demand you return the payments you have received. The reason is that receiving unemployment is predicated on the assumption that it is supporting you while you seek employment. Anyone who is taking a full class load is obviously not going to have much time to look for a job.

 

[EdLongshanks]

FYI I had a similar situation, actually the lay off was what drove me to take a shot at doing a post bacc and applying to med school.

If you go to school full time, more than 2 or 3 classes depending on your state, then you are not eligible for unemployment. Just keep that in mind because if they catch you then can demand you return the payments you have received. The reason is that receiving unemployment is predicated on the assumption that it is supporting you while you seek employment. Anyone who is taking a full class load is obviously not going to have much time to look for a job.

Thank you. I'm also looking at the "retraining" benefits. Since my job was outsourced overseas, there is some extension of unemployment benefits that can be paid during training for a new job.

 

[nontrdgsbuiucmd]

Thank you. I'm also looking at the "retraining" benefits. Since my job was outsourced overseas, there is some extension of unemployment benefits that can be paid during training for a new job.

you're right, I recall reading about different benefits payable if your job was outsourced overseas. Suggest you look at this closely.

Unemployment insurance, depending on your state, may still be payable when you are a student; in my state unemployment benefits are not blocked provided you are "willing and able to start work"; I worked for most of my 1st year in a corporate job, so it is possible.

Suggest you start looking into your state's benefits; remember, student loans are not income.

STRONG SUGGESTION -- I'm not sure of current rules; as of last spring, the Government had a program such that folks who were laid off could continue their cobra health insurance coverage @ 35% of the normal cost for up to 15 months; if you've got family, this is likely the best deal available. I know this was extended through summer this year, but the details on the federal plan stipulate that you only qualify for the coverage if your "termination date" was within the current federal program period; per my friend who was laid off and in this situation, severance payments may defer your technical "layoff date".

food stamps are good.

medicaid is OK but not as comprehensive as many private health plans.

check the price of your med school's health plan; mine is pretty pricey for family coverage.

My personal thought is that, as future specialists, we are likely to pay over 100K per year fed. taxes; any (relatively) tiny current benefit, for which we technically qualify, should work to our advantage.

 

[Lacheln]

severance payments may defer your technical "layoff date".

Here in MA severance payments only affect unemployment if you do not sign something waiving your right to sue for unlawful termination. Severance packages are typically contingent on signing such a waiver, so it's rare (here) to have severance delay your benefits start date. Maybe OK is similar.

 

[katiemaude]

It used to be in my state that you couldn't go to school full-time and collect unemployment but that changed last spring when the President signed a new bill (or something). The state unemployment office sent out a notice saying that had to change their rules to allow people to attend school full-time. So you could be totally fine, just check with your own state office.