Help on finding correct schooling

[unexpressedcolor]

Hi i got a question for you guys. I thought this would be a good place to ask being that some of you have been there done it. Anyway i was and still am a pretty hardcore nissan fan at age 15 and just started sophmore year in highschool.

Ok getting down to my question. Id like to start a career in Auto. Id like to design, fabricate my parts aside of owning and working in a "speed shop" garage. Now can some of you guys point me in the right direction as to what schools to goto later on in life. (Wyotech?) Id also like to futher expand my gerneral knowledge in cars, is there any websites, or books that could do that (like how to choose cams, turbo sizes and such)? thanks

[Nismo_Freak]

Hi i got a question for you guys. I thought this would be a good place to ask being that some of you have been there done it. Anyway i was and still am a pretty hardcore nissan fan at age 15 and just started sophmore year in highschool.

Ok getting down to my question. Id like to start a career in Auto. Id like to design, fabricate my parts aside of owning and working in a "speed shop" garage. Now can some of you guys point me in the right direction as to what schools to goto later on in life. (Wyotech?) Id also like to futher expand my gerneral knowledge in cars, is there any websites, or books that could do that (like how to choose cams, turbo sizes and such)? thanks

Before you do anything, get a small job in the field and see if it's something you can do for the rest of your life.

I'd honestly suggest that if you want to be successful in life (ie. money, cars, trophy wife, the whole 9) then you need to go to college and get yourself some real education. The car business is not as glorious as many put it and can be very trying at times. It requires alot of upfront costs to be a professional (ie. quality tools, schooling, etc.) that you need to weigh in an opportunity cost benefit analysis.

I've been in the business you're talking about for about 3 years now and yes it is fun at times, and it pays the bills. However I also know that it won't support me 10 years down the road if I decide to settle down and raise a family (god help us all!). So if you want my honest to god, truthful answer:

Don't waste your time, and get yourself a secondary education. Then go out there and get yourself a real job.

Also keep in mind what you want now and what you'll want later are two very different things.

[unexpressedcolor]

Ok thanks hearing from you kinda made me rethink it. Mabye do cars on side of a real job. So if you wernt doing what your doing and you have already gone through secondary education what job would you have. Just tryin to get ideas.

[VmaN!]

Hey, I'm a senior in high school so I'm at that point where I must start choosing my path after high school. I'm still not set on any colleges yet, I need to talk to a few people before I commit to anything. But from the tech schools [engineering] that I have checked out, they recommend the best way to prepare is to take the most challenging classes available [honors/AP], and do well in them. GPA plays a big factor, as well as extracurricular activities. Unfortunately I didn't think extracurricular activities were very important, so now I'm cramming to get some community service in this year. I live in Las Vegas as well, so I know how our school district works. What high school are you attending and what classes does your schedule consist of?

[Healing]

Come on now, you're only 15. Who didn't want to build fast cars and drive them all day when they were 15? About 99% or so of the people here at NICO don't work in the car field at all, but its still perfectly fine to be a car enthusiast. You're not going to decide the rest of your life when you're about roughly 1/5 the way through it. If you're looking for a good place to learn about cars, then NICO is a great place to start. Just read up on every thread that can be of use here. Its where I've learned most of my stuff. I also learn a lot of what I know about cars over at nissanperformancemag.com. They've got a really nice editorial called "Revenge of the Nerds" that explains stuff about cars real nicely.

http://www.nissanperformancemag.com/columns/nerds/

[Mr1der]

They always make a lovely hobby.

Especially if you have tons of money to throw around.

If I had tons of money to throw around, I'd pay him to fix cars for me while I sit around and have super models clean my kitchen and make me lemonade...

it's gonna happen Alan! are you ready for it! You'll get to drive them too! and the cars!

[w1ngzer0]

Come on now, you're only 15. Who didn't want to build fast cars and drive them all day when they were 15? About 99% or so of the people here at NICO don't work in the car field at all, but its still perfectly fine to be a car enthusiast. You're not going to decide the rest of your life when you're about roughly 1/5 the way through it. If you're looking for a good place to learn about cars, then NICO is a great place to start. Just read up on every thread that can be of use here. Its where I've learned most of my stuff. I also learn a lot of what I know about cars over at nissanperformancemag.com. They've got a really nice editorial called "Revenge of the Nerds" that explains stuff about cars real nicely.

http://www.nissanperformancemag.com/columns/nerds/

yah i like cars i would mind my own shop owning one not working in one. But if you like say computers or cooking more. Go for it and just have the car thing as your hobby. There are a crap load of old men that knows **** loads about cars but kept it as a hobby

[unexpressedcolor]

Thanks a ton for the site i totally forgot about it. Yea i suppose every 15 year old wanted to build a fast car. But here in vegas its one extreme to the other. Its either i civic with a outrageous body kit and annoying exhaust or a flow mastered 94 and up mustang (nothing against domestics just some of the thick headed people who drive them ) anyway, me im in the middle. i like a clean,agile, and quick car. Yea i have been hovering around various forums for about 2 years now about the time i realize how cool the internet was.

Yea i know im young but schools are starting to push on us to pick classes that pertain to are career.yea heres my schedule biology 1, geometry 1, English 2, pe 2, guitar, world history.

thanks i appreciate the input

[Jesda]

If you get into the car business, its best to do is as an entrepreneur.

[Nismo_Freak]

They always make a lovely hobby.

Especially if you have tons of money to throw around.

If I had tons of money to throw around, I'd pay him to fix cars for me while I sit around and have super models clean my kitchen and make me lemonade...

it's gonna happen Alan! are you ready for it! You'll get to drive them too! and the cars!

Deal.

[Nismo_Freak]

Ok thanks hearing from you kinda made me rethink it. Mabye do cars on side of a real job. So if you wernt doing what your doing and you have already gone through secondary education what job would you have. Just tryin to get ideas.

I am a Chemical Engineering major, and I am 4 hours away from a minor in German Language.

[VmaN!]

Wheres the Honor classes at? =D If you do well in honors it boosts your GPA and looks good when colleges look at your class load. Stupidly I didn't strive for the honors diploma because I didn't want to take a foreign language =X So I am going for the advanced diploma. Like I said, if you are planning to go to college (especially a tech school), try to get the most rigorous class schedule that YOU can handle. Take 3 to 4 years of math and science. I think you only need 3 years math, 2 science to fill the requirements in LV.

BTW, check into the Community College High School program going into your junior year. It allows you to take college classes for dual credit. Might seem a bit daunting at first, but it really isn't too bad. Great program, I highly recommend it. I am currently enrolled in this program for my senior year. [did it last year as well.]