My personal "Moving in" situation

My girlfriend and I have been dating for six months now, and we've reached a rather high level of comfort with each other. I'm convinced that I love her, and she loves me (she's never given me any reason to believe otherwise).

We both go to the same college. I'm approaching my final year as an undergrad, and she's going into her second year. My plan after this was to move onto graduate school and drive to visit her every weekend or so (about 90 minute drive...maybe). Recently, my thoughts on this have changed. I got an internship at West Virginia University, and I ended up having to spend the last 3 weeks with only Internet communication to talk to her, and I've missed her more than I ever thought possible.

She has a general disdain for school, and the only reason she's compelled to stick with it is because her mother regrets not finishing school, so we discussed maybe having me apply to WVU for graduate school and then having her transfer to finish her final 2 years, and we'd get a room together.

She and I have spent pretty much every moment we could together, just hanging out and doing things we both like to do...so I'm not questioning that I WANT to move in with her. My biggest concern is financial, since we'll both be students. I've tried my best to look at it, and this is where I was hoping you guys could advise me.

The program I'd be going into gives a stipend of 23,000 a year and free tuition and health insurance. It appears that I could get an apartment in this particular town for 700$ a month or so (a decent one, that is), plus an estimated 300$ utilities. I could live in a simple room with a bathroom and a kitchen with her...I just want her to be in my life, and she wants to be in my life as badly.

If we're frugal, I figured we could get away with 50$/week on food, and my car payment (at the moment) is 180$/month. This brings my expected yearly expense to approximately 17000$, so...it sounds do-able financially. Therein lies the problem, it sounds like a perfect situation to me (her home situation is such that she feels trapped, and she does not get along with her family), so what am I missing? I'm very sure I want to do this...but I'm quite scared. This would all take place next summer. What do you guys think of this idea?

Thanks!

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Yeah, Russ, I agree

Like I said, we'll have been together for a year and a half at that point. She has also told me explicitly that she wants to get a job...she's not the sort to just sit around, per se (unless we're hanging out an relaxing). I'm just, for now, not counting on her contribution so that in all likelihood we WILL be better off than otherwise. Her education level doesn't quite allow her to get a job above retail (yet), but once she graduates I imagine she'll be a bit more enthused to get a job with her degree.

We have discussed things like divvying of housework, and in the times we've spent together (which include spending days at a time living together;I am aware that moving in is a much bigger situation) I haven't deduced any majorly annoying things. She doesn't take advantage, doesn't take miles from inches, respects me (and I her), and loves doing many of the things I love doing. I never really knew that I could feel this way for someone, and, relationship-wise, I feel we're going to be strong enough to go through with it. I do appreciate you guys' experiences and advice, though.

My biggest question was...what financial factor am I missing? What in general am I not considering here?

Thanks for the advice. I hope more comes!

There's nowhere I can't reach.

We have been together 6 months as of now. By the time we will have moved in, it will have been the year and a half

I've spent days at a time literally living in a dorm room with her (over weekends and such) in which we just sit around and do nothing...maybe watch movies or lay in bed. After a while we get antsy, so we might go for a walk. Do you think that counts in letting me see how things could be?

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Reav, thanks!

As an undergrad, I've become relatively accustomed to not accepting much aid from my parents. I pay my own car bill, any kinds of little things I want to do with that (IE gas), and I also pay my own entire way through school (with loans and scholarships). My parents haven't had to be very generous with me, for the most part (at least these days). They pay the insurance on my car, which in a month will be less than half the car payment itself.

The most amicable job she's found for herself is editing. She is quite into reading and proofreading, so she has felt she'd be interested in copy editing. She does seem to enjoy listening to me talk about my work, though I can't simply talk at the technical level I feel somewhat comfortable with. In terms of a specific goal...she hasn't quite decided yet, and I hope that we can help each other find exactly what we want out of life. I happen to be lucky that I like chemistry so much (and, in particular, molecular modeling) that I feel I can do it as a job. She hasn't been quite so lucky in finding something she loves well enough to be a job.

The utilities was meant to be an overestimate, but it included everything like...cell phones, internet, and the other basal utilities.

I also realize that 25$/person every week is low...hmmm, if everything goes well, though, that expense could be upgraded, y'know?

We spoke moderately about having 3 different bank accounts, one where most money would go and then 2 for each of our discretionary spendings (Allowance for each of us, I guess). I figured this system would work well so that we don't have to discuss every little expense.

I also don't mind that she's not my intellectual peer in terms of science. Of course she's studying English, and I'm not her peer there, either; however, we're interested in each others' fields at least to the point where we'll be willing to sit and listen to the other talk and try to engage in the conversation. Most things can be dumbed down, you know?

Hmmm...thanks for the advice, everyone! Keep it coming, please!

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Well, I did say that when we move in together it would be a year and a half.

Also, I know I can't speak absolutely...but given the time we've spent together has been rather honest (and quasi-living together for most of the semester) we really know each others' quirks and peeves pretty well. Happily, we don't tend to grate on each other, and we enjoy some of the same activities.

How ya doing, buddy?

I'm very familiar with the advisor with whom I intend to study. I've been essentially working under him (below my undergrad professor) for 2 years now, and this year I'm participating in an REU directly underneath him. He's explicitly told me that he would be my advocate for acceptance into the program, and seeing as how he is one of the higher ups in the pharmaceutical sciences...I'd say I like the situation a lot, honestly. I'm loving computational biochemistry the more I get into it, and drug discovery in general is neat. I've intended to go to WVU for...the better part of a year, I guess.

Sass, I only mentioned it again because people keep telling me that moving in after 6 months together is short. That's not when we'd be moving in together. If that's not getting through to people, then I need to say it again.

Also, you're not far off, but you're not quite understanding. We will have been dating for a year and a half by the time we want to move in together. The fact that things could change has factored in, sure, but if they do...then I'll have a single-bedroom apartment to myself. I have to get an apartment anyway

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?