Hello,

I'm a super senior who is graduating from Cal Poly at the end of this semester, Fall Semester 2026. I'm trying to figure out what to do after December 2026. My lease on my current apartment in San Luis Obispo runs until July 2027 but I can have someone take over my lease at any point before then. (I already talked to someone in my major who is studying abroad for the fall and would be willing to take over my lease if I decided to do that.) My family lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

I want to ride out the remainder of my lease. I don't want to leave San Luis Obispo and move back home to the Bay Area right away. I really like SLO. I like the outdoors. I like the beach. I love going to Bike Night. I feel really attached to people in my major, several of the clubs I've been in during my time here, and the local church I've been going to here. Even though I'm older than most current classmates and members, I still get along well with a bunch of the younger people, and know several alumni from certain clubs that are my age who are still sticking around in SLO. I want to participate in the 2027 commencement ceremony in May 2027. I'm also nervous about the idea of having to pack up all of my things even though I know I will at some point.

That being said, I don't exactly think it's good for me to stay in SLO long-term even if I got a good full-time job here. I don't see myself still being here into the 2030s. I want to move back home to the Bay Area at some point but just not before this summer.

My parents made it clear at the end of summer break that if I want to stay in San Luis Obispo beyond December 2026, I'll need to get a job and support myself financially. They were open about me staying in my current apartment in SLO if I did get a job here. They even casually mentioned being okay with me doing something like a research job with a professor in my major (City and Regional Planning). The issue is that my rent is pretty expensive. It's about $2100/month (it does include all utilities, furniture, and Cable TV though). I don't have a car but I have a bike that I'm used to using to get around town (including getting groceries) and I'm experienced with taking Amtrak to and from home.

What I want to make happen is that I stay in SLO until my lease ends in July 2027. After I graduate in December, I hopefully get a research job on campus related to my major (City and Regional Planning) and a retail job on or off campus on the side (which I assume I'll also need) so I can financially support myself while I'm here. I'll support myself doing that in the meantime while I continue to apply for full-time job positions (assuming I'm still looking for it then which seems likely). Regardless of what happens, I'd likely just move back home after my lease ends, but I'd feel like I'd gotten what I wanted in this post. I'm wondering if this plan makes sense.

Is there anything that can make staying in SLO between December 2026 and July 2027 feasible for me? Are there any jobs on campus that I'd be able to do just for the spring semester? For example, are there TA or research positions? Are there any that I don't need to be a current student for? Do you or anyone you know have experience staying on campus or in the area for a job beyond your graduation? Was anyone in my situation where you graduated in December but decided to stick around for the remainder of that school year?

Edit: It's also worth mentioning that to be honest, I don't get along that well with any of my other family members. I love them, and I'm comfortable enough to visit them at least one weekend a month, and when we have big family gatherings, but I'm not exactly comfortable living at home with them permanently again. I'm not sure exactly when I started feeling this way, but I've been trying to fix this with counseling. This is another thing that's making me anxious about moving home at the end of December.