[Warren]

No matter what, take a math course no matter how basic or relevant it is to your course. If your gonna be in construction, or any business for that matter, there may not be any skill more important than math.

 

[BryanG1]

Agreed, an accounting course would help you also

 

[chris klee]

college was the most fun 5 years of my life. its about more than the education itself. you learn how to deal with balancing home work, studying, and social time. you also learn how to live in 50 bux a month or less.
my degree had a large emphasis on business management and business law. those classes alone would help any one that is thinking about starting their own business. for my electives i took some psychology classes, which helps to understand why people do stuff they do.
of course, i also took fun classes like pop culture (lots of reading and papers to write), American movies, winter canoeing, rock climbing, and even human sexuality.

math sucked for me, plain and simple. calc wasnt bad, trig 1 i took twice and trig 2 i took 3 times just to get a c. the math isnt about doing the math, its about solving problems.

 

[flashheatingand]

Most important rule in math: "Please excuse my dear Aunt Sally."

 

[AllanE]

Cannon

I would encourage you to get that degree, try to learn and develop a wide variety of skills like good oral and written communication, computer skills, and by all means, and the most important think you can learn, accounting. Especially cost accounting. And if you aren't good in math, become good because contracting is a numbers based business. By the way, I started my company in 1974 when I was 23 yrs old.

Good luck!

Allan

 

[KennMacMoragh]

I got my construction management degree, I started in school for it when I was 19 like you. It helped me get a job as a special inspector later, which only lasted about a year due to the economy. It has helped me get my act together and learn what is going on in the administrative aspect of construction, and not just the tools and labor aspect of it. The building codes classes actually helped me the most.

Could I have started up my own business without it? Yeah I probably could have. Did the classes help along the way? Yep, they did.

 

[Cletus]

Go for the CM degree now. Put in whatever effort is required to get through all of your coursework with good grades, calculus included. Challenge yourself.

The point of a degree, besides learning some fundamentals, is to prove to an employer and yourself that you can handle a heavy load over a long haul, while having a good time. A degree in CM or CE does that better than English if you end up working in the construction industry. In the future, if you find that construction sucks and want to work in another field, you will still be able to show that you didn't take the easier path.

 

[KennMacMoragh]

Yeah, if your goal is to be a contractor, then I don't see much use for the English classes. You should know how to write a business letter, maybe some blogs. Know some punctuation, the difference between then and than, your and you're. But a couple of classes should take care of that, besides, it sounds like you already know it. By looking at your first post, you can write better than most contractors already.

More useful classes would be business, interior design, CAD, engineering. I'd also like to point out, if you really hate math, then being a contractor may not be the best career for you. You're going to be working with numbers day to day, submitting bids, framing additions, doing take offs. Maybe you just hate the classroom math but enjoy real life math? Something to think about though.

 

[cannonskate]

Maybe you just hate the classroom math but enjoy real life math? Something to think about though.

Exactly! I have no problem using math. Like I mentioned before, I use it everyday. I am doing some railings for a deck that has some very weird angles and I absolutely love it! And as far as bids and that kind of stuff, well, I just don't see myself ever utilizing Calculus. I am planning on taking a few accounting classes and I feel like that should be enough, especially with programs like Quickbooks.

I liked Geometry when I took it in high school, but I think that is because I was able to apply it to real life. Where as algebra was boring because it was just numbers and I didn't feel like I was really accomplishing much, which is sort of the same way I feel about Precalculus and Calculus. I get bored and unmotivated.

The point of a degree, besides learning some fundamentals, is to prove to an employer and yourself that you can handle a heavy load over a long haul, while having a good time.

I agree, but I don't think a CM degree would prove that I took the harder route. Probably a smarter route if I am going into the construction world, but still I will have a BA in, I have decided, Film/Media which will prove that I can handle , plus an AA in CM which will give me a step up. And the ability to get licensed as soon as I graduate!


Thank you all again for your great knowledge and advice, really appreciate it! Please keep it coming!

 

[KennMacMoragh]

And as far as bids and that kind of stuff, well, I just don't see myself ever utilizing Calculus.

You are right about that, I've never had to formulate integrals or derivatives on a job site.

 

[Vince_B]

I wasn't good at math until I went to college. The instructor makes a huge difference. Give math another chance.

If you can get into a four year college that would be better. You likely would qualify for grants or financial aid, but if I was 19 in 2010 I would borrow money to go to school.

In four or five years you can have a degree and have opportunities that other guys your age would not have by virtue of a degree.

The construction industry is not going to be a good place to be without a degree. If you're not going to college I would recommend becoming fluent in Spanish.

Actually you should probably learn Spanish either way

 

[BryanG1]

I agree, but I don't think a CM degree would prove that I took the harder route. Probably a smarter route if I am going into the construction world, but still I will have a BA in, I have decided, Film/Media which will prove that I can handle , plus an AA in CM which will give me a step up. And the ability to get licensed as soon as I graduate!

I think if you are still not 100% positive you want to be in construction I would get a business major, there are not many math courses and it will pay off later in life no matter what you choose to do. Also with an AA in CM and a BS in Business you should be in very good shape and not have anyone doubting your ability to learn because it will seem like you went for a well rounded degree but didn't take the easy way through.
However I would stay away from film/media unless that is another career you are considering it will be very difficult to land and keep that first job out of school when the company is comparing two people they have never met and one has a CM degree and the other has a film degree, it will just be very difficult to get a break.

Another bonus of a CM degree is that they make internships mandatory, I went to ASU where they require 2 internships the first must be in the field or where you spend at least 60% of your time in the field so I worked for a heavy civil contractor for about a year and a half and gained valuable experience and skills I still use. The next internship must be Office based so I got an internship with an extremely large commercial GC in their estimating department and got the learn a whole other side of the business. Most internships pay between $15-18/hr which is far better than a serving job and work around your schedule. The school will also have companies come in and setup interview days so half the work of getting your foot in the door is done for you, this was the greatest advantage to a CM degree over anything else. When I graduated I already had ton of contacts and 4 years of very good experience and a job offer waiting for me. If I had gone with a different major I dont think things would have gone so smooth.

Feel free to PM me with any questions, sorry to be so long winded

 

[Ayerzee]

Cannon

I would encourage you to get that degree, try to learn and develop a wide variety of skills like good oral and written communication, computer skills, and by all means, and the most important think you can learn, accounting. Especially cost accounting. And if you aren't good in math, become good because contracting is a numbers based business. By the way, I started my company in 1974 when I was 23 yrs old.

Good luck!

Allan

A really good point. Definitely take every opportunity to improve your computer skills, especially spreadsheet/word processing software.

 

[stewart.knowles]

cannon, I'm not much older than you. I have a BS in CMT and run my own operation in Nashville, TN. My degree got me an internship where I worked for a very knowledgable and successful GC. I got my "education" from him, but would not have made it there had I not been enrolled in the local university. My first day he summed up everything I had learned in school in about 2 hours. He taught me how to manage people and projects, thus making money in the construction field.

Most of your CMT schools are set up as recruitments and sponsored by large trac-builders like Centex, Beazer, Pulte, and NVR. They are not the people you want to learn from, however you can make a decent living straight out of college working for them.

If you want to run a construction business (something other than handy-man stuff) GO TO COLLEGE. GET A DEGREE IN BUSINESS OR FINANCE, AND MINOR IN CONSTRUCTION. -or-
Get a degree in Construction and minor in business or finance. While you are in school, work for someone who is now, what you want to be in the future. Learn from them while you are getting your "education". You will have a much shorter learning curve when you start your own business because you are going to make mistakes and screw up on other people's money.

Let me make myself clear though.... You do not have to have a degree to be successful. You do not have to have a construction degree to build a house. But you will have more opportunity to learn and be exposed to many more facets of the business if you persue a degree and work for someone smarter than you while you are in the process. FYI, if you are in California, Cal-Poly is the Harvard for building science. I went to MTSU in Tennessee. Auburn is an awesome school too. Hope that helps, let me know if I can help you in any way.

 

[kcremodeling]

I always hated math when I was in school. I could never see a practical use for any of these equations we were expected to spend so much time learning.

Recently, I decided to go for my Master Electrician's license. Any electrician will tell you, the exam is all about math and science. The funny thing is, I have actually enjoyed studying for the exam. I finally see practical uses for understanding math and science.

I wouldn't sweat it. Find something you enjoy doing and work hard at it, the rest will fall into place. :thumbup:

 

[dprimc]

You sound a lot like me when I was younger. I went to college and got an English degree. Not for any reason other than I enjoyed English and the classes. I hated math. I could get decent grades in my math classes (mostly B's) but it took a whole lot more work than any of my other classes.

I ended up taking classes through Algebra 2 / Trig. and than took a few other classes that counted as math credits. Logic was one of them, which was great because it was a lot like Geometry which was my favorite math class. I can't remember what the other one was, but they were both full credit math classes for the U of W.

If you are set on construction I like the idea of CM minor and then a business major. If you decide to go a different direction you won't be boxed into just construction. If I was doing this over again, I would skip the minor, cause I was already working in the field, but would have probably gone with business and definitely taken some accounting knowing what I know now.

You are also going to have to consider what you really enjoy along the way. If something makes you miserable, you most likely won't get through four years. I don't know that I would have made it through in any other major, but that's just me.

For me, as an employer, the college degree itself is proof of an education, no matter what the degree is in. You get a whole education just in the process of going through college. And personality and attitude are more important to me than any degree.

With that said, someone with an applicable skill set will always be higher on the hiring list. For construction I would take field experience over classroom learning every time, but someone with a CM degree would take rank over someone with an English degree. Although I'd want to meet that deranged soul with the English degree.

Best of luck in your decision. :thumbsup:



.

 

[BigB]

I will be graduating in April with a degree in CM. It has been a LONG five years working full-time, going to school part-time, and studying at night. Luckily, I was in school for the majority of this past recession so it didn't affect me very much and I managed to land a job with a large commercial construction company and I'm really enjoying what I'm doing.

A couple of points that you may want to consider before jumping into a CM degree would be to keep in mind that a degree in construction management should really be called "Business Management: Construction". Throughout the program I took only four classes that dealt with actual construction methods like framing, concrete, MEP, finish methods, etc. The bulk of my courses involved finance, management, safety, scheduling, development, and quality control. In other words, I could easily manage a $50 million dollar project from start to finish, but if you were to put me out with the guys tying rebar and pouring concrete I wouldn't really know where to start. I know how things SHOULD be built, but I would have a hard time doing it myself.

So, with that being said, just because you've enjoyed your time in the field doesn't mean that you'll enjoy your time behind a desk all day even though it's in the same industry. Plus, like others have mentioned before me, a degree in CM is very useful if you plan on working for large residential, commercial, industrial, or heavy civil companies. Otherwise, if you plan on running your own company you'd probably be better off getting a general degree in business and learning the construction trades and processes through day-to-day experience.

Good luck with your search and hopefully you don't change your mind too many times. I went from Engineering to Architecture to Construction Management in my pursuit for a degree and paid a LOT of money out of my pocket simply by being indecisive.

 

[Irishslave]

Let me throw in a few things to think about:

1. Will you be in debt when you get out of school and how much? Student loan debt can be an anvil around your neck that you cannot get rid of. Do not end up $100,000 dollars in debt with the ability to only make $30,000 a year or find yourself chronically unemployed. It is a recipe for a tragic life. Look at the numbers carefully.

2.It could be a problem if you hate math. Geometry and trig are important, I don't know so much about the calculus.

3.If you don't like the path to get to a four year college degree, maybe you should investigate a technical school. A tchnical school is much different from university level education. You do not have to take all those classes that do not directly apply to your your chosen career.

4. The foreseeable futue for construction does not look good right now.

5. Watch the cost of your education. If it is too high, it may not be worth it. Refer back to #1.

I was shocked when I recently found out how much a good college education cost, and let's face it the top name schools are the ones you want if your to be in the top of the resume pile. If I spent that kind of money and couldn't find a job I'd be:furious:

 

[jfman]

At 19 years old, I am trying to figure out what to do with my life!
I absolutely love construction, currently working full time as a carpenter and taking night classes at my local community college. My goal is to, at some point become a general. What I am wondering is, should I go to college for construction?


So what do you guys think? Either way I am going to go to college.

I went to college while working construction. I have a BBA from UGA. Once I got my degree I looked for jobs with local large construction companies as a project manager.

98% of them want you to have an engineering degree. The only thing I was ever considered for was in their accounting dept(booooring).

So look into engineering school and start studying math :w00t:

 

[sonicbuilder]

I graduated from a large university that has a nationally-known construction program. I also worked for a GC that primarily consisted of guys who graduated from that program.

I considered it but I chose another major... I already had several years experience in construction so I didn't want to "pigeonhole" myself into construction. I'm glad I did because the past few years, the kids that came out of school with a construction degree faced unemployment.

From my experience, if you work for a GC for at least six months, it's not really going to matter whether you have a degree in construction or not because experience gained will outweigh your major eventually. A construction degree gets your foot in the door but there's plenty of ways to get your foot in the door. Remember that the majority of college-educated professionals in construction did NOT major in construction.