spinning my wheels

[snakeblitz33]

Sort of a rant thread. If you don't like reading rants, then skip it. If you don't have anything nice to say, leave me alone.

I have been in college off and on since 2006. I have a family since then and them to think about. I thought that since I have over 130 hours of college coursework behind me, that I could possibly switch to general studies with a concentration in biology and graduate this coming May. Taking the easy way out would mean that I could get into a masters program and start teaching and earning an actual income, finally.

So, today I met with a general studies advisor for my college and we went through my courses and I found out that of the 130+ hours that I have taken, only 75 hours count towards a general studies degree and I would actually be further behind in my studies if I switched to a GENERAL degree. If I stay on the track that I am now, I only have 31 hours of coursework to complete - adding up to about a year and a half of work.

I am sick of always being "almost there" with my education. It always seems that there is yet another obstacle in my way of getting a degree. I was told when I came back that I would have two years of education left and I would be done. two years is over with, now I have another year and a half!

I am retaking genetics again this semester, and I have to pass it this time, there are no re-do's. I just feel completely overwhelmed about it all right now, and just want to quit and go live in a cave in the woods. If only I could afford the land the cave is on, and the property taxes and fees and cost of living associated with it. bah!

I am generally a good guy. I try not to piss anyone off, I play by the rules, I try to do what is right and try to keep my wife and daughter happy with their lives. It just always seems like I can't get ahead,... it seems like wealth and happiness comes so naturally to other people, why can't my hard work pay off?

I am not sure if I even want to teach anymore either. I am so close to a degree and it's only a year and a half, but I honestly really don't know if I want to do that for a living. My wife is a first grade teacher and she is about to pull her hair out because of the system... and wants to go back and get her masters... when I can't even get a decent job or know what I want to do????!!!!!! I guess it's all part of growing up and getting older and having kids, but it also seems like everyone else is so much better at life and I suck at it.

Woah is me. Woah is me, my life is terrible and no one elses is... I understand that may not be the case... many people hate their jobs... but honestly, I just wish I had a job to hate.

 

[snakeblitz33]

so maybe I should look at the positives and see where to go from there.


I have over 130 hours of college coursework. no degree.

I have carpentry skills, small plumbing skills, some electrical skills.

I learn quickly and relatively easily and can perform any task shown.

I have owned and managed more than one business, and have accounting and management skills.

I have ten years of taxidermy work skills behind me and could own my own shop if I wanted to.

I have a good support system in place, and a family to think about and fight for.

I have sales experience - both in my own store, and selling various products in different companies I worked for.


I have absolutely no idea what kind of job I can look for that will earn me enough money that I would as a teacher. I don't know if I would want to start another business, because that always seems to backfire on me as well. I have thought about taxidermy as a potential business, since I have that skill set, but I am leery of starting another business.

I just don't know what to do at this point.

 

[beth]

What is the starting salary for teachers and what are the long term benefits to your family?

What do you actually like doing? Will you like being a teacher, or do you want to do something else?

Is it possible to merge multiple skills into a business? Is it possible to have a part-time business and pursue teaching? Are you interested in higher ed teaching such as jr. college (min masters level, phD is better).

Are you open to relocation? (I think you said "no" in a previous conversation a long time ago?)

 

[darthtang aw]

I will send you a PM snake. You are still "young"....

 

[2quills]

You're just at the cross roads my friend. Everyone goes through it. I'm a firm believer in the idea that persistance pays off in the end no matter how hard it gets. Just can't give up. One day it will all come together. You have the aptitude to do anything put your mind to.
Sometimes you have to refocus and re adjust every once in a while. Dont count on just one thing being your saving grace in this day and age. You need to harness all of your skills and find a way to put them to good use. Another year and a half will be here before you know it.

 

[snakeblitz33]

In Louisiana, there is no tenure... so when you have a job, the job is not guaranteed past a certain point. most teachers in Louisiana quit after five years to pursue other career opportunities. starting salary for teachers in Louisiana is at minimum 24k and at max 32k, which is about as much as a secretary makes in other businesses, and they have to deal with a lot less. I could spend another 8k getting a degree and start at 24k a year once I get out, with a pay schedule that increases $500 per year thereafter until it meets the maximum of 54,500 a year in the career path that I am currently in. once the cap is reached, there is no improvement unless I get a masters or a doctorate. if I get a doctorate, my bachelors degree in education will limit me, and I already won't be able to teach community college or a university, without additional classes and coursework. it's an endless cycle.

I am a practical person. I like to get things done, not put things off, I have managed a few events in the past that dealt with hundreds of people... it's not like I don't have skills, I guess I just don't know how to market myself.

what do I enjoy doing? hmm, I like working with young people, I like to teach people new things. I like to do taxidermy work and some osteology - putting bones together to form the skeletons of critters, and bone preservation, I find that really neat. I really and truly enjoy aquatics and aquatic products, but my last foray into that field was a complete failure. I really enjoy photography, and it's becoming a very interesting hobby of mine. the problem with that is that there are way too many amateur photographers out there (like me) willing to give their services away for practically nothing.

No, I don't want to move. my family is here and my wife's family is here and I don't think I could talk my wife into moving anywhere unless they come with us. lol. I just don't know anymore what I truly want - on one hand, I can complete my degree as a teacher and be a teacher and hate doing it... not because of the kids, but because of the parents and the flawed system of education we have now. On the other hand, I can quit school, find a decent paying job or continue to work for my dad and inherit his business in a couple of years doing taxidermy work. I wanted a degree so that I had some job security, but there are college graduates out there that can't even find work.

 

[beth]

It sounds like the taxidermy is something that you want to do long term AND it is within reach to do it since you may inherit your dad's business. Does your dad have a lucrative business that will still be lucrative if you take it over? How long will it be before that happens? Can you get the transfer of the business to you in writing just to avoid misunderstanding in the future?

These are all rhetorical questions that you can answer out loud here, or answer to yourself.

Is it possible to get training in something you might like to do that is geared toward a good career that does not require a college degree? Training or trade school rather then academia.

From your comments, its sounds like being a school teacher is not up your ally. I can identify with that because I went through 4 yrs of college myself to be a school teacher and decided during my internship (last semester spent in classroom) that teaching in school was not for me. Changed majors then and there. Honestly, Louisiana is not a state where educators, 1-12 or higher, are going to be well paying opportunities. Many colleges are now hiring just part-time educators because there is such a bloat of teachers. Unless you are willing to move where the teaching jobs are, prospects could be challenging to say the least. Perhaps you want to consider a public job which is where I finally went. Most of these will require at least a bachelors and sometimes a specific field. Government jobs are not always the best paying, but they do generally have good benefits. You might even look at providers who contract with government entities.

 

[2quills]

If you're anything like me Seth then you're not the kind of person who can be satisfied just doing one thing or another your whole life. Maybe you can but you don't strike me that way. Once you've gotten to the point when you feel like you've done something for long enough then you're ready for a new challenge to keep things interesting. Keeps ya from getting bored and lethargic in your work.
I guess that's what I like about what I'm doing now. It allows me to pull from all of my previous experiences to face new challenges. I still love to learn and try to advance myself in new ways. I didn't always realize this but I do now. If I'm not being challenged in new ways every once in a while them I'm just not happy. But then again that's just me.

 

[phixer]

Thats because unless your an nuclear engineer...a degree provides false security, college is way overrated nowdays. Your skills are what really matters, can you fix things? A good taxidermist can do pretty well. I made more without a degree that I ever did with one. Guess who publishes this data? The colleges and the professors who stand to make a lot of money of poor broke loan burdened students. Of course they are going to want you in school, it's a business. Maybe Im the exception to the norm?

 

[reefraff]

You have an awesome skill set Seth. If you really don't want to start another business I would look for a job in an field you think you'd enjoy and get on a management track. You could get yourself in the door and do school part time changing your major to business management. I think you would be very good at it.

 

[2quills]

Management experience period opens up doors to a lot of other opportunities, IME. Having my previous business experience I believe gave me an edge over some of my competition while working my way up. Key to getting yourself noticed by the people who matter is to think like them so that you can give them what it is that they are looking for. Which is always money. You do that by being good at your job and working hard. Sooner or later what goes around comes around and things will fall into place for you. Just gotta keep chuggin.

 

[snakeblitz33]

I am sticking it out this semester at the very least. if I pass genetics this semester, I will continue with my studies. If not, then I can always find work doing something else. I am just sick of spending all this money on an education and not getting anywhere with it. I am also afraid that once I get out, I won't have a job or no one will hire me and then ill have to find work that I could have been doing all the time while I was in school trying to get an education to find a good job. ugh.





I talked with my wife about everything andshe is supporting whatever decision I choose. This semester I will be starting a bone cleaning service, and also sell skulls and skeletons. Please, no jokes, though, I would like a few ideas of what to call a business like that...

 

[beth]

Bare Bones Artisanal. LOL

 

[darthtang aw]

I am sticking it out this semester at the very least. if I pass genetics this semester, I will continue with my studies. If not, then I can always find work doing something else. I am just sick of spending all this money on an education and not getting anywhere with it. I am also afraid that once I get out, I won't have a job or no one will hire me and then ill have to find work that I could have been doing all the time while I was in school trying to get an education to find a good job. ugh.
I talked with my wife about everything andshe is supporting whatever decision I choose. This semester I will be starting a bone cleaning service, and also sell skulls and skeletons. Please, no jokes, though, I would like a few ideas of what to call a business like that...
The Bone Collector

 

[snakeblitz33]

Bare bones sounds good. I think the bone collector has been a little overused.
Just a list,...
Dermisted beetles
Boiling bucket
Propane bottles
Burner
Handful of tools
Plastic container
Cypress chips
Soap
Sodium carbonate
Odoban
Wetvac with homemade attachment
Large chest freezer.
Yeah, that would get me started. I guess it's something to work on and towards.

 

[2quills]

Sounds like a plan Stan. A positive attitude will get you a lot further than anything else in this world. If I could offer any constructive criticism it would be to brush up on your self marketing skills a bit. Everything else is secondary. Consider the probability of success for what you are doing in your area long term. Nobody likes to be greedy but financial security doesn't always come easy these days. Never rule out the possibility of relocation or change. I trust you'll be just fine and you should too. Have great journey my friend.

 

[phixer]

You mentioned biology earlier, would you be interested in mortuary science or assisting a pathologist? Kind of like taxedermy when you think about it and pays much better. These are both marketable fields that many do not consider.

I think schools should be doing a lot more to help students find gainful employment after graduation now days. Especially considering how much of a scam higher education has become, i.e. tuition costs, textbooks, fees for software programs etc...student debt is at an all time high with negligble employment figures for new grads. This scam has created a lot of wealthy tenured professors. Thinking that way will cause you to take action rather than pressing away and hoping to find a job that may not exist upon graduation.

Managers are like NFL coaches. They get fired all the time and it is usually the managers who get laid off first. But if thats what you are, thats what you are and nothing wrong with that.

 

[snakeblitz33]

to me, dealing with dead animals and dealing with dead people are two way different things. I don't think I could ever work in a morgue.

I also feel like schools should be helping out a lot more with job placement assistance. but, i'll take what I can get. (by the way, sorry for not capitalizing a lot of my first words, I have a new keyboard and it's hard getting used to the shift key being on the left hand side.

I have been looking moreand more into the skull cleaning services... a lot of it , I already know how to do... and the initial investment is not a whole lot of additional money to get started. the only thing that concerns me is how to get the initial cash flow to run it, and where I would be doing it at, which is probably at home in the back yard. lol

I am still going to go to school this semester, and show genetics who's boss. Who knows, I might just be an overeducated taxidermist.

 

[2quills]

to me, dealing with dead animals and dealing with dead people are two way different things. I don't think I could ever work in a morgue.
I also feel like schools should be helping out a lot more with job placement assistance. but, i'll take what I can get. (by the way, sorry for not capitalizing a lot of my first words, I have a new keyboard and it's hard getting used to the shift key being on the left hand side.
I have been looking moreand more into the skull cleaning services... a lot of it , I already know how to do... and the initial investment is not a whole lot of additional money to get started. the only thing that concerns me is how to get the initial cash flow to run it, and where I would be doing it at, which is probably at home in the back yard. lol
I am still going to go to school this semester, and show genetics who's boss. Who knows, I might just be an overeducated taxidermist.
Now you're talkin!
Using your ingenuity well help you work around the cash flow issue. Cut out anything unnecessary and save your pennies. Forget peer pressure. Once you have what you need to get started then there ya go. First few years are always a grind, so don't splurge. Ten years from now you'll be the most well educated and successful taxidermist around. That along with all your other skills that you bring to the table will be what sets you apart from the rest. You can still teach you know that, right?

 

[phixer]

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/396967/spinning-my-wheels#post_3537298
to me, dealing with dead animals and dealing with dead people are two way different things. I don't think I could ever work in a morgue.

I also feel like schools should be helping out a lot more with job placement assistance. but, i'll take what I can get. (by the way, sorry for not capitalizing a lot of my first words, I have a new keyboard and it's hard getting used to the shift key being on the left hand side.

I have been looking moreand more into the skull cleaning services... a lot of it , I already know how to do... and the initial investment is not a whole lot of additional money to get started. the only thing that concerns me is how to get the initial cash flow to run it, and where I would be doing it at, which is probably at home in the back yard. lol

I am still going to go to school this semester, and show genetics who's boss. Who knows, I might just be an overeducated taxidermist.

I hear ya, dead is dead to me it's all carbon at some point anyhow LOL...GPA is also way overated, you will be fine because in the real world no one really cares about a worthless GPA. All that matters is that you made it to the finish line. What do you call the guy who graduates at the bottom of his med school class?

I've started and sold three small businesses in my life. For what you have in mind it dosent appear like you need any high dollar complex machinery and hopefully no special licensing. Fewer barriers also means more competition, illeagal aliens like to steal customers and jobs this way. Doing it out of your home is a good idea for what you have in mind because you will save a ton in operating and overhead costs providing you follow zoning laws. I would think as long as your not dealing with some seriously dangerous chemicals you could get your initial start from home for this type of business. Marketing it can be a challenge sometimes and the local govt may try to force some permit or licensing crap on you as mentioned. Sole proprietorships are rather easy to start and dissolve.