Dropping out of college to do an apprenticeship

LegacyUser

Long story short - Spent 2 years of a degree I hated, made a change, realised that wasn't what I really wanted and now I'm back in first year at 21 in a computer science degree.
I'm paying out of pocket for the next two years, although I am getting a slight reduction for this year it's still not cheap and it has to be taxing on my parents.

I'm not enjoying college, I never have, well, I enjoyed first year in accommodation because I don't really remember any of it I just spent 90% of my time plastered drunk.
I don't drink anymore, it just didn't suit me.. and I'm commuting from home (1:30+ by bus)..
I just don't get along very well with the other lads in my degree..
They're just talking about who's going out, who's house, what pub, what night club.. there's very little I can get involved with.

I also am in a tricky situation as I joined 3 weeks late.. so I've a lot of catching up to do (3hr labs, twice a week, and 2 2hr labs for another subject.. that's before lectures, tutorials and what I'm exempt from.

I'm thinking of cutting my losses and going out getting an apprenticeship.. I think I'd be best suited towards electrician.. I want something that's as much to do with your head as it is to do with brute strength.. I'm not adverse to work but I don't want something boring and physically taxing.

I never hung around with the lads in school who are now looking for apprenticeships.. so I'm sort of worrying I might just be a bad fit, my parents aren't too fond on the idea either.
They say I just jump from one thing to the other - which is very true.. but they think it's just me not settling, when in reality I'm just not happy in college.. I had some bad experiences in first year, that really took a blow to my confidence, that didn't help.
But I'm missing out on the social side of things and I don't like the actual college side of things so I'm just in for the stuff that everyone complains about and I'm not out going to clubs.

I got 425 in my Leaving, no idea how.. I didn't do a tap.
But my parents are saying it's a waste, to get those points and not use them - despite the course I'm doing at the minute being 290 points and the first one was 400 or so.

I just think I'd be a lot better off working on one problem at a time, doing something tangible that I can see an end result of.
Instead of endless self study on stuff that I'm losing interest in.

My fees aren't due for another couple of weeks so I'll be sticking it out until then but I just don't think college is for me.
My parents seem to think otherwise.

I'm intelligent.. I know I want to do a lot, a hell of a lot more than just an office job or out labouring..
Regardless of what I go into I want to build a business, I want to make a lot of money and a lot of jobs.
Be that going down the route of the Comer brothers and getting into real estate, developing a new piece of kit or just growing a typical self employed electricians business..
I have no intention of sitting still and just getting into some alright money.
Even if my parents are right and an apprenticeship is beneath me (not their exact words, but it's not far off, and I disagree) at least I'd be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pile of ****e.

I know I have a habit of jumping into things, I applied for the guards, got through to stage 2 and I didn't end up going because I lost interest.
I'm thinking that at least if I loose interest in an apprenticeship I'll still be earning money and not throwing a couple of thousand down the drain.
I know I make stupid decisions but I can't just not make decisions.. so I'm looking for advice.

I'm not happy where I am, I've been having chronic headaches almost everyday for the past 5 months.. I got a CT and all of that, I've an MRI coming up too.. but the doctors think it's a lot to do with my environment/situation.
I have a feeling some level of depression isn't helping the case.
I'm on medication and painkillers - neither really work so I don't know what's going on there.. but apparently it's a lot to do with environment.

I just want some objective input.. maybe I am just being a tool and I should just stick it out, but I'm 1 year into 4 and it only gets tougher..
What do you think?

LirW

Fellow drop-out here, it really didn't suit me and my life, my course was bad and a bad choice and ai continued working in the job I had at the time because it was a lot nicer and interesting and I did learn a lot more there than I did in college.

You're 21, you're really young and people change paths all the time. If you're really up for it and want it so bad, good and motivated tradesmen are always in high demand and you still have a lot of options if you want to evolve further.
Truth to be said, some people know exactly what they want at that age, but even more don't have a clue and find out that their original plan isn't for them and move on.

Nothing wrong with becoming a tradesman instead of graduating. Once you do a good job and are reliable you're rarely out of work.

Pelvis

Nothing wrong with an apprenticeship, but will you be happy cleaning up, making the tea and being an all round dogsbody for the first year, freezing your arse off on a building site? Or will you get fed up with it and want to move on to something else?

Whatever you want to do, there is going to be aspects of it you won't like. I'm just finishing up a similar degree, I can't say I particularly enjoyed it. Degrees are 80% filler, full of shíte you'll never use once you're finished. Whenever exams came around I said to myself that they'd be my last, but I stuck with it because I knew that I needed that piece of paper at the end of it.

If an apprenticeship is what you really want to do, then go do it. But do it with eyes wide open, you're not going to get instant gratification from it. It will be hard, and you'll probably want to quit more than once. You need to figure out if you can get past those barriers.

LLMMLL

I think your expectations of making big money are a bit unrealistic. I don’t know anything about trades but I would doubt that getting to a position of making big money as a self employed electrician isn’t easy or guaranteed.

Inventing a piece of kit...... how?

Getting into real estate....... how?

Your post doesn’t strike me as someone who has the entrepreneurial spirit OP. Yes they all have a desire to make it big, but in my experience the successful entrepreneurs I’ve known have all obsessively stuck to their projects/ideas etc.

I’d be a bit easily distracted and unsure like yourself and know many similar people and it’s not a recipe for big money success unfortunately.

I personally think your best bet is sticking with the degree. It’ll give you far more options. If you’re really set on being a big money success then develop ideas while doing your degree. Aim for the best summer internships you can get instead of j1s or summer holidays. Go to events where people discuss their tech ideas like meet ups. Etc etc.

spaceHopper

Talk to somebody who is an electrician find out what the training is like also will you fit in with the other mostly lads in your class, they will still be a lot of football, pub and drink talk. Will you like the work?

Personally I think an apprenticeship is not for you

volono

Hi O.P.,
I remeber posting something similar on another thread about taking up an apprenticeship some time ago and I'll say in around the same .
Theres countless electricians to begin with , more than other trades imo
Do you have any previous background with this type of work?
As in do you have friends, family members, anyone? that makes their living from a trade?.
Are you willing, like another poster mentioned , to be a slave basically for a year to begin with, in general , dealing with sh'te , making tea/coffee, going to the shop etc. etc.
Theres loads of pros in doing one , but it takes years to build up contacts/work and this is After your qualified,
Are you of a mind to be constantly changing location/ chasing work / trying to get paid!! / dealing with all types of people etc. and remember if you do go down the path of doing it , the rest of your working life will be in front of you , as in your HANDS , it's not easy at the best of times - although it can be very rewarding also, but it just depends on the type of person you are.
One last thing i'll mention is that your 21 and really worried about the direction you're taking /want to take and although it might not feel like it at the moment you are a young man , u really are. Hope it works out for you o.p. best of luck

2011

Hi OP, I don't normally respond on the PI forum but I saw your post and felt I had to as completed an electrical apprenticeship and a degree.

My story: I went against everyone's advice when I left school by turning down my chance to go to third level. Instead after a few years of enjoying myself I served my time as an electrician. This trade served me well in terms of always being employed, I worked abroad and I made good money. If I got bored I quit my job and started a new more interesting one immediately. I was promoted a number of times and received a lot of specialized training. I worked in the oil industry, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, chemical industry, office blocks, factories etc... So far so good.

However in my mid thirties I realized that I was completely burnt out. I was too young to retire and too old to spend the next 25 years on my tools. So at the tender age of 36 I was a first year student doing a degree in electrical engineering and very quickly I realized that this is what I should have done in the first place. This turned out to be the best decision I ever made. For the first time in my life I studied as I was so motivated by the fear of having to return to my tools, I simply could not face that. To my surprise I excelled in college and even managed to win a few awards.

I was offered a fantastic job before my final year with an engineering consultancy, that was nearly 10 years ago. I have been there since and have never looked back. Having a degree opened a lot more doors for me. I even enjoy most of my work now in addition to being treated with respect which was not always the case when I was an electrician.

sparkymcsparkspark wrote: »

now I'm back in first year at 21 in a computer science degree.

Only 21, great.

I'm not enjoying college

Not a big deal really. Before you know it you will have graduated. The rest of your career last a lot longer than a few short years in college.

I just don't get along very well with the other lads in my degree..
They're just talking about who's going out, who's house, what pub, what night club.. there's very little I can get involved with.

I know I sound old when I say this (probably because I am old) but this is a very short termed view on things.

I also am in a tricky situation as I joined 3 weeks late.. so I've a lot of catching up to do (3hr labs, twice a week, and 2 2hr labs for another subject.. that's before lectures, tutorials and what I'm exempt from.

So roll up your sleeves and get on with it. I couldn't send an email when I started in college, linearly. I also had not studied maths in over 20 years.

I'm thinking of cutting my losses and going out getting an apprenticeship.. I think I'd be best suited towards electrician.

Have you any experience in this area?

I'm not adverse to work but I don't want something boring and physically taxing.

Then don't become an electrician, it can be a bit repetitive at times.

Domestic work: Spend more time crawling through attics, lifting floor boards and moving furniture than doing electrical work.

Industrial work: I did find myself on more than one occasion connecting light fittings in offices for several months. I did some interesting stuff too.

But I'm missing out on the social side of things and I don't like the actual college side of things so I'm just in for the stuff that everyone complains about and I'm not out going to clubs.

Becoming an apprentice will not resolve any of this.

I got 425 in my Leaving

Neither here nor there as a leaving cert is not a prerequisite for an apprenticeship. Maths peaks at leaving cert pass level.

The positive side of becoming an electrician is that you will never be out of work (assuming that you are good at what you do). There is a chronic shortage of electricians at the moment and this is likely to continue. Even during the recession my phone never stopped ringing and I was offered employment that I had not applied for.

Anyway that is my story.

I think that you should consider that many electricians are leaving their trade and going back to college to get a degree, so the reverse of what you are doing.

Best of luck with whatever you decide.
PM me if you would like to discuss it over the phone, I can advise on apprenticeships (the good, the bad and the ugly) as well as good companies to work for.

Ursus Horribilis

How did you end up in a computer science degree if it's turning out to be a course you hate? Anyone can pick a college course they come to realise they hated but you're now making that mistake second time round. What career did you have in mind when you opted for computer science? Could you still use a degree in it to move into other areas that might suit you?

To be honest, if you drop out of college I think you'd be better off going into the workforce for a couple of years to grow up. You'll learn more about yourself as a person and what your strengths and weaknesses are. It might also teach you how to stick with something instead getting drunk or jacking things in once you meet the first hurdle. Going by the tone of what you've written here, I'm not sure you'd be suited to being an apprentice either.

BuboBubo

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

To be honest, if you drop out of college I think you'd be better off going into the workforce for a couple of years to grow up. You'll learn more about yourself as a person and what your strengths and weaknesses are. It might also teach you how to stick with something instead getting drunk or jacking things in once you meet the first hurdle. Going by the tone of what you've written here, I'm not sure you'd be suited to being an apprentice either.

Would you consider factory work op? It'd be decent weeks wage for a lad like yourself.

Working on a factory/production floor you'd have ample opportunity to study whilst working. You could study engineering (quality/robotic/electricial/mechanical?) Or maybe something like production management whilst moving up the ladder in the factory?

Many companies will pay part of your course and exam fees, give you time off for classes etc if it will benefit the company. I admit it will take commitment to both work and study, but it can be done.

You might even meet people you can relate to better, a good mix of age groups and nationalities work in factories, and you would get to know managers, engineers, accountants, technicians, supervisors, who could help you on your journey.

Whatever you decide, best of luck.

wiggle16

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

To be honest, if you drop out of college I think you'd be better off going into the workforce for a couple of years to grow up. You'll learn more about yourself as a person and what your strengths and weaknesses are. It might also teach you how to stick with something instead getting drunk or jacking things in once you meet the first hurdle. Going by the tone of what you've written here, I'm not sure you'd be suited to being an apprentice either.

I have to say I agree with the above.

I don't mean to be harsh, but I honestly think you need to grow up a bit. It's one thing to try different subjects and jobs and move along when you decide it's not for you, you're completely right, and you are a young man with plenty of time to decide what you want to do with your life. But it's a different story if someone else is paying for it. Your post reads more like a list of reasons to not like college than a list of reasons why you would be suited to a trade.

I used to work in the fees and grants section of a university and if this is your third time starting in an undergraduate course then yes, if your parents have been paying for them, I can imagine they must be quite understandably frustrated to hear you talking about changing paths again. If I am understanding you correctly, they will have had to pay full fees for you at least once, in addition to the Student Contribution for the four (?) undergrad years you've done so far. That's a lot of money for them to be committing to something if you're not sure you're going to stick to it. Whether your parents think it's because you're not settling or because you're not happy isn't really relevant. It's not fair to them. Realistically OP, you had all summer to think this through, before paying registration and administration fees that you won't get back, aside from tuition. I'm sorry, but you need to get your head on your shoulders about this.

You're only a few weeks into your course (and having started late, you can hardly have done more than a week of it so far, no?). You now want to drop out and get into a trade. Or design a new piece of kit. Or own your own business. Maybe dabble in a bit of real estate - your desired outcome is incredibly vague and seems more focused on getting into an alternative to 3rd level than actually wanting to get into a specific line of work. In addition, none of the alternatives you've mentioned come without either working your way up to them or having capital to put behind them.

Pelvis is completely right about your first year or so of an apprenticeship: you would be doing the shítty, tedious work the tradesmen don't want to do in between making tea and carrying equipment around. That's fine if you have your heart set on it, but as Ursus has said, with your current attitude and based upon your post, I don't think you would fare any better in an apprenticeship at the moment than you would with your college course. Both of them entail a certain amount of tedium and a lot of commitment. You would bore just as easily working with your hands, 9 to 5. As for not wanting something boring or physically taxing: the overwhelming majority of jobs are one or both of these, to one extent or another, regardless of the qualifications required. You could be absolutely brilliant in a trade, but if you get bored this quickly I don't think you're ready to get stuck into one.

I don't think I can advise you on what to do, since you don't know what you want yourself, but your parents should not be paying so much money for something you don't think you are going to finish. You need to make your decision before the fees are due to be paid. You've got some brilliant insight there from 2011 and you should take that into consideration.

If you do decide to stay with your course, once you pass your first year, you/your parents will no longer have to pay full fees for the following two or three years (in my opinion you should really be paying your own fees or at least contributing substantially to them, especially at 21). If you really want to, you could then defer your second year to try your hand at a trade or something else if you really, really want to make a go of it. That way, if you figure out it's not for you after all, you can return to your course.

If you haven't done so already, speak to the careers guidance dept of the college. You'd be surprised at how helpful they can be.

I'm sorry if this comes across harsh, but you need to have a decision made before those fees are paid, so be realistic about what you want to do.

Best of luck, genuinely, whatever you do. x

Eric Cartman

I think I get where the OP is coming from, I went to university to do electronics engineering and it wasnt what I expected at all, spent most of my days drunk and was making money fitting car stereos. I dropped out to persue my business as an IT consltant and luckily has worked out. I wish more schools presented an aprenticeship as an alternative to college as they are much needed skills. If youre a hands on guy and not an 'in theory' guy its a good road to go down and theres some money to be made. Working on your own out of your van after a few years of experience wont make you a millionaire but its a way to a comfortable enough life with no student loan debt

goat2

You are only 21, now you know what college life is like, you could work and do a night course, as you say you got over the clubbing fairly fast, you don't have to be without your own money while still going to night school, College does not suit everyone, and as long as you train for what suits you, you will be fine

Gbear

Bit late to the party but becoming an electrician isn't the only type of apprecticeship:

https://fit.ie/

There's apprenticeships in various fields, including more IT focused stuff.

For example: ICT Associate Professional Tech Apprenticeship

If there's something in particular that drew you to Computer Science in the first place something like the above might suit you better.

I wouldn't disagree that getting into the workforce might do you some good, but if this seemed like something you would enjoy, it might be a decent halfway house, where you get 200 quid a week, rising to 350 or so in the 2nd year, you end up with a QQI level 6 that also has practical experience, and from there you could either continue into industry, or then decide you've the wherewithal to go back to study and get your degree.

klm1

I work in construction recruitment, there are some great career opportunities for electricians, especially at the moment, but to progress past the basic electrician level, further education is required.

You can become an electrician, complete the apprenticeship, 4 years spent on pretty small wages, doing fairly monotonous work and being the general dogsbody. Then the pay becomes decent enough, especially in industrial level work. Agencies like mine are crying out for electricians at the moment. With the right application, some experience under your belt and further education you could move up the ladder to electrical project manager/package manager etc.. which are all good solid career paths.

I don't think apprenticeships opportunities are presented to our youths early enough, and I'm sure that the career opportunities present in construction are certainly not made clear enough.

OP, do you know any electricians who would let you labour for them for a few days? This would give you a feel for the work.