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David G

Well-known Member
Marcus,

It appears that you have interest in farming and being a mechanic. It is getting harder and harder to make a living without an education. There should be good tech schools for Diesel technologies in your area. IMHO, it would benefit you more to invest the money you planned to spend on equipment to get that education. You could get a full time job doing that and learn farming on the side. It would also be beneficial to farm for someone that has the money to buy the equipment and learn on their nickel.

The school of hard knocks is REAL expensive.
 
I am just someone that has BTDT, was lucky that my FIL kept on me about education, it has paid off many times over.
 
I am a product of an associates degree in Automotive (Vincennes University, Indiana) I agree with Dave's Point entirely Jim
 
Marcus, I am 100% with David's comment.

One of the gentlemen last evening pointed out even though you're being home schooled there should be opportunities in the Public School system you can participate in, or even the Technical School Institutions.

My friend from work has a son, 16, in a parochial school that has no shop or technical classes. He is very hands on and wants to learn welding and mechanics. I have taught him what I know about welding and he has helped me on a couple tractor projects, more to come.

Anyway, he needs more than I can offer. One of the local public high schools has a evening technical program for just such needs. His dad looked into it, he needs to be a Junior so he will try and enroll next year. Point is, talk to your local schools and technical colleges.

Paul
 
Here in E SD we have Lake Area Vo-Tech that has a excellent program for diesel mechanics. I went there the first year it opened....1966. Only went for 1 year, learned a lot. It would take a longer program for today's high tech engines. Locacted in Watertown, SD.
 
AS automotive-- BS Industrial arts w/industrial,Manufacturing emphasis-- MS Technology Education and Careers, Ph.D. Technology Education/Vocational Education in Higher Ed. You Asked!! Jim
 
"The school of hard knocks is REAL expensive."

Might be,but those are lessons you never forget. lol
 
I got my Associate degree there also. Mine was in diesel. I was the first class in the John Deere diesel tech class. Good school and very hands on. Let's mention the thirsty Thursday party's!
 
Could not agree more on the value of education. I could never have achieved what I have been able to do, without it. I did agricultural college diploma, then bachelors degree in Australia followed by 4 years graduate school at University of Illinois. It is now a long time ago, but I have never regretted it.

Alway encouraged my kids and grandkids to get a good education.
 
If you want to work on farm equipment look into the John Deere diesel tech program. You work for a dealer while going to school. I started out getting my associates degree through that program. Even though I did not stay in that field my education got me a better job.
 
Fall 1967 till spring of 1969. The George Whitehouse era. I lived off campus east of the Ebner Building. Jim
 
That is very good advice David. Without a strong basic education in industrial maintenance I would NEVER have been able to land the job I have now. Vo tech schools are sorely overlooked by alot of people. It opened alot of doors for me. Halfway through the second year my tech teacher said we are going to find a job for you. I landed at the Erie zoo as a maintenance helper. We used a company for heating and AC repair, if we could not fix it ourselves. A couple of the guys there talked me into going for more schooling. Another one of the best moves I have made was listening to them. I have now been employed with that company for 17 years making way more money than I ever expected.

" They can't take away what's in your head"
 
I had an instructor in college that said, "no partial credit in real life..." when pressed by some students to curve a test grade.

Took me 13 years to get the college degree - somewhere in the top 5 things I ever did - life changing experience.

IMHO - a 4 year college degree today is what a high school diploma was 30 or 40 years ago.

Sad part is - most of my friends that have the talent to go back to college (part time at night) will put in more hours and generally work harder paying for the new 4x4 truck than it takes to get a college degree that would make a salary difference and an easier buy for the next 4x4.

You guys have read my posts..... If I can get a college degree, ANYONE CAN!!!!!!!!!

YMMV
Bill
 
I agree with the sentiments about going to trade school rather than trying to go about things the way you have been.

If you were coming from a farming background that's one thing. You should have learned about tractors and gotten a bunch of wrenching experience growing up.

However, trying to pull yourself up by your bootstraps at ~18 years old with no experience, no education just doesn't work in this day and age. Businesses don't have the time, patience, or money to pay someone while they try to figure out the difference between a socket wrench and a combination wrench. Farmers don't have the patience or money to pay a "custom operator" while they figure out how to operate and fix their old junk tractor.
 
Bill, the secondary schooling I took was at a place called Triangle Tech they only taught trades. Electrical, HVAC, carpentry, electronics. It is a no bs school only what you need not alot of course work to "make a more rounded individual". I hated regular high school and even though I did well at it there were a lot of things that I to this day have no clue why we had to learn about. Alot of people would be better served going to a trade school. Just my 2 cents....
 
(quoted from post at 08:22:56 02/08/17) I will look into this as it seems like a wise thing to do. Thanks
Click to expand...

Just move to San Francisco....I hear they will be offering free tuition to any college of your choice!
 
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