alright...

Hmm.

RU4 real?

Just a thought....Alleybolen....do you realize you have two threads going on the same subject?

BYT, what's so bad about Ohio? I happen to love the Flats in Cleveland!

uhhh...yes, I am "for" real.

Yes I do, but this was a different plan than the other one. Oh well. It doesn't matter.
And I am just not an Ohio person, for now, I'm stuck here. Understandable

Alley:

You're thinking about school first.....your plan is fine!

F.I.

I don't live there - but your plan sound good and very much "for real".

You can always go to school during the regular school year and live on STT in the summer months - working and getting to know the island. Maintain your plan to return to school each fall.

IMO, the VI might be a nice place to live IF you have the income to live well....and that takes beau coup bucks. I could be wrong, but I rarely run into many long-term transplants who are struggling or barely making it. Those who are making it work long-term are professionals who are living well, corporate transplants with fat compensation and relo packages, business owners who have found a successful island niche, or work from home types with a US based firm supporting their island style with mainland style dollars. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule.

I am hard pressed to find someone who has been waiting tables or making beds for 10-20 years, and still loving it.

Get the degree. You're so young. I am not saying you need a degree to be successful. I'm sure you can open a business without one or work your way up with out it.....but you are young enough to cut yourself a break and decide not to take that route - and opening a business is easier after you have some experience.

God luck! Whatever you decide, your character is the ultimate decision-maker. Hard work always pays off.

thanks =) I am planning on going to school and working part time to save money and get an education. Hopefully when I move I can find a decent job.

A degree in music isn't going to translate well to a high paying job in the islands. If you want music to be your career field, your best options in music will be available on the mainland. There are musicians who perform at local bars several nights a week and some of them are quite talented and develop a large following, but even most of them have another job to help pay the bills. If you want to teach music, the private schools and high schools do seek teachers now and then, but teacher salaries are very tough to live on without another income source.

Maybe I'm wrong but I wouldn't think someone who has a degree in music would translate that into playing music in a bar.

Maybe you were mixing your metaphors or whatever that phrase is called. Or here's a better one, mixing your non sequitars.

I don't know if Marshall's has an "outdoors" department ,but if they do you might consider purchasing a nice tent and camping gear. Chances are you'll be needing it when you move. In fact, you might get two or three while you can get them with your employee discount.
What do your parents or school counselor have to say about your plan?
Your goal to move to the VI is not unreasonable. You might want to keep that as a long term goal and let college and the job market evolve as they will. You never know who might step into your life and change all of your plans though. Good to see you're thinking ahead. Update us in three months and let us know if anything has changed.

Alexandria doesn't need me to speak for her, but what I hear her saying is - a music degree doesn't translate inot a well-paying job AT ALL in the USVI. She was suggesting playing as an alternative, albeit a poor one.

Most people who seek music degrees want to 1) perform, or 2) teach, or 3) compose, or maybe 4) conduct. To perform on STX, the main venues available are performances in bars. There simply isn't a huge music industry here. The many new teachers arriving right now can attest that their salary is so low they are having trouble finding a place to live and can't afford a vehicle.

If alleybolen wants to "do the music thing" as posted, that's a lot of effort and expense to go to in college to then move here where there won't really be jobs available that make use of that new degree. Living on the income that musicians or teachers make here would be tough enough without student loans to pay back, etc. Maybe alleybolen can minor in music and get a different type of major degree that would be useful in our job market if this is truly where he/she will end up after college. I'm just not seeing a good "fit" in reality with the plan to get a degree in music and then relocate to the USVI. People with degrees in business, accounting, chemistry, engineering, medical professions, lawyers, human resources, etc. are more what is in demand and able to command a living wage.

And, yes, no matter what degree is pursued 4+ years will likely bring new ideas and plans and dreams and relationships that may replace a desire to move to the islands. In which case, if music is your forte, by all means pursue it. Just be aware that it isn't an easy industry to make a living in here and life in the islands would likely mean working in something different from your degree field, which kind of defeats some of the purpose of going to college before relocating.