Could use some advice

[crimsondragon]

Well I'm currently a 22 year old bum (sorta). I'm working as a delivery guy for a wheel warehouse. I graduated with an associate in applied sciences for aviation maintenance in July. Just waiting for that very expensive piece of paper to show up in my mailbox. Right now I'm full time for this company so as much as I want to get my A&P (Airframe and Powerplant) certificate to be an aircraft mechanic, I really don't have the time. Then there's the whole aspect of being able to get a job. I need to keep working to pay for some of my loans as well as some other "itches." These projects aren't cheap.

What I really want to do though is apply to Rutgers and enter their Mechanical Engineering program. This is sort of a spur of the moment decision that I made like a week ago. I realize I probably won't get very far with no experience in the aviation industry (mind you, I have a month of experience working for Delta before I had to resign), so I guess it's back to school for me. Plus, I think this is what I really want to do.

Brief history about myself: I wanted to be a pilot when I was in high school. Went to Florida for a year and took up flying. It got really old, really quick. Came back up to another aviation school and tried to decide what I wanted to do with my life. That semester in the new school, my dad handed me the keys to the DSM. Drove that for a while and started getting into modding it. I was hooked and that's pretty much how I got into the aviation maintenance program. Don't get me wrong, I love being under some form of vehicle as much as the next mechanical nut but there's a limit to what we as mechanics, professional or grassroots can grasp by just working and beating on them. I wanna dive further into the science and that's how I came to the conclusion to go back to school. Plus the salary for an engineer looks nice.

Thoughts or suggestions? No part outs. My dad handed me the keys to that car and I have a ton of history with it, even before he did hand me the keys. My DD is my Jeep but I'm getting the urge to do something to it as well (not that I haven't already, mostly mall crawler crap just to ease the itch). Is it a good idea or not to go back to school? Is the job market for my degree not that bad and I should look for a job? I'm trying to figure out a way to take a week off and go for the certification. I'm not the brightest bulb in the house, mostly lazy but I believe I can really kick it into gear if I try. Thanks for hearing me out. I'll get off my soapbox now.

 

[xjtrailrider]

Go back to school! If you don't do it now you never will.

 

[bigalpha]

School is important - especially for something like Engineering or Aerospace-type things.

Engineer jobs pay good money, but be prepared to work your ass off while in school and be prepared to be responsible for things once you get out. As an engineer, your "opinion" will go much further than other peoples' due to your credentials.

Engineering is a ton of math (that's why I never got into it) and will take up a lot of your time. I know there are a number of people here who are in engineering school or who are engineers. Hopefully they will chime in.

 

[RichP]

Both my kids are in school, ESU, daughter going for teaching, early childhood and working with autistic children. Our son, Biology and environmental engineering. He could have graduated last Dec but stayed for some other courses in geo, he's now taking some other courses in organic chemistry and others and going for his masters program next year if he gets accepted. Pushing our daughter for the same and she may come around but she is anxious to 'start her life'.
We look at it this way, we have our home, they live there rent free, we are not going anywhere for a few more years so before they get into buying a house or getting an apartment it's a good time to go and get it done with.
He has mentioned several times that being a college professor appeals to him too so who knows where that will go.
There are many grant programs for science and engineering available so look into that.

 

[joejeep92]

I am about your age now too. I was working full time at Advance Auto and decided I wanted a career I could be proud of. I went off to diesel school. Best decision I ever made...I would say go to school or hey join the Air Force and get the training there...

 

[tharlanjr]

I turn 24 on the 19th and I wish I would have gone to college...

Now that I work full time and live by myself it would KILL me to try and go to school.

Get as much school as you can done because once you get stopped its hard to get going again.

 

[joe_peters]

I turn 24 on the 19th and I wish I would have gone to college...

Now that I work full time and live by myself it would KILL me to try and go to school.

Get as much school as you can done because once you get stopped its hard to get going again.

Start it online--you can even drink beer while getting lectures! Go as far as you can with the online, then take a night class. Before you know it you will be within striking distance of a degree. I doubt if there is any university or college out there today that doesn't offer some courses online.

Good luck.

 

[MoparManiac]

If you want an Engineering position, definitely be prepared to work your arse off. There's deadlines, several different managers up your butt wanting milestones and budgets met, constantly wondering why testing is taking so long, etc. etc.

The pay is (at least at my company) very good and we are treated with respect and good benefits. Not all engineering fields are a ton of math, for example I am looking towards pursuing my CCNA and getting into enterprise networking architecture. Lots of civil communications pursuits involve designing networks before the customer will give you a penny.

 

[TunnelRat]

As an A&P ticket holder myself (who has never used it on a real airworthy aircraft), the aviation industry definitely has its challenges. I really enjoy wrenching and riveting, but it's more of a hobby than what I want to do with the rest of my life. Also, the industry is very location-oriented. In Spokane, I'd go bankrupt if I wanted to work as an A&P - you'd make more as a regular ASE mechanic. The most important thing is for you to do something you enjoy.

 

[crimsondragon]

Don't know too much about Spokane but I remember seeing Boeing hiring at their base in WA. I remember telling myself that if I had to move to WA to get into Boeing, I'll pack my bags first thing in the morning.