Hi, I'm 17 and a senior in high school. I have a love for equipment and operating, as I am currently employed on a farm. I am about to make a key decision im my life of whether to go away to college on an athletic schlorship or to try to get into the operators union. I really want to be an operator, but my parnets are pushing me towards college. I know all of you guys have been through this decision and I would appreciate your feedback. THANKS!
I have always been told just do what makes you happy! In reality you have a lifetime to work but life may make it diffucult to go back to school after working for a while. In my opinion you should take advantage of the athletic schlorship and get a degree in something. College gives you further education but it also gives you life experiences too. You have been given athletic abilities, so take advantage of that to help with your college. What would you major in? If you come out of college with a 4 year degree you will at least have something to fall back on and take with you anywhere in the country. I went to college for a while (3 yrs.) and I left to go the the operator apprenticeship program in the late 80's. I was a second year apprentice and I didn't make enough to keep me above water and I had to take a labor position at a factory and I left the program. Hind sight says I should have either stayed in college to get my degree or gutted it out and stayed on as an apprentice. There really isn't a right or wrong path, only one of many forks in the road of life. One more thing: No matter what you do in life put your heart into it and give it your best effort! Good luck in whatever decision you make. Alan
I am sure you have ben told this a thousand times, but go to college, and get a 4 year degree! I went to tech school and got a 2 year degree, and I wish I would of stayed for 4. Now I am out of school and have payments to make each month. No way I can go back now. Don't get me wrong, I make a little over $1700 per week(before taxes), but I am on call 24/7 as I work for the RR. It is just the layoffs that kill me. You dont even want me to tell you how many times this has gone through my mind when I am out working at 2 am. Everyone else is in there bed and I am asking what the h@ll I am doing!But I was sick of school, and I thought I knew better at the time. There is easier ways to make a living than choking down dirt for the rest of your life. When you go to the hall, you will never know from day to day if you will be working the next, where you will be working, who you will be working with, or if you will be laid off. You will work day to day for the rest of you life unless you are luckey enough to stay on with a contractor. If you like construction then you may want to check out surveying, enginering, or construction mgmt.
I also would recomend going to college and getting a degree in construction management or civil engineering.
I'm only 15 and I have thought about that many times as well, but set the entire construction part aside. Your only a kid once, my parents always remind me that the years of school are some of the most fun years of your life, so make the most of them. Once your in the workforce, your there, you could go back to college if you wanted, but it could make things difficult. Enjoy your time as a kid/young adult and make the most of your career afterwards. Once again, do whatever makes you happy!
I make the motion, SCHOOL. I myself have NOTHING but good things to say bout going to a 2 year tech program. A 4 year college is not for everyone and it all depends on what you really want to do in life as to if you choose 4 or 2 year. I myself spent the entire summer after high school in North Carolina building race cars, moved back home took a 1 year welding program and the next year I took a 1 year machining program. I had a TON of fun while in school, and learned a ton as well. I was going to go into a field of welding/machine work for a year or so, see if I enjoyed it before saying I was sticking with the family biz. But my uncle got hurt and dad had a TON of projects to do so back I was. Even now, working for the company I am with my welding, machining and fabrication knowledge I aquired from school comes in handy each and every day. No matter what you do in the future, or even if your degree is related to your field of choice, your employer will look and see that you put forth the effort required to obtain a degree. That and I will restate, I totally had a wonderful time my college years both at school and away. Trbo
go to college!! you have the rest of your life to work. what sport did you get the ride for?
You have a great opportunity for schooling that many wish they had. Years ago I got a business degree that has helped me greatly. No matter what you do, business education and aptitude are important for success. I also studied in engineering for 2 years which helps a lot in this business. There are a lot of good operators in this world, but what separates those that just operate from those that are self employed is the ability to run a business, whether it is as an owner/operator or CEO of a large construction company. There is always a risk involved with starting your own business, but that risk is reduced by the amount of education and business knowledge you have. You can learn a lot about running a business without a formal education and many have been successful going this route. However, you have a golden opportunity for an education - why not take advantage of it. Plus, you will have the opportunity to participate at the college level in a sport in which you excel. Good luck, whatever you do. You sound like a guy that puts effort into whatever he does, and this will get you a long way in life.
College for sure, work summers gaining experience as an operator. It's hard to get into the union without experience, it's not impossible, but you really have to be perfect. Go to school, then operate, that's what I did.
You are still young, if you have a free ride to college, take advantage of it.You can still work summers and get experience operating. Remember your young ,learn as much as you can because you would be suprised how much everything comes about full circle,something you learned in high school or college may help you out down the road 20 years later.Just remember take the good with the bad , because life is full of ups and downs no matter what route you take.
Deere 9670 It depends on what you really want to do. You said you are 17 probably the age to even apply for the apprenticeship is 18. Because you are very young, and not very experienced, it will be pretty hard to get in on the first try. (I don't know about your area though) So you can't count on that right now. Notice all I said was don't count on it I DIDN'T say don't do it IF you're serious. If you are serious about college you could take the scholarship and see how well you do, and maybe try to get hooked up with a contractor in your summer vacation, as a laborer or something, to get experience. You can apply to the apprentice school while you are in college, why not. I don't know what your dream really is but if your dream is really to be an operator maybe you should take the first chance you get to work with machines, it is hard to start a career as an operator (union or non-union) when the work is slow. What they said about returning to college later in life is true, but it's also hard for a guy with kids to feed to change careers, too. So it all depends on what you are serious about, what you are willing to apply yourself to. The path you are more serious about is the one you are more likely to excel in. Good luck! Deeredriver, no offense, because I don't know what things are like in your part of the country, but around here, in my experience anyway, the only way to get the higher pay and benefits is to go through the union. The only way to get the union rate from a non-union contractor around here is to work on a prevailing rate job, (if you can find one) and even then some of them don't pay it.
If you didn't have the athletic scholarship, I'd say go and work. But because you are getting a free ride, I'd say go to school for something like construction or civil engineering. That way you'll at least be a smart operator
go to school, take business classes, make friends, enjoy the experience. You will NEVER have this opportunity again. Don't let it get away. You can operate machinery during on your summer break. When school's over, there will be just as many operator jobs available to you. Get a business degree and you can run your own show. Aim high.
You could always come where I go and get an associates degree in equipment operation and stay for 2 more years of business to make it a bachelors degree....PM me if you'd like more info
Golf scholorship, I know its kinda a wuss sport but its were my talent is.
Hey guys, thanks for all the great advice. The school that im looking at has a great business program, so that is always an option. I think I will probably end up going to the 4 year school because my dad is a union cement mason, and his body is beat to hell from the years of hard work and he doesent want me to end up like him. Work is starting to slow around here and my dad has been laid off for the past 2.5 months. Thanks for all the good advice!
stay in school I in my younger years was in the same spot, my parents wanted me to stay in school and get that sheepskin. I had also worked on a farm since 12, and now had the means to go a half day in high school then to work. The firm made it real good, i was making more than dad after two months because i was running all there equipment, i left, droped out, two years later i went back to school at nites for a year and walked the line in 1980 while still working in construction doing water/sewer/all types of clearing/grading. IH for a spell/Case power, owned four s corps , 24 years in the fire service as a vol. now to local gov. I wish i would have done one thing, stayed in school picked up that 4 year degree along with a masters!!!!! life is to short, do what makes you happy an provides.
I guess that I will be the disenting opinion. If you are good enough at the golf thing that it could take you further that is one thing.But I watch too many people go to university and all they are there for is because their parents are paying.You sound like you have made a choice that would set your life in the direction of something you would enjoy.Our society tends to think that higher education would make you a better person than a tradesman but its not true.Many fellow workers who have moved to canada have told me that there is no such stigma attached to this in most of europe. The caveat here is to not do this half hearted. You need to talk to the unions in your area and get into an apprentice program and become a ticketed journeyman. It takes the same amount of time to become a tradesman as it does to get a degree.And like others have said if you really did want to go to school later ,yes you could return. The thing is most will never do it because if you enjoy your trade and your pay is satisfactory its pretty hard to justify.The real bonus is you could hustle your fellow workers at golf at least once a week to supplement your income.
I played golf all through high school, nothing wrong with that! I'm 32 years old now and for the FIRST time in my life I wish I could go to school. It only took 14 years to reach this point. If you can try to work a little WHILE you go to school, because chances are about 14 years from now when your body is starting to hurt a little, you will be glad you did! Get some education, then get to work. It's a lot harder to go back to school once you have a wife, kids, and mortgage. By the way that Tiger fella just might turn out to be a decent golfer someday, you might stick with hitting the links.
just imagine all the different golf courses you will get to play on. who knows maybe someday you could build golf courses, or at least when you get rich buy a scraper and build your own private course.
Please take no offense, but the fact that you are even asking this question is absolute proof of your need for both more education and work experience. You will definitely be getting the work experience either way, but it is solely up to you about the education. I had big ambitions to go to college but could not get adequate financial support (thanks to that "great" president Reagan we had ). I've always regretted not going and at the age of 38 am still considering going back. Working as an operator may seem exciting now, but there are hardly any jobs that do not get old when you do them day in and day out. The only future is in education and you will be much happier with yourself by pursuing one. Learning and experiencing new things is the only thing that keeps life interesting. I don't think anyone will lie on their deathbed and think "Gee, I wished I had worked more in my lifetime". I do think that many people regret having not learned or experienced more in their life though, and it's often too late when they realize it. My advice is to "Live to learn and learn for life", and you'll never, ever regret it. That I promise!
As 99,8% I agree that college are the right path, at least it's the most logical Since I'm overseas I thought I could put in my experience also since we have almost the same educational system here in Norway. At 40 it is a good age to start to look back and see if one made some bad turns in life. I was very tired of school, and never a brigh light. My results where usually just below avarage. Started on an education as an mechanic, but when I could not get my degree as a truck mechanic due to it was more students than classes I dropped out and started working. I could made an adjustment and become an agri mechanic or car mechanic, but decided it was time to start earning money. I know today that my papers to show for an mechanic could not helped to get me any further in my career. But I'm a restless soul and even today I have a hard time to sit down and concentrate for hours. So for me school was not the right answer. Today I have enough experience in many trades and also lot of connetctions with people so I will never be without a job even with my lack of education. But times are changing, here in Europe companies more or less demand higher education even for working at an assembly line in a factory. So if you think you could manage four more years with education it will be something you will never regret. After the the paychecks starts to show up it will be very difficult to manage without them, and as a laborer with 8-12 hours days it needs a lot of spirit to manage night school if you want more education after a few years. If you still want to go construction after your college degree try to get some economics under your belt, if you can manage drawings and the whole paperflow you will be foreman or project manager in a big company if you want.
I went to collage for 1 semester and it was a wast of time and put me into debt right off the bat. I know a lot of guys that have done well and that I consider to be extremely intelligent. By learning there trade out in the field not in a book. All of you think back at all the dumb things you have seen that where devised by a engineer or alike collage idiot. None of you can say you don't know what I'm talking about. I can't count the number of times I've herd guys tell me how they can't get a job in there field because of there lack of experience, but they have that nice piece of paper that says they know something. I have done great for myself new truck for me and car for the wife, plenty of $$$ in the bank with no debt, trying to have kids, and looking for a nicer house to buy then most people even 10 years older then me. If I kept on at school I would have a lot less. I'm not saying don't go too school, but its not of every one. FYI my best friend is in the same boat as me more debt since he has a house and a kid already.
Im 19, and I couldnt stand high school. Been around equipment all my life and worked every summer, vacation, free day since I was about 13. Senior year as soon as CWEP started I went to work full time. I had my mind set on what I wanted to do, ya well........... Now the economy is dead and things are extremely slow around here. Right now Im considering the union because everyone who has gone through this is telling me if they had the oppurtunity I have right now (which is some good friends who are looking out for me and can help me into the union) they would have gone in themselves. My advice, do what you love but look ahead and not what you want right now. This advice is more the words of many older more experianced operators that I know. You got to do what you got to do to survive in life. I'd look into college more seriously, god forbid you ever get hurt and cant run a machine, or theres no work, that degree would come in handy. Me personally I have no plans of college, I don't have the attention span for it right now. I have my goals and know what I want, plans are slowly changing right now because Im trying to take the advice given to me to make my future better. Good luck, Jim
Well my story started just like JS580, all I wanted to do after high school was start my own excavating company, but my father keep suggestion to at least get some sort of degree even if it was in "violein making" then I could come back run equipment but at least I'd have something to fall make on. I'm glad I listened. I got a 4 year degree in Const. Managment and has opened up a lot of opportunities in life. I have and do work for a large excavating companies running large site development, highway, powerplant jobs and worked in different areas of the country. I do still operate heavy equipment quit a bit depending on season or schedule and do carry a union card. What I'm trying to say is go to school and get a degree, you have the rest of your life to sit on heavy equipment. That degree will get you places in life alot faster if you want!
me personally i'd say if you like being there (in school) take the free ride. i hated it i dropped out got my ged and started working full time driving dump truck, now ten years later at 27, i live comfortablely, have my toys but thats my story others have different out comes. i know people that i went to school with that went to college and they work at the local pizza joint its all in what u make of it:beatsme.
That's funny JimmyJack. I did the same thing. GED= Good Enough Degree! I still get a chuckle when a newbie gets hired at the mine. $50,000 in student loan debt, (Regan could have helped here by saying no to financing) and 10 years removed from high school, 2 years removed from collage, no job, no work skills, hoping to get a job driving a muck truck.
Personally, I would get a job. Start at the bottom and work your way up. My Grandfather once told me, and I quote, "F--- collage unless you wanna be a doctor or a lawyer" I agree with him. If you have an ounce of brain in your head, you will know more than the man you're paying to teach you. Work hard, learn from everybody around you (the good and the bad) and just be real! If you get in with a good outfit, union or not, you can go a long way! Learn from the owners. Not all of em went to school. The ones that did, well to me they really dont have a clue whats going on in the real world. Just what they read in a book somewhere. On The Job Training is the way to the top.
There is alot of good info here and much for you to think about as you are at a crossroad in your life. I can remember back 30 years and being in your shoes. I would sit back and despite what anyone tells you have a honest talk with myself asking the following: 1. Am I college material? 2. Do I have the recources to go? 3. What area of study am I interested in? Engineering, surveying, const. mgt.? 4. Can I get serious and stick it out for 4 years? 5. How bad do I want it? I for one had no interest in going to college despite the advice of family. It took 15 yeary of empty promises from employers including a Cat dealer to **** me off so bad that I went back to college and earnd a medical degree. I see some of the people I formerly worked with and every one of them tell me "I wish I would have went to college I would not of got stuck here!" With rare exception people with the proper degree are more valuable to their employer and this equates to more money, better benefits, better working conditions and the list goes on! Having a degree has provided me and many others with opportunity that would have never presented itself otherwise!
I been interested in heavy equipment and construction since I was little. In the early 60's they were building the freeways in town and I'd (11-12 years old) ride my bike over to watch. Home for lunch, back after until supper time. I used to ride up and down the grade, diving down the embankments or up the cuts to avoid the MI DOT inspector that would kick me off the grade if he saw me. I told my dad that's what I wanted to do, run a scraper or a dozer. He said you want to go to college and be a civil engineer and tell them what to do (He said I could be anything I wanted except a die maker like him . I asked what school, a friend of his said Michigan Tech (500 miles from home in the UP of MI). So at about 12 it was "what do you want to be when you grow up" - answer "go to MI Tech and be a civil engineer". Well, 36 years later (in June), I'm a civil engineer and as I say "get paid to play in the dirt" . I work for the local county highway authority, draw up plans etc in the winter and supervise construction in the field in the summer. Pay is decent , benefits are decent (other jobs pay more with better bennies) but I like what I do. I'm a little "sick", I actually look forward to going to work just about every morning, including Mondays. I can retire if I want to, but can't think of another career or job I'd like better than the one I have. My daughter has followed in my footsteps, BSCE from MTU and is a civil engineer (really neat, I'm the project manager for a trail project and she's the engineer for the consulting firm drawing the plans - I'm her client ) But I've always told her, it isn't all about the money, you need to enjoy going to work every day. My advice, get a civil degree. You can do design, construction management for an owner, project management for a contractor, the choices are many. My daughter had internships with a local highway authority (guess with which one ), a road contractor, a bridge contractor, and a consulting firm. She decided she wanted to pursue the consulting world and now has a job with a company with 55,000 employees in 34 countries and likes her job. If you go to work for a contractor, I'm sure you can operate a little, at least enough to get some experience. Then you can start your own company, you can read plans, do some design if you need to, estimate, bid and operate, do it all. I can guarantee you won't regret getting the degree.
Ive always been told to choose a lifestyle and then select a career that can support that lifestyle. Like you I had a hard time deciding if I should go work or if I should go to school. I had scholorships that covered some of the cost of school. What I ended up doing was going to school for construction management and operating through the union in the summers which helped me pay for school. Im finishing up school here in May, and I think I am going to go work through the union for awhile so that I can finish up getting vested. I dont plan on using my degree directly right away; however I dont regret spending the time and money to get it. If I were you I would use up the scholorship money while you have it.
If you're a skilled operator, nobody is going to refuse to hire you because you have a degree, but if some potential employer is looking for that degree, being the best operator in the world won't get your foot in the door. Go to college. (Especially if somebody else is footing the bill.)
Why rush to go to work? I don't get it. Go to school live in a dorm and have a good time. I went to collage for wood tech/forestry and don't use the degree at all but those two years were a lot of fun. Just think about all the woman and beer you will get to try out. The fact that you are getting help from the school and your parents is something that many kids your age can only dream about! I wish I stayed longer. It will be harder to go to school after you are working full time but not the other way around. I went to a 2 year school but 2 or 4 years will fly by and you will have to go work soon enough, and for the next 30 or 40 years. No one can ever take away your education; it is with you the rest of your life. What if, after 20 years in construction you want a change; try doing that with out any education, not easy. Always give yourself as many options as possible. All that being said don't forget this fact: It is not about the school you go to but what you do with it when you are out. Also the education will only get your foot in the door, it won't guarantee success, only you can do that.
What part of Illinois are you from?
Wow, you guys are great! I never thought I would get this much advice from so many people. I hate school right now and its just not my thing. I love working and every snow day, holiday, summer, theres nowere I'd rather be then at work. But my dad has been telling me the same advice that you guys have already said. So I think im gonna go and stick out the four years no matter how bad it is. Ive been told by friends that its not that bad and easier then highschool and I'm sure the beer and girls will make it better like jmac said.
Joilet, IL (just south of chicago) HBU?
Ok sorry one more question while I got this whole college thing on my mind. The school I'm offered the schlorship at has a good business program and I could either get a degree in business or management. The school does not offer anything construction related. So which one would be better if I want to enter the construction industry? If this is not a good option there is also a two year school near me that offers a good construction management program.
Have you explored scholarships or funding from a college that offers a degree in the construction field? From your posts it appears that is where your interests are.
Hey everybody, I am new here and have a very similar question, but Ill give it its own thread. I would have to answer yourquestion with do what you feel like. If you got a scholarship (I play HS golf right now) take advantage of it. But at the same time, why spend the 4 yrs in school if they will not be benificial to you? But either way the decision is up to you, just think about the pros and cons for each.
Looks like you want to get into Local 150. Just talked with a BA today and he said the work load does not look good for this year so far, it might change. Take the scholarship, the operating work will be here for quite some time, but the scholarship once lost probably will not be there again. The time in school will go by quickly, as do most years after high school. After you have completed school then look at your options. Also, Golf does not seem to be a bad sport to play, more and more people are playing it by the day.
I know this is an ancient thread, but what did you decide Deere 9670? Inquiring minds want to know!
My 'estate manager' has a friend who never went to school, but he currently has 2 TLBs, 2 tippers, a payloader, lowboy and is by the sounds of things doing very well for himself. I myself can't agree with 'f... collage...' but if you don't want to go, its up to you. Just coz you got a collage degree, doesn't mean you can't operate in4 or 5 years time. But hey, just my two cents.
im going to school I decided to go take the schlorship and go try it out for a year or two. I am going to study recreation, and get a job at the local park district. I will probley try to work my way up to head of parks. Right now I am working on a farm, so thats my time to run equipment, which I love to do. Right now in my area things are very slow, construction wise, so I think if I can work my way up in the park district, ill be in good shape. Sure its not what I really want to do, but its the best I got, and if this park gig dosent work out, my buddies dad owns a hudge construction company in my area, and im sure I could get a job operating for him.:beatsme
Deere 9670, Congratulations! I may not know anything about heavy equipment, but I do know quite a bit about college. I graduated magna *** laude from Harvard in 1986. Since then, I have advised many bright-eyed youths about their college options from the Ivy League to the local community college. The guys above gave you lots of good advice. If you care, here is my two cents worth. 1.) You appear to be approaching college as a "high level" trade school. It is to some degree, whether you are going into the construction business or going to be a doctor or a lawyer. However, college can be so much more if you do it right, which leads to point two. 2.) College doesn't make you smarter. Everyone on this forum knows someone that managed to graduate from college that is still dumber than a box of rocks in the practical world. However, the U.S. college system is the best system in the whole world for teaching you how to learn. This is one of the most powerful skills a person can have. You can see 50 year-old guys in this forum that are great at running some piece of complicated machinery, but they are still closely watching some older guy who can still move a little more dirt. They may or may not have gone to college, but they learned the value of always trying to learn more. 3.) College is not for everyone, but in my experience when someone really hates college it is usually because that person had an idea of what they would do at college and what college would be like. My biggest advice to you, is to take advantage of all of the "experts" on the campus for four years. At any decent college there will be an "expert" on almost every topic under the sun -- and most of them really want to share their expertise with you. By all means, enroll in all of the recreation and construction classes you think will be interesting. However, you also will have some form of "required courses" that you have to take. Talk to as many upper-classmen as you can. If you need a required biology course, find out which one has the best professor and take that one. Almost always, the one with the best professor will be the most interesting. If you find the class fascinating, you will learn a hell of a lot more and college will actually make you smarter . You may even find that you really enjoy one of these fields and you are really good at it. Remember, if you make a career out of something you love, then you will never work a day in your life. You are still very young, and there are many things you have not experienced yet that you may end up enjoying. Try lots of new things at college, especially if you can also get a requirement out of the way at the same time. Also, go to your professor's office hours and informal seminars when you can. You will be amazed what you can learn out of the big lecture hall. You will also gain a little respect from your professor for that time when you ask a question in class or need to go to office hours because you are stuck on some really difficult topic in class. Best Wishes at college!
Eric where were you when i was starting out in the HE biz....cuz i hurt a little more everyday. 9679 good luck to you....:drinkup
i'd kill for free money for school. $46,000 and counting..... i can make payments right?
Thanks for your insight! I'm going for a civil engineering degree right now. I plan to get a BSCE at UMKC, possibly moving on to an MSCE from there. Ultimately, I'd like to start my own excavation business - I'm glad to see that both the education behind this program and the resulting experience will help me reach this goal! Thanks again! I couldn't have said it better myself!
You can get job anytime but you can't go to college anytime