college.....help me

[94gts]

ok i have quite a situation here.

For a long time, i have wanted to go to school in florida(i live in new york). Recently, i realized that being an out of state resident, cost would not permit me to go. I then applied and got into several state schools up here for automotive engineering, which is what i want to do. I'm about to seal my entrance into the State university of NY at Farmingdale on long island. However, lately i have lost all interest in school. I'm still an a/b student but i dont have the desire to continue onto college right away. I think my real passion is doing wht i have wanted to do all along.

I have a freind who is moving to florida in july and will be working for chassis engineering. He has a place and wants me to move with him. I may move down with him, gain residency, work for a year, then apply to some state schools there(being a resident gives me the cheaper tution). I just have no interest in school anymore and think a year off to do what i really want may be my best choice instead of just settling for college up here. I dont want it to be a waste for me and my parents.


So, here i am, about to graduate in a month from high school, and i dont know what i am doing.

 

[BlownFiveLiter]

Taking a year off, or at least until the spring semester may not be a bad idea. My HS class graduated in '98, and I started college in the fall of '99. Granted I've had issues come up that have prevented me from finishing, it did give me time to work, and clear my head of school for a bit. Going back then seemed exciting. I'm 25 now, and regret not sticking with school anyway, but luckily I'm still young enough that I'm not able to look back with too much regret, just a little setback. If ya need to take some time off, I say go for it, but keep the future in mind, too!

 

[donjohn]

if you do take a year off, don't get too attatched to the money that you wont want to go back... that happens a lot and did with 3 of my cousins

think about how much u'll have to pay for the place w/ ur friend and the money tuition will cost and see if you'll be able to save that much money...

i would say go for it though. i'm currently 2nd year in college straight outta hs and live at home. benefits, i don't have to pay for room and board and my college is free (scholarships) BUT i miss the fun alot of my buddies are having living on their own... but it's all up to you, the fun is there, it's up to you to find it

 

[89 blue lx]

go to school! i am in the middle of it now and i can say without a doubt that a lot of people if they took a year off would be done. i had a bunch of year off friends and three years later are losers working at homedepot or somthing when they could have gone to school to better them selves. if you think you can handle it more power to you but i know i wouldnt have been able to

 

[94-302-vert]

Go straight to school.... Once you are making full time $$'s it is hard to give them up to go back to school full time, OR even to keep the $$'s and go back to school part time.

Trust me, do it right go wstraight through it will pay off in the end.

1 year out of school I had a house and a new truck, today (5 years out) I have 2 new cars and my mustang as a toy...

Chris

 

[89 blue lx]

Go straight to school.... Once you are making full time $$'s it is hard to give them up to go back to school full time, OR even to keep the $$'s and go back to school part time.

Trust me, do it right go wstraight through it will pay off in the end.

1 year out of school I had a house and a new truck, today (5 years out) I have 2 new cars and my mustang as a toy...

Chris

makes me feel better too!

 

[super302]

Don't take a year off...i thought about it once (for like a minute) and realized i would regret it so much in 4-5 years....

go to school and get it over with!!

 

[Swarzkopf]

College...eh....overrated?

Nothing wrong with college, but lots of people pretend that you NEED to go to college if you ever want to make decent money.

I graduated from Pitt last year. I had planned to go to graduate school for education but that didn't work out.

I'm working as technical support for a research organization right now. I make pretty okay money and am slated for a raise.

I have a friend who never went to college. Same age as me, graduated from highschool the same year. Didn't do much of anything besides menial labor while I was in school.

Last year he became a union member in the floor coverers union. He now makes the exact same amount of money as me per year. He is also expecting a big raise.

I guess my point is, while there is nothing wrong with going to college, don't think that you NEED too. There are other options.

 

[95strokerPSU]

I don't think college is overrated at all. If you look at the average salary of a college grad compared to a non-college grad, there's a significant difference. Granted if you get a union job you're gonna make a lot of money, but are you really going to be able to do the physical labor through your 40's?

I went straight from high school to Penn State and wouldn't do it any other way. The college grad rate from my high school is under 15% so now that I'm done with school and back at home, I see all my old friends basically doing nothing with their lives, still living at home. Having just graduated, I miss college more than I've ever missed anything in my life. Having a your own place with a couple friends is one of the best parts. And you're only in class maybe 3-4 hours a day.

So my suggestion is go to school right away, live away from home, and try going to a school where you don't know anybody. It'll give you an opportunity to make new friends. Good luck.

 

[89 blue lx]

but it sounds like he has a much more labor intensive job than you do. of course you can make a ton of money without college but you WILL be working hard for it

 

[95strokerPSU]

This is what I was referring to as far as the difference:
"College graduates took home an average of $45,678 per year as compared to the $24,572 average salary of those who only completed high school.
Over a lifetime, a college graduate will earn nearly $600,000 more than someone with only a high school diploma."

 

[mackey]

I say go to school and just get it over with. I think you will be happier in the long run.

 

[Hef5.0weisen]

I joined the Air Force. I've been around the world three times, seen some really cool spots, and hung out in bunkers watchng the best fireworks display ever, in other spots. The good definently outweighs the bad. As for college, I'm a part time student, I've earned an associates in Aircraft MX technology, working on a bach. in Professional Aeronautics, minor in Safety/Intelligence, also working on my Airframe and Powerplant license. All that college for FREE, I just had to buy the books, which i found used for 1/4 original price, then sold em again. Don't wanna sound like a recruiter, but ever think about it? I was in the same boat at 19/20 yrs old, and if I went back I'd do it again. Good Luck with whatever you do, just don't do nothing

 

[Swarzkopf]

but it sounds like he has a much more labor intensive job than you do. of course you can make a ton of money without college but you WILL be working hard for it

LOL

His job is WAY easier than mine. If he gets paid for 8 hours, he actually worked for 2. The other six he spent either sleeping in a box or getting drunk at a bar with his co-workers.

Last year there was a high performance computing conference here in Pittsburgh. My organization was one of the major sponsors/vendors and I was working there ALOT, 60+ hours per week for the three weeks of the conference. As it worked out, this friend I'm talking about was working at the conference center setting up the carpetting. I was thrilled because I was getting overtime pay...I wasn't so thrilled when I found out his overtime pay was $10/hr more than mine and most of the time he was "working" he was sleeping in a box near the loading dock!

Like I said, there is nothing wrong with going to college, but there are other avenues in life.

 

[89 blue lx]

LOL

His job is WAY easier than mine. If he gets paid for 8 hours, he actually worked for 2. The other six he spent either sleeping in a box or getting drunk at a bar with his co-workers.

Last year there was a high performance computing conference here in Pittsburgh. My organization was one of the major sponsors/vendors and I was working there ALOT, 60+ hours per week for the three weeks of the conference. As it worked out, this friend I'm talking about was working at the conference center setting up the carpetting. I was thrilled because I was getting overtime pay...I wasn't so thrilled when I found out his overtime pay was $10/hr more than mine and most of the time he was "working" he was sleeping in a box near the loading dock!

Like I said, there is nothing wrong with going to college, but there are other avenues in life.

hahaha thats great but it also has to be the exception to the rule dont you think?

 

[Swarzkopf]

I think that on average, the people who go to college are more motivated to make money and I believe that that's the real reason college graduates make so much more on average.

Just a thought...

 

[Grn92LX]

I went to SUNY Farmingdale for the automotive engineering program for a semester. I stopped after the first semester because I felt it was stupid. Too much theory.

Dropping out of college was hands down one of the BEST decisions I ever made in my life. You don't need college to make it in life BUT it depends what your goals are.

 

[93GTosu]

people w/o a college degree can only go so far (in most cases). There are exceptions to this of course. its really just how motivated u are, and it seems u care about your future (or you wouldnt have posted).

just dont think college is this really hard place. you said u were an A/B student! i think you can handle it!! sure, it can cost you lots and lots of $$$$$ but eventually you'll get yourself back on your feet no problem!!


whatever you decide, i bet u'll be fine...and good luck

 

[Joes95GT]

I was sick of school towards the end of my senior year and really DID NOT want to go to college. I came home on weekends for the first month and a half while I was there. I just wasn't into it.

The first weekend I stayed at school, we had a small party to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday. At the party, I must have met about 30 people who I hang out with on a regular basis to this day. From that point on, I nearly NEVER come home. My birthday is October 14th - I got my birthday card from my parents on the first day of Thanksgiving break - that was the first day I came home all semester.

My parents pay for my school, which is about $20,000 a year (including rent, etc.). My cumulative GPA is somewhere in the 2.8 neighborhood, so many people would say that my parents are "wasting" 20,000 bucks a year for me to get "OK" grades. No they aren't. I'm having 20 thousand dollars worth of fun everyday of the week.

Basically, what I am getting at is this - GO TO SCHOOL!

Joe

 

[94gts]

some things i need to clarify....

I 100% plan on attending college. i just dont think now is the time. Also, i am not fortunate enough to have anyone pay for me besides me .