College or no College?

[Celerity]

I was gonna say, Damn.. I'm 27 now.

The girl I helped out is 30.

And I saw a LOT of older people on campus yesterday. (older = Not the typical ages you would expect)

If I go to school, it will cut into my car hobby greatly.

But since I'm looking for a mechanical / transportation degree I can prolly get hooked up with a school that offers a team-car project (like Waterbury's electric car facility) And that would be endlessly cool.

-> Steve

 

[Airjockie]

yup

 

[posol]

Originally posted by 94RedSiGal+Oct 10 2003, 01:15 AM-->

pissedoffsol

@Oct 10 2003, 01:07 AM
i dropped out, and regret it.

im now stuck making 20/hr in a dead end job.  not too shabby for a 23 yr old, but still, its doubtfull i really have a chance to go anywhere higher.

You're ONLY 23. It's never too late to go back to school. Remember that. Sometimes it's better later on when one is more focused. Follow what makes you happy.

ohh i know... i didn't mean to say im too old to go back...

i think the biggest thing, is that no one offers what i want within 500 miles from home. and thats part of the reason why i dropped out in the first place. i was tired of learning about shit i could care less about. i had no motivation. so, i just stopped going to class after spring break... and just lived at school for 2.5 months and drank all the time... didn't take a single final.... and still got a 1.3 GPA for the semester. lol

 

[Airjockie]

Thats a better GPA than what I got....


I had to drop out of college as well.....not enough money, I got a DUI, and I just couldn't get past that damn math.....and pyhsics....

I will return...soon, very soon...on my company's money....but not for what my original major was. But under something else.

 

[number9]

Originally posted by 94RedSiGal@Oct 10 2003, 12:12 AM
Chip: It's Tennyson. It's okay, as you were a Math major.

lol. I'm amazed I got that far!

This is a really great thread.... It's never too late to go back to school. My father got a Master's degree in his 50s, and that was about 30 years ago when "older" people didn't do that kind of thing.

The only time we have is now. Age is immaterial.

 

[TurboMirage]

Originally posted by number9@Oct 10 2003, 09:01 AM
The only time we have is now. Age is immaterial.

i like that one.

well, i should be going to school anytime now. im going to take morning courses at baypath to get whats left of my math and english pre requisites outta the way, so i can go to new england tech and just go for my comp sci major. all those army correspondence courses and college credits are going to pay off... because im not going to spend a whole lot getting my bachelors. :sleep:

 

[kaishaku]

Originally posted by Celerity@Oct 9 2003, 11:18 PM
The Sikorsky jobs seem great, but rarely does an opportunity arise in that company. I'm going to have to wait for an assembly line position working 3rd shfit in order to get the prime classroom exposure I'm looking for.

I am looking though.

Several questions:

1) Do Colleges offer some sort of testing program - That can accelerate me beyond intro classes?
2) Do they have classes offered to that same person for retard-level? (For instance, I'm excellent at my chemistry, yet have never touched Trig)
3) Should I feel under pressure to get a substantial, full time job?

The idea of running out of money in the middle of my studies terrifies me. I have no backup, no golden parachute.


Also, every job I have ever gotten or applied for has required college degrees. I don't have them, but I manage to make my resume do the talking. Yes, I needed that one company to give me a shot - but I succeeded comfortably.


-> Steve

P.S. - Throughout my career as a Network Engineer I have taken tons of classes, certifications, That have done SHIT for me. (MSCE +i, CNE, MCP, LotusSphere) My experience with the whole system has been dismal at best - My intention is to change careers into something ... Well, Something that will get me into outerspace

1. Generally, yeah. You can CLEP through things. My uni tests your math skills when you enter (online!) and bounced me right into calculus. I'm sure if you spoke with a counselor you could get placed appropriately. They want you to be happy, so you'll stay and give them more of your money.

2. Most general education classes are what I would consider "retard level."

3. Depends on if you need it. I don't know your age/expenses/lifestyle/ability to procure grants/etc.

Hope this helps.

 

[kaishaku]

Since this thread is about learning, may I ask how many of you gained so much car knowledge? I wouldn't know where to begin doing an engine swap (if I had the tools to do so!) although I'm sure I wouldn't have any problem burning an ECU ROM.

I think I need "Car Repair Basics for Dummies" or "The Idiots' Guide To How Cars Go Together".

 

[TurboMirage]

learn by watching others, following a manual, and by doing.


at NEIT i can test out of courses so i get full credit and i dont have to pay for them. thats a great idea for someone with good common knowledge to get a 2 year degree in much less.

 

[Celerity]

the NEIT program sounds delicious. I have begun speaking with certain universities about this, and I can take tests (for the usual testing fee) but will lack the credits to make the degree.

I learned about cars by doing. I got my first car (a 1979 Toyota Celica) off the back of a tow truck. I was 15, but had been driving on a pennsylvania "Farmer Permit" (restricted licence for rural familes). When I moved to connecticut I picked up this rust bucket and was given a certain amount of time from my mother to "Get that piece of shit running"

I had a hammer and a set of vicegrips.

I picked it up so easily because I was, and still am, passionate about it. When anyone is passionate about it, they will absorb the knowledge like a sponge.

Another thing I did was hang out with other car people and just watch and learn. I've been able to learn a ton more, and offer some advice if I have a better idea.

But at some points it came to an issue of money. I had the money to experiment and make mistakes. But I also knew who to talk to - I learned about exhausts from engineers at Tennaco (in Ryebrook NY), catalyst engineers in Milwaukee and Bloomer WI, and even talk to the engineering team at Supertrapp (I happen to sorta know Paul Moller).

-> Steve

 

[TurboMirage]

i LOVE the supertrapp on your rex.

anyways, if you test out of courses steve, you get the credits. i managed to get all the easy prereqs out of the way, like history, science, social science, physics etc. stuff i was good at. im good at english, but i wanted to save that for a real classroom environment, and ill need all the math help i can get. im looking to spend under 6k for my bachelors in computer science. the mcse helps, since i can already test out of most of that course.

 

[Celerity]

Something is giving my O2 sensor a lean condition, and it's making the car run so rich that I'm getting piles of carbon on the ground during idle.

Making my carbon emissions about the same as a refinery. To get around this, I plugged up the supertrapp with 4 discs. The car gets it's power now from idle to 4000 rpm, and the highway power is gone. But on the lighter note, my O2 is now reporting a mostly (as far as I can smell) stoich condition.

So Supertrapp saves the day. And my gas mileage (unless I'm on the highway)

-> Steve

 

[TurboMirage]

maybe you need a wideband heated 02 sensor??

 

[phunky.buddha]

Uh oh... this thread just went majorly OT and to hell at the same time, and there was some pretty good discussion going on. Let's try to keep a good thread on topic for once guys!

 

[TurboMirage]

for you steve. check it out. you know i only want the best for myself. (no flames about my car!!)

NEIT Homepage.

 

[Celerity]

The ME and EE BS degrees sound tempting, costs look right - But Warwick RI ? Tell me they have dorms.

-> Steve

 

[TurboMirage]

off campus housing, decent places to live though.

 

[Circuit]

ehe, easy one man... think of it this way...

No College = about 40k to mod
With College = at least 70k to mod

hrm.... geee

 

[Celerity]

I'm not going to argue - Because I see your underlying point. But I typed earlier that 40k is nothing in my book. And 70, Ain't that great either


-> Steve

If I'm walking away with certificates, I want 100K .

 

[TurboMirage]

no offense, but as of current 40k is better than 0k....