Posted on 05/16/2011 5:32:53 AM PDT by TSgt
Most college degrees are an impediment to a good life.
Many of these same schools would also offer classes to adults who wanted to learn a hobby. My dad learned how to weld from the local high school when he was in his 40s. Try finding something like that today. I want to learn to weld (as we live 1,000 mile apart, and I can't just run over to his place to have him show me), but can't find anything like that here.
Sure, there are full-on welding classes that teach the trade to those looking to go into it as a profession, but I don't want that. I want something that teaches the basics, that I can learn from. Sure, there's a ton of stuff on the web, but the laptop isn't exactly something I want near where I'm welding.
“Whether they learned that at home or at school or both..”
I agree. I guess my parents always said that people work hard at any job they have. Each job has a skill and a purpose. I can only think that it is some form of “elitism” that some hold. Granted, they made the distinction that more education usually means a larger paycheck but in no way, shape or form did they ever diminish someone’s occupation as being less worthy or invaluable.
The schools use volunteers from the Jr. and Sr. classes directed by skilled craftsmen to do ALL the work, from installing the drainage and most often a septic system to digging the footings for the foundation, the concrete work the framing, wiring, plumbing, roofing, windows, insulation, siding, interior walls, trim and painting.
This has been happening for the past 10 or 12 years. I think we are up to 7 or 8 schools doing this each year. The kids learn a lot. 95% of the kids from these high powered schools go to University but those who choose to participate in these programs learn a lot.
You would be surprised how much the sale of personal shop tools and equipment has grown as a result.
In the past, colleges taught you HOW to think, not WHAT to think. Today, it's the exact opposite...................
A bigger issue is that people are willing to settle for poorer quality for less, if that gets them the bigger square footage. I'd rather pay a premium for a well-built house, knowing it will last several lifetimes, than pay less for a bigger house that's going to fall apart on me.
Used to be here in America that nearly every HS had “Shop” class. I don’t think very many have now..............
I am the same way. I would love to know how to put down wood flooring, for example. I am not good in geometry and I feel that this specific skill would be one that had to be shown to me in a hands on type of way. I learn difficult subjects by being shown rather than just reading it in a manual. No such classes that I could find either.
A general contractor with a financial manager who doesn't know pipe threading, cement work, welding, electrical work, framing, drywall, etc.... is going to cause the company harm to it's books and to it's standing within the industry.
For your particular interest, try looking at Home Depot (yeah, it's a dirty word on FR, sometimes) or Lowe's. The one's in my area teach classes every Saturday on different subjects. They may have one. If nothing else, tell them that if they'd show you how to do it, you'd buy your supplies from them.
I am fortunetly one of those handy guys. I always have been. However, a lot of the things I have learned over the years were self taught or from friends and family. I learned electrical wiring by buying a Sunset book at the hardware store. I took wood shop in high school. I learned hard work and auto mechanics from my father.
One of the biggest problems most people have is that they are afraid of it or just do not know where to start.
The other reason is a lot of these jobs require special tools to make them easier to accomplish. Most of those tools will pay for themselves after just using them once.
When I was in high school in NY they offerd BOCES which were vocational programs for kids who most likely would not be going onto college. The kids who attended these programs were always looked down upon as the dumb kids. There was always a stigma for being a auto tech, hairdresser, etc.
Today you can do very well as a plumming and heating contrator or an electrician.
The local electrician in my town has tickets to the Metropolitan Opera, travels with his family to Europe frequently, has a daughter whose wedding pictures were in “Town and Country” magazine, and oodles and oodles of money.
I sometimes watch “This Old House” and programs on HGTV. I appreciate quality craftsmanship.
I worked as a general laborer for a custom builder for summers during high school and college. The experience I got from that job has proven to be the most valuable education I ever received. The company was non-union, small family owned, and employed old carpenters who knew their trade and were literally dying to teach younger people the basics.
This is exactly right. When I went to school they had all these classes. Auto shop, wood shop, metal shop, drafting, electrical shop, drivers ed, home economics, etc... Now there are none because the schools have no money. Teachers and mainly administrators steal it all. 1 or 2 janitors for the whole school and they are watching child porn all day getting nothing done collecting a huge union paycheck.
One of the main reasons shop classes have been eliminated throughout the country has nothing to do with educating. It is tha same reason they cancel school when ther is 3” of snow in NH. It is the exposure to LAWSUITS.
When I was in woodshop in highschool a burnout kid cut about 1/4” into one of his fingers with the bandsaw. He was as high as a kite from smoking dope. He went to the nurses office and then to the hospital. His parents never even thought of suing the school.
Today if that happened, it could potentially be a multimillion dollar suit.
It is really hard to hurt yourself in art class.
Their basement flooded, a tree fell on their garage, their lawn is brown with fungus because the moisture is so high, their son sat out front with a flat tire for two hours waiting for the auto club to change it, their gutters are so full of leaves that the water pours over, their wiring on an addition needs to be split to three circuits instead of one, their garbage disposal jammed from a fork, and I could go on..............but not one of those problems is within the grasp of themselves, but is being fixed by an outside company who "schedules" a visit to visit five more times.
The really funny part is that they take a day off from work to be there to make sure the work is done "right".............each time a contractor arrives. I'd say they miss five in twenty days of work waiting for people to do crap they can't wrap their gifted minds around.
Since we don’t have a manufacturing based economy here in the US any more, but a service based economy, we have no need for a lot of managers with college degrees. With the closure of each plant goes those skills and experience. The US is doomed to follow in the footsteps of Great Britain..............
Buy a used chop saw on Craigslist.There have been a lot of contrators going out of business lately, so they are always forsale in the tools section. I would suggest a 12” Dewalt. The flooring nailer(used to nail into the groove of the flooring at a 45 degree angle is typically rented to you by the flooring retailer. If the flooring is harder(denser) than oak , I would suggest renting a pnuematic nailer and a compressor. The other tool you will need is a 25’ Sanley tape measure. A table saw is also required for ripping the wood to width. However, the same thing can be accomplised with a circular saw or even hand saw.
With these four tools you can install flooring.
Buy prefinished.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.