so what kind of education do you guys have?

[Patrick from Davis]

BS in Food Science, and then a MS in Food Chemistry both from UC Davis.  My MS Project was on a funky transport enzyme in Listeria monocytogenes that becames more active as the temp dropped.  Then, I worked in a Chem dept, then, I worked on making ELISA's for Stripped Bass, and currently doing Analytical Chem on a biomass gasification research project.  If we can ever get our building through the permitting process, I might actually use some of my skills.  Other than that, I build my toys (Guitars, Pedals, Amps) and help out the family.
Patrick

 

[m4rk0]

Manager of the Process and Quality Department.

Fun fact, at that point Marko was the manager of my ol' mom.

I got an associates in graphic design, and now I'm in sales..  way to use that degree..

It's not my fault tho.. I'm good at sales.

HEY! you're not signed in on your msgr!
See you at the great wall at noon!
oops, Otis wants to go at old people's time... we are leaving here at 11:30

 

[hannaugh]

I got my bachelor's at Cal State Fullerton in Theater Tech, which is where you have to pick 1 or 2 back stage fields to specialize in. 

I started out with scenery, but I decided it was a little too anal retentive for me since you have to have an opinion about little tiny pieces of the set that the audience won't even be able to see and how big they are and what color, etc.  Then you have to draft about 8 million pages of blueprints and give them to the tech director, who will tell you you're insane and they can't build what you designed, so you have to change your drafting.  Then you have to build a perfect scale model in full color of what it will look like (that was the part I actually enjoyed).  Then you have to check the tech director's drafting.  Oh, and you have to deal with the director and almost every other designer in the show and constantly change what you originally wanted to do. 

After going through that a few times I decided I liked makeup a lot better, so I made that my main emphasis and I specialized in monsters and blood n guts.  I love it because it is challenging at times and you have to be very creative in order to solve problems. 

Now I'm teaching theater tech classes at an arts high school because I prefer to work with kids who aren't yet jaded and bitter because the biz has swallowed them whole and still know how to have fun with theater.  I don't get a lot of hours doing that though, so I'm also a housekeeper/personal assistant/sound engineer for a guy who lives near me, I paint custom watercolors for people, and I just got a job at a comic book store. 

In the long run, I think I want to eventually open my own art school for kids and adults. 

 

[jimh]

Bachelor of Science (Hons) Media Technology from Solent University, UK.

I'm now a broadcast engineer, for the British Forces Broadcasting Service, providing 27 radio channels, and 10 TV channels for the British military and their families, all around the world.

In my spare time, I have some friends in a Jazz band, who I help out with recording and roadie.
Some other friends have just been signed (www.bandofskulls.com - not as heavy metal as you'd think) and they want me to look after the guitars and amps.

I obviously play a bit in my spare time, though I cant say I'm terribly good.  I love building stuff, I;ve done 1 Warmoth, two guitar amps, modded/re-conditioned a Fender Bassman head, and built a valve HiFi.

I also love cooking, specifically BBQ's.

 

[mayfly]

I'm now a broadcast engineer, for the British Forces Broadcasting Service, providing 27 radio channels, and 10 TV channels for the British military and their families, all around the world.

Hi Jim,

What switchers do you folks use for those TV channels?

 

[jimh]

Pro-Bel. We've got 4 or 5 128x128 switchers located in several locations on this site.  We are colocated with our Satellite Uplinker (Arqiva) which makes for very easy doing of stuff. 

Who are you with?

 

[exalted]

I had half a bachelor's degree in music, and then I decided that while I enjoyed it, I would never be as good as a career would require. I switched my emphasis to history before admitting to myself that it would be an almost useless degree, besides teaching...which I have given a good amount of thought to. Then finances got hard, so I decided to take a semester off, and never started back up. That was four years ago.

I was making pretty decent money doing administrative-type-stuff up until last year when I got laid off. I've had a pretty shitety job since then, and been giving a lot of thought to going back to school...or at least what I would want to do with my life.

The problem is, I don't really have any interests - looking over the degrees offered by my local CSU and UC, none of them stir any passion inside of me. Except maybe English - but what the heck would I do with a degree in English?!

I've been thinking about just going for a business management degree and subsequently my teaching credentials. That way, I can decide if teaching is for me (three months off a year? Yes, please. The salary potential and workload? Erm....), and if teaching isn't for me, I would at least have a practical degree to fall back on.

If there's anything I would really enjoy, it would be owning my own business. Ideally a *ahem* gentleman's club. But obviously that would require WAY more capital than I have access to. Or a bar. A bar would be fun, too.

 

[mayfly]

Pro-Bel. We've got 4 or 5 128x128 switchers located in several locations on this site.  We are colocated with our Satellite Uplinker (Arqiva) which makes for very easy doing of stuff. 

Who are you with?

Pro-Bel - those are the router guys who were bought by Snell and Wilcox, right?

In Canada, there is only one big name in broadcast:   Ross Video.  I manage the software team that works on the big vision switchers.

Edit:  That should be "Vision Mixer" instead of "Switcher"

 

[Superlizard]

I'm old enough to know better.  :icon_biggrin:

I work for the College of Medicine as a Support Systems Analyst at a major university.

 

[riverbluff]

I have a B.A.S. in Human Resource Management from Mount Olive College.  Currently working on my MBA (about a third of the way complete).

I also have 2 AA degrees through the Air Force Community College.  One in Aircraft Maintenance and one in Instructor Tech.

V/R
Bill

 

[tallman]

currently studying Industrial Design (product design) at Western Washington University

 

[Mor Paul]

Workin' on that GED  :headbang:

Then maybe a music major, I don't know...

 

[exalted]

Workin' on that GED  :headbang:

Then maybe a music major, I don't know...

You're 16, right?

If you finish it up soon, go straight to college.

I finished high school when I was 15, and didn't start college until I was 18, almost 19. I could have been done by then. Although I enjoyed the time off, it was a total waste, and I really regret it.

 

[nathan a]

Stubhead, you should like this. I was enrolled at Sarah Lawrence College in New York (pretty much an arts and writing, do-whatever-the-hell-you-feel-like-school) where I was studying environmental science, religion and photography....

but am now finishing up a B.S. degree at UMass Amherst in sustainable agriculture plus a minor in resource economics, focusing on food systems.  :hello2:

 

[tfarny]

I'm a pseudo-intellectual who enjoys getting my panties in a twist on internet forums. My day job is training teachers (of K-12 and adult ESL) and doing research on educational assessments. To the OP: In general, a bachelor's degree usually tends to work out to be a good idea, even if you don't see the payoff until much later. There's always your Bill Gates type of story, but for most people most of the time it's a good idea to knuckle down and finish the degree, even if you decide you'd rather be an electrician. Beyond a Bachelor's, I would always say: Have a specific career goal and make a plan to get there that doesn't depend on wishful thinking. Without that, graduate school is usually a waste of time and money.

To paraphrase that guy from Camper Von Beethoven: What the world needs now, is another PhD in political science, like I need a hole in my head!

 

[Patrick from Davis]

I agree with tfarny's degree thoughts.  It is impressive how much further a college degree will get you in the job world.  It doesn't matter if you are dumber than a pothole, that degree will allow a person hiring you to check off a box on a paper and away you go.  It tends to work out this way with most education that gets you a piece of paper saying you have finished it.
Patrick

 

[Rick]

Best education I got was working in a library during high school and college when I wasn't working at a tv station, radio station or as a lifeguard.  Those hours spent hiding in the stacks reading whatever I wanted was great.  I did get a BA and a JD.

The best advise I have is just do something.  It really doesn't matter as long as it's honest.

 

[Wyliee]

I originally started out as an Engineering Physics major until I ran in to the wall called differential equations.  After a short stay in the Computer Science department, I ended up with a bachelors in Business Admin with a concentration in Management Information Systems.

I stayed in that field for roughly 20 years enjoying the pay, late nights, long weekends and travel. (Well, the pay was good.)  Got burned out and ended up at.... Warmoth!  I thought I knew a lot about guitars until I met Ken, Gregg, Brian G and the rest of the gang.  This has been like one continuous guitar school!

To the OP, I must say you will get out of school what you put in to it.  Try to skate by, and you won't learn much.  Whatever you want to study, put your full effort in to it.  Oh, and if your professors have open office hours or study periods, go!

 

[vansmack]

BS degree in Landscape Architecture.  Own a land planning consulting firm.  Design commercial developments, community planning, golf courses, parks, etc.   

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

B.A. in Criminal Justice w/Sociology minor from Stephen F. Austin State University.  How do I use my degree?  I'm an electrician.