College Or Not? What Route..

MOrcutt

I'm new to this site but have always wanted to contract new homes since I was little. Soon I will be choosing what route I will be taking in life towards what I want to do. Did you go to college or work the business then start your business. If I were to go into college I would most likely want to go into construction management and possibly minor in architecture. Let me know your thoughts and how you got to be where you are today..

Teetorbilt

Today an Associates qualifies you to wash dishes, I'd recommend at least a Masters. Leonardo da Vinci would not make it in todays world, cred's are everything.

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You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

4theroc

Well, im 23 its a couple of other guys on here that are around my age. I dont know if they went to college or not but I did. Matter of fact I'm graduating in May. So in my opinion go to school. You might say whats the point later on but always have more than 1 option to fall back on. I major in civil engineering and I must say, I'm definetly glad i went to college. I have alot of job oppourtunities open and I also have my own business. Besides I do excavation work and Landscaping, and being that I will be dealing with deverlopers all the time in the field i plan to pursue, I look at it as an oppourtunity for my business to grow. As well as start my own Geotechnical firm when i obtain my PE license. Im my opinion, construction management is boring. You just sit in the office. Thats my opinion. Send me an PM if u need anymore advice. O yea you wont be able to meet to many girls just working 40 hours a week and you wont be able to party that much

mikesewell

Go to college. With a Construction or Engineering degree you have a huge advantage in this business. You will have options and opportunities that the other guys won't have. Without the education, you can be an installer, but you'll never fully understand how things work.

If you just want to be an installer (not that there's anything wrong with that), go to a good trade school. Being an installer is fun when you're young, but is not so much fun when you get older.

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Commercial construction

Sewell Construction

Teetorbilt

4th, a PE can open lots of different doors. I often wish that I had taken that route.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

MOrcutt

I don't want to be an installer or laborer. I want to run my own business also. I'd like to be contracting new homes. Does anyone else have any other input?

mikesewell

Me too Teetor. We'll never know what we could have been.

If you make the wrong choices when you're young, you can end up building sawhorses instead of skyscrapers.

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Commercial construction

Sewell Construction

mikesewell

LOL. Nobody is going to tell you that they wish they knew less.

Best wishes,
Michael

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Commercial construction

Sewell Construction

woodmagman

Education will accelerate your ability to handle opportunity when it comes….and it will come.

go do it

go to school. your brain never fills up. dbl major in buisness.

WNYcarpenter

If you're serious enough, stick with your plan! You didn't say if you have any experience building, but if not, work summers learning a trade!! Hands on experience, a degree in Const. Management, and some architecture... I emphasize hands on experience!!

mikesewell

Good advice. Don't waste 4 years working at McDonalds while you're working on your Construction or Engineering degree. Why not get 4 years of construction experience at the same time?

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Commercial construction

Sewell Construction

dirt diggler

i've been outta school 4 years


here's a different perspective



ENJOY IT


live it up. No - i don't wanna go back ... but im glad i went


i worked while in school (pennies for beer money & smoke)

heck with that - get a decent summer job that allows you to live it up during the school year

you will never get so laid, wasted, laid again as you will in college. Live it up

and just be ready to get to work afterwards



im not saying don't be a good student and all (you have to be in order to graduate)


but don't miss out on the social aspects ...

trust me - you WILL learn and grow from them and as shallow as it seems - it's very valuable

KentWhitten

if you are looking into GC'ing, definitely some business management

hrscammisa

You are going to need some thing when your back gos.

hcecalaska

as a sr manager for a construction firm i was discussing this matter today with my general manager. the question is do you look to build a project manager from with in the construction ranks or from the univeristy?
i went to college and recieved an AS in robotics, the added schooling alowed me to advance through trade as an electrician faster then most of my piers, but it did not prepare me for the business aspect of being a project manager.
the craftsmen that work for me look to me to help then solve diffacult situations on their jobs. something that would be diffacult if i wasnt a master electrician. it also gains me respect from them because they know i understand what they are doing.
the other side is the bussiness side. i never would have slept through that accounting class if i thought it realy would mater in my life. a large portion of the work of an owner/manager is being able to evaluate projects from the use of the ballance sheets. a 4 year degree in CM with work experience would be ideal.
and if anyone knows someone who wants to intern for the summer as an electrical PM in alaska let me know.

Toothpick

I didn't but wish I did, hindsight is always 20/20. With that being said though good common sense and street smarts will take you a long way. I know a couple of brothers personally who are in thier late 30's/early 40's who have started their own concrete company doing flatwork about 15 years ago with a pickup and a bed full of tools. Today thier company travel the state doing large commercial flatwork/walls and are doing very well for themselves. One of the brothers made it through high school and the other brother that is the driving force dropped out. They both had common sense and lots of street smarts not to mention a big set of kahones. College ejumacated or not any of us here would be envious of them. Bottom line is it neccesary? no. Is it benefical? most likely so.

dirt diggler

must've made up for the lost snores in English class, hehe


peers
difficult
business
really
balance

tzzzz216

Do both , Always, Always have a trade to fall back on , To many people go to college and when they come out their stuck doing the same thing when they were in high school , I would say go to trade school first and let that pay your way in college .

HUDSONVALLEYEXT

Get a job with a builder and go to school nights for business management