polarisrider1
New member
X2, Ezra is right.
Engineering
- Thread starter SledTL
- Start date
X2, Ezra is right.
G
G
Guest
X3, Ezra is right. You wouldn't be happy very long as a union bee. You have much more potential.
indy_500
Well-known member
exactly what i just said LOL
indy_500
Well-known member
Exra,
Yep, Control Data Institute, the goal was to train techs to work on the Cyber 18 systems, we trained on tape drive, disk drive and other systems. It was on washington Ave. in MPLS. I think when Control Data went under CRAY was started by the head guys and I believe they are still going. We also worked on burroughs and speery equipment, alot of the techs were offered high paying jobs in the middle east. This was in the early 80's when I was young.
Yep, Control Data Institute, the goal was to train techs to work on the Cyber 18 systems, we trained on tape drive, disk drive and other systems. It was on washington Ave. in MPLS. I think when Control Data went under CRAY was started by the head guys and I believe they are still going. We also worked on burroughs and speery equipment, alot of the techs were offered high paying jobs in the middle east. This was in the early 80's when I was young.
SledTL
Active member
Lol I'm talking names..obviously I know what you were saying
agriffinjd
New member
Try colleges that will give you scholarships to reduce your debt. Go out of state. Some universities want to attract students from out of state, so they will give a scholarship that reduces your tuition to the resident rate instead of nonresident rate, for example. Everyone wants to go to a big ten school, so the competition is harder to not only get in, but to get any scholarships. Try other schools, like michigan tech or even a private one like marquette university or Milwaukee school of engineering. Find a school where you fit in the top percentile of gpa and you'll get more scholarship offers.
eagle1
Well-known member
-1
So it's better to be a corporate slave? Work 60+ hours week only to have your boss tell you "oh yeah we need you Saturday too."
while I would never recommend not getting and education and bettering your self. Sometimes there's more to life than how much money you can make.
I don't know, maybe it's just me but my "home time" is worth more to me.
Yep.. Engineer here and that's exactly how it is..especially if you on salary..
I've been a computer engineer for over 20 years. I work at a big company and we have a very hard time finding good candidates for engineering job openings. Most of our hires are foreign graduate students since we can't find enough qualified US citizens. It is sad really. Engineering is a high paying job. Starting pay at my place is over $80K. Most engineers after a few years are making $100K. This is true for high demand engineering positions: computer, chemical, petroleum to name a few. Most important is to do what you enjoy but if you enjoy creating stuff and solving problems then engineering is a good choice. I've been fortunate but it has worked out really well for me. Looking to retire in 9 years at 55...so I can snowmobile more 
SledTL
Active member
I've been a computer engineer for over 20 years. I work at a big company and we have a very hard time finding good candidates for engineering job openings. Most of our hires are foreign graduate students since we can't find enough qualified US citizens. It is sad really. Engineering is a high paying job. Starting pay at my place is over $80K. Most engineers after a few years are making $100K. This is true for high demand engineering positions: computer, chemical, petroleum to name a few. Most important is to do what you enjoy but if you enjoy creating stuff and solving problems then engineering is a good choice. I've been fortunate but it has worked out really well for me. Looking to retire in 9 years at 55...so I can snowmobile more
See that's what I'm talking about..and heck I may like it so much that I say nope to med school. Is that a bachelors degree or are people masters and doctorate
indy_500
Well-known member
Exactly. I want to be able to sit in my OWN garage, tinker on my own stuff, do what I want to do at the end of the day. I love my trucks and sleds to death, I wouldn't trade them for the world. Now tell me why, WHY ON EARTH would I want to go sit in a classroom and waste 4 years of my life only to have $100,000+ in debt to pay back, and HOPE I can get a good job out of college. Sure, maybe the end result is better (engineer will make 2 maybe 3x what i make when We're 45 yrs old) but the time is not worth it to me. I already know I would make a perfect engineer. I maintain a 3.5+ gpa, in advanced math classes, I do well in school and I can fix anything from trucks to sleds, probably one of the most mechanically inclined teenagers out there, but I can go make $12-15 an hour as an apprentice and continue to do what I love every weekend all winter long. I will be able to grow up into my adult life saying I didn't have to sell my sleds and truck, to buy a Cavalier and miss out on 4 winters just to pay for college. Machining has endless possibilities. If you dig up my CNC machinist thread from a year ago, most guys started out machinists and ended engineers. Most critical part relating to this, is many engineers can dream up anything and throw it up on a sheet of paper but they have no idea where to start to make such a thing or if it's even possible. If you ask me, a true, well skilled CNC machinist (not just a button pusher) is both an engineer and machinist in one and very underpayed. When summer rolls around, I will be making plenty of billet sled parts. Too bad the name "Indy Specialties" is already taken
Who knows, it could lead to tool and die making some day (big $$$) just got in a new boring bar at work, it was just a touch over $10,000. I'm very excited to see what will happen this summer. I will find out very soon If I will be offered a formal apprenticeship there, so far I love every second of it, Can't get any better than getting a print calling for an aluminum part to be made and you send it out looking like chrome take some business classes on the side!
sure U can figure it out on your own after yrs of mistakes .
I am all for ojt but only as a means to a end.
no one gets the time off they need to enjoy the 1 life they get working for some one other than them self!
funny thing happens after a few yrs of sitting at a job making ok money complacency. all the best workers have it none of the owners have it.it is a real ez sickness to catch and a hard one to cure after the house payments start coming the truck payments the wife gets pregnant. now the dream is just that U are trapped working for a guy (never as smart as u in your mind)u see 20 times a yr when he stops in between vacations with his trophie wife.
u look over from behind your water jet with a bad case of would a should a could a and think oh well 15 more yrs and I will poss get a pension out of this deal .
and on a side note why in the world would u want to sit in a class for 4 yrs? THE GIRLS. that is the best part of collage the endless stream of hot girls with over 3/4 looking for the approval and attention of any man she could not get from her father.
EZ pickens.
1 other good reason to hit some side business classes to stay in the kitty party loop
sure U can figure it out on your own after yrs of mistakes .
I am all for ojt but only as a means to a end.
no one gets the time off they need to enjoy the 1 life they get working for some one other than them self!
funny thing happens after a few yrs of sitting at a job making ok money complacency. all the best workers have it none of the owners have it.it is a real ez sickness to catch and a hard one to cure after the house payments start coming the truck payments the wife gets pregnant. now the dream is just that U are trapped working for a guy (never as smart as u in your mind)u see 20 times a yr when he stops in between vacations with his trophie wife.
u look over from behind your water jet with a bad case of would a should a could a and think oh well 15 more yrs and I will poss get a pension out of this deal .
and on a side note why in the world would u want to sit in a class for 4 yrs? THE GIRLS. that is the best part of collage the endless stream of hot girls with over 3/4 looking for the approval and attention of any man she could not get from her father.
EZ pickens.
1 other good reason to hit some side business classes to stay in the kitty party loop
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CrossfireLOW
Member
I have a BS in chemistry and thought about engineering before that. Here is what I can tell you from personal experience.
If you are interested in any science/engineering field it is my opinion that you get a very good foundation and understanding in math. Eventually you will (or have in AP classes) encounter trigonometry, calculus, and differential equations (think of this as applied calculus). It is obviously important to get good grades, but it is more important that you truly understand the topics in these classes. The concepts in those three in particular WILL come up again in engineering, physics, chemistry, and even biology to a lesser extent. If you have a strong understanding of math, then when you get into other subjects you can concentrate on learning the physics, chemistry, engineering, etc. being taught and not get bogged down with the math as otherwise might be the case.
Some common BS degrees before going into med school are chemistry, biochemistry, and biology fwiw. Of those I'd say go with chemistry or biochemistry, most people I know with a biology degree have said they wish they had gotten a chemistry degree.
Don't be afraid of med school because of loans, the loans may be big but so is the pay. I heard what was being offered for a general physician in another small town a couple hours away from me. Lets just say it was just as close to 7 figures as 5 figures and they couldn't get any takers. So, if you get an md and are willing to live in the middle of nowhere for a couple of years, the pay to compensate for being in the middle of nowhere can really cut into those loans quickly.
Just remember educated doesn't necessarily mean intelligent. There are plenty of idiots out there with a phd.
If you are interested in any science/engineering field it is my opinion that you get a very good foundation and understanding in math. Eventually you will (or have in AP classes) encounter trigonometry, calculus, and differential equations (think of this as applied calculus). It is obviously important to get good grades, but it is more important that you truly understand the topics in these classes. The concepts in those three in particular WILL come up again in engineering, physics, chemistry, and even biology to a lesser extent. If you have a strong understanding of math, then when you get into other subjects you can concentrate on learning the physics, chemistry, engineering, etc. being taught and not get bogged down with the math as otherwise might be the case.
Some common BS degrees before going into med school are chemistry, biochemistry, and biology fwiw. Of those I'd say go with chemistry or biochemistry, most people I know with a biology degree have said they wish they had gotten a chemistry degree.
Don't be afraid of med school because of loans, the loans may be big but so is the pay. I heard what was being offered for a general physician in another small town a couple hours away from me. Lets just say it was just as close to 7 figures as 5 figures and they couldn't get any takers. So, if you get an md and are willing to live in the middle of nowhere for a couple of years, the pay to compensate for being in the middle of nowhere can really cut into those loans quickly.
Just remember educated doesn't necessarily mean intelligent. There are plenty of idiots out there with a phd.
SledTL
Active member
Did you put the EZ from Ezra in there for effect haha. To crossfirelow I'm sitting in physics class right now as I type this whoops should pay attention, but I have calculus in a few periods and took trigonometry last year. I feel like I have a strong base especially in calculus, sometimes physics the problems get extremely difficult, but it's an advanced college course so I expect that.
CrossfireLOW
Member
SledTL,
What physics class are you taking, I assume general/classical physics? If so, I hope it is calculus based physics, algebra based general physics doesn't get you very far in science/engineering majors.
Just out of curiosity what type of classes are you taking? Are you in a program that lets you take college courses during high school? I think that program in Minnesota was/is called "Senior to Sophomore".
What physics class are you taking, I assume general/classical physics? If so, I hope it is calculus based physics, algebra based general physics doesn't get you very far in science/engineering majors.
Just out of curiosity what type of classes are you taking? Are you in a program that lets you take college courses during high school? I think that program in Minnesota was/is called "Senior to Sophomore".
SledTL
Active member
No it's not calc physics...I believe it is called physics B. it's an AP class so it is a ton harder than general physics given to most students. All of my classes are AP which means that I take a big test at the end of may for each subject and I can earn credit hours for college. The calculus that I'm in is AB and I think that it was differential first semester and now we are doing a bunch of stuff with integrals. They are maybe talking about a calculus based physics class next year but I want to take AP chem so I get a better understanding because I feel like I didn't my sophomore year. I thought about AP biology but the chem will probably be a better choice. They have an engineering type of program at our school and so I'm taking principles of engineering along with an anatomy and phys class
CrossfireLOW
Member
That is good that you are taking these tough classes in high school. It looks good on a college application and you might be a step ahead of your classmates starting college. My concern with AP type classes and programs that colleges and high schools likely won't tell you or anyone. The college credit hours you get might not help/count in you major.
For instance, lets say for an example you know you want to major in chemistry, so you take the chemistry ap class in high school. Just be sure that the college class that you get credit for is the general chemistry class you need for your major. You may get credit at a college or university system for Chemistry 101 but need Chemistry 151 for the major. 101 might be the chemistry class that business majors take as an elective to fulfill their general college requirements. In this case your ap class credit is essentially worthless when it comes to a chemistry major.
Some miscommunication on my part. What I mean by general/classical physics, doesn't mean easy or basic. From a university level class perspective general/classical physics means starting from newtons 3 laws, primarily F=ma, and building up to the physical principles used in all sciences: gravitational attraction, light, electrical forces, thermodynamics and more. Like I said, not easy, just the starting point.
Similar with differential equations, this just a branch of math that uses calculus (integrals and derivatives) to set up equations to solve complex problems. A classic problem is filling a tub with water that has a small hole in the bottom, how long with it take to fill the tub? Since the rate of water flowing out of the tub changes due to the volume of water in the tub, the answer is not a simple a+b=c situation.
Go Fast or Go Home
Active member
I agree with polarisrider1---Kettering is the way to go. Takes a bit longer but they have an excellent co-op program with top companies. You get hands on experience, earn a salary to defray college costs, and when you graduate you will already have work experience to add to your resume'. When my son graduated he had his choice between six top companies.
SledTL
Active member
yes I understand the whole AP stuff, and I'm not really trying to get out of science and math classes. I would be studying that for my major so no need to skip those classes. I already have credit for geography and United States history plus I should have psychology and English out of the way. Yes my physics class is basics of thermodynamics, just finished electric stuff, not gonna talk about my test haha, but now we are moving on to magnetism. And yes my calc class is that, we just had a practice test today and there was a problem identical to that one haha. The reason I like Madison so much, one I'm a very social person so I like to be at big schools. There is three thousand kids at my school and I like the setting. I'm not putting down Kettering at all, but it is in flint which some of my school documentaries have shown that its a bit sketchy. Also Madison doesn't do direct admittance to their programs you have to take classes and prove yourself. I love proving myself, it's exactly what I've learned from being on a nationally ranked cross country team. This sounds kinda like an application, sorry guys.