I can only speak from personal experience –
When I graduated from HS – I was not mentally ready for college (late bloomer) + I came from a low middle class family and could not depend upon parental support. Instead I elected to join the US Navy as an Engineer (Steam Propulsion, caveat with Nuclear) which was two-fold: On-the-Job training (Vocational) + Discipline (Military) + Educational Benefits (VA). At the time I joined (1976), I was fully vested for 4-years paid college tuition. In theory – that satisfied several goals: Service to my country, see the world, learn something new, and invest in the future. The reality was more difficult: It sucked being in the military -> lions led by donkeys, saw a lot of California (my home State), and working with the VA was highly flawed with more donkeys deciding my fate. If I had to do that part over again…
Wishfully... I would have done some form of civil service like Forestry during the summer or perhaps with the State Department in some program overseas. The reality is that both of these directions do not provide much wealth other than “experience in humanities” taking the long view of working with people as a manager… otherwise known as “growing up a bit”.
Still I always envied those that could go straight from HS to college; my flaw was that
I wanted to explore – try everything, then decide. A lot of this came from an experience when my brother and I met a distant cousin at a cousin reunion who had 3 degrees, but was not satisfied and struggled to find a job. This put a real fear in me about making the wrong career choices. Strangely this would later rear an interesting fork in my path.
Not saying my route was the best, but I had to work for a living and chose accordingly jobs to pay my way forward. After the Navy I went to night school but worked mainly in construction (laborer) and later in food service (bartender, then management for one year). Two years of JC was enough; I had a double major in Art & Engineering (transfer program). Moved to a large city and used my VA to enroll in a Technical College and took the Electromechanical Drafting & Design course which I mastered, owing much to past experience. Six years after graduating from HS I was essentially a Junior Design Engineer with an equivalent of a 2-year degree working in the field.
Now two years behind a 4-year grad, but I have 4-years of “Engineering” experience. However – the graduates always had the upper hand on
theoretical engineering even though I had them on
practical engineering. Book-knowledge does not make good product, but a degree is more respected, especially if they went to a premier university. So in that sense – I was fugged from the start of
my plan.
This has dogged me all my career.
The second mistake I made was becoming a
contractor: After four years as W-2 employee, I lit out on my own after some convincing that contractors make more $$$ - which is true if you can stay gainfully employed, and began my first company (which is still going). I have freelanced since 1987. In that time I have worked for all sorts of companies and seen all sorts of technologies – far faster than an employee could. Yet there is a thing about being an employee wherein as you put time into position, so comes seniority – and management. Ultimately contracting jobs become the jobs no one wants, so you end up doing the drudgery, the shit work. Plus contractors can be cut at any time.
About a year before I became self-employed I went back to college to finish the 4-year, but by this time I knew enough about Engineering to spot the bullshit that college teaches; crap you will never use in Life. College is just a trial, a baptism, a crucible, a rite of passage that young people must go through – and if you pass then you are
worthy of that piece of paper which says you are qualified to be whatever it is you set out to be. Again, book knowledge does not make a professional. Practical knowledge though does.
The curious thing about being an engineer (actually those are synonymous terms) is that it affords
the reasons and license to explore. As long as you have a heart to explore, to not give up until every stone has been turned, the underside of every leaf exposed, the thread of investigation completely concluded – then you are an engineer
on the path of discovery. Book knowledge prepares the way, but much learning follows. Networking helps too – and college provides an opportunity to build friendships (or at least introductions). Engineering is a lot about networking and leveraging your contacts.
Engineering is also close to Lawyering. It is about Specifications, Contracts, Economics, Management, Timelines, and also about Accountability. Documentation should rule, but often –
we work without a net.
For myself, I never stop learning. Every day is a new adventure. After 30+ years, I am cross-trained on multiple disciplines which includes (I never saw this coming in 1983)
Software Development (on my own, in the field), knowing over 26 programming languages (
styles might be a better way to express this).
As a Contractor - I’ve been in management running a team of 14 direct reports, and I’ve been the lone wolf responsible for the whole frippen deliverable. Yet I lament –
if only I had the 4-year degree…
Never finished it because I saw bullshit in the education system –
which is why I created my first ebike (in protest), which led to me working in the top-job as lead designer at a top-flight company, and ultimately led to me becoming self-employed.
I’ve had Calculus, but only used it twice – both in software to solve a problem programmatically. I’ve had Physics, but never used it beyond simple load calculations until I started exploring Motors here on ES. I’ve had Chemistry – and never had an application for it beyond cursory use in surface treatments or plastic alloys. I applied more Thermo in the Navy than as a Professional, expect for … Motors on ES.
College overloads you with bullshit. Once I realized this I began to take the classes that interested me, like Business Law – so I could write contracts and seek patents, History (for the love of Humanity), Economics (to run my own business, and start others), and most of all – English Literature (again, Humanities). When you are an Engineer, you must be conversant, you must be topical, you must be interesting in the eyes of those about to hire you.
Had I to do it over again knowing what I know, I think I would have chosen
Patent Lawyer – because I have a relentless technical and legal mind with a penchant towards documentation, evidence by another name. I missed that boat. As it is, I must be more clever, more resilient, and persistent in detail to present my ideas to move forward in the hegemony of Life. And a little college paper would have made that process much easier if I were willing to bend over and take it up the wazoo when I woz a lad right after HS.
Fiefdom of One.
KF
PS – Seriousness aside, I partied like a mofo, though slowing down now cos I ain’t a spring chicken no mo. But catch me at the pub, and let’s clink a few! Anytime 8)
