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High School, College, and Graduation Requirements

L

Lanse

Well-known Member
Morning everyone!!

Glad you all liked the park bench build... Reading through the responses, I noticed a few people said that my "community service" actually ISNT a graduation requirement.

Now, Ive done some internet surfing, and I see NOTHING about doing community service to graduate here!! SUM BEEITCH!! Those @$$HATS LIED to us!! They told us "Its a state requirement, do it or else" WTF? My school said we had to. I don't frickin' believe it. I'm pretty mad about all this, but realistically, what can I do? Man, this sucks. If the seminary approached me and asked me to build them some stuff, I would have done it for them, but thats different than thinking I HAD to for my dang school. Dayum.

Well that was thirty-something hours of my life I'll never get back.

Oh well. As steamed as I am right now, I wanna just let it do. I wasn't one of those kids who enjoyed school overall, and I just wanna put this and everything else behind me and move on with life. Still makes me wanna punch a wall tho.

Anyway...

As you may have guessed, I wanna be a weldor when I grow up and I'm looking to further my education some more.

Someday, I want to run my own shop/have my own business, and so I'm looking to get on the path that will lead me there. Pipe welding doesn't interest me that much, but general fabrication and pretty much everything else, does.

Both of my parents hold multiple degrees for various things, and really want me to get into school somewhere. I really don't like school, but since it seems to be the best way to get onto the fast track to running a business of my own, I'm more than interested.

I'm currently in Southern Ohio, and truth be told, I'm looking to re-locate. I REALLY want to go somewhere warmer, I've spent my whole life living in New York, Michigan, and Ohio, and while theres nothing wrong with the cold/winter, its not for me, and I need a warmer climate. I really like Texas, I've got family and a few friends in Austin, and would like to eventually end up in the Austin, Dallas, or San Antonio area, although I'm open to anything for the time being...

Even though its not a college, I've given serious thought to the Lincoln Electric school in Cleveland. How would a school like that compare to a two year college?

Anyone have any input or advice? What colleges have the best welding programs? As always, sorry about the rant, and thanks in advance, I appreciate it...
 
Hey Lanse,

My dad went to the Hobart Welding school in Troy, Ohio. Its still operating and trains some of the top welders in the nation. It's ranked as one of the best welding schools in the nation. My dad went on to become a Aerospace engineer with HoneyWell. I'm in Springfield, Ohio and would be happy to show you around the area. I remember from a few Emails we have sent between each other that you were in Ohio.. I just forget what city? -Its a win - win for you.. A great welding school close to home..
 
I'm with you, I'm not a scholar. My mother and both sisters thought school, and my dad worked his way through Michigan State University (MSU) during the depression, when it was Michigan Agriculture Collage MAC.

The best thing that happened to me was that I fell into an apprenticeship in the construction trades as an electrician, IBEW.

Dusty

I enjoy welding, but I would not want to have to do it for a living.
I did do welding on the job as an electrician.
 
My 3 kids are between 14-18. One just graduated from high school and the other two are still in high school. The previous principal also fed everybody that same line of crap about needing (in our case) 50 hours of volunteer time to graduate....until the school board put her in her place. Still, it looks good on your resume and I do volunteer work all the time.
There are plenty of good welding schools out there. My daughter's boyfriend just graduated from a two-year community college with a welding degree.
Also, are you SURE you want to move down South to weld? I used to work with two guys who would weld up pulverizing "hammers". They were used to bust up used brick into powder to get reused into new brick. The company had about 6 sets of these hammers and each set of these hammers had 12 of them in a set. When needing rebuilding, each hammer weighed about 50 pounds and these two guys had to build them back up to 85 pounds. ANYWAY, these guys would weld on the hammers all day to build them back up and the hammers would get red hot. Can you imagine welding on these all day long when it"s 100° in a welding booth? It wasn't pretty and these guys were always soaked with sweat.
Anyway, just something to think about.
 
Thanks, Mr. Porshe!!

Ive heard of the Hobart School, and I've heard good things about it. Im in Brookville, OH, about halfway between Dayton and Richmond...

I'm thinking about it, thanks again :)
 
Lanse, congrats on graduation and all the accomplishments posted and not posted here, your work ethic, ability and attitude as exhibited here ought to really help you succeed in your endeavors for a long time to come.

We live in a litigous (sp) and somewhat spiteful society, and that seemingly false requirement, and apparent lie which motivated you to proceed to build and provide those benches is really something that should be looked into. I do agree, the high road on something like this is to shrug it off, yet admire what you accomplished, and how it helped another person or entity. Many would really want to fire back legally if possible, or worse. Its a good example of how to be calm and rationale when someone or some entity has mislead someone resulting in a situation like yours based on false statements or requirements.

I would let it go for the most part, however I would investigate, make a detailed record of what transpired and make sure its corrected by whomever the misleading party, entity or person whom falsely instructed that community service is a graduation requirement. The thing I hate the most is no one has the right to enforce something like this and waste another persons time to the tune of 30 hours, that is wrong and they ought to be "schooled on it" by the person whom was misled. That said, it would bring closure if were me as I'd want to be preparing for my next move vs stewing over water already over the dam.

You are on your way to becoming well experienced in your trade at an early age, the additional schooling in other areas will always be of help, the sooner you get it done the better. I know many who started, and made successful business's without education, just as many who were missing a few things that education would certainly have helped. In those situations it was just that education that would have made the difference to succeed, some did not succeed because they were missing a critical element; knowledge. You may want to look into business, accounting, as well as management, and any other technical aspects of the work or services you provide. In short you want to be knowlegable about all aspects of what your intended business is to be, and be able to do anything anyone under you is tasked with, be it office work to handle administrative tasks to keep your business well managed down to the actual work and services you provide because once you go in that direction, you want to grow that business and it takes people to do it, so education where needed or that will help in those areas is priceless.

One example I can cite is in construction. Often times people get degrees in engineering, business or similar, then are employed by say a construction company. The accountant while educated in those aspects of the business, really has no idea what goes on in the field. An engineer may have all the ability to design and related, but has no idea on construction management or field operations etc. NYU for example offers (now a masters) continuing education specifically for people in that group, which covers so many other aspects of the business, which in turn does help them understand, increase their ability and versatility within that business through education. I am a graduate of that school and knew many that benefitted highly from the specialized, more in depth education on other areas of the business. Any time you have the opportunity to log in education, do not pass it up, because you as a potential business owner with goals to be sucessful, competitive, well managed, and technically savvy will always benefit from the qualifications, education and of course practical experience you can obtain, inventory and display to illustrate the ability of your company. I firmly believe between education, business/money management, ability/ technical knowledge, and overall management excellence, there is not a darned thing you cannot accomplish no matter what the circumstances are. All of it rests on a solid well built foundation, constructed by the person who set out to be sucessful.
 

Lanse, any chance you might go to the antique tractor show at Plain City OH in a couple of weeks? They are hoisting the Gathering Of The Orange. I will be there with a lot of other Allis Chalmers guys,

Dusty
 
Ah, shoot. Oh well, atleast people will get some enjoyment out of those benches. And for my hard work, I got 8 feet of pipe, a half a flap disc, and part of a bag of nuts and bolts.

I guess its not all bad...

Thats encouraging, Ive read some reviews of schools and they arent good, and some schools have mixed reviews. Guess with Hobart and/or Lincoln, you cant really go wrong tho. I wonder which is better, or if that'd be like the Chevy Vs. Ford debate...

Hmmm...

I like to think I handle heat reasonably well... Here in Ohio we don't get too hot, but we still have a week or two of 100+ degree days every year. I remember last year I was working on a trailer for that, I didnt think it was that bad. But then again, Im built like a pencil and I'm "that guy" who never uses AC and cruises around with the windows down all summer. I'd have to get a couple fans or something and a lot of jugs of water, but I'd be willing to do another 5-10 degrees if it meant no winter... I'd take 105 over -20 any day of the week...

Thanks for the input :)
 
Lanse, Do you want to be a welder or own a business? Learning more reading, writing and math never hurt anyone. How are your accounting skills? This is not the 20th century and the requirements for success that have been mentioned earlier are different than those of today.

An apprenticeship is a great way to go. I am a journeyman machinist/mechanic and have been a member of the UAW and IAMAW and also the NEA.

I spent 30 years teaching Physics and shop classes, including Autos, Electricity and Metals.

Have you ever considered teaching welding? That way you get to use some of the best and newest equipment and still get to play. And then there is the pension at the end of it all. My pensions are now keeping me surrounded by the toys that were previously supplied by the schools.

As for a community service requirement, where I previously worked, the students were expected to complete 25 hours if they wanted to walk across the stage with the rest of the class at commencement. National Honor Society was expected to do the same amount each year. What was nice was the students who completed large numbers of hours often were given scholarships.
 
second Hobart School of Welding Technology in Troy OH, went there in 1977 , got job in heavy highway construction repair for 10years, then went back to college and got job doing insurance claims on construction equipement. That school had people from all over US and couple of other countries when I was there, then it was day or evening classes that would allow you to do some part time work HTH
 
You're a really good writer, Billy!! :)

I feel kind of steamed about it all, but still. My school's broke, what could I sue them for? The welding lab runs beat up old machines, old generation syncrowaves, idealarcs, etc. The parking lot/parts of some buildings were always having issues, we used super old computers, ate nasty food, etc. We couldn't even afford field trips, I took like two the whole time I was there, both were local, and both were only because of the classes I chose. We were always having budget problems, and we just had various local levies fail this year (kids from like 16 different districts go to that vocational school, so I guess they take a little money from each district? IDK)... I remember my teachers being really steamed about that, they ranted to us in class about it.

Theres not really anything we/I could take. I mean, my thirty hours is one thing, but there are over 1,000 kids in that place. THAT would be a big lawsuit. And honestly, going there wasn't that bad, I made some friends, met some girls, had some fun there, etc. And most of all, it got me out of my local school system (which makes their kids do 20 hours), and let me get my feet wet in welding. Even with this, and the various other total BS headaches I dealt with in my two years there, it was worth it.

I'm ready to just let go. That being said, when I have kids someday, if they have to do community service, I'm gonna be making calls and asking questions, and investigating this six ways from Sunday before they lift a finger.

Anyway, I'd have a hard time of making records, etc. Except for the time around when we had to have all this done by, Theres not a lot I could put a date with.We heard about this assignment from almost all our teachers, and we heard about it basically from day one of attending there.

I will say, that for running this "racket" themselves, they sure didnt do a very good job of keeping up with it. We just had a single paper that we had to fill out with dates and times and the like. I know a lot of people faked it, and just turned it in. They just took the paper and checked your name off. No questions, nothing.

I always wondered about that...

I guess, I will be looking at furthering my education. Thanks again :)
 
I'm like you in that I never liked school,,but as a old man whos been there and done most everything to make a buck and survive,I sure wish i had paid more attention back then! Theres a whole lot to be said for practical experience,and theres a whole lot to be said about school experience. But NONE of it is wasted,and both will help you get what you want.That diploma with your name on it,with no work experience at all, is often worth just as much or more as being the best welder in the world. Best approach is to get all you can of each.
 
This? (See Link)

Sounds really cool, I know I havent been to a tractor show yet this
summer.

I'll have to see what my work schedule is, but Im betting I'll have
atleast two of those days off. I very well might hed up there, is it
gonna be a big show? Thanks for sharing...
Untitled URL Link
 
Seems the "required" community service in Ohio "public" schools might not be - as I suggested. Community service in private/religious schools is known and relatively common--but as I noted a "public" school is on shaky legal ground for child labor law violations and pay, tax witholding. Your case is relatively simple- go to teacher who told you it is a state requirement and give them a small claims court summons with a order to present the state law in writing that applies- or pay for 30 hours of work done at market rate- say $15.00/hour. Have a recent law school graduate with you or a law office letterhead note. If as you say there are about a thousand students "required" to do the service, the the principal and teacher may personally be required in joint and several liability to pay the class action damages as well as legal fees, court costs. a head of school board facing bankruptcy for allowing the "child labor law violations" and loss of teaching credentials may say "sue and be dammed"- or more likely tell teachers to provide the written state statute that he can"t find outside of union contract references that don"t quote statute numbers. Public school "honors" or "honor society" or "honor scholarship" programs MAY have a community service section- but these are not techniquely/legally part of "public, tax supported" school requirements- the school is doing a "courtesy" to the "Honors" group by letting students know about possible further education aid, job recruitment. If the school lets one group have access to students and student records, then ALL must have access and that definitly includes military recruiters as some Liebural "public" schools found out a few years back. Get back to teacher, present bill for work, material and written reference to state law for preliminary, check your local legal services directory and law school for recent graduates hungry for money to pay student loans. If you want to have fun with teacher, print this and show it to them, see if they start cussin" me or they present written requirements statute references. I did my first court appeal in Illinois in Judge Bakakis court about 1970 and won the traffic case against city of Evanston, did it because they aggravated me --and as Ipointed out to judge- they lied to him in open court after a direct question from him- resulted in companion case dismissed for other person and some other cases dismissed for police, prosecuter misconduct. RN
 
If it helps any,and i think most of the old guys here who have worked all their lives and are now broken down and beat up will agree,think of school as a personal investment. If that two or four more years you spend in school part time now helps you sit back and enjoy yourself even one year earlier at the age lots of us are and when you can actualy enjoy it,its a very good investment. A welding school would be great,but dont limit yourself,never stop learning. Always question WHY! After all,a old stupid mule will work all its life and drop dead in harness. But a human is the only thing that can actualy change its life. The more you know the better equiped you are to change.
 
Lanse, my dad always told me that, if you ever go broke, they can take your car, they can take your house, they can take most of your other stuff...but they can never take your education away from you.

If you go further in your education--and I highly recommend that you do--make sure you're doing something you like. The welding is something you seem to like, so that's a good direction to start. If you want to run a business, go to the community college system and take classes toward an associates degree in business. BUT make sure it's an accredited institution, and that the credits can be transferred towards a bachelors degree somewhere...because someday, if your body begins to wear out [and it will], you'll want to keep on making decent money. A bachelors degree won't GUARANTEE that, but it'll make it a whole lot easier.

Go ahead and take the welding education, too...such as the Hobart School. BUT make sure you keep up with emerging technology. When I worked at the plant making frames for Ford Explorers, we could see the industry going to unibodies, with most of the welding done by robots...and yet we continued to build "skeletons for dinosaurs," as I now see it. The 5 years I spent at that plant before it closed was valuable experience, but I was hoping to get in 20 years and do that until I retired. Too late, I was able to apply for the apprenticeship for becoming a "weld tech," one of the folks who not only is trained to work on the welders themselves but who is also trained in PLC [programmed logic controls]. I was the next in line to enter the program, just waiting for the next vacancy, when the plant closed. So be aware of industry trends; don't necessarily hop on the FIRST bandwagon that comes by, but neither should you let the train leave the station while you're still deciding on whether or not to buy a ticket.

KNOW that, on the job, people WILL steal from you. They'll steal your helmet if you don't keep it secured. They'll steal your gloves, they'll steal cheap little nitpicky annoying things, they'll steal anything. Sometimes they do it as a prank, and sometimes they steal just to be stealing. It doesn't happen in your little garage where you're welding now, but it happens in the "big ol' world" all the time. So learn new habits to keep your gear secure. Lockers have a provision for a lock for a reason; keep that in mind. It won't stop a determined thief, but it'll keep the almost-honest folks honest.

Then be realistic about the job opportunities in your area, whatever area you end up in. JeffBoat, part of ACBL, is a local employer of weldors. BUT at Jeffboat you weld outside when you're building those barges, whether it's 100 degrees in the summer [more like 120 against that hot steel in the sun, and in those barge holds with little ventilation] or it's 0 degrees in the winter with the wind whipping in off the river. At 18, it might be a test of your toughness; at 50, it might finally whip you, if not before. That's where that business degree [even an associates degree] might come in handy.If you can get training in the PLC stuff as a weld tech, and you want to live in the south, there are several auto manufacturing plants now in Alabama and Mississippi and other southern states where PLC programmers and weld techs can make a decent living.

And whatever you do, don't spend all you make. Lots of guys fall into that trap: they're making good money, so they spend good money. Trouble is, when the layoffs come--and in a trade like welding, they do come, unless you own the company--suddenly those payments you could easily afford are a back-breaker. It's almost always better to save your money for what you want, and pay cash. Credit cards are ONLY good if you can pay the balance off every month. So I'm not saying don't HAVE credit cards; I'm saying, be smart about them. A debit card is better, as long as you know your balance and keep good records.

I think either the Hobart School or the Lincoln School would be great education in something you love; just go into this welding thing with both eyes open...and I wish you great success!
 
Didja get a broken arm doing it?

If you didn't then being mad and whining about won't change a single thing.

Time to feel good about helping your Mom's school and forget about it being required. Think about what will be next on your list to help someone when you have the time and resources when it is not required.

I think that was supposed to be the lesson behind it.

A chip on your shoulder will most likely detour a friendly hand shake from some that likes your helping hand and skills for fear they will get it bit.
 
Do a hitch in the military. My late brother joined the Air Force in 1951 about 3 days after we graduated. Eighteen months later I was drafted into the Army and I got married. Both of my brother-in-laws made the military a career. I was working for the government when I was drafted and I was rehired as a returning veteran. Worked there 43 years including my Army time. You can continue your education under the GI bill when you're discharged. You will grow up after serving in the military. Seven or eight from my HS class made careers in the military. Some had careers working for the Dupont company. This company puts so much money into the economy in the state of Delaware they don't have a sales tax. Hal
PS: You've heard about drawbar pull on farm tractors we did it on military vehicles and the M1A1 Abrams Tank was one of the largest test's in the 1970's. Here's the heavy mobile dynanmometer we used for drawbar and cooling tests.
a74604.jpg
 
Lance, any further education you get will help you in the future. it is an investment in your future. if you are wanting to get your own business in welding then I would a degree in welding and business as well. they both will help. I have an Associates degree in electronics and it was well worth the investment. my son has just restarted back go school to get his degree and I am so happy about. I was really sad when he dropped out. Good luck!!

frank
 
No sense getting worked up about it ! But it would be nice to exposes this or get the real story. Future students could benefit from it. Likely someone is trying to repay a favor by offering your free labor. Jimmy Dimora done alot of this. Likely some school board corruption going on there.
 
Send the school board a bill for the material and labor along with a letter explaining why they are being billed. They wouldn't hesitate to stop you from graduating if all you fees ad books weren't in. If they don't pay send a copy to the local news paper, radio station and any other news outlet you can think of. Then run for school board in the fall. Should be a shoe in at that point. After you are on the school board you can make it a teaching requirement to do 200 hours of community service during their summer break.
 
Well thanks, Mark!! Im really thinking of taking a drive up that way, and checking it out, its not that far from here...
 
Yeah, I know Dick... Like I said, I'll just put it behind me. Its over and done with, and its not like no good came out of this. But still...
 
Hmmm, Ive thought about it, but I'm not too sure its for me, still something to keep in mind. Thanks for sharing, cool picture :)
 
Thanks, Frank!! Yeah, thats what I've heard... Even if it doesnt help at the time, a little more education never hurts.
 
Hahaha, noooo, I'll be back!! I made quite a few friends at that school, and I'd love to see everyone in a few years. Just see where we all end up, and see how the school's doing then.
 
It would be fun and all, but honestly, I'd rather just let it go. If someone else wants to make a big deal out of it, more power to them.

I went through 13 years of school, and I really just wanna move on with life now. Plus, I know that people at that school will enjoy those benches, and I'll just let it be. I've got better things to do...

But thanks for the advice...
 
Lanse, just one quick piece of advice - get over the idea that school, education, etc. is something that you are supposed to like or enjoy. It is obviously easier on you if you do, but not a requirement.

Part of maturing is adjusting to the fact that there are prices to be paid in life for most every reward to be had. Generally, the price is paid up front and the reward acquired afterward.

The two generations before yours have tried it the other way - they (mine included) have tried to reap the rewards and pay later. The result of that is the HUGE national debt that your generation is gonna have to help pay! Sorry about that...........
 
Congrats on the graduation! Being that you really enjoy welding, you should look at either going to a state where there are companies hiring first year apprentices or look at a school like Lincoln or Hobart, etc. that could help with job placement and/or work experience. You could also check with unions that employ welders. The unions usually have training facilities that are free to members. Another good idea would be to go to an institute of technology and take a welding technology or welding inspection type of course. Something to do if you tire of just welding and they pay really well.

In order to get enough experience to possibly teach welding in the future, you need to get a lot more practical experience. Not sure why you're not interested in pipe welding. There's pipeline welding but also pipe and vessel fabrication in a shop. Building vessels a couple inches thick+ can be pretty interesting and it's rewarding because all your welds have to pass X-ray and ultrasound inspection. Pressure welding generally pays more too. If you go for a dual tickets, welder and fitter makes you a much more valuable employee and can let you do different things so you don't get bored doing the same thing all the time. Being able to fit your own stuff is a big advantage.
 
Lanse, I think you may be intersted in becoming a Millwright. Lots of welding involved, which you would like, plus other types of trade work involved such as machinists work.

I have been working in my company's shop for a while now fabricating parts for Ford, GM, Chrysler, Nissan, and Toyota plants all over the globe. We also do powerplant work as well as many other major manufacturers. I'm going to work a shutdown starting Saturday at GM's Fairfax plant installing some of these very parts.

I mention this only because I have followed your projects and posts on here and Youtube and think you may enjoy it. If you would like further info this website should help or hit me up on here! Good luck with you future endeavors whatever they may be!!!
An exciting future awaits......
 
Do what you have a passion for. You can always get additional education in a new field of expertise if your passion changes later on. I hated math in high school and then went on to become an engineer years later. You never know where life will lead you. Colleges do have deficiency removal class if you are weak in certain areas.
 
I think I'll call BS on this one. About 2 minutes with google, using your location and "vocational schools" as keywords, gets to your school's website, where under "Current Students" this is found:

http://www.mvctc.com/files/senior_mandatory_work_experience.pdf.

It appears to be a program designed so that students in a vocational school have at least 30 hours of work experience in order to participate in the ceremony, not in order to graduate. If you didn't do it, you lost a few lab points. Big deal. The residents on this board are fond of moaning about how all that book learning doesn't mean anything out here in the real world, but when a school tries to make sure kids have work experience, all the same lunchroom lawyers are suggesting grounds for suit.

The fact that Lanse didn't know this is his own fault, and a valuable lesson: never rely on someone else to read something and explain it to you. I'd suggest it's part of a pattern with this young man, doing something in a hurry without the requisite groundwork, getting less than hoped for results, then blaming someone else.

If you want a decent life, shut up, accept your ignorance, and then do something about it- a number of other posters have suggested excellent ways. Quit listening to the peanut gallery here, including me, and get lined up with some people who know more than you do and who you can learn from.

You're going to have to start at the bottom, which I suspect is the root of your problem. Get over it. If you're any good,you'll rise. If you're not, well, you're not. Head down, eyes open, mouth shut, butt moving. That'll impress the old guys and pretty soon, they'll teach you.

Good luck, whatever you do.
 
Maybe I don't understand, then.

Lanse said that he was told the public service hours were a STATE REQUIREMENT for graduation.

He later discovered that they were NOT a STATE requirement for graduation.

So at what point was he NOT lied to, if what he says is correct?

Or are you saying Lanse is lying about being lied to? Don't beat around the bush; bring home your point.

As I see it, IF the community service was NOT a state requirement, and Lanse was told that it was, he was lied to. If the community service was NOT a state requirement, and Lanse was NOT told that it was a state requirement, than Lanse is lying. If the community service WAS a state requirement, and Lanse is saying that it's not, then once more Lanse is lying.

So then...who's lying?

It appears to me that, if you say that Lanse wasn't lied to...then you're calling Lanse a liar, for saying that he WAS lied to.
 
Don't you think you're being a little hard on Lanse?
If nothing else he was mislead and obviously wasn't
worried about enough to spend time looking it up on
the net.
 
I would say everyone on this forum has taken what someone we trusted said for being correct only to find out later, they were wrong.

I think you"re being overly harsh in your criticism. There are ways to criticize that encourage a positive change, but your post doesn"t sound positive.

Most kids are in a hurry and we all have to learn to slow down and maybe do some research before we start a project.

Lanse has come a long way. There"s a wealth of experience and knowledge here and Lanse shows good sense by asking advice on these forums.
 
One of the satellite campuses of the school where I work (Dallas, Tx)has a good welding program.

If you're interested, call Ron Preston at 214.860.5742.
 
My advice for you or any young man just starting out is join the Navy. If you want to be a welder you can be a welder. They will give you some good training and give you a chance to spend a few years figuring out what you want to do.
You will have some good educational opportunities afterwards too.
And you will have a lot of fun and get to see places you never would have otherwise.
 
One of "those" guys, "let me tell you what your problem is" and you don't really have a or any problems, always someone you just can't please, this will never change.

Similar type, teacher, instructor, professor or what have you, gives an assignment, when collecting them, some get crumpled up, tossed and student verbally chastised "garbage" or "this ain't worth the paper its written on" LOL. In reality, whenever a peer, superior or person in treats people harshly, does it really work ?
 
Thanks Lanse, nice compliment. I would say you are right, better to move on, its just somewhere, that 30 hour thing needs to be clarified, so people are not misled, don't feel lied to or deceived, may not be law, just school policy or similar, which is fine and the work is a good thing regardless but people should know the truth and its usually a stand up person (like yourself) that takes the time to get those things done, set the record straight, its kind of like leaving something clean, or ready to go for the next person. I guess the part I did not like was the (and I use the word lightly) apparent "deception", and that someone did not at least point it out to whomever was requiring this as part of the criteria, or a contingency to graduate.
 
Lighten up on the 30 hours. My kids do 25 hours a year for 4 years for a 100 hour total to graduate. My oldest daugher just grad. with 187 hours of community service (At a Catholic School). Those hours will look and sound good to a future employer or placement person. Many of us do "community service" often, helping others because it feels good. In the 80's I went to Ferris at Big Rapids Mich for Diesel and Heavy Equipment. The welding program there was top notch and I often wondered if I should have swiched.
 
"Work experience" for a "vocational school" makes sense, the term "community service" to me has a different implication- a slight difference than the "community service" relatively common in religious schools. Ceremonial requirement instead of graduation requirement is also a slightly different implication--like not getting back libray books before allowed to march in public across stage but still get the diploma. Clarity in word use nice to have, good thread though.
 
The last I knew State requirements were the minimum requirements. Do you really only want the minimum requirements taught by the schools?

Some schools require more math than others.
A lot schools have more requirements than the minimum and more had better if we don't want to be dumbed down in relation to the rest of the world.
 
Please don't get the wrong impression Lance, I'm not putting you down. You appear to be alot like me at your age. All I wanted to be was a welder. I was, in 1966 the youngest welder in the federal civil service. I worked at the Newark, Ohio Air Force Base. Now for the part you probably don't realize-- There are a multitude of vocations out there that you haven't even heard of yet. Get a higher education then decide what you want to do. A very wise man told me one time, You Can make it from your ears up or your ears down, the choice is yours. Took me a long time to figure that out, but now I enjoy the ease of working from my ears up. Hang in there, you'll make it in whatever you decide as long as you apply yourself 100%. Just my thoughts, Keith
 
I'm not calling anyone anything. I think Lanse, like most of us me included at that or any other age, heard what he wanted to. I don't believe that the teachers lied, since the program, its expectations, and the benefits/consequences of adhering or not to those expectations are all clearly and thoroughly explained in a document that took a stranger two states away about 2 minutes to find and was doubtless given to Lanse as part of his student handbook. Why would anyone lie about facts that are that easy to find? They probably did beat the drum pretty hard and talk up the importance of fulfilling this requirement, and they should have, since this is a vocational school. Seems to me 30 hours work experience is probably a good idea for students in such a program, but others may feel otherwise. I know I certainly made mountains out of a few molehills at that age and have seen my own kids and their friends do the same, but maybe we're the only ones.

I'm a bit surprised that the crowd bowed up at my original response. Lanse is obviously a kid with potential, but he's just about past the kid stage. I never intended to say he was worthless or bad, or to wad him up and throw him away at all. That said, the usual responses to his posts here fall somewhere between fawning and enabling, and I'm not sure how that helps him in any way. He's got two parents who are encouraging him to get some kind of an education and are evidently willing to provide it, as they've provided other things for him in the past and present. The fact that he's asking the questions he is a month after HS graduation doesn't say much for his commitment to the process IMO.

I sincerely do wish him all the best, as I do every other young person, and I am glad that he has the opportunities he has. I hope he makes the best of them.
 
Dom't sweat it. Many years from now, you will be able to go by those benches and tell whoever is with you that you made and donated those benches when you were a senior in high school. No further explanation is necessary.

Good for you.
 
Lanse, I know I am a little late to this thread, but if you read this I would like to say as someone that can weld and fit and has a degree, you can always weld and I still do in my shop when necessary.

But with my degree I can still provide for my family since I got hurt. I am not able to weld and fit all the time due to the pain. I did not like school either and it took me a while to finally get a degree.

I have an engineering degree and I work in a pressure vessel and tank shop so I can stay around thing things I like to do. Which is fitting and welding.

And as someone before said it is a real challenge welding on 3 in clad plate and making all the x-rays and phase array come out good.

Sorry for the long message, just don't totally rule out furthering your education, even if it is later.
 
Just join the service. after boot camp the government will teach you how to weld. Then maybe send you Iraq or Afghanistan that will be a nice warm place.
 
You will not like this suggestion but I would recommend you go to a two year college and major in welding amd mackine shop (lathe, milling machine, etc) work. I started out like you and ended uo the four year route.
You can take accounting classes that will help you if/when you start your own business while learing welding.
If you would decide to get a degree many of your credits will transfer to a four year school.
I found you have to go where the best work is, have lived in Indiana, Southern Africa for five years, Atlanta and Iowa.
It is your choice.
 
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