I'm thinking about applying to wyotech (u of alberta didn't take 3 of my credits so i have a year off right now) and i'm just wondering what everyone here thought about it?

 

Its a very spendy school, in the end you still aren't certified. You might have a degree, but that generally doesn't mean squat.

I toyed with the idea, but being $90,000 in debt just to start working was a bit unappealing.

 

Montana is closer and has some great Tech schools. I don't know what your study is, but it's closer to home. Just a thought to consider. Montanans are nice people....really.

 

Yeah I went to high school in montana (sunburst to be exact) But i was interested in it because they have a few programs that i haven't been able to find anywhere else.

 

My cousin went to wyotech and he seemed to like it

 

Not really sure where the $90,000 price comes from. No where close to what it really costs. I am a Universal Technical Institute graduate and the skills you learn from a good school are invaluable in you career as a technician. Granted, you will not be certified as an ASE certified technician just by graduating, but all that is needed is to take the tests and you will be. Live your dream, do not listen to the nay sayers when considering a good school, you do get what you pay for.


By the way, I have been ASE certified for over 10 years due to what I learned in a quality tech school. Those who feel that a degree from a top school doesn't mean squat usually do not have anything themselves.

Feel free to flame away but if you can talk the talk, you better be prepared to walk the walk.

Chris

 

One more thing, pick the school you go to based on your opinion, not other folks who have not been there.

Chris

 

$30,000 to go to the school + $30,000 in tools + $30,000 to start a shop, thats the minimum investment.

I did a lot of research in trying to decide, in the end, it didn't seem worthwhile, I don't like shop mechanics, and I didn't want to be like one of them. I deal with a lot of shops everyday, and I see how they operate.

 

There is a need to be polite to everyone on FTE, regardless of the forum. Because someone expresses an opinion, it doesn't mean we have to agree with it or even take it as a personal attack, which I'm sure was not intended by anyone here. If anyone feels like they are personally attacked or there is a thread that contains material that is offensive, use the "Report Post" function in the top right of each post. Admin or the moderator of that forum will make a decision or contact the user for clarification and, hopefully, work things out so that everyone is satisfied.
Thanks.

 

Not to mention that you can't just take the tests.... you have to be in the field for at least 2 years before you can...

I'm in no way saying that Wyotech or UTI are bad schools. They are excellent, if you like working with people that think you are a thief ( a lot of mechanics are lazy thieves) working 16 hours a day, and always being dirty... Don't get me wrong, I love to work on my trucks, I know they are gonna last, and I didn't pay anything for them, its way cheaper than a car payment.

 

I thought it over and i talked with a few counslers (highschool, a wyotech one, and some universitie ones) and i decided that i will continue one with my first choice of careers in mech. engineering but it involves upgrading a few courses because the university didn't take 3 of my credits, other than the 1 year loss the classed won't cost me anything and in the end i will still get to do what i've always wanted to do.

Thanks for all the input guys.

 

I think you have chosen an honorable profession to study. Granted...there are people who will take advantage of others...whether it be mechanics or shopkeepers. My brother worked for a very short while for a dealership. Rather than do a carb kit to fix a customer's car, they would demand he replace the carb with a new one...at considerable expense to the customer. He didn't work there long and decided to continue his own business venture that he'd started years before. He started out slow, buying one machine at a time and eventually became Kalispell's premier Ford mechanic/machine shop. Almost all the stock car drivers came to him for heads, if not a total engine build.

My point being .... whether you are ASE or just the best danged mechanic there is in your town ... pride in your work, honor in your dealings and doing what it takes to keep customers coming back are the most important things to a succesful business ... especially the automotive industry. I wish you luck and Godspeed in whichever direction, mechanically, you decide to persue.

 

Thanks. The reason you stated is what really convinced me after talking to several people (my dad is certified all accross canada and is the best mechanic in this area and he's the best i know) cause i don't want to work for a dealership that screws people, and i would have to do that for at least a year or two till i could get my own business organized and up and running.