need insight from fellas who are done with school (im at an educational standstill

[carbed87]

hey guys, i've been having this issue eating away at me for quite some time, and i was hoping to get somne insight as to what i should do.

well from about 6th grade all the way up to about july of this year i thought i wanted to be an auto mechanic for a living. i wanted to go to a tech school (actually was supposed to start UTI last april but got my licence suspended) and eventually have a nice job at a dealership working on really any type of car. but during this last month or two i realized i dont want to WORK on cars the rest of my life, and saw it as somewhat of a waste of $28,000 in schooling just to have myself hate my job 5-6 years down the road. so afterwards, i thought i'd like to maybe get a four year degree....well alright, so i go in and take some tests and realized that even if i did have the determination to finish school, i don't think i could find a major that i'd have enough passion for to persue after college (pretty much the same thing as going to UTI).

so right now im kinda at a standstill, i dont get my licence back for another two weeks, so i DO have time to think some more, but i would like to start school at least by spring. so right now there are three options:

auto-body/collision repair:
pros: while this isn't working on cars, i'd still love to be around them and involved, and plus, i think later down the road it'd be a good way to express my creativity.

cons: same thing as auto-tech, it costs a **** load, but i might be able to do it without the schooling. but also... is there any money in this field at all?

art school/industrial art:
pros: dont laugh, but im actually quite the car artist, i would love to get involved with art/desing and feel this would be a very good way to "spread my wings"

cons: i dont know if theres any jobs out there, so it might be another example of a wasted education

electrician:

pros: money, union ****, and schooling is pretty good if your in the union. also theres some good jobs out there.

cons: unions are hard as hell to get into these days...not much more i can think of.

lol sorry for the long post, but i would really like some insight with this. like i said, i need to have a game plan within these next few months, and while i have a really good construction gig right now.... theres guys there that have been working there 8 years and haven't moved up, so i dont know if i want to stay there. so yeah, any help on this from any of you guys on the "other side" of the tunnel would be GREATLY appreciated.

thanks again guys,
mike

 

[grey5.0beast]

blue

 

[carbed87]

huh

 

[grey5.0beast]

 

[Daggar]

blue

 

[68torinogt]

i wish i had something to tell you but in riealaity im in the same boat except i have a decent job and i still have my licence. i wish i had gone to school and still wish i could get some funding to go without school loans. i just dont know though.



and yes i know i misspelled it!!

 

[s&k stangs]

IMHO, if you dont mind the sanding, go learn autobody and paint. If you're good enough, work will come to you. Since you'll be going to a tech school, see if they have some graphic design courses or drafting courses you can take, to keep you're artistic chops up, so you can also dablle in automotive design. Or get a job as a electricians helper or apprentice while you take night courses(if you can get night courses that is). Dont pigeon hole yourself into one field. Do as much, and learn as much about, in every field you're interested in as you can, as soon as you can.you may end up doing body work on a high profile car, and they client me see some design sketches of yours layin around, and another door could open for ya. BUt definatley dont take anymore time to wait and see what you want. Get into a program, and if you find you dont like it, move on to another one.It may seem like time/money wasted, but that will keep you from getting distracted and putting off going back. electricians make decent money, but unless your willing to get an engineering dgree in electronics and get into the high end stuff, no where near what a good body/paint man can make if he has the talent and the business skills to market himself properly.Good luck with your decision.

 

[carbed87]

thank you

 

[Woodrow]

UTI, WYO Tech, ect..... Those can do, do....Those that cant, teach.

 

[ryan218]

i was wanting to do the paint and body but i dont liek taking orders from stupid people so i think thats out ht window. if you can deal with the people that the job will throw at u then go for it.

 

[carbed87]

UTI, WYO Tech, ect..... Those can do, do....Those that cant, teach.

lol, not to sound like an idiot, but could you rephrase that...

 

[795.0pacecar]

i was wanting to do the paint and body but i dont liek taking orders from stupid people so i think thats out ht window. if you can deal with the people that the job will throw at u then go for it.

You'll take orders from people you think are stupid your whole life, just think of it this way, if they were any smarter, you wouldn't have a job.

 

[grey5.0beast]

speak from experience working with los ninos eh? lol j/k man

I work with bitch ass lazy ass ppl all day.

 

[Mustang5L5]

I was gonna be a mechanic and go to school and all that jazz, but like you one day i just realized "Hey, i only like working on my OWN car, i don't want to fix other people's cars!"

So that ended that dream

I went to a 4-year college, got a BS in engineering AND got my journeyman's electrical license in the meantime. You don't have to be union to make good money as an electrician. You just need to be aggressive.

Then after a few years as an electrician i realized i don't want to get dirty anymore and wanted an "office job"

 

[carbed87]

i heard that you have to at least have some sort of schooling to even get an apprentiship with a body shop

 

[68torinogt]

wyotech will get you a job and a dang good one if you go there

here is the link
http://www.wyotech.com/
and i believe if you go you can get an associates degree

good luck

 

[carbed87]

wyotech will get you a job and a dang good one if you go there

here is the link
http://www.wyotech.com/
and i believe if you go you can get an associates degree

good luck

yeah, thats probably where i'd go if i wanted to do auto/collision repair, but i dont think i could justify paying 30g's for school and then making like 10 bucks an hour for the next few years.....if that's how it goes lol i don't even know

 

[68torinogt]

yeah, thats probably where i'd go if i wanted to do auto/collision repair, but i dont think i could justify paying 30g's for school and then making like 10 bucks an hour for the next few years.....if that's how it goes lol i don't even know

that is where this school is diff. they can place you in a high paying job and or you can relocate to better areas wyotech graduates work in high end shops like chip foose designs and hot rod it is another whole level of tech schooling

 

[jstang209]

i was in the same boat as you man!! i wanted to be an auto technician for a long time, and they offer an ase certification course at the local college, but then i thought about it at the last minute and i dont think i really want to do it for a career.. Long story short, im workin on my BS in mechanical enigineering now. Hoping to work for ford one day building and designing engines!

 

[mob]

I had always wanted to do something with cars. I always loved them. But now that I have my own car to work on, as long as I make enough money I can still work on cars without making it my career. People say dont make your hobby your career, and I am a very strong beleive of that. Ill work on my car for a few hours and be like damn I could never do this every day. Find a job doing something you enjoy and keep your car hobby as something to do. Just my view on things.