If you could go back..

[bowhunter1023]

I'd be a Petroleum Engineer or would have went ahead with my law degree and focuses on energy law. You've received some great advice, but Milo's post is one you should take to heart. Good luck in whatever you do Jake. Knowing your old man, I'm sure you've been raised well and will do just fine in life.

 

[bowhunter1023]

Moundy, You should go to school. Not because it will be the most fun, but it opens up the world to what you are able to do. That little piece of paper that says you made it through means more job options. I hire people regularly and it's one of the first things I look at. Not because it means they are smart, but it means they went out and did something not everybody does. From there, you can decide what you want to do, including starting your own thing. There are certainly people who didn't go to college who figured it out and do well now, so it's not to say you can't do that...it just makes it that much easier. Yeah, debt from school sucks, but knowing you have the freedom to be one leg up on the guy who didn't go when you are looking for a job is really helpful. Not to mention, if you really do want to start your own business someday, the stuff you learn in class can actually translate to the real world sometimes. Plainly said... don't give yourself one more obstacle to overcome. If you are not super fired up about spending the next 4 years of your life in a classroom...get it done early! Take a huge course load and get outta there in 2-3 yrs.

Just my 2 cents.

More outstanding advice. I have a piece of paper and I can't tell you how important that was in getting me where I am today. It's the best $100 a month I spend...

 

[hickslawns]

IMO It Takes A Smart Young Man To Even Ask Such A Question.

Very true. Hats off to you MH for even asking. It shows us you are open minded and receptive to ideas. . . or you are easily swayed by your incorrigible friends. lmao

Don't be like me. 15yrs of busting my ass to get to the position I am. While I am in a position I enjoy, there is no security in it and things could change any minute. It is a position of stress and frustration, but can also be quite rewarding. All I am saying is there is good and bad, but plenty of stress either way. I did NOT choose the easiest path. I HAVE been very fortunate. You will find life can be this way. Sometimes you kill yourself and get nowhere. Other times crap falls in your lap. Just keep busting your butt and never forget where you started.

For what it is worth, I DO have a degree. Don't use it much, but I did complete it. I spent 9.5yrs in the guard to help pay for it. (Not the reason I joined, but a nice side benefit.)

Here are some ideas for you: Fire department? Police? Oil fields with Riverdude? (I heard he is looking for a little snuggle buddy.) College?

If you have ANY inkling about the fire service, it is one heckuva gig. All the full time guys complain, but they also make good money, with good retirement and benefits and only work around 10 days a month. I am a volunteer and had seriously considered this route even 5-7yrs ago.

Reason I mention police and fire is because they are services that are not going to leave. Much like the medical field if you have ever thought of this. Male RN's are pretty common and make good money.

 

[cotty16]

Do whatever makes you happy. I know I'm very thankful for my parents and my wife pushing me to stick with college. Without my degree who knows where I'd be today. However, like Danman said, a degree doesn't guarantee you anything.
My advice would be to research different fields that will be growing and fields that will always be around.

I chose teaching because I enjoy working with kids and always wanted to coach. I chose elementary 1-8 because of the flexibility it gives me to move around if needed. I've been 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade in my 13 years. Going secondary really limits those who choose that route because it is more subject based.

My point is, be sure to look at something that will give you different options if one thing falls through or if you want a change later.

One other bit of advice would be to choose a profession that does not require CE (continuing education). Having to take classes all the time gets expensive if tuition reimbursement is not available.

Make a list of possible careers and note positives and negatives. Work hours, stress, responsibilities, cost of education, work setting, etc...
See what you think after making the list.

Some jobs require turns. Would you like that? Do you want a desk job? Outside job? Hands on?
You get the idea.

If you were my son I would ask you to try to find a solid major and attempt college. I think it's better to start right out of HS. Most kids who don't go right away never end up going at all.

Best of luck to you.

 

[moundhill]

I've taken all your guys' responses to heart, it means alot and all the advice definitly helps. As of right now here's the list of post highschool options I've been thinking about..
1) College
a)Get a major in Wildlife management and pursue a career in anything along those lines
b)Go to college for another major, business management and entrepreneurship, or Fire and Emergency Services..I think being a firefighter would be awsome, with alot of great benifits..as Phil said.

2) Try out the mowing gig..
I'm just really skeptical about doing this, I would love to be my own boss like I said before..but it almost doesnt seem to be worth it.

3) Give the pipefitter's union a shot. It seems like a great opportunity with a relly good starting out wage, and if i work my way up i could be bringing in some good money..and like fire and emergency services it's something that will always be needed with the growing population.

Again, thanks for all the input so far. My parents are kind of pushing me more towards going to college, I've been filling out scholorships and stuff TOO. Cotty i would like to be doing something hands on, or outdoors. I don't really think sitting at a desk is for me, but you never know. That might change. And I definitly will make a +, - chart of all options. That seems like it will narrow things down quite a bit.

 

[finelyshedded]

Just so you know MH, alot of GWs get great places to hunt and fish and have plenty of time to enjoy it TOO. Don't let that scare you off like it did me. That was my thinking as well and 30 years later I'm seeing I couldn't have been more wrong. The pay might not be great in the beginning like JB alluded to earlier and the competition a little stiff but that would be a job that would get you closest to what you seem to love the most. If I had it to do over that's what this guy would have pursued.

Goodluck in your decision!

 

[Milo]

I've taken all your guys' responses to heart, it means alot and all the advice definitly helps. As of right now here's the list of post highschool options I've been thinking about..
1) College
a)Get a major in Wildlife management and pursue a career in anything along those lines
b)Go to college for another major, business management and entrepreneurship, or Fire and Emergency Services..I think being a firefighter would be awsome, with alot of great benifits..as Phil said.

2) Try out the mowing gig..
I'm just really skeptical about doing this, I would love to be my own boss like I said before..but it almost doesnt seem to be worth it.

3) Give the pipefitter's union a shot. It seems like a great opportunity with a relly good starting out wage, and if i work my way up i could be bringing in some good money..and like fire and emergency services it's something that will always be needed with the growing population.

Again, thanks for all the input so far. My parents are kind of pushing me more towards going to college, I've been filling out scholorships and stuff TOO. Cotty i would like to be doing something hands on, or outdoors. I don't really think sitting at a desk is for me, but you never know. That might change. And I definitly will make a +, - chart of all options. That seems like it will narrow things down quite a bit.

if you can accurately count the deer herd size in OHIO you will have Officially cornered the marketlmao

 

[moundhill]

if you can accurately count the deer herd size in OHIO you will have Officially cornered the marketlmao

Well if I work my way up and get the job, I should be able to..I'd probly fib/make up excuses though..

 

[Milo]

what ever you decide, be sure you know the starting salary and compare that to the investment you will have to make for the education you choose. whether anyone will admit it or not, its truly a financial decision in the end. there are people who do go to college and rack up 20K in dept for a 30 K a year job. that concept does not make much sense to me

 

[huntn2]

what ever you decide, be sure you know the starting salary and compare that to the investment you will have to make for the education you choose. whether anyone will admit it or not, its truly a financial decision in the end. there are people who do go to college and rack up 20K in dept for a 30 K a year job. that concept does not make much sense to me

That is more or less exactly what I was about to type...consider the potential return on your investment!

I say that from experience. My wife and many of her friends are all teachers. That is great. I am not knocking teachers but my wife and her friends went to a private college where tuition room & board is over $30k per year...unfortunately a teacher salary isn't sufficient to incur that amount of debt.

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[Huckleberry Finn]

b)Go to college for another major, business management and entrepreneurship, or Fire and Emergency Services..I think being a firefighter would be awsome, with alot of great benifits..as Phil said.

2) Try out the mowing gig..
I'm just really skeptical about doing this, I would love to be my own boss like I said before..but it almost doesnt seem to be worth it.

Like Phil said, a lot of the guys work 2-3 24 hr shifts a week if you're in a big city and that would leave you time to run a mowing business on the side IF you had a good partner.

 

[cotty16]

That is more or less exactly what I was about to type...consider the potential return on your investment!

I say that from experience. My wife and many of her friends are all teachers. That is great. I am not knocking teachers but my wife and her friends went to a private college where tuition room & board is over $30k per year...unfortunately a teacher salary isn't sufficient to incur that amount of debt.

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Amen

 

[moundhill]

When it comes to the starting salary it seems liek the pipefitters union would be my best bet i think. I do like the Huck's idea on the Firefighter with mowing on the side.

 

[Milo]

That is more or less exactly what I was about to type...consider the potential return on your investment!

I say that from experience. My wife and many of her friends are all teachers. That is great. I am not knocking teachers but my wife and her friends went to a private college where tuition room & board is over $30k per year...unfortunately a teacher salary isn't sufficient to incur that amount of debt.

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this (to me) is why the cost of education is getting out of control...you have to take 6 years of schooling now (masters and bachelors) and the job has to justify the investment. Not everyone gets a free scholarship.

 

[Milo]

I can tell you this much that welding is a darn good field to get into also. then boys can make some Benjamin's....

 

[finelyshedded]

this (to me) is why the cost of education is getting out of control...you have to take 6 years of schooling now (masters and bachelors) and the job has to justify the investment. Not everyone gets a free scholarship.

I agree!

 

[Huckleberry Finn]

That is more or less exactly what I was about to type...consider the potential return on your investment!

I say that from experience. My wife and many of her friends are all teachers. That is great. I am not knocking teachers but my wife and her friends went to a private college where tuition room & board is over $30k per year...unfortunately a teacher salary isn't sufficient to incur that amount of debt.

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Don't go into debt if you can avoid it...I'm graciously only 24k in and that's still not fun. I can't justify spending 50-70k the next 3 years to get a more advanced degree that will find me making 65k a year. I'd rather make take the skills and opportunities I have now and do 40-50 and go from there...I have MANY friends that will graduate school and grad school with 75k or more of debt. One gal I know will graduate with over 200k in debt...granted she will make well over six figures her first year of working but that's a damn risky investment.

Oh, and if you go the College route, do it in no more than 4 years and less than that if possible.

 

[moundhill]

It seems like going in debt even a little bit is almost unaviodable, but how much I go in debt can be controlled. I plan on a 2-4 year college plan if i go that route.

 

[saddlepants]

NOw that Im Back in college I can answer that for myself. Tried college back then. Big and small with goals that were way to high. If I could go back to graduation with what I know now I would go to the smaller college and work/apprentice. Its so much easier now with online degrees and you can get the first part of any degree allot less expensive this way. The first year or two of college you are simply filling in Prerequisite classes that are often mundane and boring. If I knew all this then I would have simply started college this way and would have been better able to decide which direction I wanted to go in the first year or two without so much pressure while going in both directions at the same time. Scholarships and grants supply more than enough for the smaller school so the rest can be used to supplement "life" and I would have still been able to work/apprentice as I did. Campus life was NOT for me esp when It was just doing all those classes that were boring and mundane. So you can do BOTH so easy now at the same time, and decide later which one to pursue completely after you have had a taste of both. I have online classes, I have "in" classroom classes and "hybrid" classes at my choice until I get deeper into my major where many will be in class. But in the meantime I still can hunt, work, whatever while getting the stupid math, english, chemistry done on a flexible level! Its great! And Now with the many new programs theses colleges have its easy to transfer everything to the "big" school if you decide to "go all the way" later!! You can go to class and still mow grass!!

 

[JOHNROHIO]

As it has been posted above, the fire service has a lot of options. It has been good to me over the past 15 years, and i am very great full for that. For the most part a full time hours are 24 on 48 off in Ohio. You would be able to run your own business on the side, many guys do run landscaping or something on there days off. As for me I fool around with a farm and drive a school bus part time, when I'm not hunting. Hocking has a good fire program as well, but it seems that most guys will go get what they need to get started , and do the part time jobs in hopes for full time and then do online classes for there degree. I am sure there are other firefighters on here, but if you have any questions let me know.