Education advice

[Dandaman]

Before you even start to read you're probably thinking 'why is this numpty posting this here' answer to that is cos I know a lot of you guys on here know hat your on about lol... very savvy so to speak when it comes to general advice

Anyways, I left school just sitting my scottish standard grades (basically don't count for much I know) I was indeed a fool and too interested in being immature and silly but anyway I've been working for our local council cutting gras and doing all round land service maintenance since I left. Good job for me because when your young (I'm 19) anything you earn is really your own especially when you're not having to pay bill etc and stay with your parents.

I suffered a foot break a few weeks back so I've been off and in that time iv realised this is in no way what I want to be doing for the rest of my life and I think its a dead end for me. Im not saying im not proud of what I do or anything cos I sure as hell am. I work my butt off to earn every penny I get and working with the people I have has really tought me a few lessons in life. I feel like the apst 3 years I've worked there its matured me, I've spent 3 years working with people aged 28+ and now I think my head is screwed on the right way and im prepared to fix the mistake of bunking off school every day and ignoring the advice from my superiors around me.

I have nothing but respect for the lads I work with and I got lucky to be amongst a great bunch but I don't think this what I should be doing. I don't think this job is beneath me at all but I just don't feel like I'll be able to go anywhere from here as its just not for me. I know not everyone can like there job but the money is poor especially if you have a house, family, kids and bills to pay which fortunately I don't but could possibly have in the future

Ok now more to the point, im 100% sure I'm leaving this job cos if I don't do it shortly I probably never will and then i'll complain and regret not doing it... the thing is tho I don't quite know exactly what I want to go and do. I love computers so I was thinking maybe something towards an IT side of things ?

I'm not sure what I should be looking to do, obviously I know i'd have to go to college and I'll need to get myself a part time job of course to get some cash coming in but I don't think that part will be hard... well I hope not

Does anyone have any suggestions towards what I could go study at college or maybe someone in the IT side of the business could shed some light on what sort of courses I should be looking at. I know a lot of people see certain courses as useless so I need someone to point me in the right direction and it would be a huge help

Im just fed up of thinking 'I blew it' already and I don't want to regret it in the future

Thanks a bunch in advance to anyone who replies it will be much appreciated, btw it doesnt necesarily have to be pointed towards IT stuff it can be anything you know your stuff on and think I might like it

Dandaman

 

[PhillyDee]

To me, IT is a far and away oversubscribed industry. I made the descision 10 years ago to keep away, despite being very good at it! I went into engineering instead, and tbh, you are the right age for an apprenticeship.
It is a dirty job, don't get me wrong, but there is money there, more so if you are willing to work extra hours. Up here especially (Down to you ) there is a massive skill shortage of decent CNC programmers / setters / operators. As long as you have the right aptitude, you can do well! You could always write to some factories, and ask them for a tour, nothing ventured, nothing gained imo!
Although it is a bit too late to start applying now, it is someting to think about. How about working away? There is a LOT of money to be made on the rigs, holland, offshore etc.

 

[Dandaman]

I wouldn't mind working away tbh, I reckon I could cope with that.

Im in despperate need to find that perfect something that will give me the motivation to get deeper into the subject

 

[bhavv]

IT would be a waste of your time, not because its a bad degree or anything, but because there are far too many people with various IT based degrees these days.

Regardless of how much you like Computers, if you arent capable of doing Computer Science like I wasnt, then dont bother with any other computer course, they dont teach you anything more than what most computer geeks already knew in their teen years, and are pretty much designed for people who start then without the slightest clue about computers.

 

[ristac]

I was doing some work for a systems analyst the other day, she was extremely knowledgeable and was employed by companies on short term contracts to go in and sort out problems. I took my 17 year old step son with me who despite our nagging still refuses to look for any work and has decided to go to college to do a 2 year IT course.

The systems analyst had a very in depth chat with him saying that what the college teaches is worthless, their is no golden job at the end of it. The lady also explained how she used to work in the recruitment industry and you could never get these people jobs because as has already been pointed out, your average geek already knows far more than the college teaches. She explained that a company would prefer taking on a raw 16 year old geek than an 18 to 19 year old with no experience waving a paper around that the college issues which at the end of the day states nothing more than you possess basic skills.

I did a HNC in Computers and Small Business Systems at the age of 29 (some time ago now), 2 evenings a week for two years. It helped with what could be described as 'self improvement' and as long as you are not expecting a golden job at the end it is fine. It gave me a better understanding at computers and it taxed my mind a little at times and I am glad I did it however; I took the course with a few to 'learn' and 'enjoy' rather than a 'career changing' experience.

 

[Larkspeed]

ok i can't give you any educational advice but i just wanted to add Kudos to you for seeing the mistake early in life and having the desire to put it right.

I am one of the ones who messed about too much and never realy got my stuff together so now I live comfortable enough but have worries over bills and such and have to carefully plan out everything we spend.

I regret not staying with my education and getting myself in a better position so it's nice to see a younger person making the effort

 

[Turambar]

My younger brother only has standard grades and is a gardener for the council. I have an IT based degree. In those rare moments that I can actually find work he earns twice as much as I do.

 

[ristac]

ok i can't give you any educational advice but i just wanted to add Kudos to you for seeing the mistake early in life and having the desire to put it right.

I am one of the ones who messed about too much and never realy got my stuff together so now I live comfortable enough but have worries over bills and such and have to carefully plan out everything we spend.

I regret not staying with my education and getting myself in a better position so it's nice to see a younger person making the effort

Nobody could have been worse than me for making a **** up and a pigs ear of their education. I never bothered turning up for half my exams, I just wanted to get out of school and earn some money as fast as possible.

I guess a part of me going back to college at the age of 29 was a kind of test to prove I could have done it if I had wanted to.

While I agree that education and top grades is great for some people we are talking a small minority who go on to use them later in life. It is about common sense and a willingness to work that makes or breaks youngsters now. I am now 43 and I have two businesses, not large but enough to give me a comfortable life, you don't need higher education to make a go of it, just a willingness to work hard and be sensible.

Just a brief example; a friend of mine worked in a factory putting in every ounce of overtime he could. He never treated himself to a car at 18 like the rest of us or the latest game consoles or going out getting hammered. He did go out but wouldn't waste his hard earned cash.

He remained at home with his parents until the age of 25 until he finally moved out and into one of the 5 homes he had managed to buy (with a mortgage) while he had been at home saving.

Now a year younger than me, married, two kids and living in a modest 4 bedroom detached house with no mortgage he can afford to live off the rental income of the other 11 homes he now owns. It will be another 6 years and all will be mortgage free.

It took him hard work and common sense and a lot of will power but what a great position to be in.

 

[Dandaman]

The job in itself is a half decent one, holidays and so on are great but the reality is... its a real dead end for at least 90% of the people who get into it. Its not a dead end for everyone tho and my father is the best example I can give for that, many years of making pennies (literally) and working insane hours to put food on the table, decent clothes on my back and to make sure I was never unable to 'fit in' with the other kids and everything else you could think of a father doing. Hes now a well thought of manager in a brilliant possition and that alone was down to hard work, he gave me a good lecture one day about making sure I pick the right thing for me to do and it stuck in my head. Why waste time ? im 19 and want to do something that suits me better.

Like I said in my thread opener, I have nothing but huge respect for the lads I work with and I can't say a bad word about any of them cos with the time I've spent amongst the 'right' crowd it has been a life lesson in many ways. Most immature 16-19 year old go and work with other immature 16-19 year olds which fortunately for me did not happen and Im thankful cos if it did I would probably still be a fool!

Although it looks like IT isn't the best way to go down it was still an 'idea' and to me it was a stepping stone and lesson learnt, its been made clear that it is in no way going to be any help for the future so I shall look into some other subjects that might interest me and also like said above an apprenticeship wouldn't be a bad thing especially with my age at the moment, either way I'll deffo be putting more time into thinking this through and make sure I decide on something im going to be happy with

 

[Judgeneo]

To me, IT is a far and away oversubscribed industry. I made the descision 10 years ago to keep away, despite being very good at it! I went into engineering instead, and tbh, you are the right age for an apprenticeship.
It is a dirty job, don't get me wrong, but there is money there, more so if you are willing to work extra hours. Up here especially (Down to you ) there is a massive skill shortage of decent CNC programmers / setters / operators. As long as you have the right aptitude, you can do well! You could always write to some factories, and ask them for a tour, nothing ventured, nothing gained imo!
Although it is a bit too late to start applying now, it is someting to think about. How about working away? There is a LOT of money to be made on the rigs, holland, offshore etc.

Sound advice here.

"IT" is not computing as us on here know it, and a lot of the people in the industry know shockingly little about computers themselves.

Both of my cousins did apprenticeships, one at Jaguar, one at Massey Fergusons. Both were then sponsored through a degree and are now both earning a good wage at jaguar/landrover, with the one who did the Masseys apprenticeship recently completing a specialist masters.

If you have your head screwed on, and are willing to work hard (as you seem to), an apprenticeship is one of the best career paths you can take.

 

[Dandaman]

It does look likely that I will be searching an apprenticeship but if not then I would consider studying for a highger grade and then working off there, good to see lots of replies here with different stories to tell. Very interesting and indeed I do have my head screwed on these days for a change.