ISU Student Enrollment
- Thread starter BigJCy
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Son is in a high school Auto Tech program. He will leave high school with an ASE certification from an NATEF certified program.
That's great! Congratulations.
I am not sure what you are asking? If you are asking what a Master or PhD requires to enroll then only a bachelor is required. Not always a bachelor with a major in the Master or PhD program, but always a bachelor degree.
I don’t believe so, program depending of course, but many master, phd programs are writing intensive so having some skills would be helpful
So basically many of these trade students are one English class short of what is required of masters and PHDs but you feel they are way short. I guess I don’t understand your reasoning on that.
My reasoning is simple. Writing is a skill and a student needs to continually practice to better that skill. Masters and PhD programs are generally writing intensive even if a master or phd student isn’t taking a specific English course there is still a ton of writing that is required. Me taking automotive mechanics at DMACC, sure I have to take a writing course, but no other course I take is writing intensive thus my writing skills will erode. Of course I am painting with a broad brush and I recognize that.
That sounds fine and dandy until you factor in the toll on your body the "trades" takes.
I can sit and perform my accounting work for longer than my "trades" clients can perform their manual intensive work. I have a lot of Plumbing clients and those guys are in bad shape even in their 40's.
This is what keeps me up at night for my son. He has special needs both physical and developmental so a standard 4 year college degree probably isn't a good fit but a more physical trades job is likely going to wear his body down even quicker than most. Don't get me wrong we are thankful, there are so many much, much worse off than him and he has been able to lead a pretty normal life, save all of the surgeries. But his mother and I are not going to be around forever. I worry about him, but I just have to remember how far he has come already. We will find a way together.
Does anyone have a suggestion on the best trades for not being as physical? He's not incapacitated and while he has learning disabilities, he's smart. He's not ready to tackle the reading in college, especially when he isn't getting the kind of help he gets in school now.
Honestly, from my experience, a car mechanic is probably a good one for him. The tools and equipment that most shops have now take a lot of the hard physical labor out.
Stay away from diesel. With autos, they get towed to the shop all the time, no roadside service besides maybe jumpstarts.
The other trade that I’ve seen that doesn’t have as physically demanding needs is electrician.
The very least I’ve seen is a truck driver. Gotta dolly up trailers and slap on glad hands and that’s the most they have to do.
Here’s a couple examples of just the opposite. My brother was a career banker, sat behind a desk. Had severe back issues with multiple surgeries and ended up sleeping in his recliner. Had two heart attacks and quadruple bypass surgery. Was 6’3”x185. Our plumber has kids in college(ISU) has 0 body fat and looks like he’s in 20’s instead of 40’s. I’m sure you can give examples confirming your statement. My point is that a career choice has some affect on health but it’s not 100%. BTW our accountant/cpa is one of the most beautiful young women I’ve seen and it takes the sting out of when she gives us our tax return with the amount we need to send to the IRS. Sitting behind a desk evidently hasn’t hurt her a bit.
Here's what the AI tells me. The fellas who worked on my renovation would seem to agree too.
"Available evidence consistently shows that people in physically demanding trades tend to have a lower life expectancy and a shorter period of healthy, disability-free life compared to those in office-based, higher-level occupations."
I'm not knocking the trades in the slightest. It seems obviously more physically difficult and a good case could be made that it's more mentally difficult
A lot of it comes down to how you take care of yourself. Also using technology.
I work in college admissions and can help you with this if you want. Just DM me.
I was recently at a meeting with one of the trades programs and the Head said his industry is really starting to recognize it can no longer be a profession for the super strong and fit. They need people and employers are recognizing that in order to get people they have to provide a work environment that many different body types and sizes can thrive, and to better protect their "investment" are starting to provide tools that take the physical stress off a body. It was very encouraging to hear.
I have been thinking about electrician a lot. Thanks for the confirmation. He is a wiz at math often helping kids who are struggling in his classes so I'm sure the math needed for an electrician wouldn't be a barrier. I would just worry about concentration. I am going through the harrowing experience of taking him driving since he got his permit this late summer. The lapses of concentration I'm sure will get better. I just worry that a lapse as an electrician could be fatal.
I guess that is what all of the training is for. He is very safety aware, I'm sure he would be fine.
If he’s ADHD, attention span would be my concern. I will say the new tools are fantastic. Voltage meters that attach to electrical lines to tell you if you still have juice iss just an example.
That's just it. I've got a mobility disorder that would have me on disability and living in poverty if I was in the trades. I can sit in my office, make a good living and work as long as I want to thanks to that 4 year degree....
I got out of construction when I was 25. I was constantly injured and my knees/hips/neck/back still give me trouble 20 years later.
Edit: I’ll add that I saw a guy get his pants caught in a PTO and walk away with no injuries. I fell off of 3 sections of scaffolding onto concrete and walked away. I was shocked multiple times. I’m honestly quite lucky to be alive.
I don’t worry about seeing somebody’s legs get ripped off in my office.
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no not really...
I have masters and PhD in ag field....
I learned more in 2 years of a masters program (U kentucky) than I did in 4.5 years undergrad at ISU.... Probably more a me (drunk and trying to get laid) than a school thing....
Masters program is lots of advanced agriculture with only a very few general type (english, math etc). its assumed that you have already obtained those skills.
PhD was almost no coursework. (they usually will use the credits from a master's degree to fill PhD program requirements).
I believe I only had to take an additional 10-15 credit hours (PhD). vast majority of time is devoted to research and teaching.
