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[Andre]

Well I just passed the exam for technician certficate after failing the first time, I’d like to point out that.. When you come from school at least from where I was, we are so used to relaxing and having a great time with friends and whatnot that we forget to work OR we’re so clueless as what is to come later in the field that we’re simply not scared enough. Picture the overall attitude as a “This is going to be easy, easy job – easy money”

But still, when i started out as an apprentice – working in the garage was just fun and thats all it was.
If i did a service on a car like changing oil, I didn’t look at the engine and actually asked myself questions. – I just knew how to change oil filter and oil.

And so it repeats, changing brake pads, drums and whatnot.
I got to know how to do it and how to solve it but not how it works in general, also for me during the two years as apprentice my mood was so back and forth with how I felt with the job I was educating myself in.

I felt the work was really hard at some times, it’s hard to get up in the mornings working day in and out.
But slowly it comes to me, I took more responsebility for the company I worked for and I started to care but way to late – right now I’m studying like I’ve never done before because I have to.

I managed to pass a 1 weeks test and I’ve earned the certification but it’s not before now I’m studying like I never did before – Its fun to study now because I understand what im reading and because I really wanted to become a mechanic “but i didnt really figure that out before couple months earlier, thanks Eric.”.

Somehow, you gotta tell your student how important it really is to read ( I learnt it the hard way, by being really nervous and understanding the consequence of not putting effort into the work when I was failing my certification exam the first time)

And well, If you do care for the apprentices – show up on their face one day and ask them about how an engine works, why we have lambda sensors, what is lambda, what could be the cause to the engine if the lambda is low, a car doesnt start but cranks, all that you could think of that a technician really should know.

Just throw them a ball and tell them you expect a answer within 1-2 days on a regular basis and if they dont have a answer for you or show no sign of effort put into the work – start talking with them why that is, I think you’d be surprised about how they react. If they reply with that they have no time or was busy or anything. You just say “ok, thats fine – but remember exams are comming sooner or later and you need to know this because the next person that ask you this will be the man holding your certficate.”

When I took exam the first time I felt that the man who was supposed to give me the certficate had to explain me basic things, he talked with me that I need to start working now or I could drop this line of work because this is way to bad of result he said. (I couldnt explain at all how a transmission worked)
“And my task was to diagnose that a customer says the gear shifting into reverse makes a static sound.”

I think I said that it was the Synchronize ring inside the transmission and he said “Ok, why do you suspect that its that ring?”

And I just stood there like a dummy, then he started digging as i stood as a rock.

* Whats the function of that ring ?
* Does it relate to the reverse shifting?
* How does a transmission really work?
* Can you name me all the names that is nessecary for the transmission to perform?

And so he stamped a FAILED on the papers later, because i stuttered and was swetting like a pig..

That scared and shooked me so much that I’ve been reading and looking at my own car engines compartments since that day to this day, and today I passed the exam with very good results.

Bottom line; Try to tell the apprentices how important it is to know about theese stuffs and how much it will help you later, because after all – If you truly do want to become a mechanic you sooner or later will stand on your own feet with no master colleague holding your hand though the final day on exam.

And regarding the school..

My teachers had tons of excperience and was good at teaching but I didnt really pay attention most of the time.

The only thing the school could have done different is more garage work and less classroom, nobody cares or wants to work with papers at this age – me for instance choosed this line of work because I was tired of working in classroom and with papers.

I hope i somewhat answered your question because I hope you can get your apprentices into action.

I think I want to call myself “A idle mechanic” during thoose years that didnt become active untill the shit hit the fan.

[Andre]

Well I just passed the exam for technician certficate after failing the first time, I’d like to point out that.. When you come from school at least from where I was, we are so used to relaxing and having a great time with friends and whatnot that we forget to work OR we’re so clueless as what is to come later in the field that we’re simply not scared enough. Picture the overall attitude as a “This is going to be easy, easy job – easy money”

But still, when i started out as an apprentice – working in the garage was just fun and thats all it was.
If i did a service on a car like changing oil, I didn’t look at the engine and actually asked myself questions. – I just knew how to change oil filter and oil.

And so it repeats, changing brake pads, drums and whatnot.
I got to know how to do it and how to solve it but not how it works in general, also for me during the two years as apprentice my mood was so back and forth with how I felt with the job I was educating myself in.

I felt the work was really hard at some times, it’s hard to get up in the mornings working day in and out.
But slowly it comes to me, I took more responsebility for the company I worked for and I started to care but way to late – right now I’m studying like I’ve never done before because I have to.

I managed to pass a 1 weeks test and I’ve earned the certification but it’s not before now I’m studying like I never did before – Its fun to study now because I understand what im reading and because I really wanted to become a mechanic “but i didnt really figure that out before couple months earlier, thanks Eric.”.

Somehow, you gotta tell your student how important it really is to read ( I learnt it the hard way, by being really nervous and understanding the consequence of not putting effort into the work when I was failing my certification exam the first time)

And well, If you do care for the apprentices – show up on their face one day and ask them about how an engine works, why we have lambda sensors, what is lambda, what could be the cause to the engine if the lambda is low, a car doesnt start but cranks, all that you could think of that a technician really should know.

Just throw them a ball and tell them you expect a answer within 1-2 days on a regular basis and if they dont have a answer for you or show no sign of effort put into the work – start talking with them why that is, I think you’d be surprised about how they react. If they reply with that they have no time or was busy or anything. You just say “ok, thats fine – but remember exams are comming sooner or later and you need to know this because the next person that ask you this will be the man holding your certficate.”

When I took exam the first time I felt that the man who was supposed to give me the certficate had to explain me basic things, he talked with me that I need to start working now or I could drop this line of work because this is way to bad of result he said. (I couldnt explain at all how a transmission worked)
“And my task was to diagnose that a customer says the gear shifting into reverse makes a static sound.”

I think I said that it was the Synchronize ring inside the transmission and he said “Ok, why do you suspect that its that ring?”

And I just stood there like a dummy, then he started digging as i stood as a rock.

* Whats the function of that ring ?
* Does it relate to the reverse shifting?
* How does a transmission really work?
* Can you name me all the names that is nessecary for the transmission to perform?

And so he stamped a FAILED on the papers later, because i stuttered and was swetting like a pig..

That scared and shooked me so much that I’ve been reading and looking at my own car engines compartments since that day to this day, and today I passed the exam with very good results.

Bottom line; Try to tell the apprentices how important it is to know about theese stuffs and how much it will help you later, because after all – If you truly do want to become a mechanic you sooner or later will stand on your own feet with no master colleague holding your hand though the final day on exam.

And regarding the school..

My teachers had tons of excperience and was good at teaching but I didnt really pay attention most of the time.

The only thing the school could have done different is more garage work and less classroom, nobody cares or wants to work with papers at this age – me for instance choosed this line of work because I was tired of working in classroom and with papers.

I hope i somewhat answered your question because I hope you can get your apprentices into action.

I think I want to call myself “A idle mechanic” during thoose years that didnt become active untill the shit hit the fan.

[Author]

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