Presently I am attending Oregon State, as roughly a Junior. I'm in an Ag Business Major program but I am finding that this program is highly restrictive as to what I have to take. In all reality just because I force myself to get an ABM degree does not mean I will get a farming job, or even be better at managing a farm. The ABM program has me taking a lot of classes that I have no desire to take, and in my personal opinion don't apply to what chosen career path. So, because I transferred in from a cc, I have a lot of general ed requirements which apply to a History degree program better than they do an ABM program. I have already taken some ABM classes so this is what I am thinking.
I will switch majors from ABM to History, and then add ABM as my minor so that I can utilize most of the classes I have already taken. With the history program I will reduce the amount of classes I have to take and probably be out of OSU in 2 years or so, while the ABM program will take me 3 full years even though I already have 2 taken care of. More than anything I want to go to a trade school, where I can learn diesel mechanics, cnc machining, welding, heavy equipment operator and cdl training. For those programs I mentioned I figure it will take me a a year or two to knock all of those out if I take them concurrently, as they all have classes from the other one that plugs in. My career goals are either something in Law Enforcement, go to OCS/OTS for the military, and maybe start my own Ag. Business. Anyway, just was hoping for some advice here.


Thanks,



Erik

 

From my perspective.......After getting my deg's I went to work for Boeing as a mech eng. Absolutely hated it. Setting in an office with a hundred other engineers working on isolated small parts........Boring.......Then went to work for Puget Sound Bridge and Drydock. Another boring job......Finally got fed up with the whole thing and went to work in a machine and fab shop and found my true calling. For the last 30 years I've had a multitude of different jobs. From working in machine shops to fab shops to automotive repair shops. For the last 20 years I've owned several of my own businesses and never been happier. What I like best is redesigning and fabricating equipment for the Ag and mining industry. I really like taking equipment that others have designed, and improving their design, or taking different pieces of equipment from different fields and using them in a whole new process. One of the patents I hold was a combination of a piece of Ag equipment, a piece of mining equipment, and designing a new piece of equipment for a completely different field.....

The key IMO, is to find something you LOVE to do, then working to be the best you can be in that field.

I was very lucky to be raised by a family that worked in the farming and equipment repair fields, and had a wrench in my hand from the age of 8 years old.

Probably not much help, but if I had the chance to do it all over again, I would have stayed in the mechanical trades and not even messed with a degree.........

 

I appreciate the advice Sir. Yeah presently I have a full ride from a multitude of scholarships. With every scholarship except one, I am allowed to take classes in the trades that I mentioned. That one particular scholarship is really one that stipulates every thing I can take. They even went so far as to tell me I couldn't seek those degree choices, using other scholarship dollars. I am actively seeking to drop that scholarship by obtaining other scholarships or even loans to fill that spot. I originally wanted to graduate debt free, but if I have to pay 10k or so in loans back, that won't take that long and I would love to fact that I can choose my education not some 3rd party, who can control even what I do with my other scholarship funds.

I would say the biggest change for me is the fact that I went from working 3 jobs in high school on farms, in addition to a full time high school load and half time college load, to taking full time college and not being able to pick what classes I want. My aptitude area is mechanics, farming, and history. I have loved history my entire life, and foolishly bought into the idea that history is worthless degree field. I would love nothing more than to take trade classes because they are more of my interest area, after I obtain a bachelors in History which will pry take 2 years or less. While the trade classes will take about a year, because I have all the pre-reqs and the degrees overlap for the most part.

 

well my 2-pennies, any degree is great, it's a base, a general education that will help in all facets in life as you move foreward. I started out in CC not knowing what I wanted to do. lots of science and math, worked in the pharmacy industry, financial software industry and fell into the telecom industry for 10yrs now. I love telecom and tech but it helps pay for my hobbies and those hobbies help my skill set so if anything was to happen in telecom I could find a job in many other industrys.... so just enjoy yourself and learn whether in a classroom, trades class, OJT or whatever; doors will open and opportunities will present themselves. One of the things i enjoy the most is restoring classic cars, finished a 2-yr project 1966 buick skylark GS earlier this year and started a 1955 chev in july... oh and my truck MODS too!! but if I did that day in and day out I think it wouldn't be as fun but if I had to, to make a living could be a option...
anyways.... sorry for my long 2-cents >David<

 

Hey bud I appreciate the advice. This has been one of my hardest decisions ever. I guess I can look forward to many more when I age. On a happier note I found a job at an auto parts distributor, paying 13 an hour with a shift that will work for my college classes. In addition they offer over time!Hopefully I get it as I will be one happy camper, I can't stand not working.

 

After the Air Force, all I wanted to do was come home raise my family and work a family wage job in wood products or some manufacturing field.............Worked good for almost 30 years until the enviro whackos ruined the industry and the economy went south..........Now I live off the corpse of good times and bad decisions, cleaning and securing foreclosed properties is not my idea of where I would be at 50...........Stay with the school.

 

Well here is my advice. I am currently in law enforcement and. Was 6 years in the marine corp. If you want to go into the military do your college and become an officer. If you want to get into law enforcement first thing first go to the local police station and ask if u can do a ride along. U will be able see the 90 percent boredom and if your lucky 10 percent action. That will hook you. College and military are great for law enforcement. Good luck.

 

Thanks to the above 2 posters. First one, I have done that myself also family owns a large amount of properties that we rent out. So it has been good learned carpentry, roofing etc, but also seeing the bad stuff. Second, poster. Yes if I got .mil I am going to go the officer route. I plan on switching majors for that reason. Secondly, I have done several ride along and even love doing the boring stuff. I have also been a volunteer fire fighter/emt since the day I turned 18 and absoleutly love it. It keeps me busy, arguably its sad at fatal MVAs, luckily I haven't had a fatal child yet but hopefully that will never happen. Mostly college is a way for me to stay busy until I turn 21 and can do LEO work. The day I turn 21 the first thing I am going to do is become a reserve deputy. I have a pretty decent idea of what the job entails from working the ems side, family in the profession and ride alongs. I am pretty decent at doing visual speed calculations, reciting ORS that the officer needs for a certain situation etc.

 

Sounds like you want to go into LE. Speaking from the military side of the house I went up through the military ranks of enlisted than to Warrant Officer, a long road. OCS is a good way to go but I think that they can be restricted by not having an academy education. They don’t call them ring knockers for a reason, they stick together. So if you have aspirations of making flag rank it will be very hard. Until you make O-4 pay grade count on being the gopher and delegated guy. Collateral jobs is what you will be doing most of you time, while doing a full time job as well. There are many an officer that have gone on to have full careers and retired. It's just getting to that level can be a long road, and don’t forget that the pyramid structure of the corps. The farther you go up the less positions available, so some have to leave, and you may be one of them. Sounds like they're getting ready to revamp the retirement system, so if your going to do it jump fast before they change the rules.

I have relatives in law enforcement, one a Stater the other a Deputy. Both love their jobs and the State guy is coming up on retirement. Remember that Oregon is having a very bad time with its budget. This means less hiring for state police and a draw down as well. The same trickles down to the county level, fewer people paying taxes, fewer deputies on the streets. Most counties do well, eastern Oregon counties are struggling. If you want to be a trooper be willing to move to remote locations. The more senior you are the better your hours.

My advice stay in college but look at your field you’re going into. Are they hiring or firing right now. Tech was the big field until the industry imploded, and so many people were let go. So many people finish a degree and find out there is nothing out there for them. Don (Fabmandelux) found his niche and it has worked well for him, you need to find that same niche. I used to tell my people when they were looking at a rating in the military, "pick a job you want to do the rest of your career", we had guys that would pick being a cook so they could get off of the ship faster. Great if you wanted to be a cook, but if you didn't and now your cooking for people and hate the job, stupid.

Enjoy your time in college and congratulations on your scholarships.

Rob

 

I appreciate the advice bud. I was originally going to do the "high school to flight school" warrant program for the Army. I looked at the process and started to go through it and the slots that were being given out made it extremely tough. My family pretty much said that they were fine if I became an officer, or flew helicopters as an officer. They didn't want me to enlist so I sought after scholarships instead. Where abouts in EO, do ya live? I know a trooper in the Pendleton office, and some out in John Day area.

 

If you want to talk to a Army Chopper pilot I can put you in touch with one, he is a warrant officer.

 

First off.. Orange and Black tomorrow is our day!

Don and the other guys really said it best man... find what you love to do and do it well and you will be happy. I myself joined the machinist apprenticeship program up in Salem when I was 17.. took about 4 years but I walked away with a trade that has taken me all over the west coast and provided a pretty good living for my family for the past 23 years. I even spent a few years in Corvallis working the job shops that made parts for HP. Manufacturing can be a very rewarding career but it is also a very demanding... production schedules and customer demands will pretty much dictate your life if you let them. Get all the education you can and then do what you love most and it will not even feel like work.

 

I would appreciate that!

 

I appreciate that buddy! The problem is what I love to do is ems/law enforcement work. I work the ems/ff side as a volunteer. I can't move up into the paid ranks until I obtain a paramedic certificate from the state of Oregon. I can't do anything in law enforcement until I am 21. I think it makes sense for me to stay in school and obtain a degree program that I love to do being History. Largely because I will be obtaining trades. I have called a bunch of machinist type places and offered to work for free running errands, doing shop work that I know how to do weld, fab etc. if they would teach me some basics of machining. I haven't got any takers at all.

 

If you were down here I would put you to work right away! Do you know if B&D Fabrication is still out in Tangent?