VWDiesel.net The IDI, TDI, and mTDI source.
General Information => General => Topic started by: BlackTieTD on June 11, 2004, 01:54:44 pm
-
i've been humming and hawing over going back to school for a couple years now... at 19 i put myself through a year of digital media arts training and decided school wasn't for me. in an unskilled or relatively simple field, sure... you can hack it on your own and figure things out... if you're real good you can get a job without that diploma. as is the case with graphic and web design... my current occupation. simple, boring, blahh.. been doing it about 7 years now and i'm ready to move on to something 'grander', and so i spent a lot of time pondering future careers and the education i'd need to get me there.
i've really had my heart set on the best of the best, i guess i'm a perfectionist, and i wouldn't settle for anything less than University of Waterloo Mechanical Engineering Degree program... i've been told the best program of its type in north america. for the past year i've persued a couple correspondence math classes to get me ready, and i've been saving my nickels to make tuition..
well, research has swayed me. i've always been an advocate for college for the hands-on experience it affords, as opposed to the theoretical knowledge gained at a university. the exception to this rule would be doctors, lawyers... and i thought, engineers. everyone is telling me now that i'd actually be better off going with a program like that offered at Conestoga College, a 3 year Mechanical Engineering - Design & Analysis (http://www.conestogac.on.ca/jsp/programs/schooleng/mengtechdesign.jsp)Degree program with 3 co-op work terms. the university grads find jobs, get good pay, but i'm told its the college grads, around here anyway, that are heavily sought after, especially in the automated manufacturing industry in this area which is surpassed really only by japan's. "college engineering grads get the job done" they have hands-on experience that the universities can't teach is what i'm hearing, and it makes sense.
i spent a good hour with the program co-ordinator of this program at Conestoga this afternoon and although i've had that buzz of excitement for the past couple weeks as i've become more and more sure about this decision, now add the reassurance of increased knowledge of the program, and my future career options... and the choice for me is clear.
i've just finished my ontario college application and submitted it. i'm going full-throttle at this and hoping for an admission to the program for the sept '04 class, start date under 3 months away.
i'm really looking forward to this and had to share.. i know there are a lot of clever engineering minds on here! i feel like this is the missing piece of the puzzle for me :)
-
Congratulations on your decision Lanny - you can never go wrong with pursuing more eductaion. And I think your direction is dead on the money - a good hands-on college program is more likely to land you a job sooner than an engineering degree would.
Drew
-
Congrats, Lanny.
I will see you at the GTG next weekend and would be pleased to discuss any questions you may have about the field into which you are entering.
We should also have another UWaterloo Mech. Eng. (1991) grad attending.
Cheers,
Dave
UWO B.E.Sc (Mechanical) -- 2000
P.Eng. this year...
-
A good hands-on college program is more likely to land you a job sooner than an engineering degree would.
I had interviews in 4 different countries and multiple job offers BEFORE I even graduated. It's not degree vs. diploma; it's what you do with your education, how you position yourself, and how you conduct yourself before prospective employers -- and of course the climate of the job market at the time -- that determines whether you get hired, and in the field of your choice.
-
you go girl :lol:
its really hell to get older and wish you had had more formal education under your belt.
good luck. I'm sure you will excel in whatever you put your mind to.
ken
-
you made a post without any reference to diesel or vw.
THROUGH THE SPANKING MACHINE WITH YOU!
ps. good.
-
thanks for all the support fellas! :D
TDIMeister: looking forward to speaking with you at the GTG... barring natural disaster or rabbit failure, i'll be there! i agree with what you are saying about its not degree vs. diploma.. its what you do with it, and i think that the program offered at conestoga will give me the tools, experience, knowledge, etc to help me succesfully present myself to prospective employers. at the end of the 3-yr program, if i want to, and feel the need for, continuing with a university program, there are a couple schools that will let me right into the 2nd last year of their programs, so it will be an additional 2 yrs in university to get a degree, if thats the way i go.
lmao doc. subtle :lol:
thanks again everyone.. i appreciate the support. :)
-
Even if I'm in Quebec, I prefer College over university due to my own experience (and experience of a few close friends too)
The teacher at the college I attended also gave the master's degree classes at Université de Sherbrooke. We basicly got the same classes, same documents and everything.
After 2 years at UQAM, I haven't learned a new thing. Some 3rd year classes are actualy easier than what I did my first year in college ...
I all the way for college over university.
Can't wait to do my master degree. I'll use my old documents from college :)
:roll:
-
I agree with Blades, that in many cases, a practical college Engineering education is more useful than a University degree if getting a job is your end objective. Heaven knows I complained endlessly while at school that what we were being taught was too theoretical and out of touch with the real world.
Strange thing is, having worked in industry for over 4 years now as a Designer (I'm not legally allowed to call myself an "Engineer" yet in Canada) in the engine field, I am finding a love and niche more and more for theory and theoretical research. That said, I have always considered -- and am getting serious about -- continuing my education with a doctorate in Germany.
I think mine was a very fortunate case. To expound on my earlier post, back in 2000, while in my final year of University, I applied to and was invited for interviews with Cosworth Technology in Northampton, England, and FEV Motorentechnik GmbH in Aachen, Germany. Cosworth is famous for their Motorsport achievements with Ford, but the engine development division was separated from the motorsports group, and each is now part of Audi and Ford, respectively. FEV was heavily involved with VAG in numerous engine programs including the original VW Diesel and later TDI. even the latest V10 TDI. Many of the company's executives have some ties and history with VW. I cited Peter Hofbauer in another post, and I'll also mention Peter Walzer, who co-authored a book with Ulrich Seiffert, former head of R&D at VW entitled, Automobiltechnik der Zukunft (Automobile Technology of the Future).
I travelled to Europe in June of 2000 for those interviews, having just finished the last of my exams and not even having gone to my convocation yet, which was in October of 2000. I went for a second interview with FEV's North American Technical Center in Auburn Hills, Michigan; got an offer and worked with the company between October 2000 until the beginning of 2003.
I know I would NOT have gotten these opportunities without the combination of my University degree, internship experience, and research thesis (I won an award on my project entitled "Reduced Emissions and Enhanced Performance in Internal Combustion Engines by Injection of Hydrogen Peroxide"). I'll try to post the abstract sometime if anyone's interested.
Anyway, I'm not trying to make a University-is-better-than-college argument, because my position would be biased and I also have the utmost respect for most people who graduate out of both streams (although I also have a fear if some of my graduated colleagues ever designed a building or bridge... :shock: ) IMHO, a college education prepares you for a specific vocation / skill / career-path. A University education teaches you critical thinking, formulation and knowledge synthesis skills should you want to go outside of your immediate field of training, or want to take the next steps in your education.
Keep in mind that in Ontario at least, under the guidelines of the Association of Professional Engineers, generally only graduates from an accredited University Baccalaureate-degree in Engineering can become "Professional Engineers" and get a P. Eng designation, analogous to a Chartered Accountant (C.A.) for an accountant and in like manner a lawyer earns an "LLB" designation and be called to the Bar.
I am in the process of applying for my P. Eng as I type 8)
Cheers to all,
Dave
-
The best lesson from advanced education is learning how much you don't know. ;)
(FWIW, I'm currently in a professional MBA program out here at the Univesity of Washington. Got about 1 more year to go.)
Good luck and congratuations with the program Lanny!
-
The best lesson from advanced education is learning how much you don't know. ;)
I agree wholeheartedly. The more I know, I more I know how little I really know. :P :D
-
My advice to you is to finish whatever you start.
I'm missing 2 classes to graduate from Dawson College in Mechanical Engineering.
No employers want somebody who has not finished his degree, remember that.
Learning the hard way here.... :cry:
-
thank you, excellent advice. thanks for all your input.
i've always looked at this as "all or nothing" and thats a big part of the reason why it's taken me this long to re-apply for school... i want to make sure i'm ready for the long haul... 3yrs at least, maybe 5yrs of school.
TDIMeister: still looking forward to talking to you about all of this.. i saw in another thread there should be another GTG before the end of summer.
i'm working through the sample math problems they gave me to get ready for the entry exam on wednesday, the test looks harder than i thought it would have been. i havn't worked through math problems like this in 4 or 5 yrs.. time sure flies! its been too long and i'm pretty dull at this stuff... radicals, trigonometry... wow, back into all of this. :? :lol:
-
Hey, if you need a tutor... I'm making a serious offer! :)
-
My advice to you is to finish whatever you start.
I'm missing 2 classes to graduate from Dawson College in Mechanical Engineering.
No employers want somebody who has not finished his degree, remember that.
Learning the hard way here.... :cry:
Rammy,
Somehow I thought that you had already graduated from your program. Donno whether you have plans to return and finish your diploma under different circumstances. Well, you have your reasons, and I wish you the best.
I have made the decision that if I get an acceptance, I am making the big life-changing step to go back to school and pursue a doctorate. Except this will be done in Germany, and it could be a very long term commitment that means I will be a student (and living as such) until well into my mid-30s :shock: That means giving up A LOT that I have gained in my last 4-5 years working in an already very well-paying career. But if money was my sole motivation, I would have made many different choices with respect to where I'd position myself... life is too short to be anything less than absolutely happy with what you do, and to realise your dreams and life's pursuits. OK, that enough philosophising before I start to get teary eyed... :D
-
thanks for the offer dave. my girlfriend works with guy who majored in math and i think he's going to be available tonight to go over a few things with me... if that doesn't work, i might just take you up on the tutoring offer... where are you located again? the exam is wednesday morning so i'd like to get a strong grasp of this stuff tonight, and then just go over and over it tomorrow to nail it into my brain :lol:
-
thanks for the offer dave. my girlfriend works with guy who majored in math and i think he's going to be available tonight to go over a few things with me... if that doesn't work, i might just take you up on the tutoring offer... where are you located again? the exam is wednesday morning so i'd like to get a strong grasp of this stuff tonight, and then just go over and over it tomorrow to nail it into my brain :lol:
Well, I'm in Oakville, but realistically I can't do any magic in the less than 48 hours you have... ;)
I'll send you a PM with my phone number.
-
all i need is about an hour or two to go over a few things. if it doesnt work out with the local guy, i'll give you a call. i have most of it down, there are just a few 'stumpers' that i would like to fully understand. i don't imagine they expect you to ace this test, but i want to anyway.
-
i think i found a couple university math students to give me a hand tonight, but thanks anyway dave. :)
-
the mail came with the test results.
english: 84%
math: 86%
now i wait to hear from admissions to see if those scores are good enough. :)
-
The best luck to you buddy! :D
-
Best of luck to you! - And good direction!
I have 2 years of a Forest Eng degree and need about 13 course to finish a mech Eng degree. And while I would have liked to finish this - the cards and an EX - played with plans, Besides - once you have the degree - you cannot fix anything. Experince is a chairmate of mine who has become the only guy in Canada to make a fire truck that would not hold water. Kinda of a self defeating purpose!
I perfer my grey hair to the ring!
Cheers - and go get it! Centurion
-
the mail came with the test results.
english: 84%
math: 86%
now i wait to hear from admissions to see if those scores are good enough. :)
Soo... I guess this puts a nix on travelling to Europe in the fall with me? ;)
-
hi guys, thanks for all the support :D
TDIMeister: looks like... but i don't want to get too ahead of myself. i applied late so there is a possibility that there are no spots left, although the program director said if i did well on the tests, they should have a spot for me.
also... . my girlfriend and i are in the midst of some hardcore (uncomfortable pause... . . . . . .) renovations of the new house she's going to move into, and i plan to join her there in late august, so either way i think that this fall might not be the best time for me to head off to europe, just too much going on.. but i can't wait!!
-
turns out i wont be able to be taking a vacation this fall... got into school :o :)
-
turns out i wont be able to be taking a vacation this fall... got into school :o :)
Good for you, Lanny!! :) As it turns out, I am also applying to go back to school. It's kind of a weird order for me to do things: Do Bachelors degree, work for 5 years, get P. Eng status (later this year), and go to graduate school (next year, possibly).
All the best to you! We will need another big Diesel GTG before the summer's out! :D
-
school in germany would be a great experience.
for sure, we need to do another GTG before fall. isn't there something materializing in august? do we need to organize?
-
isn't there something materializing in august? do we need to organize?
Well, it's very late notice, but there is one this weekend!
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=783385
Try to make it if you can! I'm camping over, leaving tonight.
-
@ TDIMeister: I think you linked to the wrong topic
-
having a bout with some cold feet it seems like...
i got my acceptance letter on the friday, and the monday my boss calls me into his office and tells me i got the raise i've been waiting for since january (but that its not retroactive!! :evil: )
so now, i'm finally making the salary here i've been wanting to make the past 2 yrs... but i want to go back to school!
i'm trying to convince myself that i need to sign that acceptance letter and drive it in by 5pm tomorrow (deadline) or i will be kicking myself all year long for not going to school. money is great, but i'm really losing interest in doing a 9-5 web job. i have a day to decide what i'm going to do. sign a college acceptance letter and a job resignation... or sit tight for another year working in a cubicle for better money.............
:?
-
The final decision has to fall on your own shoulders... sorry.
But if you'd fast forward about 9 years, you'd be about where I am today from 1995, the year I started my higher education. At that time, I had a computer business of my own. Modest, but profitable, I generally had fun with it...
That's not what I want to focus on, though. After finishing my first degree and having now worked in industry for 5 years, I'm itching to go back to school, because I don't feel my capabilities are being utilised and my ambitions realised to their fullest potentials. It's a dreadful, sinking feeling at 28 that if I were to follow the current status quo of my life, I would be on a course to do the same type of job for another half of my life, till God willing, I can hopefully retire comfortably at 55 :P
Many, many others will not share my outlook. They're perfectly satisfied to slog at their desks or workstations for 30-odd years of their useful careers making admittedly good money every two weeks like clockwork, all the while wasting away their dreams and talents on average 50-hour work weeks and desperately looking but struggling to ignite some passion in what they do for half of their waking lives. And when they're old and their bodies and brains are spent, they get tossed out like an old shoe disguised as a retirement party... all the money you've toiled for and put away since the days of your youth thinking you can enjoy it in your retirement is met with a rude awakening that in your old age you fall into mundane daily routines and the things you've wanted to do all your life you no longer have any interest in, or your deteriorated state of health prevents you from doing them.
Yeah, I paint a bleak picture, but that's not the life I want for myself. The money will come in time to those who apply and make something of themselves. IMHO, self improvement by means of an education is an investment that will pay dividends beyond the $dollar signs$ and you can never have to much of it.
Jeez I sound like such a NERD! :P
-
Jeez I sound like such a NERD! :P
While you are 100% right, you do sound like a nerd.... :lol:
-
@ TDIMeister: You and I think alike :)
Might disapoint a few of you. Dropping out of university for a year.
I needa break and well, let's just says the teachers that are going the classes next semester aren't the best ones. (There's one, many student want to beat the crap out of him ..... 0.68/4.3 average last semester for his classes ... he's in charge of the entire math/CS/biology complex .... he's untouchable)
Rant complete.
Don't worry, I'll go back.
I have spot for 2 other diplomas.
-
The final decision has to fall on your own shoulders... sorry.
fully agree dave. that's what i tell other people "you need to do it for yourself to be successful"... i've seen too many friends waste their time/parent's money on school only to drop out because they are not interested.
thanks for the input guys... thats what i was looking for, just a little commentary. dave, you're even more cynical about the mundane 9 to 5 life-long routine than even me!!! good to see :lol:
i once had a sociology teacher, one of the best teachers i've had, much respect for him, who proposed a different system to the one we endure now. the government subsidizes your retirement BEFORE you work. you get 10-15 years of 'retirement' to enjoy the good life, travel the world, do all the things you want, then you work until you're old and grey paying it off (paying toward a fund for the next generation). sure there are huge complications with this type of system and it will never happen, but i've always kept that in the back of my mind as a 'wouldn't it be nice' sort of thing.
so i'm sitting here with a signed acceptance letter... i need to drive it in in the next 5 hours.
really, if i try to simplify it all.. it comes down to money. i've been waiting for this damn raise for almost 2 years. when i thought "enough is enough, i'm applying for school" i never would have thought that the next business day after i get my acceptance letter my boss would give me the raise. its like i've worked this long for this raise, earned my way here, now i'm going to throw it all away now that i'm here :?
i've made a mistake before leaving a very well-paying job to go back to school and i've always regretted it (was very well-paying at 19 years old, better money than i make now even with the raise).. but that was to go to school for something i was already fairly competant in... i found out that school just bored me to death.
engineering is something completely fresh and new for me. i read the course schedule and even though a lot of it in the beginning is mundane fundamentals of math and science... i look forward to taking on the challenge for some reason. i've designed and built simple things all my life... 90% of the time i don't have the knowledge/means to go as far with this as i would like... i feel like an engineering program is the missing link.
..but do i throw away all that i've worked for so far and start fresh? what if i find out after a semester or two its not for me and wish i had my job back?
i guess this is why i'm having such a hard time with it. uncertainty..
ultimately though i think i will be kicking myself if i dont at least give it a shot...
going to have another meeting with my boss in a couple hours... maybe that will sway me in a definite direction. i'm 80% sure i'll be driving this form up to guelph today........
-
Heh, I don't need some government system to support that kind of lifestyle... I'm already doing it today... :D While I'm certainly not advising this to anyone, I long made a decision NOT to throw all the eggs of my life's efforts and resources from today into the basket of an uncertain future. Heck, I may not be alive or otherwise present on this Earth tomorrow... ("Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow, we die..." -- I actually don't live according to that doctrine, even if what you read may seem to contradict this).
Admittedly, I'm pretty steeped in debt... I don't own real estate, and don't plan to for a while longer -- it's just my observation with people around me that once they buy their house, it's like a ball-and-chain and a black hole from being able to do other things...) But... I have gone on at least two major trips in each of the past 5 years, and I'm never sitting still. I figure, do it now while I can... My passport is full to the brim; later this year will be my 4th trip to Europe in 5 years; I've been to Mexico 3 times, 2 cruises in the last 2 consecutive years and Malaysia (my birth country) another two.
And I have ZERO regrets. The experiences and memories gained from those travels will stay with me forever.
Realise your dreams and your passions... because the reality, well, sometimes, sucks. :D
-
acceptance letter is in... now i wait and see what the big-wigs say about my continuing to work here part-time, or if they will replace me outright. out of my hands now!
..if they replace me, i'm thinking about resurrecting my business for some part time coin. here is a site i just finished for a friend in the UK...
http://www.g-werks.com
-
acceptance letter is in... now i wait and see what the big-wigs say about my continuing to work here part-time, or if they will replace me outright. out of my hands now!
..if they replace me, i'm thinking about resurrecting my business for some part time coin. here is a site i just finished for a friend in the UK...
http://www.g-werks.com
You should get in contact with a good buddy of mine. He's the brains responsible for sites like these:
http://ibeetle.com/flash.htm
http://www.shounin.com
-
I have been thinking of doing the same thing BlackTieTD.
I was in school for Aerospace Engineering..when the aerospace industry was really booming (93-95)
then for some insane reason I decided to stop. I am happy with my decision.. I always wanted to own my
own automotive shop.. and here I am 9 years later doing what I wanted.
I have never had an office job before.. and several of my customers say that they can suck. I have been
contimplating going back to school in the evenings and finishing the degree. I am 30 years old and run an auto shop..
and have a 2 year old daughter. The only thing that is
keeping me from doing it.. is the lack of time that I currently have and the lack of time that I actually get to spend with my daughter.
It has been a real tough decision to make and i'm still undecided.
-
Black Tie- I'm sure that you wont regret it. Congrats on your acceptance!
Meister- I agree with you 100%.
I'm sorta in the same situation. I graduated from college in 2000 with a double degree in computer science and music. So what have I done wth it? Squat. Like some of you, I made more money during my summer jobs between college than I have since I graduated. I moved to Baltimore, MD for a while, my girlfriend lived there and I thought being closer to the city would help out, but all I did was work at a VW dealership in the parts department and deal with all of my awful co-workers. So now, I moved back to my small town in Ohio, (with my girlfriend, thankfully) and I have no job- I have even applied to the local Lowes store just to get a paycheck but they arent even hiring. Now that the computer industry is completely flooded, I probably dont stand a chance getting in somewhere against people who have 15 years of experience on me that got layed off of their other job with the last recession. Oh, and I'll be paying college loans off for 12 more years... :P I have been contemplating other career options but I'm 26 years old now and I dont have a clue what else I would do. Going back to school for something else is nearly out of the picture because there is no way I could afford it. I really wish I would have studied what I really loved in school (theater/music), then I would have had more fun, had better grades, even if I end up in the same position I am in now. Especially since my computer degree didnt teach me jack about computers, everything I learned, I gained from experience.
If I had all the money in the world and time to do it, I'd build a garage, and restore first generation Camaros for people from the ground up, with a one year wait on build time. None of this monster garage seven-day build crap. ;)
But, like Meister said, I try not to worry about my debts too much, and make the most out of what I've got. You never know when you wont be here anymore...
Good luck with school, Black Tie. :)
Brendan
84 Scirocco 8v
00 Camaro L36 M49
-
just stepped out of the bosses office not 30 seconds ago.. their decision is to hire a fulltime person to replace me outright. nothing personal, just that my job is sort of complicated, and will just continue to get more involved and they need a 9-5er here for meetings, working with the rest of the team, etc....... still, i'm kinda bummed out. :(
..at the same time though, its a weight off my shoulders. i might be a little lighter in the pocketbook, but at least now i will definitely have more time to focus on my studies... and hopefully have some spare time to tinker with the cars and other projects on my mind. there is so much to do beyond the 'life-goal' stuff... beyond money, i think i'm better off overall without the baggage of my current job, even though i will only benefit from my hard-earned raise for about 3 paychecks before i start classes on sept 7.
Black Tie- I'm sure that you wont regret it. Congrats on your acceptance!
Good luck with school, Black Tie. :)
thanks!! :D
the computer industry took a huge dump, thats why i've been fighting for this raise the entire time i've been here. computer skills are expendable now... but its hard to find people that really are good at what they do, and who have been doing it since before the 'computer job fad'... i would like to think that i am one of these people. at the same time, you can only sit at a computer screen so long before your only desire is to claw your own eyes out.
music is another of my great passions... there are a lot of times i have enough work on my plate for 4 people, but i'll play drums for a good 2, 3 hours because sometimes thats all i feel like doing. :roll:
I am happy with my decision.. I always wanted to own my own automotive shop.. and here I am 9 years later doing what I wanted.
I have never had an office job before.. and several of my customers say that they can suck.
you're doing what you want, what else can you ask for eh! :P i think you made the right choice. yes, office jobs are not cool. i actually took a break from the office routine and did some entry-level automotive and factory jobs for about a year at a huge paycut, just to get my headspace back to where i am now. without that break i wouldn't be sitting in this cubicle right now.. thats for sure.
I have been contimplating going back to school in the evenings and finishing the degree. I am 30 years old and run an auto shop.. and have a 2 year old daughter. The only thing that is
keeping me from doing it.. is the lack of time that I currently have and the lack of time that I actually get to spend with my daughter.
It has been a real tough decision to make and i'm still undecided.
all i can say about that is, nothing is more important than time spent with your small developing children, in my humble opinion.
You should get in contact with a good buddy of mine. He's the brains responsible for sites like these:
http://ibeetle.com/flash.htm
http://www.shounin.com
clean work :D i'll keep them in mind...
-
just stepped out of the bosses office not 30 seconds ago.. their decision is to hire a fulltime person to replace me outright. nothing personal, just that my job is sort of complicated, and will just continue to get more involved and they need a 9-5er here for meetings, working with the rest of the team, etc....... still, i'm kinda bummed out. :(
Sounds to me that the door is open for you to go solo... That might be more fulfilling for you anyway, plus YOU choose your hours :)
Edit: PS -- you might have answered this before... what is it that you do?
-
some good news on the solo front... the www.g-werks.com site will be featured in an upcoming issue of PVW magazine, with mention of my freelance label void design + development ( http://www.voiddesign.com ).
my current full-time position (completely seperate from what i do with void) is as a web developer for CAA, the Canadian Automobile Association. i am the designer/developer of the CAA Mid-Western Ontario club website.
i've been waiting for an opportunity to redesign their website (there is a lot of room for improvement as they say). the canada section i did a couple months ago looks alright.
http://www.caamwo.com/canada
http://www.caamwo.com/canada/map.jsp
-
i'm still struggling with this major decision...
today is the 11th. the 12th is the deadline for tuition payment or they'll give my spot to someone else...so i can still back out.
question for all of you... and i think i already know what you'll say... but i'd still like some opinions...
in your experience... have you found it is better to take a loan for school... then pay off said loan after school is complete vs. saving all the loot beforehand? what i'm getting at is... i'd like to save up 100% of the money for all 3 years before i even start the program... then i am debt-free. but, that means toiling away another year at a job i really dont like to earn that cash. on the other hand... my starting salary as an 'engineering technologist' should be roughly what i'm making right now (the average starting salary for graduates of my program in 2001 was $2,500/yr less than what i make right now..i hope i will be on high side of average).
so it seems like a good idea to just bite the bullet, go to school... if i run out of cash, i get a student loan and pay it off later.
..but when it comes to actually signing my resignation and making a full-time commitment to school... it doesn't seem that simple.
any thoughts appreciated... i'm just thinking out loud here. :?
-
There are advantages to borrowing for school, chief of which is that the loan is interest-free for the duration you are registered as a full-time student, plus I believe a 6-month grace period after you leave your studies.
I'm no financial advisor, but minoring in economics taught me to appreciate the concepts of "opportunity cost" and the "time value of money". Say tuition costs $5000... you have a choice to spend that out of savings you have, or get a loan interest-free. If you do nothing else, you can borrow $5000 interest free and your $5000 in savings could earn interest or capital gains if invested (then again, you can just as easily lose that money...). Or you can spend that $5000 from your saving , which represents an opportunity cost because those funds are not available for other uses.
But as long as you're hours away from the deadline, aren't you a little late to be asking this question? :)
-
oh of course i'm a little late. how else would it be?? :lol:
believe me, i haven't just left this decision to the last minute on purpose... i've lost a lot of sleep over this and i've flip-flopped on direction several times.
wondering dave... you say i can get an interest-free loan. as far as i know, the only option for interest-free is through OSAP which i am not eligible for. can't give you a reason why i'm not eligible.. i've filled out an application on 3 occasions and always get a result of '$0'. :?
is there another way to get an interest-free school loan? i was under the impression that the banks give you a favourable interest rate, but certainly not interest free.. and no 6-month grace period. but i could be wrong.
-
wondering dave... you say i can get an interest-free loan. as far as i know, the only option for interest-free is through OSAP which i am not eligible for. can't give you a reason why i'm not eligible.. i've filled out an application on 3 occasions and always get a result of '$0'. :?
is there another way to get an interest-free school loan? i was under the impression that the banks give you a favourable interest rate, but certainly not interest free.. and no 6-month grace period. but i could be wrong.
Even if you negotiate a loan or line-of-credit directly with a bank for educational purposes, if the interest is not already waived by the bank, the interest is deductible in full from your income tax payable. If you don't earn sufficient income to take advantage of that deduction in that tax year, you can claim it in a later year, up to 5 years, I think...
-
cool. thanks for the info dave.
i'm sitting in this cubicle... feeling somewhat liberated for a change because i have the opportunity to leave this all behind and start something fresh and new that i'm really looking forward to.
been speaking with the program director some more... he's been telling me what the more challenging 1st year courses are... and my gut feeling is nothing but "bring. it. on!" can't wait :)
-
You ARE the man, Lanny!
You coming out on the 21st? You know you wanna... ;)
-
haha of course i wanna!
i also wanna have a place to live when school starts ;) ...need to finish work on the house. but, can always make time for a VW GTG, the missus understands :lol: ..also have some friends who have planned a camping trip that weekend. too much to do, not enough time!
-
i don't think we'll make it out dave, hoping to move into the house on saturday. next time. will you be at the aug 28 GTG? ....i have a 10-day holiday starting aug 27. i signed and delivered my resignation yesterday... tuition is paid... it's all still sinking in though! ...i'm a, student? :lol:
-
hi all!
i'm barely 2wks into school and you all were right, i don't regret a thing. we've jumped right into it... engineering materials classes are teaching me things already in the first 2 wks that i have wondered about for years. i have engineering drawing assignments due on monday, and a math test already in 2 days!!! :lol:
its taking some getting used to, homework and all that, but i'm really happy with my decision and i'd like to thank you all again for the kind words and guidance.
...and you know, it doesn't hurt that the company i worked for just had a merger on friday and i'd more than likely be out of a job within the next 6 months anyway :lol:
is anyone else back in class? what are you taking, hows it going?
thanks again everyone 8)
-
Not back, but just sent my registration to finally finish my Technical Degree in Mechanical Engineering... :P
I just made sure that the enveloppe went to the right person so I can graduate...
The best is yet to come I think...
I have an interview for a job in my field that pays a lot more than what I'm doing now (I work for Staples, yuk... :cry: ).
It'll be the second interview...fingers crossed! :D
-
Lanny
It's good to hear that you feel you made the right decision :D. I started my 2nd/last year at Centennial College back on August 30 where I'm taking the automotive technician course. Last Sunday I started machine shop level 1 and this week I'm starting MIG welding and blueprint reading at Sheridan College. However, there are still about 20 other part-time courses at Sheridan that I want to take. I working on getting my welding certificate and machining certificate now, and later I would like to learn how to operate CNC mill and lathe and do CAD also. It estimating that it'll take me about 4 years to complete all this.
I'm also very happy that I have a diesel, especially now, because even with all the driving I do (about 550-600km) a week, fuel is only about $25.
Good Luck
Peter
-
I have made the decision that if I get an acceptance, I am making the big life-changing step to go back to school and pursue a doctorate. Except this will be done in Germany, and it could be a very long term commitment that means I will be a student (and living as such) until well into my mid-30s :shock: That means giving up A LOT that I have gained in my last 4-5 years working in an already very well-paying career. But if money was my sole motivation, I would have made many different choices with respect to where I'd position myself... life is too short to be anything less than absolutely happy with what you do, and to realise your dreams and life's pursuits. OK, that enough philosophising before I start to get teary eyed... :D
We'll I'm going back to school :D
As posted on VWVortex: (http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1951134)
I am thrilled to announce that, after months of anxious waiting, and many more years of dreaming and hoping, I received word of acceptance of my application to pursue an M.Sc. degree in Energy Engineering (http://www.vka.rwth-aachen.de/indx1024.html) at RWTH (Aachen Technical University) in Germany (http://www.rwth-aachen.de/zentral/english_index.htm). Basically, in this program, I will be taking the next step in studies and research in combustion engines and engine design at one of the most renowned Technical Universities in the world!! :D
Those of you who have known me for a while will also know how long I have talked about and hoped for this. This acceptance represents the culmination and fulfilment of a deep desire of mine to go to Germany for many years. I have travelled there 4 times since 1999, and I have been fortunate to have been able to experience meeting so many people, and visiting places and sights that few have been able to.
Waiting in anticipation in the past months has been one of my greatest challenges, and I thank all those of you who have journeyed with me and wished me favourably in this endeavour, and for others who have remembered me in their prayers. The circumstances of my acceptance is nothing short of a miracle, as I feared that my credentials were not as strong as I felt was necessary for acceptance at one of the most prestigious departments and Engineering Universities in Germany if not in all the world!
My immediate challenges are to apply for a German student visa; selling most of my possessions (including my beloved Quicksilver :( ); coordinating the move from Canada to Germany; and working out financial details as I will be returning to full-time studies. The next few months will be a very busy one in many ways, but one of the biggest sacrifices yet would be to have to bid farewell to family, friends, and home, of which I consider you guys in that company. Such is the resolve of my dream that I am willing make this move. As a result, the upcoming summer will hold very special meaning for me as I take every possible opportunity out of all the busy-ness to enjoy the company of friends and family in a time of a lengthy but celebratory farewell.
Thanks for letting me share in my joy. Going back to school might seem the farthest thing from good news to some of you, but I am so happy!!!!!!! :sly: :screwy: :laugh:
Plans are already underway for a trip to Europe in mid-August through Labour Day, and one person is already down for it! More travel mates would be awesome!!! On the itinerary are stops in London, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Rome, and the focal point being to PARTAY in Germany and Greece!
Oh ya, since threads with no pics get few views, here's a couple :D
(http://www.tdimeister.com/pics/tdi/180_on_the_Autobahn.jpg)
(http://www.tdimeister.com/pics/2002europe/Rothenburg_wall2.jpg)
-
Congratulations.....but seeing as this is the "WORLD wide web", there is no reason why we won't be hearing from you once you've relocated in the "Fatherland"? .......BTW, I'm extremly envious to see someone as excited and pumped up as you apparently are...I wish I could find some focus in my life to spark the same emotions you are experiencing now.... :cry: ....Best of luck in your pursuits....Kevin
-
Wow man, that rocks! I've never even been to Germany and feel the need to go there. :) I'm a big idiot for not taking the chance to do a semester abroad in England while I was in college. A couple of my friends did and said that it changed their life. Oh well, I didnt go because I was afraid that I would fall behind in my Computer Science degree (not offered at the school in England) when it turns out I ended up dropping it as a major and switched to Music. Doh!
Way to go on your decision. Should be a challenging and rewarding experience, I am sure. :)
Good luck-
Brendan
84 Scirocco 8v
00 Camaro L36 M49
P.S. dont suppose you could hook me up with some euro-Scirocco parts while you are over there? 8) Ha! :)
-
I ended up dropping it as a major and switched to Music. Doh!
Good luck-
Brendan
84 Scirocco 8v
00 Camaro L36 M49
There's a lot of back and forth between sciences and music. What do you play?
-
There's a lot of back and forth between sciences and music. What do you play?
Meh. The only thing I still play is guitar, and I dont play that as much as I'd like to. Most of my music major was in theory/composition/conducting, but I was in two chorale groups and played in a madrigal group that performed 17th century madrigals with a combination of singers, recorders, crumhorns, my mandolin, and viols. Lots of fun. In high-school, I played french horn, trumpet and mellophone but havent picked up any of those in years. :(
I played guitar 24/7 in college but something about working 50 hours a week severly diminishes any desire to do much of anything when I get home.
So yeah, music major is nothing I can apply to real life. :P Well, I dont really apply any of my computer science stuff either, as it was all digital logic and software engineering which sucked anyway. If I could do it again, I would have double majored in music/theater, stuff that I loved, and that way I'd still have the same crappy job now but at least I could have gone to England and had more fun in my $20k/year 4-year party. :)
(which I am still paying for......)
Brendan
84 Scirocco 8v
00 Camaro L36 M49
-
How is everyone's semester going?
I haven't heard much from TDImeister lately, I'm sure he has his hands full over there. Anyone heard much from him?
I'm sad to say I sold out and went back to working fulltime after year 1. I think I did it for the right reasons though and I hope to return to Engineering studies, but at the University level for Sept '06 or '07 start.
Its a big commitment, 5 years of schooling. I'd like to hear some reflection from any Eng. grads on your experience, what you are doing with your education now, and what you might have done differently?
-
How is everyone's semester going?
I haven't heard much from TDImeister lately, I'm sure he has his hands full over there. Anyone heard much from him?
I'm sad to say I sold out and went back to working fulltime after year 1. I think I did it for the right reasons though and I hope to return to Engineering studies, but at the University level for Sept '06 or '07 start.
Its a big commitment, 5 years of schooling. I'd like to hear some reflection from any Eng. grads on your experience, what you are doing with your education now, and what you might have done differently?
What is the difference between college and university for you. In the US they are pretty much just nomenclature differences dependding on what school you are at. Perhaps your college is more like our Community College, which is another name for the two year schools here? A bachelors of science in engineering degree is designed to be a 4 year program (although alot of people take 5 years to finish it). You can get two year technical degrees on various things, but not usually the traditional engineering disciplines.
I have two engineering degrees. Bachelors in electrical engineering, and masters in civil. I work designing large PV systems. This does use some of what I learned in school, but I have to say that most of the experience that I actually feel helps me do my job was learned outside of the classroom (alot from the networking I did in grad school), and the classroom stuff only helped me figure out WHY things work the way they do -- I've been building stuff since I was 10, but there's less trial and error after the engineering degrees.
Z
-
I have a year left at Kettering University (formerly GMI) and we do this 3 month rotation between school and a co-op job, I really havent used anything from the classroom, the most complicated math that i have used in the field is rise over run for calibrating pressure transducers
oh hey check out my rabbit on kettering's website they just did a veg oil article on my buddies and I, but yeah the degree mainly gives you credibility, but there are a lot of kids that get through that should not have even started college, they may be book smart but they have no common sense.
the Biggest thing in college is Networking, and Networking. remember the saying its not what you know its who you know, man is it true. small colleges and Strong Fraternities are great for this
I engourage you to get back into the field and good luck
later
Justin
-
How is everyone's semester going?
I haven't heard much from TDImeister lately, I'm sure he has his hands full over there. Anyone heard much from him?
AWW, I'm so humbled that people wonder about me. Sorry that I've been out of touch from this forum. The last several months have been crazy, and as it is I spread myself very thin between school, my part time job and all the partying!! :shock: :lol:
I'm doing great! Been here in Aachen, DE, since early August. The study semester actually began only in mid-October, but prior to that I was getting settled in my new home and attending an intensive German language course. I'm taking some really cool courses, but some really hard ones as well... Internal Combustion Engine Fundamentals is facsinating me but I'm finding everthing to be simple stuff I already know, and unfortunately I don't have a very inspiring lecturer for that course... Automotive Engineering I is also a wonderful course and I'm learning a lot in a much more structured and quantitative manner when I already have a lot of cursory knowledge and field experience.
My social life has never been better. I certainly never got out this much and found such acceptance in Canada. I have made some really close friends among classmates and their network of friends... I find that I'm out doing something 3 or 4 nights of the week :shock: And have I said that German women are to die for?! :D Maaaannnnn!!!
Anyway, so much more to share but I promise I will be more active here. Marc and I have been chatting on MSN and I look forward to sharing and contributing more, especially on an interesting thread he referred me to about the resurgence in IDI Diesels.
I'm sad to say I sold out and went back to working fulltime after year 1. I think I did it for the right reasons though and I hope to return to Engineering studies, but at the University level for Sept '06 or '07 start.
Its a big commitment, 5 years of schooling. I'd like to hear some reflection from any Eng. grads on your experience, what you are doing with your education now, and what you might have done differently?
Well, Lenny, I have full confidence that you made the right decision for you. Coming back to school has actually been a bit of a challenge for me academically. I have not really had to use my brain like this for 5 years, and I am feeling a little overwhelmed with some of the material in certain courses. But I guess I am not helping myself considering I have not spent an iota of time in study outside of scheduled lectures and tutorials... :oops: The German study system is rather different in Canada. I am used to getting homework and assignments, the grades of which contibute to the course final. Here however, there are no such homework and assignments. You are given complete freedom to do as little or as much as you want. You don't even have to attend a single class. Your final examination is the be-all-and-end-all that determines your overall grade. A 100% final exam is a scary thought for me...
If you have any questions, Lenny, about your future direction, feel free to ask. Hey, you can even come to Germany :D Falling enrollments, especially in Engineering fields (and Germans loving Canadians :) ) actually make it fairly easy to get a place at a German University. Believe me, my qualifications are nothing extraordinary! Plus, tuition is FREE! Yes, FREE!
-
What is the difference between college and university for you. In the US they are pretty much just nomenclature differences dependding on what school you are at. Perhaps your college is more like our Community College, which is another name for the two year schools here? A bachelors of science in engineering degree is designed to be a 4 year program (although alot of people take 5 years to finish it). You can get two year technical degrees on various things, but not usually the traditional engineering disciplines.
i was enrolled in mechanical engineering - design & analysis 3-yr co-op program at the college level. i have completed 1st year.
the university program i am considering is mechanical engineering at the university of waterloo which is a 5-yr program and far more intense.
the important practical difference between the two is 4 little letters after my name, P. Eng.
if i graduate from college i'd be a technologist and be lucky to make what i make now.
if i graduate from university i'd be a Professional Engineer. that designation carries much more weight, responisibility, and paycheck.
i'm not really interested in investing the next 2 years of my life into a program that, once completed, will more than likely land me with a lower-paying job than the one i quit to go back to school. i'd love to say i'm not doing it for the money (because obviously engineering is far more interesting than graphic design), but in the end, its a job, it pays the bills, and its all about the bottom line.
beyond that, college was like high school. i showed up with 'my game face on' taking everything quite seriously. i quit my full-time job and disrupted my life completely to be there. i wasn't fooling around. in the end, i was incredibly disappointed with the pace of the program, the knowledge of the instructors, the lack of option to add additional courses, and even my fellow classmates (who more times than not would be happy as long as they didn't fail).
i tried to bulk up my course load by applying to add several upcoming courses to my current timetable, and was unable to. some courses they offer only for one semeseter per year. i was left feeling like i was working to about 50 or 60% of my capacity and i felt like i was wasting my time. so when it came time to think seriously about returning for 2nd year... i called my old boss instead and got my old job back. (i also called UofW admissions and had missed the deadline for '05/'06 admission)
UofW is one of the premier engineering schools. it is known to be TOUGH, the math is heavy, the pace is at least twice that of college. before my experience at college i was intimidated to the point where i didn't even apply to UofW or other universities. i had been out of high school for at least 4 or 5 years and i didn't think i could 'hack it'. if anything, the college experience gave me confidence and the drive to achieve something greater than college could provide. i'd rather fail giving my best effort at university than coast through college wondering why i'm there.
sorry, that explanation got long... i'm just a little frustrated with the whole college experience.
the Biggest thing in college is Networking, and Networking.
a couple of you mentioned networking...most people i talk to about this say the same thing. at college, all i found myself being exposed to were people and opportunities dealing with production-type work. factory environment. i have worked in tons of factories (part of the 'research' i did that led to me returning to school in the first place) and i have no interest in being a millright, or being an engineer in charge of ensuring that X amount of parts are stamped in time for Y deadline. ideally i'd like to work with new ideas, innovate, develop concepts or even do field testing....whether its an automobile or a toaster. i hope that at the university level i will be able to find the opportunity to network with people who will be able to help me move more in that direction.
AWW, I'm so humbled that people wonder about me. Sorry that I've been out of touch from this forum. The last several months have been crazy, and as it is I spread myself very thin between school, my part time job and all the partying!! :shock: :lol:
sounds like a blast dave. you are following a path that is quite intreguing to me... whether or not i make it as far as you have come remains to be seen, but you certainly have helped to open my eyes to the opportunities that are out there. my step-father used to return from business trips to germany where he would attend hydraulics/pneumatics trade shows and tell me all about the crazy things the germans were doing. i've always wanted to get over there and see it all for myself. to actually attend school there would be unreal!
i'm really glad its all working out for you and you are happy with your decision. keep us posted on the happenings over there... feel free to dump in this thread like i do :lol:
and PS! it's Lanny, with an eh. :wink:
-
It's definitely true about the networking thing.
The business that myself and my partners run came together because of networking. All the business that we have done so far has come from networking.
In early October I attended a seminar hosted by Communitech( an association of all the high tech businesses and schools in the Kitchener-Waterloo area) One of the speakers was an early 30-something guy that founded a company called Redknee Inc. (it's went from zero to about $50 million in annual revenue in about 5 years) A lot of his speech was about how he spent alot of time in university(U of W) getting to know all the smartest students because he wanted to hire them when he started his business.
BJ
-
lets bring this one back from the dead....
how's everyone doing with school? call out to davemeister!
last night i put my application in to the university of waterloo for september 2006. mechanical engineering of course. here's to hoping! (http://www.vwvortex.com/vwbb/embeer.gif)
-
Congratulations on your upcoming return to school :D
I returned to school to get an engineering degree (after 12 yrs out) and have not regretted it even once (I finished 10 yrs ago in May). I know that makes me very old. :oops:
When considering pay as the motivator I have found that I could make almost as much and sometimes more before the degree but, I had to work twice as many hours to do it. So for me it has been an enabler for a higher quality of life.
Enjoy your time in school! It will be fun!
-
lets bring this one back from the dead....
how's everyone doing with school? call out to davemeister!
last night i put my application in to the university of waterloo for september 2006. mechanical engineering of course. here's to hoping! (http://www.vwvortex.com/vwbb/embeer.gif)
Congrats on sending in the application, Lenny. Nothing is by any means guaranteed, but the initiative and drive to pursue this is commendable! :)
I'm doing well here, as noted in my previous post above. I just wrote exams this morning in Internal Combustion Engine Fundamentals and Energy Conversion Machinery.
Very, very heavy studying, made all the more difficult when you have 2 1/2 hours to write both exams which could take 3 hours to write EACH! They were not difficult courses at all; but I did myself no favours by procrastinating in my studying... :oops:
If it interests you I will send you links to some lectures, tutorial problems and past exams in PDF format of some of the courses I'm taking that I've hosted on a website of my own.
-
I returned to school to get an engineering degree (after 12 yrs out) and have not regretted it even once (I finished 10 yrs ago in May). I know that makes me very old. :oops:
Enjoy your time in school! It will be fun!
:) thanks! i've been out of high school since 1999 but i've tried two college programs since then. everyone says they don't regret it and that i won't either once i finish.... its great reassurance.
Congrats on sending in the application, Lenny. Nothing is by any means guaranteed, but the initiative and drive to pursue this is commendable! :)
If it interests you I will send you links to some lectures, tutorial problems and past exams in PDF format of some of the courses I'm taking that I've hosted on a website of my own.
hey deve! (it's lAnny, dave!! :lol: )
yes please do send me some PDFs i'd love to take a look!
'by any means guaranteed' is right...
just got off the phone with admissions at UW and discovered that although i soared through 1st year engineering at conestoga including programs in all areas of study that UW has listed as prerequisites, UW does not recognize these courses as equivilants to the 12U courses they require. the guy i spoke to said its kind of a grey area because i was last in high school before they introduced 12U courses and did-away with OAC.... so essentially i fall between the cracks, but in a bad way. to be considered i will have to complete 4 pre-university courses at an adult learning centre (and if i want in for sept '06 i have less than 30 days to complete all 4, impossible). all this despite having all 1st year marks at conestoga above 85% with averages of 90% and 91%. i figured for sure that would be enough, i was wrong. the time for someone to tell me this would have been last summer when i inquired about it! i spent over an hour on the phone with admissions at UW in july and he didn't mention any of this. now it looks like sept '07. :( adult ed here i come :lol:
-
Lanny (whoops) :lol:, can't you apply as a mature student then???
-
i am applying as a mature student. even as a mature student i still need those 4 pre-requisite courses (that i thought i had equivilants of, but apparently i do not) :evil:
-
Well, keep plugging away, Lanny. And should the day come of your graduation from a Univ. Engineering program, you already know someone who would be honoured and happy to present you your Iron Ring. ;) :)
-
i get a ring? nice! :wink: :lol:
thanks for the encouragement dave, good luck in das vaterland!
-
i quit my job last thursday :D party
who's going back to school this fall? what are you taking?
how's it coming with you dave? sick of the warm beer yet??!
-
Still here, once in a while at least. Not sick of the beer, but definitely missing home. Anyone wanna contribute to a "Bring Dave Home Fund" for September? :)
-
i get a ring? nice!
Yes, you get a pinky ring, and immediatly lose all my respect. :D Them pinky ring rubbin' types are the scourge of the practical world. All we wanna do is just get (and keep) the machinery running. Terribly hard thing to do with them engineering types around... :D
It's an odd relationship I have with engineers. I conceive it, I design it, I build it, I wire it, I program it, but I can't turn it on until its approved by a P.eng. They once typed up a 37 page report on a 12 foot long conveyor I built, the bleeding thing didn't have 37 parts... It's different, the way they think...
All I have to say is try to keep it real, Lanny...
-
hey dave, sorry can't help you there, i have tuition. :lol:
bruce, i share your line of thinking. i'm enrolled in a college program that does not give me p.eng. when i'm done (it is a 3 year diploma program, co-op).
i hope to graduate in 2 years (1 down so far) and get to work applying the knowledge that i have gained. i may at that time persue the exams that could lead to p. eng. status. the main reason i want the letters after my name is the larger paycheck that comes with them. (read one of my posts a little ways up :lol: ). i admire your technical knowledge and practical abilities far more than a ring and some letters!
-
WOW. It's incredible to think that I came to the same conclusion, but the hard way. Spent 2 years in a college applied science program, (honour roll blah blah blah) and was pretty much instantly accepted at pretty decent University. Then I hit the wall of school bureaucracy on the Formula SAE program (try getting money from the school), profs who don't give a *** and only focus on their theoretical quantum crap.
After spending most of the time in the machine shop and not studying, they kicked me out. Took a year off, worked my ass off to buy the car that I wanted and started getting regular pay raises... but in a field I knew I was not going to stay in (sales all the way up to local call centre manager). I missed the CAD, the machine shop, so back I went to my old college. I'm now doing the Mech Eng Tech program and am loving it. Not too many programs allow you to handle an oxy-acetylene torch in your material science class.
I'll eventually finish a BEng, but I must say, this is the best decision I have made in a long time. By the end I should have all the skills to actually fabricate that mid-engine diesel sports car that I've had in my head for a while.
-
I have just over 2 weeks left in my undergraduate career, and it has opened so many oportunities for me. I went to the national biodiesel conference on someone elses tab, done research to help diversify my abilities and education. I recomend college to those determined enough to want to achieve greater things in life. (we dont have many spelling and grammar classes here at Kettering so please excuse me)
Good to hear that you are making the most of it, I found myself wanting to drop out or transfer and then I started making the classes work for me instead of working for class. thats what made all the difference in attitude, grades, and future opportunities
later
Justin
-
hey guys, thanks for the replies.
i'm on a short break in my Design 1 class so i can't reply much now, but i will later.
i'm back at college in the same program i left, year 2 now. we're discussing gears at the moment :)
-
Even if I'm in Quebec, I prefer College over university due to my own experience (and experience of a few close friends too)
The teacher at the college I attended also gave the master's degree classes at Université de Sherbrooke. We basicly got the same classes, same documents and everything.
After 2 years at UQAM, I haven't learned a new thing. Some 3rd year classes are actualy easier than what I did my first year in college ...
I all the way for college over university.
Can't wait to do my master degree. I'll use my old documents from college :)
:roll:
This is what I wrote in June 2004.
Lots of stuff happened since then ....... Basicly, I turned my 3 years bidiciplinary bachelor in maths-CS into to uncompleted certificates (need 2 and 3 classes respectively)
Never got around to completing them yet.
I got a job as a Demo Manager at Sun Microsystems.
Decided to start my 3rd certificate (3 certificates = 1 bachelor) in japanese.
Whated a serious change from maths and work.
I'm happy with the move.
-
Hard to believe I'm at the end of my 3rd semester already.
I have submitted applications to do a thesis this autumn at Lotus, Cosworth, McLaren, Audi Sport (R10 engine development program), Toyota F1 and Renault F1. Negatives so far from Lotus and Toyota. :(
Nobody above would even take a look at you without a Masters degree completed or in-progress.
-
good to hear from you dave. glad all is going well. time flies eh. audi sport?! good luck man that would be amazing.
thanks to everyone who has been sharing their experiences.
i'm doing my 2nd co-op term right now, have about a month left. i'm at marcon custom metals (http://www.marconmetals.com) in kitchener. so close to my house i can go home for lunch. we do a lot of large scale custom fab work. a lot of structural. its interesting and i've learned a lot but i definitely want to be more on the mechanical side of things. most of my time is spent on dust collectors and WESPs. here is a hex tube bundle from a standard size WESP, 304L stainless (no that is not me :lol: ):
(http://www.marconmetals.com/img/Projects/pictures/April-2005-046.JPG)
gallery of marcon's past projects: http://www.marconmetals.com/projects.html
-
hmmmm i'd hate to see the size of the bee's!!! lots of honey! :lol:
-
I just got accepted to Cambrian College in Sudbury. Heavy Equipment Technician. 2 years with 2 summers of co-op and then a few years as an apprentice. Should be fun. I don't think it's exactly what I want but it's a step in the right direction.
-
currently i'm in a technical high school for diesel mechanics. its good background info, but i know more about fuel systems than the teachers. lol. i work every other week instead of going to shop. so i have classes the other week.
In october, i'm leaving for University of Northwest Ohio. Its a really good technical school. better than Wyotech and such. I'm taking High Performance technology and alternative fuels, with an associates degree in each. the credits are even transferable so i could get a masters and such eventually. i toured the campus and would recommend it highly. the HP facility was just put up for at a cost of 7 million.
with all that said, what is everyone's thoughts of getting a job in the high performance field. i figure i can always fall back on alternative fuels(have experiance with this, assuming moonshine counts :lol: ) I'm just not sure about being able to find a job in the HP field.
-
this is a little late but here goes......
akrallysport - glad that its working out, that sounds similar to my experience. i want to know more i'm going to PM you.
Justin - hows it going now that you've graduated??
Blades - have you stuck with the new career direction?
burn - wooooooooooooooooo! you got it.
adam84 - i don't have much information to offer, but you've got good direction. i want to do something similar but its tough to know what path to take. i also have a big desire to get into alternative fuels...
i'm really on the fence right now. all the local industry is production environment... and without a university degree its tough to find something i'm interested in, that i am qualified for. they all ask for P. Eng. or a degree. the jobs that are available to me for co-op and local employment after graduation mostly involve engineering in a manufacturing role. not my cup of tea. still searching for something 'just right'. i figure i'll be lucky if i get my dubs fixed up by the time i graduate, so i'll just focus on that in my spare time until then. i have some good courses coming up... thermodynamics 1 & 2, machine design 2 & 3... i'm sticking with this.
-
Well, at least your degrees in Canada really count for something. I remember being "brainwashed" my whole educational career with people telling me that once I get a degree I can have any related job I wanted, and the employers will be breaking down my door to hire me. Most interviews I've been to did not even ask about my education. :P I'm still with the same small-town local IT company, but I have been promoted. I am on a full-time contract as the Technology Coordinator at the County Educational Service Center. Beats working in the main office taking internet tech calls. :P So it's more money, but my girlfriend and I just split up after 5 years, so I'm living on my own, which has it's advantages, but now I have to pay for everything. :P Still doing the custom-paint-performance shop on the side though. We just finished up an old Suzuki motorcycle, then we have a Vulcan cruiser that is getting a wild paint job, then we return to the old Benz that needs restored. Plus, I've got the TDI swap in the Scirocco going as well. Always something!
Good luck to you guys- TDIMeister, I can remember it like it was yesterday when you started your Germany gig and how jealous I was. :P Time files!
Brendan
84 Scirocco 8v <-- TDI swap
01 Jeep TJ 4.0
-
Good luck to you guys- TDIMeister, I can remember it like it was yesterday when you started your Germany gig and how jealous I was. :P Time files!
How time flies indeed! :D More than 2 years later, I'm in my 5th semester, and I will be here a while longer. Distinct possibility of doing a PhD, either here in Germany or back in Canada. Meanwhile I have a steady German girlfriend of 15 months.
I've just finished my Mini-thesis entitled, "Vehicle Fuel Consumption Benchmarking Through Driving Cycle Simulation in GT-DRIVE" and will be starting my Master Thesis next Spring.
So, let's get an update of everyone! Lanny, David (Rammstein), how're you guys doing?!
-
hey dave. sounds awesome, glad to hear.
i have my 5th semester coming up in january. thermo, mechanics of fluids, stuff like that, and starting final year design project. a lot of the big ideas i had got turned down, but i have a few more. nothing like "Vehicle Fuel Consumption Benchmarking Through Driving Cycle Simulation in GT-DRIVE" though :wink:
-
My second semester is about to start in January.
I wasn't going to come back for it but I want to learn about hydraulics. I was looking forward to fuel injection until my prof told me I probably know more about it then he does. It'll be fun using the pop testers though.
Being a heavy duty mechanic all you really need to know is a rough idea of how it works and how to replace it
Hopefully I can take a night welding course
-
wow cool to see how many young people around my age are on here haha and i've been contemplating going back to school, i work full time as a service technician at a respiratory/pulmonary/biomed company, just doesn't pay as well as i'd like. i already went to a vocational highschool for electronics/computer repair, what a waste of time haha i learned next to nothing about electronics i should have taken one of their auto courses like collision, diesel, or auto tech, oh well. i just dunno what i really want and i don't want to become a poor student
-
Well, I finished my technical degree in 05 (at Dawson College...) and I now work for a government medical clinic (called a CLSC).
I'm in charge of everything technical: moving desks, installing billboards on walls or changing clocks` batteries...
It's nothing really exiting, but it pays ok. Lots of free time too. :wink:
Since my last post in this thread, I worked 1 year for Bell Helicopter. A 1 year contract to help in the mechanical lab testing hydraulic systems mainly.
I'm starting (for a second time) my bachelor in Finance at Concordia University, the John Molson school of business.
I realised that we all work to make money, so having a job about making big bucks is what I need.
Some courses have to be taken outside the John Molson school of business, so I will certainly take some mechanical engineering classes (30 credits or so).
Finance and administration students are together for the first year, so I will also look at the possibility of obtaining 2 bachelors in about 4 years... :D
I would like to also do mechanical engineering, kinda just for me, finance being for paying the bills and cars modifications...you know. :lol:
-
Reviving this from the deep freeze.
I'm within days of submitting my thesis to end my Master studies in Germany. It's been quite a crazy 52+ months since I hopped on a plane with my life belongings as my luggage and left Canada to do my M.Sc in Germany. Now I'm returning back to Canada, but my educational journey is not yet over... I'm doing a PhD in mechanical engineering in Quebec, to start promptly in the new year.
P.S.: It might interest some people that my Master thesis is on the subject of 2-stage turbocharging... and my PhD will also have something to do with engines as well.
-
Congrats man, I remember being jealous when you started on your journey many moons ago. :)
Will it be hard to leave Germany?
Brendan
-
Good for you.
Do you plan on posting your thesis on here per chance?
-
Since you asked, here's a peek... a further development of the work in my thesis is patent pending and will be used to build a 2.0 TDI with streetable 400 HP.
(http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z114/daveo643/Tech/772d8671.png)
-
Just checking in for a routine update. Where's everyone at? I see Blacktie and RammsteinTDI have not been active since 2008 :(
-
Hi I;m one of the new guys that has taking over the forum ;D well Not really lol
-
still learking around here and there but not as much as I used to now with being married, working full time, a 19 month old daughter and another child on the way. working towards my masters in Mechanical Engineering Engine Systems through UW Madison online.
later
jkeiffer
-
Very nice Justin! All the best with your family and in your endeavours!
I used to live in Lake Orion and work in Auburn Hills, located very close to the GM Orion assembly plant and Roush Industries.
UW Madison has some amazing research and faculty there. Prof. Rolf Reitz is a titan among engine engineering academics!
-
Well I completed my first year of college but then quit to go work for Giles. It's been 2 years and I've decided to move back to North Bay which will mean finding a new job or going back to school. I'm still very undecided.
-
Finish college. Even if you wind up in a different field, it still looks good on the resume! Got to be someone in the Bay that needs a part time fuel guy to keep the wolf from the door while you go to school......... Wait, that's not where you started the college thing, is it?
-
No I went to college in Sudbury. There are no fuel shops in North Bay but there is on in Sudbury. I kind of hate that town though.
-
Very nice Justin! All the best with your family and in your endeavours!
I used to live in Lake Orion and work in Auburn Hills, located very close to the GM Orion assembly plant and Roush Industries.
UW Madison has some amazing research and faculty there. Prof. Rolf Reitz is a titan among engine engineering academics!
Thank you,
when were you in the lake orion area? I co-oped at FEV from 04-06 which was just south of Lake Orion. the spent some time in Tucson developing Bows for PSE and was fortunate enough to land a job back in MI now working on V12 air cooled 1790 cubic inch Tank engines upwards of 1200 GHP:)
Good luck with your thesis,
Justin
-
LOL, I worked at FEV. That's the company I was referring to the whole time. How cool is that?! Who are some of the people you knew there?
-
I worked for Dave Gian, and with Jason Lambert, Knut ???, Gabe Proctor, Craig Jasin, Russ ??? (mechanic), Dave LeCronier, Tom Houle, Brian Purdy, Carl Block, Tom Cells, the infamous Tom Jackson any of the techs at brown road facility and a few other people.
now that I am at L-3 CPS Brandon Danks used to work at FEV as well whom I now work with.
any of these names ring a bell? which department were you in and when did you work there?
Small world,
Justin Keiffer
-
Hi everyone, sorry for committing the faux pas of reviving a very old thread - there's just so much history here. Just wondering if any of the original old-timer posters in this thread are still around and what's going on with them all.
-
Well since you asked... I'm a level 2 truck and coach apprentice at the moment. Living in North Bay and working in Kitchener area.
I'll add a few more details. After working with Giles I worked for myself doing handman repairs. Then I got involved (volunteering) with a Christian ministry that did a lot of work in Israel. That lead to another volunteer position with a different ministry in the filming/editing department. Through that, I became good friends with a fellow who would later become my brother in law. I married an American and the whole Green Card process was dragging on so we switched gears and my wife is now a Permanent Resident in Canada. Volunteering wasn't paying the bills with 1 kiddo and 1 on the way so I applied for a job as an apprentice at Mack dealership. I wasn't expecting to get hired since I knew almost nothing about trucks but they gave me a chance. Turns out it's a pretty in demand field. It also turns out that I chose an excellent company to work for an have been with them for 3 years. I moved 4.5 hours away from the shop but still commute down there to work. Kind of crazy but it my schedule gives me a lot of free time for side work and time with my family.
Here's a couple videos I was involved with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v7ncQ6mgI4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de9Mgux_ff0