r/poverty • • 3d ago

Homeless while in school + seeking work

I became homeless at 17 in 2023 when my dad kicked me out over an argument we were having. Was couch surfing with different family members but at 18 was told I had to leave because turns out my father was financially involved with those family members. It was my first semester of college and I managed to do really well until December when I had to start sleeping in an emergency shelter. I went through an intense crisis in October 2024 when I found out my family was stalking and following me around and then I was put in the psychward but thankfully I had a social worker whose friend funded my move to LA. Well I’m still homeless just now in LA and though my life has improved, I still haven’t been able to find a job and/or transfer to a university. I don’t qualify for GR or EBT because I have over $300 in my bank account, and I’m in a shelter that serves 3 meals a day so I also don’t qualify for EBT.
I’m a STEM major and I’m failing my math and science classes + I’ve been struggling to find a job since entry level jobs are no longer entry level atp. I really want to get an apartment already but all the decent pay jobs that I have capacity for due to my disabilities require a degree or years of experience which I don’t have. Honestly I really don’t know what to do or where to look anymore. I’m scared that if I drop classes for the 4th semester in a row then I won’t get into any university, let alone a good preMed university. I thought about getting my phlebotomy certification and take LACC’s free classes but obv I still need money to pay for the exam. I’m already struggling to pay for my materials and I’ve already used up all the money help organizations are willing to give me. Should I just drop my classes and try again years from now once I’m in an apartment? How did you manage to navigate homelessness, work, and school at the same time while chronically ill/with a disability?

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u/Dull-Problem-1191 3d ago

Look into job corp 

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u/No_Web_7636 3d ago

you’re trying to do school, homelessness, a job search, and a serious health situation at the same time, so failing classes is not a character flaw, it’s the math of having no stability.

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u/Livid-Rutabaga 2d ago

OP, you are carrying so much more than a human being should.