General Adulthood, Planning for the Future: Business, College, Budgeting, Investments, etc! $$$ - General

So, in my business I have a very good, smart and trusty employee who help me greatly. She working for me for many years and she is simple perfect for her job she is arranged by me. So perfect in fact that I am starting to fear what will happen if suddendly she decide she want to work somewhere else. She is literally the "column" which bring the work I have to my business.... Do you have any experience like this? Fear that an employee will leave [with good reasons of course] and your business will go downhill? Do you have a suggestion if something like this happen in the future? An idea I had at first was to get a new employee and the old one show the tropes, so if something happen at least have an "apprentice" of her...

[QUOTE=SweetShark;51516763]So, in my business I have a very good, smart and trusty employee who help me greatly. She working for me for many years and she is simple perfect for her job she is arranged by me. So perfect in fact that I am starting to fear what will happen if suddendly she decide she want to work somewhere else. She is literally the "column" which bring the work I have to my business.... Do you have any experience like this? Fear that an employee will leave [with good reasons of course] and your business will go downhill? Do you have a suggestion if something like this happen in the future? An idea I had at first was to get a new employee and the old one show the tropes, so if something happen at least have an "apprentice" of her...[/QUOTE] I was that lynchpin employee at my previous restaurant. From my personal experience it was hell on the owner. But he made it that way by refusing to hire in more help. The logistics of it were that he was having two chefs do 60 hours a week so when one needs a sick day (or finds a new job), he's fucked. The only way he could have remedied that situation would have been to hire people and have me train them. He refused to do that and now that I've left and it's the busy season, they're hammered. And if they do find someone now, it's too late, there's no time to train anyone on top of being busy. It might hurt. It'll cost money. I mean you gotta finance someone else's life and that's another mouth you probably didn't want to feed. I understand, being an owner myself now. But I'm also looking for 4 employees myself, for these same reasons. If you can't afford it then that's okay too, but since you're asking I assume the option is on the table.

[QUOTE=J Paul;51517760]I was that lynchpin employee at my previous restaurant. From my personal experience it was hell on the owner. But he made it that way by refusing to hire in more help. The logistics of it were that he was having two chefs do 60 hours a week so when one needs a sick day (or finds a new job), he's fucked. The only way he could have remedied that situation would have been to hire people and have me train them. He refused to do that and now that I've left and it's the busy season, they're hammered. And if they do find someone now, it's too late, there's no time to train anyone on top of being busy. It might hurt. It'll cost money. I mean you gotta finance someone else's life and that's another mouth you probably didn't want to feed. I understand, being an owner myself now. But I'm also looking for 4 employees myself, for these same reasons. If you can't afford it then that's okay too, but since you're asking I assume the option is on the table.[/QUOTE] So the solution I had in mind isn't so bad after all. Thank you so much for your opinion on this matter.

Does anybody have any good suggestions or resources for trying to learn a new language? My vacation in Japan sparked an interest in expanding my business overseas. With another year or so of studying and practice (and if I learn Japanese), I could become an American real estate investment consultant, for Japanese investors wanting to purchase properties in American markets. Could be very good money. Plus, it'd let me claim my many future trips to this country as deductible business expenses! I've never seriously attempted to learn another language before, and expect it will take years of regular practice to be truly fluent. Any advice or resources you could offer would be appreciated!

[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;51542886]Does anybody have any good suggestions or resources for trying to learn a new language? My vacation in Japan sparked an interest in expanding my business overseas. With another year or so of studying and practice (and if I learn Japanese), I could become an American real estate investment consultant, for Japanese investors wanting to purchase properties in American markets. Could be very good money. Plus, it'd let me claim my many future trips to this country as deductible business expenses! I've never seriously attempted to learn another language before, and expect it will take years of regular practice to be truly fluent. Any advice or resources you could offer would be appreciated![/QUOTE] [url]https://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1469213[/url] was a good thread for me. has some great sites and resources to check out.

[QUOTE=FrankPetrov;51544900][url]https://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1469213[/url] was a good thread for me. has some great sites and resources to check out.[/QUOTE] Thanks, man! I thought we had a thread, but couldn't remember for sure!

If you fuck up your first semester of college, is there even potential in doing well for the rest? I missed class a lot this semester and I'm on the verge of failing a couple classes and having the highest grade of a C in some. I feel like I really fucked up and this is stressing me out so much because I just don't even know how to approach any of this. I'm aware my own laziness and lack of motivation is what put me here but I don't even know how to tackle any of this and I'm just sitting here feeling like I've failed everything. GPA is really important in college right? Especially if I want to transfer from my local community college? I'm just so lost.

GPA is important, but it's not irredeemable if you flub it up a bit. In the end, even if you get your degree but your GPA isn't as high as you want it to be, you can always take extra classes to boost it. You'll be okay, but you'll need to put forth that much extra effort next semester to make a good recovery. [editline]19th December 2016[/editline] My tips are to take it easy if you're struggling. Don't take as many classes next semester. Know your limits. Find tools to help mitigate scheduling stress and workload. Utilize college resources like tutoring labs. Ask for extra credit. Stay in contact with your professors. Figure out what you need to do to get the grades you want. For college to work, you have to have a plan and you have to think ahead. If you go about it blindly, you'll make more mistakes than you probably want.

You can even redo classes and replace the old grades IIRC. Summer semesters can be pretty good for this, since the classes are expedited. Talking to your academic advisor for these sorts of things is always a pretty good idea. They should be able to help you figure out whether you should just press on, or redo things, and whatnot. Although I'm actually doing the opposite as above recommended. My grades were pretty shit last semester which was my first, and then I piled up about 9 hours a day for two days a week for next one. Probably not a good idea for most people but I think for me it'll be better.

[QUOTE=Pascall;51554485]GPA is important, but it's not irredeemable if you flub it up a bit. In the end, even if you get your degree but your GPA isn't as high as you want it to be, you can always take extra classes to boost it. You'll be okay, but you'll need to put forth that much extra effort next semester to make a good recovery. [editline]19th December 2016[/editline] My tips are to take it easy if you're struggling. Don't take as many classes next semester. Know your limits. Find tools to help mitigate scheduling stress and workload. Utilize college resources like tutoring labs. Ask for extra credit. Stay in contact with your professors. Figure out what you need to do to get the grades you want. For college to work, you have to have a plan and you have to think ahead. If you go about it blindly, you'll make more mistakes than you probably want.[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=thelurker1234;51555376]You can even redo classes and replace the old grades IIRC. Summer semesters can be pretty good for this, since the classes are expedited. Talking to your academic advisor for these sorts of things is always a pretty good idea. They should be able to help you figure out whether you should just press on, or redo things, and whatnot. Although I'm actually doing the opposite as above recommended. My grades were pretty shit last semester which was my first, and then I piled up about 9 hours a day for two days a week for next one. Probably not a good idea for most people but I think for me it'll be better.[/QUOTE] I talked to my advisor today about everything. In my English class I got a C+, which I know I could've done way better in because of the grades I received on my essays. She said if I retake the class, the C+ will stay on my transcript but it will show I took it again and it will calculate the new grade into my GPA instead of the old one. Should I do this? Also, I missed [I]alot[/I] of class this semester and missed a lot of core classes for my major, including Programming I and Intro to Computer Logic. As of now, financial aid (federal and state) make my education and community college free. Would it be wise just to repeat this semesters classes? I feel without the foundational skills learned in Programming I and the Computer Logic class I'll slack even more so as my college education continues, especially considering I'm scheduled to take Programming II next semester.

If it's free, then yes, retake it. Especially if it's in a field where you want to work in the future. Is there a particular reason why you're missing classes so much or is it just lack of motivation?

While on the subject, how do I find out what financial aid is available for me? As it stands, I have absolutely no way to go to school, but I have no idea how to find out what or who can help me change that.

[QUOTE=Pascall;51556807]If it's free, then yes, retake it. Especially if it's in a field where you want to work in the future. Is there a particular reason why you're missing classes so much or is it just lack of motivation?[/QUOTE] This whole semester was just a rough semester for me. My job was overworking me and putting no consideration into my school schedule (i.e. I would have a 7am class and they would work me until 1am the day before). On top of that, I recently moved to a new house and I've been settling in. It was just a lot for me at the time I guess but I feel I would be able to tackle these classes head on and do much, much better - grade and attendance wise - if I were to take them again. Like I said, I'm just not sure if it would be worth it. Last semester I took: Programming I Computer Logic and Design English 121 (the basic english course) and American History II I haven't received grades yet in anything but English (where I got a C+), but I did miss a lot of all of those classes. I wasn't concerned about history (unless I fail of course), but attendance wasn't compulsory in that class and I handed in all of my essays. Right now my main concern is continuing onto Programming II without the knowledge required from Programming I just because I passed but wasn't there. I was strongly considering retaking it because in the long run I feel one extra semester isn't going to hurt my college education overall. [editline]20th December 2016[/editline] [QUOTE=Anti Christ;51556844]While on the subject, how do I find out what financial aid is available for me? As it stands, I have absolutely no way to go to school, but I have no idea how to find out what or who can help me change that.[/QUOTE] What state are you in? Most states give you state aid if you qualify. There's a [URL="https://www.nasfaa.org/State_Financial_Aid_Programs"]list of all the states financial aid programs here[/URL]. Just click on your state and it'll show you all of your available grants/programs. On top of that there's [URL="https://fafsa.ed.gov"]FAFSA[/URL] which is federal student aid and grants. It's worth applying to both because they will stack, which is what I did and I'm able to attend my local community college for free. Also, if you're looking for scholarships that you may qualify for on top of the aid/grants, scholarships.com has an [URL="https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarships-by-state/"]extensive list of scholarships for each state[/URL] that you can look into. Hope this all helps.

I would retake Programming I in that case. On the topic of financial aid: FAFSA is always the main one. Apply to that every year you're able to.

Ideally, you would want your GPA to be around the 3.0 range which is still doable since you're just starting out. Your GPA isn't important for getting a job, but it is important for getting internships which are the most important things to have for your resume. In the computer science field, I don't believe I've seen an internship that required a GPA larger than 3.0. Sometimes, they will weigh your extracurricular activities more if your GPA is slightly below their requirements. Another thing that you would probably want to do is show proof of working in a team. I've met people that were in the 2.5+ range for GPA and got internships in engineering over people with better GPAs because they had things other than school on their resume. Social skills are a big plus because a lot of work tends to have an emphasis for teamwork.

[QUOTE=Pascall;51556975]I would retake Programming I in that case. On the topic of financial aid: FAFSA is always the main one. Apply to that every year you're able to.[/QUOTE] Do you think it would be wise to retake the English course as well considering I got a C+? I know I could do better than that.

[QUOTE=Exigent;51557127]Do you think it would be wise to retake the English course as well considering I got a C+? I know I could do better than that.[/QUOTE] Are you talking about retaking a class to replace the grade? If so, universities have policy for grade forgiveness that require you to make a certain grade before you qualify for grade forgiveness. At my university, I believe that the student needs to make a D for grade forgiveness of a class. I would not advise doing grade forgiveness for a general education class because you only have so many retakes that you are allowed.

[QUOTE=gangstadiddle;51557148]Are you talking about retaking a class to replace the grade? If so, universities have policy for grade forgiveness that require you to make a certain grade before you qualify for grade forgiveness. At my university, I believe that the student needs to make a D for grade forgiveness of a class. I would not advise doing grade forgiveness for a general education class because you only have so many retakes that you are allowed.[/QUOTE] The way my advisor described it, she said that if I retake it and do better (say I get a B+) both grades would stay on my transcript, but only the B+ would be calculated into my GPA. [editline]20th December 2016[/editline] Here is a link to descriptions on each process my school offers: [url]http://catalog.brookdalecc.edu/content.php?catoid=2&navoid=68[/url]

[QUOTE=Exigent;51557210]The way my advisor described it, she said that if I retake it and do better (say I get a B+) both grades would stay on my transcript, but only the B+ would be calculated into my GPA. [editline]20th December 2016[/editline] Here is a link to descriptions on each process my school offers: [url]http://catalog.brookdalecc.edu/content.php?catoid=2&navoid=68[/url][/QUOTE] Here's a question that you should ask your advisor: Is there a limit to repetition? Your repetition sounds just like my school's policy for grade forgiveness, but they had a limit of two attempts for their entire academic career.

After what seemed like a long wait, only a month and a half, I finally have a job again. I never liked the idea of working through a third party to find a job, as around here, they're almost always a temp agency. But I found an ad on craigslist for a forklift operator through a staffing agency. Technically only for for them for 90 days then the company can hire me on directly. I really hope this job turns out good. I hate having to live with my parents, I need to get out on my own.

[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;51457691]I actually wrote an article about that earlier today. Interest rates are [I]already[/I] on the rise. Nationally, the average thirty year fixed rate has increased by half a percentage point in the last three weeks. Doesn't sound like much, but that effectively translates into a 5% decrease in buying power for current homebuyers, and that figure is showing no signs of slowing down. We will see rates continue to increase for a while, before eventually leveling off. We probably won't see rates as low as we have been enjoying for the past few years again for quite some time, unfortunately. :( [I]However[/I], we are on the brink of a major national shift in the housing market. All signs are pointing to a transition into another housing downturn, not unlike what we saw in 2008. We can expect 4-5 years of consistent housing decline. Even with higher mortgage interest rates, there will be an abundance of great investment opportunities for those willing to seek them out.[/QUOTE] I am currently in the US Virgin Islands. Big dumb American if you want to expand overseas and you want to go to nice places with your girlfriend come to Saint Thomas. There's this hotel named Tillet's Garden. There's this manager that goes by the name Tracy. Mr. Tillett owns the property. These two people no almost everyone on the island and other places in the world. There's a lot of opportunity for someone on up and coming such as yourself here. The place is really informal and you're going to probably end up making more contacts at the bar here at this hotel then you would any other place. It's just a suggestion I'm just saying check it out you won't regret it

So you actually did just pick up and leave mainland USA after posting that thread asking for ideas of where to go? neat lol

[QUOTE=Guriosity;51563230]I am currently in the US Virgin Islands. Big dumb American if you want to expand overseas and you want to go to nice places with your girlfriend come to Saint Thomas. There's this hotel named Tillet's Garden. There's this manager that goes by the name Tracy. Mr. Tillett owns the property. These two people no almost everyone on the island and other places in the world. There's a lot of opportunity for someone on up and coming such as yourself here. The place is really informal and you're going to probably end up making more contacts at the bar here at this hotel then you would any other place. It's just a suggestion I'm just saying check it out you won't regret it[/QUOTE] Contacts are what I need most. I've recently decided that I would like to focus my expertise on consulting foreign investors on US real estate markets. I've got quite a bit to learn yet, but I'm studying hard. My short term struggle is simply funding. I'm not making very much money right now. It's enough to pay the bills, and even put a little away in savings, but I don't enjoy nearly the same kind of income that I did before transitioning into real estate. That will change, in time, but sadly I just can't afford to travel again right now. That said, I'd love to hear more about this place. If you're not comfortable sharing this info in the thread, for any reason, perhaps you could PM me? As I gain more expertise in my field, more credibility here at home, and overcome my short term financial dip, international business contacts will be crucial to accomplishing my long term goals. I'm eager for any good leads I can get!

Quite morbid but I'm kind of looking forward to the day the British government scrap the old age state pension. They've been pushing this workplace pension which essentially gives you a tax break and as they say, you don't get nothing for free.

Man, where did all the starter houses go? I can't find anything under $110,000 that doesn't need work. (Looking for a 3/2/2)

[QUOTE=viper shtf;51585213]Man, where did all the starter houses go? I can't find anything under $110,000 that doesn't need work. (Looking for a 3/2/2)[/QUOTE] Median property values have reached their highest point in US history, so it's a tough time to find great deals. Hugely competitive environment for buyers! As I've been saying, though, we are on the brink of a major market reversal. If you can wait a year or so for prices to deflate, you'll have much better luck. If you have more immediate needs, in order to find a home in that price range you will probably have to start your search in struggling lower income areas, and possibly even in different cities or states depending your local and regional marlets. My home in Saint Louis, for example, was only $62k. Area's not great, but it's a prrtty nice little 1000 sq ft 2 bedroom starter home with a big fenced yard. Mortgage, insurance, and tax payments are barely four hundred dollars per month. It's going to serve us well until we're ready to move on to better things.

Hey BDA I've got to ask; how do you have time to be a mod on an internet forum, own a real estate and (I assume) work to pay for the house and such?

My real estate work pays my bills, and modding Facepunch really isn't that much extra effort. I basically just pop in every now and then during my free time to browse and post, like anybody else, except when people are acting like dopes I can put them in time out. I might have a bit less free time as my business really picks up, of course. I'm still pretty unestablished, so I'm not exactly buried in clients. Most of my work now is done during regular business hours, and is spent doing things like writing articles for our real estate blog, communicating with my slowly growing contact network, and trying to expand that network through active lead generation efforts.

Does anyone here have experience with Independent Study courses in college? Because of my home life at the moment and the fact that NONE of the upper division art courses are available to take in the summer, if I want to meet my goal of graduating next fall, I want to be able to take independent study courses so I can study and be at home to help my sister take care of my 9 month old niece. I have tons of time to do work, I just have to be home to feed the baby or put her down for a nap or play with her every so often. But yeah it's difficult for me to try to finish school because of the stupid way they do scheduling. If I could do two independent courses during the summer, that'd help immensely.

I know people at work who are funded and they do distance learning i.e. 90% coursework which can be done at home then an arranged exam at a local university. The majority is self taught then they use an online forum for specific questions, due to the number of students it takes the teachers around a week to reply to private emails. Where students often answer each other on the forum, there's often a small percentage of each modules mark allocated towards forum interaction. We help them with their work when they need it at the office, saves them waiting for replies and makes us look good mentoring staff...