Any thoughts on The Fab School in Cali?

[Hoffman5982]

Hey guys, I'm considering a pretty drastic change in my life. I'm currently enrolled in an EE degree and will soon be starting my senior year, but as I progress the more I feel this isn't what I want to do. It has gotten to the point where I no longer have motivation to continue with school. Luckily I got the Pell grant for most of my time in uni so I'd be leaving with only about $5k in student loans, otherwise I'd just suck it up and finish.

I have a friend that moved out to attend the Fab School last year and he seems to be doing really well with it. That's what turned me on to it in the first place, but the interest has been growing for the last few months now. I wanted to get some other opinions on it as well as advice on decent places to live. The plan would be to start working full time from about August til summer of next year, saving every penny I can to cover moving expenses as well as create a safety net. Since school is only 3 days a week, 8-5, I could work 8-5 the other 4 days once I'm there to get almost full time hours.

I've found a few apartments in the San Bernardino/Chino/Rialto area. I'd love to be within a 30 minute biking distance if possible. That said, I will have my Forester there to drive, if not both my forester and a bone stock s14 to keep me sane since I'll be leaving the drift car back home in FL for the year.

Thanks for any insight in advance!

[feito]

wtf is fab school? And MOST of the times one'll end up doing something one dislikes. I enjoy being in a bad mood all the time, just part of being a man haha

[KiLLeR2001]

Originally Posted by feito

I enjoy being in a bad mood all the time, just part of being a man haha

Real men love what they do, and they get paid for it.

[Hoffman5982]

Originally Posted by feito

wtf is fab school? And MOST of the times one'll end up doing something one dislikes. I enjoy being in a bad mood all the time, just part of being a man haha

I want to design and build stuff. Engineering is more signing off on other people's designs. I should have looked more into it in the beginning, but no going back now.

[Sonic Motor]

I had a friend that really liked it, but I'm unsure how cost effective it really is.

[Hoffman5982]

Originally Posted by Sonic Motor

I had a friend that really liked it, but I'm unsure how cost effective it really is.

It's $25k for full tuition, but I can get the Pell grand as well as federal student loans for that. $30k in total loans(worst case ontario I dont get the Pell) IS a big chunk, but honestly it's almost half than a lot of my friends and family members have finished college with. Besides, you're not living the american dream until you're buried in debt right?

My friend had a job secured before he even graduated, and I've read a lot of people usually do when they go there

[inopsey]

an engineering degree will make you stand out in this field. i dont seed how having the engineering degree would ever hurt your future opportunities.

[Hoffman5982]

It won't, I just have no motivation to finish right now. I may come back and finish up after I'm done with the fab school, but for now I'm just simply done with it. Also I'm sure something like a mechanical engineering degree would stand out, but I'm not sure an electrical engineering one would as much

[[240sx]]

Originally Posted by Hoffman5982

I've found a few apartments in the San Bernardino/Chino/Rialto area.

I'd stay away from San Bernardino.... Chino's nicer.

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[Hoffman5982]

Originally Posted by [240sx]

I'd stay away from San Bernardino.... Chino's nicer.

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The two apartments that have gotten back to me are in Colton and Rialto

[RalliartRsX]

Engineering degree = 100k, 9-5, vacation, health insurance and a more stable job environment. In addition it frees up much more money and time to do whatever fee hell you want

Fab school and what lay await on the job world after is. Quite the opposite.

I rather a stable job that is not my passion with much for expendable income end time off for my hobbies than making my hobby my career. Don't make your passion your career unless you can make koko bucks and have a proper work life balance

Making your hobby into a career is a quick way to hate both your work and outside work life.

[RalliartRsX]

Mechanical engineering is a base for most other engineering disciplines


Source: I have a masters in aerospace engineering and work on cars/labor prior. Never going back

[Hoffman5982]

100k is a bit ambitious. I have multiple family members and friends with engineering degrees and they're all making around $40-50k. Sure they'll get raises, but it would be many years before they are making that kind of money most likely. Yeah, I get the vacation aspect, but honestly there's always going to be demand for labor intensive jobs. I don't care if I'm not making 100k, it's something I've always been interested in. Also I don't know about there, but not a single shop around me is open past 5 or 6.

Like I said before, I may come back to engineering later, but as of right now I'm just burned out on school and really need a change.

[[240sx]]

Originally Posted by Hoffman5982

The two apartments that have gotten back to me are in Colton and Rialto

Of the two, go with Rialto..

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[RalliartRsX]

You don't make 100k by staying with the same company for 282839 years. You move companies every few years

But your mind seems to be pretty set. Good luck on your future endeavours!

[Hoffman5982]

Originally Posted by RalliartRsX

You don't make 100k by staying with the same company for 282839 years. You move companies every few years

But your mind seems to be pretty set. Good luck on your future endeavours!

That's true I guess. None of them have changed jobs in the past few years. My brother hasn't because once he works for the state for 10 years his student loans are forgiven, not sure about the others though. Must just be comfortable where they are at.

My mind is about 60% made up. Right now I'm simply planning out what I would do if I decide to go this path. Completely uprooting my life and moving 2000 miles away where I have maybe 2 friends I can somewhat rely on for anything is not something I want to do without having all of my ducks in a row. I will need to make a final decision by the end of August as that is when I will be starting my next semester or dropping my classes and going to full time work

[future]

Definitely stay out of SB


Try Fontana. Been here for over 17 years

[collegekid]

Originally Posted by Hoffman5982

I want to design and build stuff. Engineering is more signing off on other people's designs. I should have looked more into it in the beginning, but no going back now.

No no no. I can't tell if you're joking or not but do you honestly think companies just hire you out of school and tell you to sign off on other people's designs?

Originally Posted by Hoffman5982

It won't, I just have no motivation to finish right now. I may come back and finish up after I'm done with the fab school, but for now I'm just simply done with it. Also I'm sure something like a mechanical engineering degree would stand out, but I'm not sure an electrical engineering one would as much

Dude I'm a Super Mega Final boss Senior in college. I changed my major from Bio to mechanical Engineering after 2.5 years. I'm graduating in December. You don't have the same debt and gray hairs as I do to be "burned out".

In all seriousness though, Finish up EE. In my opinion it is worth more than mechanical. EE's get paid slightly more than ME's according to online charts and surveys that I don't care to quote. I am finishing up a mechanical engineering internship with one of the biggest Remanufacturing companies this week and most of the mechanical stuff I did all required some usage of electrical sensors and programming. You are in a great position to have an EE degree.

I'm planning on graduating, taking the FE exam, then starting some programming courses because I'm freaking out at how much shit uses electrical knowledge even when it is supposed to be mechanical.


All you have to do is literally write on your resume that you have "highly specialized technical experience for x years in automobiles" and when they ask you can say that you did shit to your car. BOOM you're an Electrical engineer with mechanical experience.

If you really think mechanical is worth so much, I can invite you to our group on Google drive with all the textbooks and shit and study.


Do not quit now. From a guy whos been in school way too long, finish it now instead of putting yourself in a position that will suck complete balls to finish up school. I have a customer who's 52 (almost as old as my dad) who went back to school and finished up his last 3 classes for a Chemistry degree.

Sorry for the monologue but I know the feels man. Just get it done and then you can practice fabricating/machining parts for whatever the Fab School is.

[lewisfk]

Dude finish your degree! Look at SAM in Houston Texas.

[blackmags91]

You don't know what actual engineering is until you get out of school and get in to a specific industry (which can all greatly vary). Trust me on this, I did ME at Arizona State and have been out now for a little over 4 years. I had absolutely no idea I'd be anywhere near where I am now as far as what I do. Don't let your undergrad draw conclusions on what work-life might be like after college. Finish it dude.

Also you're only 1 year away from having a solid cushion to fall on for the rest of your working life after putting 3 difficult years in... Finish it dude.

Senior year was easiest in my experience. Finish it dude.

Even as an ME myself, EE definitely seems to be more valuable than ME. I do WAY more electrical work now than mechanical. Looking back I can admit I would have been much better of EE. Finish it dude.

Someone above says engineers make 40-50k? No way, especially not in SoCal. My first engineering job out of school (in PHX) was 52k, second job where I'm at now is just shy of 80 and bonus goes over. I'm 25y/o, started working professionally at 22. Honestly I work about 35 hours in a typical week (almost 1day/week at home included) in a comfy-ass office with a view... I spent Oct-Dec 2016 in Las Vegas completely paid for for work, working like 30 hours/week or some bs.. There are perks if you do it right.
Finish it dude.

[silverarrow27]

I actually know of a few guys that work out in the San Bernardino/Rialto area as Electrical Engineers. I say finish your EE degree and there seems to be some EE jobs out in the area. Why not work in your field of studies while getting a second degree or vocational cert/license? Like you said, you want to have your ducks in a row and like someone else said, have a cushion to fall back on.

Sometimes you're a lazy ass as myself and don't finish college. Drop out because you couldn't afford it, happens to land an IT job and make $70k /yr. after working a gazillion years for the same company because of no degree.

[jose]

Don't quit school.
Hard labor is not bad at first and enjoyable when you're learning. After a couple of years of breaking your back and having your hands hurt you'll get over it. You'll be too tired to work on your hobbies. Take the less physical job so you can do the stuff you want to do after work. Plus it never hurts to have a good college degree


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[drecol]

Originally Posted by blackmags91

You don't know what actual engineering is until you get out of school and get in to a specific industry (which can all greatly vary). Trust me on this, I did ME at Arizona State and have been out now for a little over 4 years. I had absolutely no idea I'd be anywhere near where I am now as far as what I do. Don't let your undergrad draw conclusions on what work-life might be like after college. Finish it dude.

Also you're only 1 year away from having a solid cushion to fall on for the rest of your working life after putting 3 difficult years in... Finish it dude.

Senior year was easiest in my experience. Finish it dude.

Even as an ME myself, EE definitely seems to be more valuable than ME. I do WAY more electrical work now than mechanical. Looking back I can admit I would have been much better of EE. Finish it dude.

Someone above says engineers make 40-50k? No way, especially not in SoCal. My first engineering job out of school (in PHX) was 52k, second job where I'm at now is just shy of 80 and bonus goes over. I'm 25y/o, started working professionally at 22. Honestly I work about 35 hours in a typical week (almost 1day/week at home included) in a comfy-ass office with a view... I spent Oct-Dec 2016 in Las Vegas completely paid for for work, working like 30 hours/week or some bs.. There are perks if you do it right.
Finish it dude.

Beautiful beautiful great pov

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[Umi_R98]

I'll add my $.02, I work with Engineers all the time Mechanical, Structural, Civil, and Electrical. Of all the engineering fields, electrical is high up there on the return on investment.

Best advice is to talk to an established fabricator, and ask their pov.

[Hoffman5982]

Thank you guys for all the help. I know electrical engineering is a better choice financially, but it isn't at all what interests me. I've switched to Mechanical and will be giving school another shot. Fab school will still be on the table if it doesn't work out for me. Luckily I have a friend who's father is like a second dad to me who can get me a paid internship at a power company once I get a little further along, so I'll just push through til I get to that point and I think that will be all the motivation I need.

[Sonic Motor]

I think a great way to tackle this would be - Get your ME Degree, make awesome money doing that, and have a hobby of fabbing and building a name for yourself on the side with something you love. A skilled man is a man never out of work.