College or Career?

I'm applying to Fire and Rescue Departments to start my career but the twist is I'm only 18. Now this department pays 38,000 a year, I'm dead center in the middle of the county so that saves me my gas money, rents cheap (plus there's always the parents). And its a good place to start. Not fast but not to slow.

My plan is to achieve a 2 year associates in fire administration through the local community college while working for the county. These classes would be done by night and weekends.

However,

Stepping foot into my volunteer fire house these days is impossible without hearing "don't do it, don't do it, don't do it" out of every bodies mouths the entire time I'm there. There points are go to college for 4 years, have fun, party, get yourself in trouble, find some women. Then come back and get a career. I understand they're looking out for me not wanting me to make the mistakes they made when they were my age but its just constant negative comments on my decisions and they're trying to run my life, when in fact, it should be me making the decisions.

I'm entirely confused and just down right exhausted from all this stuff but what do you think

college or career?, listen to them or do what i feel is right?

Well food my friend, this is a hard question. I always tell people to do what they feel right. To me it seems that the logical and constructive thing to do here would be to obviously go to college, but I don't want to sound like all those other people you have to deal with. I think you should think about it more. This one decision might effect you very much later on. Just put all the people aside and think carefully. Ask yourself a few questions. What're your benefits if you pick up on a career right now? What're your benefits if you finish your studies and then pick up on a career? Since it is your life, you know what makes you happy, but you need to think about whether you'll stay happy in the future. If you apply to the Fire and Rescue Department now, do you think you'll be happy about 10 years from now?

I hope I didn't say anything wrong and don't let me affect your decision too much because this is the internet and not everyone is right. I'm just trying to help you out from my point of view. Lets wait and see what the others have to say about this.

:)

College isn't always necessary, and it's certainly not cheap. If you want to be a fireman then be a fireman. And remember, you can always go back to school. As long as you don't have a family, going back to school shouldn't be much of a problem.

I'm having a pretty similar problem, I went straight into design even before highschool ended. Everyone wanted me to go to college, but it just wasn't for me. I've got plenty of time, and I'm in no hurry to have a family now or ever really... Besides the government will give you hefty grants if you go to school after 25.

College for 4 years... are you taking double the amount of A-levels or something? O.o

Anyways - If you stayed with the fire service for 4 years... you'd probably be at the same place as you would be after joining from 4 years of college, but you'd know all the crew etc.

And night courses... + work. Figures out well ^_^ I'd go for it man :)

dude their college is different from ours, their college is like our uni, so 4 years uni isn't bad i'm doing that :lol: ... and i can't wait, by that time i'll have enough money to buy a house suitable for me and a few friends to live in, whilst in uni... maybe second year so i can build my own studio in there so that'd be sweet ^_^ i could invite people round ben, dale, spikee, tyson you know the gfxvoid england crew!! big up!! :lol: (yeah more.. i have more friends on here :unsure: )

Post-secondary education is not needed to live a good life, I think you should do what you feel is right. There are many benefits of going to college/university and getting the degrees, such as the skills needed in a certain field. But if you don't want to be anything else but work in the Fire Department, then those skills are not needed.

I chose to go into University straight out of high school because the occupation I see myself doing for the rest of my life requires the skills taught by universities. Many of my mates are still undecided about what they want to do with their lives, one of them decided to go to university with a hazy vision of what he wanted to do, and is dropping out now.

Make sure that you are certain that you do not need the necessary skills before you decide. :P

shurai i've planned 10 years in advance what i want to do, all the things i've accounted for can be easily changed and if anything were to happen to the course or my state at the moment it wouldn't be too drastic on my plan so i've left quite a margin for things, but thanks for the advice ^_^ :)

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Originally posted by deadloader@3 Hours Ago
dude their college is different from ours, their college is like our uni

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There's a difference between a college and a university? (In America)

What he was saying is that your college is the same as our Uni.

Id say get the job and then if you really want go to college but 28,000 a year at 18?

That nice man.

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Originally posted by sublime@15 Minutes Ago
There's a difference between a college and a university? (In America)

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There is a difference between college and university, but it has to do with the course selections and such. Apparently in the UK the difference between a college and a university is like the difference between an associates degree and a bachelors.

In England, you have SATS At around year 6.
GCSES in year 11
As level in year 12 (( college , but some people do it at a school , which is called 6th form ))
A-2 level in year 13. This makes up an 'a-level'

Then you can get a degree at a university which takes.. i'm not sure, between 2-4 years i think.

In Canada or at least in Alberta, Colleges do not grant degrees. They only grant diplomas.

Most Bachelor Degrees take 4 years to complete, Masters and Doctorates take around 2 years. Legum Baccalaureus takes 3 years, I think an Medicinae Doctorate takes 3 or for years

Thats generally, you can decide to overload your schedule, go to spring/summer sessions and get a Bachelors in two years.

in As atm, then onto A2 for my a-levels in chem, physics, math and computing then UNI BABY in good ol Manchester maybe...3 A's needed like

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Originally posted by Shurai@5 Minutes Ago
Masters and Doctorates take around 2 years.*

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thats odd...

basic breakdown of degrees in the US.
http://www.degreestosucceed.com/degree_types.html

masters and doctorates usually take 4++ years.

That site does not say it takes 4++ years :P.

I made a boo-boo anyway :P Masters take 2 years, Doctorates take average of 3-4 years.
In my Student Calendar for my University, the highest level for a course-based Masters program (easier, but longer?) is at 700 level.

Undergraduate studies start at 200 level, and finish at 500. Therefore a Masters would take two years to complete their degree (600 level for one year, 700 for the other)

Look here for typical requirements for Graduate school completion: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graduate_school

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Originally posted by Shurai@24 Minutes Ago
That site does not say it takes 4++ years :P.
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well if you go to a 4 year college to get your bachelors degree, you then go to a graduate school... 4 + however many years you go to graduate school = 4++

Oh okaay :P I tend to group graduate school dealies separately. It keeps me from freaking out at how many years I have left...

education is screwy :)

I've really been considering dropping out of college for a little bit now. The only reason I wen't to college was for job advancement. Now that I own my own company - I have no use for college. I'm kinda in a predicament at the moment.

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Originally posted by Spikee@18 Hours Ago
in As atm, then onto A2 for my a-levels in chem, physics, math and computing then UNI BABY in good ol Manchester maybe...3 A's needed like

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if you go to salford uni i'll be there on your second year, because with a BTEC national i think i only need a B to get into salford uni and then it's computing !!! wooooooooo

@ food: my dad is a fireman. i dont know what training he had to do to get there though.

iv just been given a place at college to do fashion and clothing. dont know what i wuill do in 2 years after i have finished thew course though.

haha vicebeach i'm sorry i forgot you were from the u.k ..

also wales hmm... there are a few welsh people who give the place a bad name.. mainly on teamspeak but who's counting .. so yeah vicebeach too ^_^ and you can bring the cheese on toast hahaha (bill bailey joke :P )

red leister .. it's like cheese with a suntan :D

omfg i love red leister.

I literally live off it.

Food i'll tell you right now that COLLEGE is awesome man. i would listen to the firemen and not go straight for a career. I have a close friend who had the same choice and she picked college. trust me you grow a lot and change even more in college. you need those 4 years or so to find out what you really want out of life. go to college trust me it will be worth it.