Help on a decision please?

iggyman

ive just got my leaving cert results today and got a nice 325 points which im very happy with..but before this i was only expecting something about 200-230 points and was waiting around to find an apprentice..but now that ive got so many more points than what i was expecting i dont know wheter i should go to college and do a computer engineering course or get an apprentice as a plumber,carpenter,steel worker or something etc..

ive heard that many people that go to college ..end up finding it hard to get a job in there field because of lack of experience..and you have to go through another four years of study with not much money in your pockets..

were as with an apprentice you get alot more money while your doing your four years during it because you get paid for doing so..and when you come out employess arent looknig that you have much experience if any..and you are on the same amount of money..

but there are advantages and disadvantages to both sides...an apprentice you would be getting paid during your so called study and when you come out you will be ina job quite easyly but it is very hard work i know..long hours of demanding physical work..

were as going to college you wouldnt have much money during your study and when tyou come out it might be a while till you find a job but ..the work is relativly easy once you know your stuff ..

so im not sure what to do peeps....so basically what im asking is have any of yous had this sort of decision to make..and what way did you go?? and if not what do yous think i should do any way??

Huggles

iggyman wrote:

ive just got my leaving cert results today and got a nice 325 points which im very happy with..but before this i was only expecting something about 200-230 points and was waiting around to find an apprentice..but now that ive got so many more points than what i was expecting i dont know wheter i should go to college and do a computer engineering course or get an apprentice as a plumber,carpenter,steel worker or something etc..

ive heard that many people that go to college ..end up finding it hard to get a job in there field because of lack of experience..and you have to go through another four years of study with not much money in your pockets..

were as with an apprentice you get alot more money while your doing your four years during it because you get paid for doing so..and when you come out employess arent looknig that you have much experience if any..and you are on the same amount of money..

but there are advantages and disadvantages to both sides...an apprentice you would be getting paid during your so called study and when you come out you will be ina job quite easyly but it is very hard work i know..long hours of demanding physical work..

were as going to college you wouldnt have much money during your study and when tyou come out it might be a while till you find a job but ..the work is relativly easy once you know your stuff ..

so im not sure what to do peeps....so basically what im asking is have any of yous had this sort of decision to make..and what way did you go?? and if not what do yous think i should do any way??

I'd take the college place if I was you. You will have great many great experiences and will meet lots of new people and make great friends that you will have for the rest of your life.

When I first started Uni i was flat broke the whole time so I got a job in a video store at night, made about £150 a week from that at the time and it was plenty to keep me in beer!

You can also apply for means tested grants from your local authority too so you should be fine for money.

I cant argue a case for an apprenticeship but sounds like very hard work. My cousin did one and he got shag all from it and by teh time it was up he was worse off than before!!!

Congrats on your results and good luck with your decision.

Hitchhiker's Guide to...

College has been shown statistically to improve your lifetime earnings. Also, a lot of the ITs have apprenticeship style courses. Nothing wrong with an apprenticeship though, by any means. Just that it will always give you something to fall back on.

CONGRATS on your results, and enjoy the day and the coming decisions

Noelie

Congratulations on the results mate.

I think you will find that a lot of the users here will advise for you to go to college, but most people would.
If you deciede to do the apprentice i think you should choose carefully, electrical seems to be the choice for most but there is a lot of people doing them so it may be better for you to do something else, Mechanics would be a good alterative as it allows for many different areas. My cousin in england done a mechanicial apprentice and is now the press office for Aston Martin, however he has told me that he needed to do a degree a few years ago as his options were limited with just having the apprenticeship.

what type of student are you? do you put a lot of work in or do you just do enough to get by on. If you don't apply yourself fully you will not achieve the best grades you can in college and at the end may find it hard to get a job.

Perhaps you should accept the college offer( I'm assuming you will get one) and then try to talk to a career guidence teacher in your school and see what they advise.

iggyman

thanks for the congrats lads and comments

well with an apprentice i would only be able to do certain ones because of my slight colour blindness..so like only plumber,carpenter,steel worker and stuff like that..theres not many of them i can do with my colourblinness so my choices are limited really..i might go with the college course for now and then if i dont like it just leave and get an apprentice..at least then id know whats its like..

actually im just wondering will me being a bit colourblind will that be ok with computer engineering ..i think computer engineering is like all circut boards and all so i dont think it will be a problem but just in case what do yas think?

luckat

Don't just make the decision based on earnings, mind. Think, too, about how you'd be happy spending your life.

If you're a plumber, for instance, do you want to work for a company or work for yourself? If you want to work for yourself, do you come from a background where your people do this successfully and happily?

Are you a social kind of person who can be relaxed and happy going into people's houses and working there? Or do you work better in an environment where you work every day with the same group on a specific project?

Do you like the idea of office work, or do you prefer the thought of being out and about?

If you go for engineering, by the way, I wouldn't worry too much about the colour blindness; there are lots of different kinds of engineers - and in any case, a huge percentage of people who qualify as engineers end up in management jobs rather than working as engineers.

Anyway, talk to your family; more important than talking to your *immediate* family, who know you too well and have their own desires for you, try to talk to uncles and aunts and cousins, especially the successful ones, and most especially the happy ones.

As for the sensible question you ask about work experience, you can also work in your own trade while you're qualifying in a university course; your lecturers should be able to help you find part-time work, and will certainly encourage you in doing this.

Very well done on the results. Excellent!

BossArky

iggyman wrote:

actually im just wondering will me being a bit colourblind will that be ok with computer engineering ..i think computer engineering is like all circut boards and all so i dont think it will be a problem but just in case what do yas think?

I'm red green colour blind, and was told to steer clear of courses such as electronic and computer engineering.

I would recommend going to University/college. You will meet loads of people, perhaps learn something, have lots of s3x and have the experience of your life thus far

I cannot talk about the other option as I haven't done it.

Congrats on the results, enjoy the next few weeks! Personally I found the Leaving Cert to be the most stressful thing in my life,... I still have nightmares about not getting enough points, etc.

iggyman

well i tought computer enginering wasnt really about the colour of wires etc like only the very tiny bit would be in wires like the connecting of them to components but i will know colours like that not a bother..because there primary colours...

and thanks for the congrats

daveg

Colour blindness restrictions applies to being able to read resistor values. Resistors have colour rings on them which relate to resistance values, tolerance etc. More info:

http://xtronics.com/kits/rcode.htm

Congrats on your results OP. As regards your collage/apprentice options I would give you only one piece of advice. Ignore the money side of things and think more along the lines of I will be doing this job for 40hrs plus a week for a long time. Go with whichever occupation you will enjoy the most. Money comes a distant second to being happy in a job.

iggyman

daveg wrote:

Colour blindness restrictions applies to being able to read resistor values. Resistors have colour rings on them which relate to resistance values, tolerance etc. More info:

http://xtronics.com/kits/rcode.htm

Aw no way...this resistor stuff is a big part of the course isnt it yeah..well if there always the same exact colour then i will learn to know what they are because usually when ya look at something and try spot the colour its always a different shade than the last time..but with these ..these would be manufactured to always be same colour and the only colour i think that would mix me up is orange and green becasue there really only the ones there that are anywere near the same colour as each other but now after seeing them in real life when i do ill know what to look out for between the two...hopefully


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