which college to choose

dsmDolney · 07-22-2014

Okay guys so i have a question on which college to go to. I am enrolled in uti right now and am ready to go to chicago but ive been thinking and it cost alot of money and stuff like that and is the school even really worth it ? So do you guys think i should go or just go local around here it would be nice to stay here and get my own place and be able to see my family and stuff so.

**Kracka** · 07-22-2014

My best advice is to move and experience a different part of the country. There is a lot to see and do, and if you end up hating it you can always move somewhere else or back home.

Regarding education...the formal 4-year university education system in this country is royally fucked right now. It is way too expensive and you'll rack up more debt that it's worth. I'd suggest sticking with a trade-type school, which it sounds like you're already on that path with UTI so stick with it.

typeRA · 07-22-2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kracka

Regarding education...the formal 4-year university education system in this country is royally fucked right now. It is way too expensive and you'll rack up more debt that it's worth. I'd suggest sticking with a trade-type school, which it sounds like you're already on that path with UTI so stick with it.

do you also buy alex jones's water filters?

Get a degree from a reputable university, and sit back and enjoy the ride

Fejery4491 · 07-22-2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by typeRA

do you also buy alex jones's water filters?

Get a degree from a reputable university, and sit back and enjoy the ride

Unemployment rates for those with 4 year degrees is almost double that of someone with a 2 year tech school degree. Meanwhile your average 4 year degree will have 3x the tution of those going to a tech school. Median pay between the two is surprisingly simular too.

typeRA · 07-22-2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fejery4491

Unemployment rates for those with 4 year degrees is almost double that of someone with a 2 year tech school degree. Meanwhile your average 4 year degree will have 3x the tution of those going to a tech school. Median pay between the two is surprisingly simular too.

those statistics are flawed for many reasons. A solid two are the fact that some people go for the academic enlightenment(aka the purpose of higher ed), and some majors are just stupid. You won't find "useless" majors at a tech school. The purpose of a tech is to make producers in a population, not invigorate intellectual innovation.

Comparing salaries is apples to basketballs. Positions are a good difference to discuss when describing starting pay. I'd rather have a cushy office chair job for 20 years than destroy my body and sanity wrenching.

I study cognitive neuroscience. I also happen to hold certs in the pharma/food stainless process piping field. Without a day in a trade school. Honestly, if anyone out of highschool wants a rec to a stainless company that can make your 92k starting working across the country, I'd be happy to give referrals.

polishmafia · 07-22-2014

A degree is a degree. Most employers don't care where its from. You aren't looking to be a lawyer or a CEO of a huge investment firm, so you don't need a fancy piece of paper from Harvard, Yale, etc.

dsmDolney · 07-22-2014

4 year crap can all screw off i agree with that for sure. And moving i want to but i dont like everyone else when they were at this point in life im sure. And i agree a degree is what it is no matter were its from thats why im thinking stay here and save some money and still be with family and friends

**Kracka** · 07-22-2014

Here's what I've learned by moving across the country: Your true friends and your family will always be there no matter what. I would also say I appreciate my time with both even more now when I see them, plus have met a whole new group of people down here too, some of which I consider friends, others of which I almost consider family.

It really is up to you, its a very personal choice. Some people like the idea of moving, others don't. It's a gamble which can pay off, but staying close to home is always going to be the safer and more comfortable decision.

I grew up in Minneapolis and went to college up in Duluth, at times I honestly regret not going to school further away from home, but am always very glad I at least left.

dsmDolney · 07-22-2014

Totally agree with you mostly im just trying go figure out if uti is really worth the money i will move and go if it is if not ill stay. You can always make new friends anywere basically.

**Halon** · 07-22-2014

It's a very personal choice. I personally went in the military and got to see experience several places all over the country and the world. It was a great experience and left me thinking that everyone ought to explore the world beyond there comfortable at home environment.

Now with that being said, I've since gotten out, moved back home, and am starting school locally at Dunwoody here in a month. So I'm going to school locally but I now have a wife, house, and son so staying local makes sense. But I'm really glad I spent 5 years in the military experiencing the rest of the world, and 3 years after that working a job that also allowed me to travel abroad a lot. It made me realise just how much I like MN, and also that I really like Arizona as well and would totally move to a place like there or New Mexico if life ever put me there. Florida and Japan are nice, but I learned I hate humid places on the ocean so don't think I'd ever want to live there. But glad I did it, met some great friends and have some amazing memories, wouldn't trade any of it for a thing.

But yeah, it's a very personal choice. You have to ultimately decide for yourself which way to go. I assume your going for an automotive degree. I'd say in the end when looking for a job, employers probably aren't going to care if you degree is from UTI, Wyotech, or Anoka Tech. So if the remote schools are a lot more money, I'd say the return on investment over your standard tech school probably isn't really there and it might be worth saving money and going to the less expensive school.

Last random comment, if you're going for automotive, I'd really think twice about that choice. There's so many other 'tech' degrees that in my opinion would be a much more promising lifelong career. Unless you want to work under a slushy MN car in January for the rest of your life... Robotics, Electronics, Machining/3D-printing, engineering drafting, etc.

dsmDolney · 07-22-2014

Sounds like fun. And i always wanted to visit japan but feel like it would be to crowded.

Money is the biggest issue for school for me i mean i would save a hell of alot of money staying local i guess ill just have to but positives to negatives on both schools and figure it out.

**JET** · 07-22-2014

Lots of good advice here. If you want a hands-on type tech degree then by all means go for that, but I agree with Halon that auto-tech is probably not the one to go for. A great one to get in to is robotic welding or machinist (you can make cool shit for your car to!) training is always good too.

I know you love to work on cars, but talk to most people in the automotive industry and they now hate to work on their own stuff and it killed the hobby for them. Working on their own stuff seems like work to them now and not fun. Keep your hobbies fun!

If you want to move up the corporate ladder then you will need a 4 year degree. I agree that where you get it from doesn't matter much, just so you have that piece of paper. I experienced that first hand as I had 5 years of customer service mgr. experience, but couldn't get a job because I hadn't finished my degree. I ended up going back to school and finishing it.

dsmDolney · 07-22-2014

I worked in a machine shop for a couple summers pretty good money but absolutly hated it could not stand it and im not good with computers at all ha ha. Theres just so much shit you can choose from its confusing lol

**Halon** · 07-22-2014

Out of high school I couldn't tell you what a resistor was. I went to school for electronics basically, and next thing you know i was working on million dollar radars, eventually got me working on Nuclear Fuel Handling Equipment, and now I'm an engineer designing the controls for them.

That's what schools for, it's OK if you don't know anything about it yet. They teach you enough so you can get out in the industry and start doing it, and you'll just keep learning the more hands on you get.

Do what you want, but automotive seems like a pretty saturated field with limited opportunity unless you want to do something like open your own shop. Which at that point, mechanic schooling will become less important than say business schooling.

I personally really like Dunwoody. You can get a 2yr tech degree. Then eventually if you want a 4yr degree, you can get one is say "applied business management" which is just another 2yrs stacked on top of the 2yr you already have. It's a private school though so it's $$$$.

dsmDolney · 07-22-2014

God damn now my mind is going everywere on what to do i can see why not to go into automotive industry because youll get sick of it like said above. I just dont know what else to do that seems fun and hands on i cant sit at a desk all day screw that

**JET** · 07-22-2014

Lots of possibilities, field service repair, construction, etc. I know field service for the electric companies make good money. Have to freeze your ass off in the winter though. You just need to find a field that isn't saturated and has a good future if you want to make decent money.

**Goat Blower** · 07-22-2014

Then you really want a tech degree. Find something less common that you'd like, you'll have to do some digging.

dsmDolney · 07-22-2014

What do you guys think of technical drafting sounds like it would be kinda fun work for a performance shop and make shit for them lol

**Halon** · 07-22-2014

Drafting is a good career. We have a lot of them here. But it's counter-intuitive to how you just said you don't want to sit at a desk. From what I've seen, it's pretty much a desk job. Taking engineers designs and drawing them up in various auto-cad type of programs. But that is kind of cool. It's like building stuff, but rather than with your hands, you're building it on a computer making a computer model of it. You'll end up proficient in the autocad programs, which will let you have fun on the side getting to use those skills to draw up car stuff like flanges, manifolds, etc.

If you want actual hands on type of stuff though, I'd get into a technician type of course. Something like Electronics Technician, Robotics Technician, etc. They are very hands on and that degree can apply to so many different things. You can work here building fuel handling cranes, electrical cabinets, gear boxes, traveling to do field service support and installations. You can work at production plants as a maintenance guy on the assembly lines. Comcast installing cable lines, Verizon working on cell towers. A technician type job is very hands on, of course it'll require some desk time to do paper work but just about every job has that. I just always hear stories about people that have automotive tech degrees that end up changing oil at Midas and it takes a long time to get into a real position.

If you went into say the Dunwoody Robotics program, it's 100% placement. When you graduate, you will very likely end up with multiple job options, probably none of them offering less than $40k starting salary. You come work here as a Field Service tech, that'll be your base pay but with all the travel involved you will make almost double that and gain tons of experience. That's pretty good money for a new-grad if you ask me.

And again, I think 3D printing is going to become a big industry. Dunwoody has a program for that as well.

Don't let us change your mind though, choosing a school and a career path is a very personal decision. If automotive is what is really calling your name, don't let any of us stop you. It could lead to working at your dream job working on Jeff Gordon's race team or some shit, who knows. Chances are it won't, but you never know unless you try. Like Jet said, I keep cars as my hobby. After working on other peoples shit boxes all day will probably not leave you with much motivation to work on your own. I'm a hands on type of person too so I went into a profession where I'm still hands on and get to build stuff, without ruining my hobby by making it my job.

dsmDolney · 07-22-2014

Yea thats what im thinking now about automotive stuff that it will get old and boring. And yea tech drafting is alot of sitting but it sounds like it could be fun but who knows i just couldnt sit on my ass all day. Ill have to look into that robotics tech its sounds like it would be pretty cool acually.