The education question has lead me to this...

[john]

What do all of you do? How did you get there? Would you have chosen the same path? For those of you still in school, what are you going for? What are your goals? Just thought this would be interesting since Craig knows more and makes more that everyone.
I will start.

-I go to Normandale Community College for general courses. I will be
transfering in the fall possibly to The Carlson School of Mgmt if I can get in.
-I work at Ace hardware.
-My goal is to be an euntreprenuer.

I am now going to bed :)

[Halon]

I am in the Marines. Went through 1 1/2 years of school learning how to be an electronics technician. It's a military equivalent to an associates since it's year round schooling, monday thru friday, 8 hours a day schooling. Now I'm a Sergeant. Not making insane money, but enough that I'm happy. When I get out come July, I should get a decent paying job as every single one of my friends have gotten out making decent money. So I hope I can match how they did. If not in MN, then I move where the money is.

[Iceman]

Full time student at UTI. Went to a few HTC classes that my high school offered. No, if I had the grades I would differently be doing something different. Would like to start my own business.

[santa]

I worked at a full service shop called hansens autocare for about 1/2 year. I worked part time at Elite autosport from time to time when it was needed. I'm not attending WyoTech ,and My goal's while I'm here is to keep above 90% in all my class's. I'm over half ways done now, and well over my goal. I have perfect attendance too minus my first phase I missed 4 hours. I've been our Shop leader and Classroom leader while here also. I plan on going on to becomeing a Master certified Technician, and opening a performance shop a few years from now with a few good friends of mine.

Kevin

[b00stingsx]

Took a semester of autobody at hennepin tech(didnt like it), then transfered to normandale to do my generals, hopfully transfering in 2 years to mankato where i want to do mechanical engineering. I work at a pharmacy part time.

[carltalon]

I work consrtuction. no education nessesary. I bought my house when I was 22. I plan to sell it in a few years for a NICE profit and start working less.

[Alpine TSi]

Dammit wrong thread....

[Matt D.]

I'm 26, have tried the whole 4 year school both in the classroom and online and didn't like it. Took 6 months of classes to learn networking and Windows in 1999 when NT4 was the big deal. That eventually got my foot in the door to my first network administration job. Things fell through with that and now I do tech support for point of sale systems to over 800 franchises in the US and Canada.

I expect that over the next few years if I can accomplish getting a Cisco certification or two and learn more stuff about Linux and programming in general that I will be set up nicely for a decent job upgrade.

[JET]

I started out in a company that makes windshields for cars and after 2 years got into the toolroom. I began making SS molds that bend windshields for cars ($12/hr). I then went to a die casting place in their toolroom repairing molds for 2 years ($12.75/hr). I moved closer to home and took a production machining job ($12.50/hr).

At that point I said screw living in a little town and moved to the cities machining medical parts ($18.50/hr). My boss there was a complete asshole so I moved to another medical parts manufacturer. During this time I had learned how to program a very complicated 11 axis CNC maching. I stayed at this place for 2 years until a very large layoff because management made some poor decisions ($23.50/hr). During all this time I had worked part time to get my degree. I got some aid to go back to school and spent 9 months going full time at 18-20 credits a semester. During this time I was also a Corporal in the Army National Guard for 6 years. It helped to pay for some schooling and I served my country.

The current place I work at is a smaller startup company with a very good possibility to become a huge company soon. I started as a research and development machinist, but quickly was moved into the inspection department. I began doing repair when it was needed and now I am in charge of the customer service department. I make a decent salary now, but the potential is basically unlimited. I just got back from a business trip with the president and CFO of the company. It was unreal! They spent at least $2k on me while we were there for 4 days. We went to all of the places that the stars go. The president of our company started the Sleep Number bed company, Select Comfort.

Would I do it again that way? I am very happy with the way things have turned out. I own a nice house and live with 2 of my best friends. My career is definately moving in the direction I want it to. One thing about management, you are going to find it very hard pressed to move up while being young. They really want people that have a lot of experience. That is one problem with looking younger than I am, noone thinks I have the experience than I do. I am in middle management now and my plan is to be in upper management in the next 10 years. I may start doing a master's degree in that time to beef up the resume.

[cudvig]

I plan on going to UW river falls and do pre-pharmacy. I am still in HS right now, taking 3 AP classes that if i pass the test in may with a 3,4 or 5 i can get college credit for. If i were to do HS all over, i would of completed all of my HW to get better grades. Granted I got a 29 on my ACT, but I'm in the bottom 35% of my class with a 2.6 I could of done way better, but I'm focusing my negative actions into a positive learning action when I got to River Falls, considering I need a 3.85 and a good score to go to school for Pharmacy.