Which class should I take?

[John]

Its been asked 1000 time I know, but am going to college in the fall so that I can learn a trade and get a better paying job. I have 0 experience in any trades at all. Never worked on cars the only person in the entire world to show me how to fix cars was Eric the car guy. I am thinking of going to school and getting a degree in a trade which will get my foot in the door for a job. I have almost chosen becoming a Mechanic.

My main question is which of these 4 degree programs should I take:

Automotive Technology Comprehensive A.A.S
Ford Motor Company Automotive Student Service Education Training (ASSET) A.A.S
General Motors Automotive Service Educational Program (ASEP) A.A.S
Toyota Motors Toyota Technical Education Network (T-TEN) A.A.S
link-http://www.ccbcmd.edu/catalog10/programs/automotive.html

I have some other concerns. What kind of wages can I expect right out of school? Also I have 0 debt in the whole world right now which is nice, and I am very worried that i will take on $25,000 in debt to go to school, only to find that the teachers are incompetent, students are disruptive, or that I have to read out of a book from the 70’s, etc. I have seen some poor examples of colleges on youtube.

I may be wrong but I am thinking that even tho I know nothing about cars I can still go to school, they will teach me a lot, ill pass some test’s then I will get a degree which will land me a $18-$22/hr job. Is this realistically obtainable? Please give me any advice you have I am 25y/o and starting my life but have noone to ask for advice. If you “walk into a garage” these days they would probably look at you like your crazy, or call the tops. I am very very good with computers building/diagnosing/fixing them, good working with tools, following instructions. But also I am a 230lb cornfed german not very athletic, nimble or flexible and I am not a super intellectual genius or anything. But I dont drink, dont party, dont act a fool and I am ultra cautious. What should I do with my life please advise me

Topic

[Mike]

First, congratulations on deciding to continue your education. I have never taken formal training from schools as far as mechanics go, as I grew up playing in scrap yards in the 80s and 90s learning on cars that other people had blown up.
Since you have zero automotive experience, i highly suggest grabbing your socket set and some hand tools and go to your local U Pull It or self-service parts recycling center (aka auto junk yard) and spend some time seeing how the basics work. This is by FAR the easiest way to understand where a connecting rod goes, what a camshaft does, and what it takes to pull off an intake. Plus, you’ll get nice and dirty in the process 🙂 You can easily do this on a weekend. Bring a friend with you who may know more and let them walk you through something.
This will get you at least FAMILIAR with automotive structures and how crappy some companies build cars!

As for what programs to take, I looked at the link you had provided. It seems that Automotive Technology Comprehensive covers the generalizations in all the categories that are provided by the other programs, with the major difference it seems that with the Ford/GM/Toyota classes it looks like they are designated Dealer Co-op, which means you will find yourself learning at an actual dealership from time to time.

Lets look at the differences:
Auto Tech Comprehensive – This curriculum prepares individuals for employment in the automotive repair industry or upgrades service and repair skills. Job opportunities include journeyman, garage, agency and line technicians. Competency in engine drivability diagnosis and electrical/electronic diagnosis and repair as well as general service in other systems will be developed.

versus

Ford/GM/Toyota classes – [i]This industry-specific program, designed in cooperation with either General Motors and the Maryland General Motors Dealerships, Ford Motor Company and the Maryland Ford Motor Company Dealerships, or Toyota Motors and the Maryland Toyota Dealerships, leads to an Associate of Applied Science degree. It alternates college instruction with on-the-job dealership training. This two-year Cooperative Education (Co-op) program is designed for individuals who have a career interest in the automotive service industry. Students must meet specific requirements of admission. An A.A.S. degree is awarded to students who have a QPA of 2.0 or higher and complete the listed course pattern. All automotive course requirements are either General Motors, Ford, or Toyota oriented. The General Motors ASEP programs, the Ford ASSET programs, and the Toyota Motors T-TEN programs at CCBC Catonsville are nationally accredited by ASE/NATEF (Master).

The course sequence listed refers to the following industry-specific programs:

General Motors Automotive Service Educational Program (ASEP) Automotive Technology
Ford Motor Company Automotive Student Service Education Training (ASSET) Automotive Technology
Toyota Motors Toyota Technical Education Network (T-TEN) Automotive Technology

GENERAL MOTORS – ASEP
FORD MOTOR COMPANY – ASSET
TOYOTA MOTORS – T-TEN

All programs start in the fall and run continuously in eight-week sessions. [/i]

Bottom line is you will learn something from both classes, but it depends on where you want to end up. You will learn ALOT in the Ford/GM/Toyota classes, but remember– that is specific to that brand. If it helps you get your certification and you like a particular brand, then maybe this is the best way to go versus the Auto Tech Comprehensive, which is set more towards the guy looking to do non-specific brand automotive work.

It’s your call because ultimately YOU need to know what you prefer to do. I suggest going to the college and speaking with the department heads and see what differences there really are.

I do want to leave you with this bit of advice: If you are unhappy with your choice, do not be afraid to start learning something else. You seem to have a level head on your shoulders, and that’s part 1 of the game. Most people I know twice as old as u still don’t even have that. Have confidence in yourself, learn as much as you can, try your hardest, and you will be just fine.

Best of luck to you!

[John]

Thank you very much for the reply I will think about your advice a lot. I saw an add on craigslist for an entry level job changing oil at a Honda dealership. 10 minutes after I sent in my application they called and told me about the job, and that I would be changing oil, and they offer 200+ online tests that I will need to pass throughout the years. Sounds like something I am really interested in. They said they like to hire young people. They said they have a kid who started there when he was a teenager, and now he is 25 years old and is a Master honda tech already.

but now I have 1 concern and that is I will start to dislike cars. Like I said I have 0 training and 0 experience now, I never work on cars but if I go to school and work for Honda my life is going to become cars, cars, cars 24 hours a day which is very different from now. Hopefully I dont start hating it. But even if I do a lot of people hate their jobs, you just have to suck it up and do a good job.

Also I am worried that I will get to the dealership and the other people there will just laugh at me or dislike me for not knowing anything. I have to try to avoid making stupid mistake likes draining a transmission instead of oilpan, touching a hot exhaust, smack my head on something, strip a bolt. I dont want to mess anything up.

My girlfriends grandfather told me one time that competent people worry about their own competence, while careless people are fearless and think they can do anything in the world. I hope I can do the right thing because I dont want to be poor and uneducated my whole life, and I desperately need money to start my life getting married, kids, house, etc.

[Mike]

People giving advice will usually tell you to find out what you are passionate about and do that for a living. Your fear of starting to dislike cars im sure was felt by every mechanic. But I think you should look at it from another point of view. While yes, there are going to be tedious and repetitious chores to do on a daily basis, look at the big picture. Take a step back and realize that where you are right now, you don’t know HOW to do those so-called repetitious chores. You have gotten so good at doing something NOW, but a few years ago you had no idea how to do such a thing. You’ve mastered a skill!
What you DO with that skill is completely up to you. Any job you do eventually gets to be…well, a JOB. That’s part of life. Forget what you see on TV, life is getting up early and doing what you are good at.

When you find yourself disliking cars, try to look at them from another view. You now have skills to maybe resurrect a car that you’ve always liked. You can now cruise around the USA on a road adventure in a car you built. Give yourself a goal and keep working at it! If you get tired of the mechanical side of it, why not take a look at the BUSINESS or financial side of the industry? Don’t think the second you walk into your garage that that’s all your life is going to be! You have OPPORTUNITY to keep pushing yourself forward. Your automotive knowledge, when tied together with some good business classes may put you into another direction entirely. Your only limitation is YOU. Don’t be afraid to keep learning.

As for when you get to the dealership, ignore the people who are not willing to help you. Trust me, they don’t know everything. The dealership is NOT going to just let you start turning bolts and hope you eventually fix something. School and training go hand in hand. You will learn, and you will succeed. Don’t worry now about things that MAY happen, because that will drive you crazy.

Get your mindset ready now that when you get to the dealership, you will 1) ASK QUESTIONS. You are new… they expect you to ask things that you do not know. But, do not just keep asking, WRITE THINGS DOWN AND LEARN!!! I tell everyone that I will help you with something 3 times. If you haven’t learned it by then or haven’t bothered to take a single note on something that I’ve gone over with you 3 times already, then i’m sorry, but you need to try to figure it out on your own. TAKE NOTES AND MAKE SURE YOU CAN READ THEM!!!
2) Don’t be afraid to mess up. When you do, LEARN from your mistakes. Don’t try to cover it up, because you won’t be able to. Be a man, fess up, explain what your mistake was, learn and move on.
3) Be helpful. Guys will respect someone with a “can-do” attitude that’s willing to get their hands dirty versus someone who is just going to shrug their shoulders and say they can’t do something. Watch what other techs do and learn from it. If they need a second pair of hands, VOLUNTEER. That’s how you learn. Plus, you will earn their trust and respect that at least you are willing to make an attempt. And remember, when a new guy starts AFTER you, treat him with the respect that he deserves as well. Help him out. If no one helped you, show the new guy that at least you have more character than the others.

We’ve all hit our heads (hell, my last car was an 83 DeLorean. I walked into my door at least 3 times, one hard enough to almost knock me out!), burned ourselves, ground knuckles, etc. IT HAPPENS. Just learn from it! Keep up with your studies, and make sure you make your education your priority. The time to play around will come later. Good luck!!!

[Author]

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