Hey just wondering if anyone on here has graduated from UTI automotive, or wyotech, or anything like that. At the moment I am in Mech. Engineering at NC State, but the more I do here I realize that it isn't what i really want to do in life. So I was just wondering if anyone had gone to or is going to one of these schools, how you liked it, did they really teach you something, and were there really as many job opportunities when you graduated, as they say.

 

Others on here might disagree with me, but here's my two cents:
Stay in college. If you don't like your major, change it...but stay in college. You will almost always do better with a 4-year degree even if it's not in the field you got it in. Tech schools can be really good at getting you trained to do something, but it's usually something VERY SPECIFIC. In other words, you could go to a tech school for 2 years and spend $15K or $20K to learn computer repair and get a pretty nice job after graduation. But let's say after a year or two you decide that you don't really like that field of work. Now what? It's all you're really prepared to do. At least with a 4-year degree, many other doors may open. Just something to think about.
Again, I'm not putting down Tech schools. I know many of them are great and you can end up with a great job. Just be careful how focused the education is to one (and only one) job.

 

Yeah true, my problem being I want to more over open a performance shop, but mech engineering doesnt train me for that. I mean I learn the math and physics, and how to design this and that but I dont want to sit and design and not be able to have part in what I make become real.

 

I understand where you're coming from. If opening a performance shop is what you really want to do, than I would still suggest getting your degree, but you might want to focus more toward business (accounting, management...etc.). You can always take the time to learn the mechanical end of it after you graduate. In the mean time, you hire a mechanic. If the business fails or you decide it isn't for you, you'll still have your degree to go elsewhere.

 

Thats very true, I have been thinking about moving to business

 

I seriously doubt you’ll ever regret getting your degree, but you probably would regret not getting it. Good luck with your decision.

 

thanks a lot man

 

Anytime.

 

Matt you're so smart. If I were you and you just loved school I would try a double major business and mech engineering if you could. I know exactly where your coming from I'm in ME too and just about everyone would want to work on cars, including me. I would just stick it through, shoot if your business does under you can always fall on your ME degree. There's good money in HVAC consulting, and hell you could even use your garage to work on friends or whatever the case may be.

 

yeah but Mech E at State is hard as hell and I wanna be good at what I do not just sliding by. and my dad shells out way to much money for me to be passing at the bottom of my class. So I think Im going to do business and over the summer take automotive classes at the community college, and then graduate and go to UTI or such and get a tech degree also

 

UTI= UnTrained Idiots......Or Urinary Track Infection....
My ol roomates went to UTI. They both wanted to be auto mechanics. they told me it was a waste of money but they needed the degree from there to get a job. If you want to work on cars at a dealership or a shop then yes its good to go there, because like any "Good" job will require some sort of education.....Be sure to check out the schools before you decide. Make sure it is going to be the best for you and your dads pocket.

 

I can tell you this, my cousin out in Cali went to UTI. He graduated from there, got a job with Audi, then went to they're school. He currrently has a job at a dealership bringing in $20 per hour. I think that's too much school at the end of the whole thing to only be making $20 an hour. Personally I'm making more than that with just my HS diploma. That is the only experience I have with UTI. My wife also gets them occasionally.

 

4 year degree (Bachelor's) >>>>> 1/2 year degree (?)

Do NOT drop out of college. Employers (if you go to work for someone else) give a lot more credence to someone with a bachelor's than to purely technical degree from a trade school. The trade school guys go on to do only and exactly what they were trained to do at the school. The engineer's bachelor's degree is proof to employers that you are smart enough (hopefully) to figure out how to do it each and every time.

If you get a bachelor's, you can (in theory) do what the techs do.

If your goal in life is to open a performance shop, the ME degree will help you be taken more seriously by the "money" side of running a business - the banks, the accountants, the marketers, the salesmen, etc. While it is certainly possible to open, run, and succeed in a small business with a technical degree, getting the bachelor's helps (or rather forces) you to pick up the soft skills needed to do what you want - relating to people, communicating technical info, customer service, technical writing vs. "english" writing,

A "business" degree (MBA, econ major, accounting major, etc) will help with some aspects of running a business but running your own business is hard work. There's plenty of websites giving basic instructions on how to start and run a small business but there's a significant amount of work "around" you selling stuff to your customers.

 

FWIW, two friends of mine graduated NC State in engineering, and neither went to work in their field, but they both got outstanding jobs in other fields because they had that 4 year degree.

This might sound rude because I know alot of people work for less, but the tech school is only going to land you a $20-$25 an hour job starting out. If you blew the cabbage for 2 years of an NC State education, you might as well finish and increase your earning potential by a bunch. Grades don't matter man. In very few professions does grades matter. Just don't include it on your resume.

 

Matt isn't learning that kind of mechanical engineering. you're talking about HVAC work and he's studying to be able to design anything that moves. i studied Mech Engg. the same as matt. hated it.

matt, if you really like the design part of building cars keep with the classes, they're worth it. if you are more of a hands on person, change to your major to ME tech. there's a shortage of those anyway. the pay is about on par with ME's anymore.

the thing you have to remember is this, though. it doesn't matter what you learn at NCSU if you don't develop connections out in your field. you need to make amazing impressions on people that have the ability to empower you to do what you dream. your degree is just a piece of paper to a lot of employers these days. it will help you knock on a few extra doors, is all. you have to make someone else believe your dreams are worth investing in. that's the whole trick.

as long as you don't overextend your promises and keep to your word, the world usually smiles favorably upon you. how far that 'smile 'gets you depends upon who you know more than what you know. you could be a genius, but unless you know the right people, you will get stuck in a hole doing something you hate. make those social connections as often as you can.

 

xlr8tc, I think you may have mixed up who posted what. I’m Matt and I didn’t originate this thread. It was Blue TC Man (don’t know his real name). I’m just one of the people who offered advice.
Anyhow….Some employers might view a college degree as “only a piece of paper”, but most don’t. Most employers will use a degree as an automatic weeding out process. You could be a great fit for a job, but if you don’t have your degree, many times you won’t even get an interview. It may not always help, but NOT having one will often times eliminate you as a candidate.

 

Ok, you need a road map to opening a speed shop, and here are a couple:

1) work in speed shop for years gaining knowledge and saving money
2) around the time you're 50, you might have enough of both to get started.

or:
1) get your degree in business (I'd highly suggest looking into MIS and stay on the geeky side of things. You'll be instantly marketable with a high income)
2) after several years experience go back for MBA
3) earn massive bank, and by the time your 35 or 40, you'll have accumlated enough wealth/credit to either buy an existing speed shop, or start your own. Hire everyone to run the thing for you, and set up a learning bay for yourself to work on your own cars.

Truth be told, if at this stage you don't have 90% of the knowledge you need to work on cars full time, it's a fairbet that you're decades away from starting your shop, on your own.

Path 2 also leaves room open for meeting the right people. Maybe in 10 or 15 years, you meet a young up and commer with a head for squeeking out massive hp, and could also have a decent business head, but has no dough. Then you can front the guy and have your business.

 

Thanks for the replies guys.
My names Elliott by the way
And I'm staying at State in Mech E and doing a business minor. I'm taking some auto tech classes at the community college but i mean they seem pointless since I have been building dragsters with my uncle since I was 14. But the main reason I am staying in is I just got an internship offer from TRD for next year

 

The engineering degree, coupled with the experience you have, should get you a dream gig at places like Keith Black, Banks, Edlebrock, Summit, and Greddy.

Congratulations on your internship.

As far as your business minor goes, learn as much as you possibly can about Excel, Access, and scripting. Data automation, and people who can program it are highly sought after.

 

That's great news about your internship. Be sure to make yourself useful there.

Don't get stuck fetching coffee and doing data entry. Make sure they give you actual projects to work on. Hopefully something technically challenging that you can finish by the time your internship is over.