Four year college not for me

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ryanbg

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Hey guys,
I just finished my first year of school at a large University. I did very poorly academically. I have been thinking a lot lately and am slowly coming to the conclusion that it's just not for me. It doesn't interest me, and the main reason I went is because I didn't want to be judged as that one kid who went to a community college (absolutely nothing wrong with that, it's what I plan on doing, that's just the attitude from where I am.) I have been starting to look at the different EMS programs around a few different community colleges. I've been wanting to be a medic for almost 3 years now, since high school, and I just felt like a 4 year degree was my only option. I have a strong passion for helping others, and I have been a lifeguard for the past 3 years at a large beach, and a CFR. I understand the pay is meager at best, but as long as I live comfortably, I really don't care. I want a career I enjoy, and not something I dread doing everyday. A couple of my buddies are doing the same thing actually. One dropped out a semester ago and started the EMT program, and another is becoming a firefighter. I'm just not happy with where I am and all I can see myself doing is public safety, whether it be firefighter or paramedic (why not both?) What do you guys think? I LOVE EMS and it's something I am very passionate about.
 
you sort of sound like me, im 4 years out of high school, attempted college afterwards, dropped it and lived life until now, and am taking part 1 of my state test tomorrow evening.. sometimes it just takes a while to figure out what you wanna do.
 
Took me seven years, marriage, and an USAF hitch before returning.

Keep your mind open and find ot how long your credits are viable. You might just need a different campus.
 
mycrofft said:
Keep your mind open and find ot how long your credits are viable. You might just need a different campus.
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+ 1. Or a different major.

Depending on where you are at, it could be very very hard to get into a Fire/medic job (being dual role is about the only way you will live comfortably in my opinion). You will need more than just a medic cert and a fire academy to get hired. Having a Bachelors in something applicable (business, management science, fire science) will really hep you out.

Don't give up! Do both.
 
4 years of college for every single person is plain silly, a waste of time and a huge waste of money. Moreover, an undergraduate degree in history, philosophy or religion will allow you to be unemployable but still maintain a large student debt.

I am a huge, huge fan of technical schools that teach people a skill. EMS is a skill. HVAC is a skill. Plumbing is a skill. Having a BA in history makes you skillless.

You sounds like a fellow who would excel in technical school and be a great EMT.
 
bstone said:
... HVAC is a skill. Plumbing is a skill. Having a BA in history makes you skillless.
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Yeah, screw history and fine arts... what we need are more plumbers and HVAC technicians! It's absolutely frightening to me, how uncultured and ignorant our society (as I have observed) is becoming. The spelling, grammer, and atrocious sentence structure seen here - and many other forums - is proof positive.
 
The spelling, grammer, and atrocious sentence structure seen here - and many other forums - is proof positive.
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Shouldn't the adjective precede the noun, as in positive proof ?

Okay, I am being a smart arse... :rolleyes:
 
DrParasite said:
I majored in history.....:sad:
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I find history to be a very cool subject. When I studied history, it was like reading a story book. I am particular to the times of antiquity.
 
alphatrauma said:
Yeah, screw history and fine arts... what we need are more plumbers and HVAC technicians! It's absolutely frightening to me, how uncultured and ignorant our society (as I have observed) is becoming. The spelling, grammer, and atrocious sentence structure seen here - and many other forums - is proof positive.
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Actually, yes. More skilled tradesmen are needed, and yes, if I had the need for either a plumber or some fine art and only had the means to choose one or the other, I'd pick the plumber. Additionally, the intro philosophy series comprised of the best 3 hours of sleep a week I ever got. Finally, the only thing more pretentious than an arts or humanities major are the random cultural studies major.
 
JPINFV said:
Finally, the only thing more pretentious than an arts or humanities major are the random cultural studies major.
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You underestimate the arts and history. They have there place in this world, and they do make a well rounded individual. Leonardo Da Vinci was inspired by the visual world and he developed the first diving apparatus, the first submarine, and many other magnificent inventions. General Patton was a student of history and used the lessons learned from previous generals to cut a swath through Italy.

Sure you can argue that history, arts and humanities has no place in an EMT's life, but then again I might argue that it does. To understand humanities brings one closer to understanding social behavior which in turn will function as a decision making mechanism during a call.
 
History is useful if you're studying the field you're going into. It's one thing for a military officer to study military history. It's completely another for a military officer to study prehistoric history. A military officer in this day and age having a strong understanding of the history of cheese making? Not so much.

In terms of Da Vinci, how much formal education did he have again? You can be inspired by the visual world without having to spend 10k a year to have someone else interpret it for you.


As far as an EMT and understanding social behavior, sociology and psychology would be much more useful than, say, pottery, literature, or English (in terms of English, a technical writing course is useful. A BA in English, not so much).
 
As far as an EMT and understanding social behavior, sociology and psychology would be much more useful than, say, pottery, literature, or English (in terms of English, a technical writing course is useful. A BA in English, not so much).
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Now I am not saying a history major is a benefit in being an EMT, what I am implying is that a well rounded EMT is. Going on your premise that the understanding of social behavior is important to an EMT, I am in total agreement and further argue that understanding history gives a strong foundation in the social world.

All I am saying, and I really have little ground to stand on here is that the arts should not be neglected by any student wishing to broaden their horizons. Not to mention you can make better conversations at a party...
 
Ryan - I see absolutely nothing wrong with your plan, as someone who has done coursework at a community college, a state college and a university. I sure as hell could've saved a lot of money by taking more coursework at the comm. college too... the only advantage to the university courses was having better labs... ie: cadavers for anatomy instead of cats. Unfortunately the lectures at the Uni were often 200+ people and we had TAs for lab; the nice thing about the state college and the comm. college was that the lectures were 15-30 people, and the lab was taught by the same professor. Anywho...

One thing I have to warn you about, since you said you didn't do so well academically, is that the coursework at the community college often isn't any easier, in my experience anyways. For example, I don't know about your area, but around here a lot of the medic programs require A&P I and II as a pre-req... and it's a must if you want your Associate's. The A&P I course I took at a community college was just as difficult as the anatomy course I took at the Uni and the A&P II course I took at the state college. Harder even, at times, since our professor was an insane Neurosurgery resident and expected more of us on the neuro stuff.

I understand though, that a change of pace and environment can make a big difference, and that you don't have to take as many "irrelevant" courses for an Associate's, which are hard to get through sometimes.

As far as this whole discussion of humanities and cultural studies, I have to say, taking a Chicano/Latino History class was highly beneficial to me as a care provider in a subtle way. We have a very large Latino population out here and it definitely helped me understand some cultural nuances and see them in a new light.
 
Your not alone!

I'm one class away from my aa in transfer studies, and then i'm done. School has never felt right for me, i'm going to excel in other areas of life, besides ethnic studies and astronomy...

Medic school in due time.
 
Really?

JPINFV said:
Actually, yes. More skilled tradesmen are needed, and yes, if I had the need for either a plumber or some fine art and only had the means to choose one or the other, I'd pick the plumber. Additionally, the intro philosophy series comprised of the best 3 hours of sleep a week I ever got. Finally, the only thing more pretentious than an arts or humanities major are the random cultural studies major.
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While you make some interesting points, the only things more pretentious than an arts or a humanities major tend to be medical students.

Learning how to fix things is great, learning how to make things is great, learning why we feel the need to fix things and how it's been done in the past so we can improve how we make and fix them is even greater.

Without the arts, without philosophy, we're only surviving, not really living at all.
 
Even though John beat me to the punch...

JPINFV said:
Finally, the only thing more pretentious than an arts or humanities major are medical students.
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fixed :)
 
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:D :P Stupid anti-all caps filter...
 
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