Taking a year off FROM college to work at a "meaningless" sales job (or some other job non-science)?

[Drakeyboo]

It's just really complicated... I'm a junior, but I am forced to live with my parents because otherwise they won't pay for my living expenses or tuition, and I know that some people have really cooperative parents... but mine just aren't. I am being threatened every day, pushed around, disrespected, laughed at, by my parents... they always nag at me, even to the point of making me cry at least once a month, and threaten me with stuff (otherwise they won't "pay for tuition")...

I just can't do this anymore! I just can't! I need to leave.

But honestly I don't really have money.

However, I know that I'm NOT the kind of person that will be able to work full time while taking full time classes. I just know I won't make the GPA.

So what I am thinking is to just finish up with classes this quarter, then leave and get a full time non-meaningful job, such as a sales job or something. They have plenty of those on craigslist, where the base salary is like 30-40k, and all you have to do is just call for an interview, and they don't require degree. Or become a receptionist or something, just find some sort of full time job for a year. Maybe take a class or two in the evenings, just to still be in the "school" mode. Work full time like that for about a year, while saving up for college tuition and living expenses. Hopefully I'll be able to live on 10-12k a year (get a roommate, since housing isn't that expensive where I live), get cheap food, ride the bus, etc.
The rest 20k can go towards tuition and living expenses for my last year of college. 10k for instate tuition, and 10k for living expenses.

LONG STORY SHORT: If I want to do MSTP, but take a whole year to work a meaningless non-scientific job, while still KNOWING I want to do MSTP, how will the MSTP admissions look at that? Since I won't be doing any research that year, while taking one or two classes and working full time... That will be looked down upon, right?
Also, is it possible to get a research assistant job WITHOUT a bachelors degree? I would love it if I could work as a research assistant full time for a year, instead of some meaningless sales job. But honestly, I just realllyyyy need to get out of my parents home, and I'd be more than happy to take any desk 9-5 job, but a RA job would be much better. Any ideas about how to get a paid full time biology research position without a bachelors degree?

🙁

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[cpi89]

Look at other alternatives: loans, grants, scholarships....loans. There are other ways to finance education without leaving school. Otherwise you're talking about entering the job market, which (while on the rebound) is still not great. It's probably not possible to find a "research assistant" job without a BS. You might be able to find a "lab-ish" job, but that won't net you 30-40K (though I suppose that's location dependent). In this economy, even college grads have trouble getting those jobs.

Also, regardless of how MSTP adcoms look at breaks in education, I suggest you have a better reason than "I couldn't stand living with my parents". To someone like me, who never had parents capable of financing my education, it sounds extremely petty. I don't say that to be rude, everyone has different priorities and I'm sure you have important reasons, but you have to understand how it may come off to others, particularly admissions committees.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

I've never heard of an entry level sales job with a base salary, especially not one with a base of $30-40k that requires no degree. Usually the way those gigs work is that you get paid entirely off of commission and it's possible (but very unlikely) to make the kind of money they're telling you you'll make. Also, living off $10-12k a year is going to be difficult. That's below the poverty line, and the US sets it's poverty line unrealistically low. RA jobs want college grads only, and they're the only bio jobs you're going to getting without a graduate degree.

As cpi89 said, consider loans if you absolutely must move out. As someone with loan debt I'd recommend just putting up with your parents though if it means free college. But if you absolutely must get away, I think loans are a better choice than taking a year off to work.