I need advice from Hambers and people who do this stuff for a living

I'm a college student, 22, a sophomore at a community college with 1 more semester until I transfer to the university for a BS in mechanical engineering. Right now im taking calculus and chemistry, and I honestly don't understand either. Every night I sit down to do homework or study I just get pissed off because no matter how much time I spend on it, I don't fucking get it. I want to finish school to make more money, to fund my hobby but i hate math (at least i hate calculus) My current profession is welding, i love going to work everyday, but I hardly make enough money to get by with the economy now i'm lucky to be making 13 bucks an hour (no benefits) tig welding aluminum that's vacuum checked with helium when 2 years ago it was 19 an hour(with benefits) to mig weld dumpsters back together.

ok enough with the back story. my question is....


How many people gave up going to school to work on cars in some nature and are glad they did, or do you wish you would have finished school.

Are you able to live comfortably doing it (i don't mean being rich, i just mean having money to take a vacation here and there, or have health insurance(haha)

In the real world what would the majority of my time be spent doing if I were an engineer. Can it be a fun job? Examples?

I asked my dad this question, he told me to go to school because it would make my life easier but at the same time his favorite thing to say is "do something you love and you wont work a day in your life"

I'm torn and its time to shit or get off the pot. any advice?

 

stay in school,knowledge is power.i busted my ass working with my hands and it got me nowhere.i hate welding everyday for peanuts and right now have no health insurance,being self employed is no fun either.im very good at what i do but after 30 years and still making the same money im looking to do something else.if i could go back i would have stayed in school.and learned an easier way to make a living.dont get me wrong at one time welding was a great way to make a living,but to make good money doing it in this economy is very hard.im thinking about learning hotel management,but would really be happy starting a hot rod business buying up half finished projects and finishing them.need investor, and in this economy selling them when finished will be very tough.bad economy is the best time to buy and hoard until good times come back.if your having a hard time with your studies talk to your counseler and ask for help maybe a tutor or staying after with the teacher to have it explained better.if you dont ask for help then you will just become more frustrated and possibly give up.then youll wind up doing a job you dont like for the rest of your life.you might think welding is great at your age but think about looking at that light for another 20 or 30 years everyday and breathing that smoke and lifting that steel and working in bad weather etc. etc. etc.

 

Things are different now than when I left school and started wrenching in 1964, a good education is the key to your future. I've had a great career and am now retired, but I also consider myself to be very Lucky. Best to you what ever you choose.
Mike.

 

Given the choice, would you prefer to go through life smarter, or not?

That is the choice you are considering. Wisht I'd made better decisions way back.

 

You have to stay in school, this economy is trashed and it's not coming back soon, they will hire a guy for 8 bucks an hour to weld. Then what, get a tutor do what you gotta do, these days of making a living at labor are hard scrabble, get the education, the paper with the ribbon on it. Adjust your attitude, you think you have a shot outside college, you don't, put it out of your mind. Get a good degree, you won't regret it.

 

Like your job, love your hobby. I'm in a similar boat as yourself, but I'm taking a different route. I'm a history major right now (might change to Tcomm or journalism next semester, or go pre-law).

I'm also going to "start a shop" with a good friend of mine that is going to be a motorbike tech. By a shop, I mean, we're gonna work out of his house for a hobby, and work as a team.

I dunno exactly what I'm doing, but I know its gonna be a job that I'll enjoy and be able to make money in (eventually).

Best of luck to you!

 

I don't know plenty of people that I went to highschool with went off to college and got degrees and such are now bussing table or barbacking, I personally think having a good trade is far better then anything else, although I don't think the automotive field would be a great choice, just my 2 cents

 

Stay in School

 

Ye Sir,
Like I tell my sons stay in school. Your body can only take so much abuse. There will allways be a younger dude willing to take your spot when you can't do the labor anymore. I'm wearing out fast and I am 32. Welding has tore up my eyes grinding my ears.Use your head man. Or you will learn the hard way

 

The reason calculus is hard is that it encompasses several of the most important and powerful ideas in the history of man. Just like everything else, you get better at it by practice, hard work, and knowing when to get help. Stay after it, it will be worth it.

 

stay in school. if i could go back and do one thing over. it would be to get a better education.

 

You kinda need to understand calculus to take the last two years of engineering classes. If not you'll be struggling. Maybe find a tutor, or something, or take the class again, or do more research online to figure it out? it's tough, I know.

Hard to say what you'll be doing at an engineering job. They're all different. My son fixes semiconductor processing machines, he's 22 with a BSME and just got a job at Intel. My wife plays manager for about 25 people, she's not too far from retiring from the Army civil service, she has a few engineering degrees including a masters in SIE. When I worked for the Army as a civil servant (Electronics Engineer, even thought I have a BSME) I pretty much never used any of the math at all...I gave up after 6 years, and opened a shop fixing cars. I do more engineering helping the high school robotics team, than I ever did at a job. But my son and my wife make far more money than I ever did.

No answers for you, sorry.

My son started at $64k/yr fresh out of school. My wife makes twice that.

 

I'm an electrical engineer, although the same will apply for a mechanical...you can work on just about anything, depending on what you want and where you get a job. Over the last 30+ years I've been in the recording industry, semiconductors, aerospace, and these days I'm a consultant working on water treatment plants. That may not sound very sexy, but the work is interesting, there's a lot of work out there (we pretty much cruised through the recession) and I make a good living. I spend a fair amount of time out in the field on construction sites. The point is, you don't have to be stuck behind a desk for the rest of your life, unless that's what you want to do.

As far as the classes go, yeah they're hard. I wasn't the greatest student either, but I made it to graduation. The fact is, you probably won't be doing integrals or any of that stuff once you get out in the working world - you'll be using reference books or your calculator for most things. In my opinion, the classwork is there to teach you how to solve problems, which is mainly what engineers do.

 

Well, I've been welding and fabricating since high school (22 years).I have been fortunate enough to work with and learn from the best in the country.Six years ago,after I felt I had learned enough,I started my own shop.
I love it.I have raised two kids and given them a good life,taken an occasional vacation,and I get the satisfaction of being the go to guy around here when anyone I know needs something built.Keep in mind,it would not be possible without a great wife with a pretty good job and benefits now that I am self employed.
To answer your question,if I had it to do over again,I would have gone into a military ROTC program,got myself a good education,and kept fabricating and hot rod building as a hobby.That is what I am encouraging my son to do.
STAY IN SCHOOL !

 

Things look pretty grim out there for college grads right now. My advice, since you asked, STAY IN SCHOOL! A college degree in just about anything is worth the time. Employers will look at the commitment to better yorself, to learn something. There are more opportunities for employment, also. Myself? I went the trades route, twisting wrenches. Learned alot but I knew if I wanted to earn more money I needed an education. Believe me, when you have to work full time and feed three mouths and go to school and keep the house going, the education would have been easier.
Just my opinion. Good luck with with what ever way you choose.

 

thanks guys, Everyone is pretty much saying what I keep telling myself. I guess i just think about it too much sometimes.

I'm doing some sheet metal work on a 50 Chevy truck right now, I come inside after a few hours of that with a smile on my face and 10 minutes after staring at the chemistry book i want to throw it out the window and set it a flame.

As for tutoring. I do go to tutoring 2 days a week for 3 hours It helps for the day, I just cant seem to retain much of the knowledge.(and i don't do any drugs or drink even)

 

Hey, my guess is that you're at Pima, and you're looking to stay in Tucson for the BSEng.

My sister in Tucson went to Pima, then went on to get a MS in Math Ed. Used to hang out with folks that did calc. for a hobby. I'll ask her if she knows anybody to refer you to for a math tutor. My dad was an EE, said he rarely used the college math once he was out and working.

I'll try and PM ya back in a couple of weeks. Later, Kinky6

 

I just would like to say that the fact that you are thinking about your future and willing do what it takes to get ahead restores my faith in you young guys. So many just drink beer and party, you are way ahead of them.
My suggestion is a business or marketing degree, and learn about running a business. Then find a product or service.
A business or marketing degree will allow you to change a product or service and use your knowledge on any endeavor.

 

A good engineering degree is money in the bank. Right now, the job market sucks, but I have to believe it'll come back. Engineering work is for the most part boring as hell. If you can stay creative and an out of the box thinker while still acquiring your engineering degree and skills, it will serve you well.
My brother began an aeronautical engineering degree program and decided he didn't like sitting behind a desk. He walked. He worked construction most of his life, when he could have ridden the wave of the aerospace industry, and retired long ago. No matter what anyone tells you, follow the path to the most (legal) money.

 

I took Mech Eng tech at a college level, and my profs always told me to learn the basics. Thirty years later, I tell both my boys the same thing. One's in ChemEng and the other is a senior in high school. Break the math down to basics and it will come to you.
I don't think most engineers work as "engineers" in their hired positions, but what they learned and how they apply it the the various applications makes the job.
Finish the schooling, AND with your trade, you can decide which way to go, and change it along the way if you decide.

 

An education today is more important than anything else. The economy is bad and isn't going to improve anytime soon. A technical education in engineering is very good and will open more doors for you than you might think. Getting the degree opens doors and that is about all. It is still up to you to perform. An Engineering degree can lead you in many different directions in industry. Most people that get an engineering degree don't have enough background in any mechanical field they just have the degree. With a background in welding and working on cars you will be way ahead of the game. My advice is stay in school. If you don't understand something with calculus get some help from someone that does. Same thing with chemistry.

I worked as a mechanic in a coffee plant and as a mechanic at an airport to put myself through college. My engineering degree paid off big time. It gave me the opportunity to work in major manufacturing facilities and make enough money to retire when I was 55. Couldn't have done that welding or pulling on wrenches. It gave me enough money to fund a machine shop that I owned and operated on the side and made additional money with. That supported my car hobby. You can't do that without an education.

 

heh...I didn't notice that. My two younger sons are in Tucson, one is in Computer Engineering at UA, the other is at Pima getting ready to go into ME sometime somehow. Sometimes he drives his 59 chevy truck to school.

 

Back in the 70's I was in college, taking subjects that did not interest me and working part time at a gas station. I enjoyed the limited cash I got from my job, using the money on my car, parting, girls, etc. etc., and I did poor in school and dropped out. For years got by with basic jobs. Finally I got a bit more schooling in something I was interested in and for about the last 20 yrs I have had a great job that I really like!
I guess if you really hate the school work, and you don't really want a lifetime doing that type of job you should drop out, but if you do... stick with it!!!

 

I agree with lots of the advice, but dropping out is not the only option to hanging in there. If you don't get on with your subject area, there are likely other subjects that you would shine at? If you can transfer credits it will not add too much time to your education.
Good luck - I hope you either find your way through it or find an area where you fly.

 

Stay in school man! Calculus is hard, believe me I know. It often takes a couple tries at the first course to get it down. Once you got it though, Calc II and III are actually easier than Calc I.

For some motivation....the mechanical engineers at my work make around 80-100k a year. You'll probably start around 60k. I'm pretty sure you could fund your hobby with that.

 

Stay in school...and look for extra help on the subjects you're not clear on. There are usually a bunch of opportunities in school that aren't handed to you on a silver platter...you have to milk it a bit to get the most out of it.

Talk to your professor or your TA during office hours, and ask questions. Find (or make) a study group with other students in the class. Heck, pay for tutoring if that's what it takes. Both of those subjects build on earlier concepts in the class. If you don't have a solid foundation on the basics, you aren't going to have a good base to build from. Sometimes they will offer different sections of the same course that will go into more depth to make sure you get the concepts. Switch to another section if you need to.

School is a great opportunity...don't pass it up.

 

Does'n matter,you will be riding a camel before long anyways

 

Whatever you end up doing, do for yourself. There's nothing like being your own boss.

I didn't finish highschool but made myself a millionaire and wish I'd started my own business much earlier.

It doesn't matter what it is. Make it something you enjoy.

I hear welders complain that they are only making this or that. Well, janitors make even less, BUT...what happens when the janitor opens his own janitorial service company?

Granted a millionaire ain't what it used to be, especially when you have to put so much away for retirement and socialist government taxes more than half of what you make, but I made my way in the Sewer business. You can't start any lower than the bottom of a shit filled manhole. But it is what you make it.

By the way: Most of my college relatives and friends are out of work. My business is basically recession proof.

 

stay in school get your engineering degree,or whatever education in a highly skilled and demanded proffession ...graduate at the top and get a good job creating our future.... and then come home to your huge newly built shop full of hotrods and tools and a bar and work on them if you feel like it, or weld and hammer all day and come home to sleep it off for the next day of hard labor and not work on your stuff because you've worn yourself out on other peoples stuff.

 

went to school to work on cars,did that for about 20 years ,even though the money was ok i did have good benies.now i work on cars on the side/hobby...dont quit school.