Midlife crisis?

[Cuda]

I recieved my college transcript today. I have 61 credit hours, and 174 quality points, whatever that means. I only need 64 hours (1 class) for an AA degree, if I can put them together towards a degree. I'll make a call to DBCC to make an appointment to see what I can do.

My college career started in 1974.:eek:

[catch 22]

OH MY GOD:bonk: :boggled: :smash:

[Formula Jr]

What you get in an academic career means nothing. I wish it did, yet it doesn't. The new world only cares what you do... and you are a very smart person. Use that as your degree. No one has to tell you what is okay any more.

[Cuda]

Sometimes it's easier to get a job with a degree in hand, any kind of degree.

The problem is, I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. :(

[dfunde01]

Cuda,
This is a historic momment. I agree with Owen 100%:) . Your life experience, work experience, and character are all you need to move ahead at this stage of your life. Unless you are pursuing certification in a specific skill set putting the same time into starting up your next enterprise will pay off more quickly.
Dave

[Cuda]

I'm just getting to old to do this work much longer. I know I have guys that are supposed to do the work, but I often end up slinging tile myself. I need to give my knees a break, besides, work sucks now, and has for the past four plus months. :(

[penbroke]

Go for it Cuda. :yes: With only one class needed ther's no reason not to do it. It will never hurt you whatever you end up doing when you grow up.

Frank

[Formula Jr]

I think its great if you finally want the recognition. The best thing about formal education is that it rips your brain apart and what you put back together is leaner and meaner. I would recommend it for just that.
I have a bachelor of science, a much harder degree to get than a bachelor of arts. I have to say that the degree made no difference at all in the field of computer science because the state of art was always well past the material we had to master. I've lost many jobs to un-papered kids that where autodidactic. And to be useful in that field, or any technical field now, you can't have ANY other life. I know phds that dream of working with tiles.

There is such a thing as being over educated. I'm just say'en...

I've lived through three well defined events in technology.
The computer revolution.
The internet revolution.
and now the energy revolutiuon.

In each case, "he who gets there first won."

Even if what they did, and got millions for it, was stupid. They got there first.
Thats why we are finally, after 30 freaken years getting back to thoughtful, constructed by real computer scientists, Unix based operating systems.


What ever you are going to learn in college is at this moment being transfered to India or China. Do you want to live in India or China? And act as a translator?

You are gold if you can speak Chinese. You don't need anything else.
I think the chinese know how to make tiles.....

[Cuda]

I wish I could even speak Spanish. It's well known that the younger you are, the easier it is to learn a language. I took three years of German in high school, and I can still understand most of it, if they speak ein bischen langsame.

I agree that mostly what they teach in college doesn't pertain to what you are hired to do, I think it's more just the fact a person has enough gumption to stick it out to get a degree. What I don't want is a job where I sit in a cubicle 9 to 5, I was thinking about some sort of engineering that has some field work involved. I love to solve problems, most any kind of problem. I've found the key to solving a problem is to actually identify what the problem is, or what you are really trying to get accomplished. I wanted to go to DBCC today, but I was busy trying to earn a living for today. :(

[Formula Jr]

The gumption thingy doesn't matter...

I'm not talking about a cube.

I'm talking about you being a vendor....

And you can hire an english speaking chinese person....

Its very funny when people talk about education to me.

You are talking, writting right now, on a fiber optics switching mirror that I helped capital finance. And with all that education, and know how, I'm never going to see a dime of it in my life time since the patent is locked up in the courts. Since then, I've been a bit bitter about the american dream. And even about what people should learn.

most of my tech buddies dropped out early an didn't get their papers.. And they are running the 30 footers off the coast of Italy.

[Ed Donnelly]

Formula Jr; Funny you should say that..
My 13 yr. old. Gifted son, has been taking Mandarin every Saturday for 3 yrs now.
When he first asked me if I would pay for the course, I just assumed he had met a cute little Oriental girl......

Come on Dad, You won't get anywhere in business in 10 to 15 yrs, unless you speak Mandarin...
Now I know why the School board says he is gifted........Ed

[noisynova]

I have a nephew, with a degree in philosophy, who works for a Canadian company that sells high tech machinery to China. The degree has nothing to do with his job as a sales rep. He has little or no technical skills, but he has learned Mandarin, and therefore makes more money than I can count. :eek!:

[chappy]

Cuda,
You're almost there. It's not going to hurt you to get the degree, like you said, sometimes it's easier to get a job with degree in hand. What you do with it is your business. It's not a matter of "wanting the recognition", but a matter of you finishing what you started. No one can say what it will or will not lead to. You earned those credits, finish it, and get the degree you earned.
Good luck,
Rich

[Johntrip]

After reading this thread I feel like going back to FIU and getting my 60 something credits I need to complete my associates. After working in my families business selling building materials while going to school I realized that helping my father run his business was extremely satisfying and the most lucrative decision I've ever made. However, its not about the career for me its about completing something I started. Everytime I drive past FIU or sell material to the schools expansion project (every other day) I think about that.........!!:bonk:

[BigGrizzly]

Cuda go for it!! Having a degree does make it easier to get your foot in the door. Weather you use that degree in the later years doesn't matter. My major was in biology, minors in physics. I went from R&D at Honda to Tech line supervisor to warranty administrator. A lot that has to do with biology.:bonk:

[Last Tango]

Cuda,
It took me 10 years after High School to finish my Associates degree, another 14 years to finish my Bachelors, and 2 more for the Masters.
I did the first two degrees while I was in the Navy. I was totally proud of myself for both. I felt an extreme personal sense of accomplishment and it raised my self-esteem. After the Navy, I did the Masters and then was hired for what became an extremely successful career as a Financial Advisor and eventually as a Certified Financial Planner. All were because I had the sheepskins to get my foot in the door. No degree = no job in my career.
My degrees? Associate of Arts, Bachelor of Arts, and Master of Arts, all in English, creative writing track. I did the degrees because the degree was the prerequisite for getting better jobs in my chosen field. The choice of major was for my own pleasure. The degrees meant nothing when it came to financial planning, but they gave me the self-confidence to be successful and to achieve my goals in life.
You can work hard and get rich, or you can work smart and get rich. Neither is guaranteed, but the personal enrichment and self-worth you enjoy when you complete that Associates Degree will have far-reaching consequences for your life. When you feel better about yourself, you work smarter.
If you want to get off your knees, then put your butt in the seat!

[Johntrip]

well put Tango...... well put.:idea:

[gold-n-rod]

10 years ago, my boss point blank told me that if I wanted to continue moving up, I needed a Master's degree. A specific program wasn't important, just the degree. A year later, she arranged a transfer for me to be closer to campus and I was given work release when day classes were held. I got my degree in May 2004. 9 months later, my dream job opened up. You guessed it, Master's required!! I got the job and I sure am glad that I took both the advice and opportunities offered by my boss.

As Tango says, having a degree says less about the content and more about the abilities (and possibilities) of the person. I am not taking anything away from those who have degrees from the School of Hard Knocks. Many of the world's most talented people graduated from that fine institution.

In my experience, like Tango's, my degrees have opened the doors that have led me to the successes I enjoy today!

I say, go for it, Joe!!

[Forrest]

Do it Joe! Even if you never use the learned skills or the degree, you will never regret it. I didn't get my BS (University of South Florida) degree until I was 32, and at that time, I thought that I was older than dirt and no one would ever hire me. Well, I did manage to get a good job in my field in the Washington DC area, and I got it quickly I might add.

Along the way to my BS degree, I managed to pick up an AS degree in Electronic Technology from Brevard community college, and the one I enjoyed getting the most, was an AS from Florida Keys Community College (Key West) in Marine Propulsion Technology way back in 1979. You talk about a fun time. We did everything, both classroom and lab, from building gasoline and diesel engine engines, outboards, lower units and outdrives, welding, corrosion analysis, and more. The program administrator and one of the instructors was "Sparky" Carbonell, who is John Carbonell's brother. Meeting and working with great folks, both instructors like Sparky and fellow students, makes the college experience go beyond just a listen, read, and regurgitate learning experience.

But Joe, since you are half-way there, you probably know all this stuff already. Just remember, when you go to class, don't be gawking at all those pretty college girls like some dirty old man! :pimp: Ahhhh, there's probably no pretty girls at Daytona Beach Community College! :wink:

[Cuda]

But Joe, since you are half-way there, you probably know all this stuff already. Just remember, when you go to class, don't be gawking at all those pretty college girls like some dirty old man! :pimp: Ahhhh, there's probably no pretty girls at Daytona Beach Community College! :wink:

As bad as I hate FSU, I swear I have NEVER seen more and better looking girls in my life! We did a job right across the street from FSU, in the summer when most of the students are out, and I didn't think that building was ever going to get finished! All the guys were hanging out gawking at the windows. I don't know what part of FSU that was, but it was 90 percent ladies there. I swear, the chicks at FSU made South Beach look like a crack ho convention!

I'll try to make an appointment to meet with a counseler at DBCC next week, but thankfully, I have a job to go look at Monday right here in town. I just heard about it this evening, so I told the guy I was sitting on go. Sometimes it seems we get so busy trying to make a living, we forget about making a life.

[Forrest]

. . . I swear, the chicks at FSU made South Beach look like a crack ho convention!

LMAO! :hyper:
It the water, dude!

[p729lws]

As bad as I hate FSU, I swear I have NEVER seen more and better looking girls in my life!

I was on campus last Monday. Cuda's not kidding...:cool:

[Cuda]

I was on campus last Monday. Cuda's not kidding...:cool:
Why did you leave????:confused: :wink:

[Dr. Dan]

:smash: Joe... I have been around Contracting my entire life...most guys try to get off their knees before their in their 40's.... many never do. But I understand what your dilemma is... about 15 years ago I changed career direction and ventured into Sales. I am still with basically the same firm a started with in the early 90's... I can't say it's the Cat Meow all the time...but it sure beats the headaches of being a Construction Manager which I did for 16 years. My degree is in Construction Management from Michigan State University(back when Magic played-1977 to 1982).

I have many very good friends and even a few relatives that are incredibly successfull without a 4 year degree!

I believe Success in a vocation is more about drive and ambition than it is about actual knowledge, the technical & detail knowledge will come. If it was all about knowledge and not about drive and ambition... I woulda been in trouble along time ago. Obviously it's the transition between the two career paths that is really the awkward time, you are too dependent on what you know now and do very well... and you are not embedded or well versed in whatever alternative direction you may take yet! That's the rub! It only lasts a little while...depending on your prep... for your new direction.

To be honest exposure to the advanced degree may act as a catalyst to help uncover some alternative career paths... the other thing people tend to overlook is often a solution is right in front of you... perhaps teaching your trade to others who would like to learn Tile? Trade Schools or Vocational Training is making a soft come back.

Good Luck the fact that you are considering a change is a good start...

Be Well

Doc :wink:

[pmreed]

If you're in the trades, get education in your chosen trade. If you work for yourself, you don't need degrees unless your clients need to see them. If you're going to work for someone else, you need what ever proof of education they want. Simply put, when you work for yourself, learn what you need; work for someone else, learn what they want.
Phil

[Formula Jr]

What ever you do, only consider what is scalable. Think about that concept a lot...

[sweet 16 1966]

Cuda,
Likely, many of us wish we were self employed as you are. Wish I could trade places with you sometimes. My job is never completed, no end.
If you need a change, go for it! You have a skill and trade you can always fall back on.

[Lenny]

Cuda, get the degree, BUT, what I would do is migrate your business into Granite, (and the incredibly CHEAP offshore imported stone now on all shores)

GRANITE FLOORS, AND especially, kitchen/bath countertops. You have the skill and knowledge of breaking/cutting stone already, pick up a few treatment/polishing tricks and carry on.

I have done a few kitchens lately (prior Europe) that were al around 20$K without tops, and I mean, I did a LOT of millwork and cabinetry, only to come back from Europe and find about $3K worth of stone installed on top of my boxes and a pricetag of $16-ish K :eek:

Very good money in granite these days and the commodity has never been cheaper, never...

:)