Can u all help me here on this one - SuperiorMuscle.com

JUICE · #1 12-29-04, 06:36 PM

Right now im 23 years of age and i work part time and go to school 3/4 of full time. I get paid shit where i work at and was thinking this.

The city is taking applications for Fire Fighting. The first year or so, ur on commission and after that i think its 15.32 an hour. Its a 24 hour on, 48 hour off job. I calculated 52,000 grand a year. Im interested in it but the deadline is on Jan 6th.

I wanted to ask, i need about a year for my associates degree in Crimial JUstice and about 2.5 for my bachloers if i haul ass and go full time. The reason I ask because my family wanted me to compete and get my degree but I want to start my life already. I get this lecture that in the future im gonna need a degree with things changing and all. Is this true. I know I can make more money and more opportunites with a degree. Im guess Im just lost right now and dont know what to do. I dont wanna be 30 years old and not doing crap and working part time still. I wanna marry my girl and have a family one day soon. I knows theres alot of time ahead but also, dont wanna be an old dad. I wanna be young and play with my kids.

Should I just change to another job that pays more, and sacrifice some more time working and finish school, or just go for the job. What I was thinking was, I could skip with and finish school and on the next 2 years apply. That or if some other law enforement or gov job comes available.

Have any of u all gone through this or u college guys going through this?

rude · #2 12-29-04, 06:46 PM

Well since im in college too, I cant give you an opinion with experience but I think you should focus on school first. You say you want to start a family and all, so it would be beneficial for you to have a degree instead of a job as a firefighter. 2 years will pass by fast

JUICE · #3 12-29-04, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rude
Well since im in college too, I cant give you an opinion with experience but I think you should focus on school first. You say you want to start a family and all, so it would be beneficial for you to have a degree instead of a job as a firefighter. 2 years will pass by fast

thats what ive been doing getting peoples opinions and everyone tells me to stay in school. Im giving it good thought and gonna listen to u all on this one. Yeha with a degree i will get more opportunites.

The reason i say this is because i feel old, i just turned 23 and still on the same thing. Im afraid my sister is gonna get hers first than me. I also thought about this, what if i take the job and after 25 years i retire and want something to fall on. Without a degree i dont think no one will take me in for a job. What if i want to teach some classes or something like that, im thinking its gonna me harder.

About a few weeks ago a good friend who works for the county told me if i wanted to take some courses to become a license peace officer, A Sherrif Deputy. I also gave that thought. The offer was on, but i was like damn, gave it thought again. Same as the fire fighting job, my friends dad is the fire chief, and told me to apply.

Schools been frustrating and its seems to take long. Right now this semester im taking it off cause im broke and cant afford it right now, so im looking for a new job with more money or at least another one in the mornings that equals my payor more. Just lost right now

hitmansb · #4 12-30-04, 03:05 AM

Firefighting can be a great job, but what if your health lets you down somewhere along the line? At least if you have a degree, you'll always have options. Man, two and a half years is nothing...you'll be done at twenty-five and will have all sorts of options available to you with your bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. Stay in school!

JUICE · #5 12-30-04, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by hitmansb
Firefighting can be a great job, but what if your health lets you down somewhere along the line? At least if you have a degree, you'll always have options. Man, two and a half years is nothing...you'll be done at twenty-five and will have all sorts of options available to you with your bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. Stay in school!

your right bro, 2 years will go like 2 months. I'll just keep busy with things so they can go faster. Getting a new part time or if i can full time job.

shortz · #6 12-30-04, 02:35 PM

Always have a fall back plan if you can.

As for what you are going to school for....well, criminal justice degrees are a dime a dozen among young people. If you get your bachelors in CJ, it's a big help because most of the people who have that degree only have an associates. Reason why? It's because most guys who get out of school go for the easiest thing they can think of and that happens to be CJ.

Bust your ass for that Bachelors and then go on. Even if you don't use that degree for something specific, having it looks good.

JUICE · #7 12-30-04, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by shortz
Always have a fall back plan if you can.

As for what you are going to school for....well, criminal justice degrees are a dime a dozen among young people. If you get your bachelors in CJ, it's a big help because most of the people who have that degree only have an associates. Reason why? It's because most guys who get out of school go for the easiest thing they can think of and that happens to be CJ.

Bust your ass for that Bachelors and then go on. Even if you don't use that degree for something specific, having it looks good.

very true bro, alot of people here only get thier associates degree and start working. NOthing wrong with that but i want more. Its like a challenge to me cause i graduated 2000 from high school, took a semester off and a year of remidial courses. I was behind a year and then failing some classes here and there. But its gonna be 2005 and im still in school not giving up. Alot of people have told me not to quit as long i get something out of school.

I was just lost since i noticed ive been in school a long time and not getting nowwhere or if so getting there slowly. BUt yeah, i gotta finish what I started, i cant give up.

GearTripper · #8 12-30-04, 02:53 PM

i wouldn't quit... not after all the time you've put into school. there's good arguments to both sides, but if i had it all to do over again, i would've stayed in school long enough for a 2nd masters or bachelors.

GearTripper · #9 12-30-04, 02:54 PM

actually, now that i think about it, i would've just become a doctor instead

JUICE · #10 12-30-04, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by GearTripper
actually, now that i think about it, i would've just become a doctor instead

meat12 · #11 12-30-04, 04:06 PM

Stick with it bro, quitting school is something I regret doing

**Shibby** · #12 12-30-04, 04:45 PM

Here's my two cents.

Firefighting is a goverment job that dosn't require a degree. When the budget gets cut, fire fighters are some of the first to go. Also as hitman said, it has high health risk issues and you may not be able to hack it at some point. You have the option to finish college (alot don't) I say take it. I'm 23 also and just got back in to school since high school. Been working the whole time. The one thing I learned about not having a degree, there is no such thing as job security at all. Also it seems you have to have a masters anymore just to get a job the a BA or BS use to. So if you get the bachelor now it won't take much to get the masters if you need to. And as education progresses, like everything else, anyone looking for a job in the future is probably going to need a MD or PHD.

Pumpdogg · #13 12-30-04, 04:57 PM

Shibby speaks the truth Juice. I wish I had finished college instead of working my ass off for the rest of my good life. Money is a hard thing to let pass by I understand that, I passed on the very job I have now 3 years earlier because I wanted to go to college and make something of myself. Now it is just 3 years longer to retirement for me, but if I could change things I would. A boss once told me that the more you use your back and the less you use your brain, generally the less money you make. That statement is true allot of times, not always of course, but the majority. If you find a good paying job now and slow down in school it is very likely in a few years you will be accustomed to the money life and not willing to take a pay cut to start over again, and then if you meet the person you want to spend the rest of your life with you may decide to continue doing whatever job you were in. Set your goals bro, and achieve them one at a time, and in 10 years you will say.... damn Im glad I did what I wanted. There is nothing worse than going to a job that you hate everyday because it pays so well. Enjoy your work and the money will come in time. Good luck and continued success

PD

JUICE · #14 12-30-04, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pumpdogg
Shibby speaks the truth Juice. I wish I had finished college instead of working my ass off for the rest of my good life. Money is a hard thing to let pass by I understand that, I passed on the very job I have now 3 years earlier because I wanted to go to college and make something of myself. Now it is just 3 years longer to retirement for me, but if I could change things I would. A boss once told me that the more you use your back and the less you use your brain, generally the less money you make. That statement is true allot of times, not always of course, but the majority. If you find a good paying job now and slow down in school it is very likely in a few years you will be accustomed to the money life and not willing to take a pay cut to start over again, and then if you meet the person you want to spend the rest of your life with you may decide to continue doing whatever job you were in. Set your goals bro, and achieve them one at a time, and in 10 years you will say.... damn Im glad I did what I wanted. There is nothing worse than going to a job that you hate everyday because it pays so well. Enjoy your work and the money will come in time. Good luck and continued success

PD

like the saying goes, theres plnety of time ahead "so its never too late".

Like Shibby said, its a good idea to add to the degree i want. Maybe getting a job with a BA and while working adding to it by going to classes at nights and one day having a MASTERS.

I rather have u all give me good advice, cause here i (my city)cannot tell anyone this cause the majority of people just work out of high school and dont know jack about college. I prefer asking u all since u all live throught the US and the majority go to school or have degrees or from personal experiences, so I get much better advice here. Thanx guys

**Shibby** · #15 12-30-04, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JUICE
Maybe getting a job with a BA and while working adding to it by going to classes at nights and one day having a MASTERS.

That's how most people I know with master did it.

shortz · #16 12-30-04, 06:57 PM

Ya know, we all need motivation from time to time. My wife went through 8 years of college to become a medical doctor and I have ALOT of respect for her for doing that. It is just hard as hell to be in school that long. She had nothing but part time jobs making shit money. It all pays off bro. You just need someone to give you some motivation. Have any friends that are in school? I don't mean partiers either, I mean people who are serious about it.

JUICE · #17 12-30-04, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by shortz
Ya know, we all need motivation from time to time.

thats how i felt bro, i felt like just giving up on it and getting a real job but im glad ive been given good advice on all this.

I have alot of respect for people who have degrees because of the hard work and sacrifce they went through as in time in school to get where they are at. Like u say bro, it will pay off in the future big time, thanx

**Shibby** · #18 12-31-04, 04:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JUICE
thats how i felt bro, i felt like just giving up on it and getting a real job but im glad ive been given good advice on all this.

Yeah, I had to learn the hard way, how improtant the degree is. I have always had trouble focusing on school. Most my friends were into it, so I never focused on it either. Well now almost 6 years later, I finally got tired of partying all the time and just making money to do the things I want now. One thing that caught my attention, was that so many people my age were talking about the degree's they have. Now they have the freedom to make money and do what they want now and are still prepared for the future. There are a couple of positives to my mistakes. For one I know what I really want to do and I am more than ready to give school 100%. So don't look at the things that are going wrong or how much you have left. But instead look at the good things you have learned from your expierence and how far you have already come in schoo.