Schooling and jobs

[mini_mull]

I fill like I have waited to late now and will be too old when I get out of school to compete with the youngins's like yourself.....words of inspiration would be great right now

Good advice, but here's some to you. If you think it's too late now just wait until later. Huh? IT'S NOT TOO LATE!! My hubby just graduated at 30, and some of his friends won't graduate until they are 35. Better late than never. You just won't have any money until the kids are grown and gone (works out better that way anyhow).

 

[77crewcab]

I'll chime in with my experience. I am 25 with a wife and 2yr old son and am currently going back to school. I graduated high school with 27hrs of college credit by taking dual credit courses (honor student). With that little bit under my belt I knew I wasn't ready to actually go to college (didn't really know what I wanted) So instead I spent a few years serving our Uncle in the Army where I almost completed a Business Admin degree. After a unfortunate accident I was given a medical discharge and left to start all over again in search of a career. I too am interested in auto mech but as was said previously once your hobby becomes your career it is no longer a hobby. So I started to look at other options like diesel tech working with trucks or heavy equipment. My local junior college offered a good diesel tech program and through researching it found that they also were starting a new program with Caterpillar to have you train as a tech for the agricultural line. It is an internship program where I work at the CAT dealer while I go to school for on the job training. I go to school for two years and will graduate with an AAS and some CAT specific certificates and starting wage after school is about $15 hr and $25+ after 3 years. This allows me to do something mechanical yet still have my auto mech hobby since they are not exactly the same. Plus I will be able to finish my BA in three years by taking part time night courses etc. That will allow me to look at a management position down the line. Just keep in mind that while there are several big auto mech trade schools they are not the only way to get into the field. By taking courses through a local 2yr school and getting on the job experience by working you can get a good foot in the door and make a living. Also many are saying do it while you are young and I agree with that but also bear in mind the you may not be ready to do something as intensive as a Eng degree first thing. Start by taking some core curriculum classes that will transfer. That will give you some time to make up your mind and discover the college experience and decide if it is right for you. In all honesty it may not be and it also may not be the right time in your life for you. going back to school is tough, especially with a family, but after getting a taste now you may realize that it is best for you to wait some and decide what you really want to do. If all else fails you could always join the military to get some training and life experience first and then go to school after getting out.

 

[cok5]

I am really kicking around the idea of Diesel mechanic stuff too. Crewcab77, is that TSTI that you are talking about? I know the TSTI in Waco offers a CAT curriculum that sounds like what you are talking about. Don't kid yourself though mechanics is mechanics, whether or not it is on a 69 Camaro or a 06 Cat D9 Dozer. It is still greasy, heavy, and whatever else there is to complain about! I dunno....I have been kicking around the idea of diesel mech. for about 8 years now and have always found an excuse not to do it. As for the original poster you have gotten some great advice here.

 

[77crewcab]

No it is actually at South Plains College in Levelland/Lubbock. As far as I know it is the only AGCO/CAT program in the nation. But CAT does have programs for their general line in I think Midland, Okamungie, and maybe Waco.

 

[cok5]

I know for a fact that CAT has one at TSTI in Waco.

 

[77crewcab]

Are you refering to TSTC Texas State Technical College? If so yes they have a CAT dealer prep program but not the AGCO/CAT program which focuses on the Challenger, Rogator/ Terragator products. IIRC South Plains College is the first in the nation to have the AGCO/CAT program.

 

[roadnotca]

Do it now, if you wait, it will only get harder.

Please excuse me, cbbr as I play through; bigboy, what cbbr said was probably the most important advice so far in this thread. There's more to it than money also. Where it can really make a huge difference is the head start it provides for your children, if you choose to have kids. So you have to evaluate it not just for yourself or the forseeable future, it's more for your children, and then for your retirement. Our culture is moving more and more towards retiring at midlife! I can't remember if you said you came from a collegiate family or not, if not, then you have double duty. Now to completely screw-up what I just said, I have five years to early retirement, I worked at both TRW and Hughes Aircraft for the last 26 years, designed the trickest ***t out-of-this-world, no degree, no kids, live two miles to the beach, starting one or two biz to make more $$ in retirement than I could make at the job. I worked hard at being hot-***t when I first started, cruised for 20 years, now I'm hot-***t again. And that's real hot-***t, not bull. I had an oportunity, my satisfaction came in my service to God and my Country. Where is that flag smilie?

 

[beater_k20]

if you're thinking about something ME, you're in the right place for it. might want to check out what Purdue has available. could very well find something that piques your interest there. if not, you mentioned LTI, also check out UTI just north of Chicago.

 

[bigboy]

Yes if I do decide to go into engineering I will probly try to attend purdue since it is a really good school for engineering.

 

[cok5]

Yeah I am talking about Texas State Tech. Institute. And yeah I see it is the dealer prep program.