I wish I had stayed in school .It makes it tough in life not having a education.I started working full time when I was 15 years old.I had money and the cars and stuff ,but no social life. Even posting here or trying to have a intelligent conversation with people, it would have made a difference. I would stay in school as long as someone is paying for it and figure out what you want to do. If you don't finish HS or go to college you will be missing out . Learning how to be out on your on and making new friends that usually last a life time.No offense but why stop at only being a mechanic (Tech) .I am not sure about the salary . I would figure the average is between 30-50 a year. But I also have a friend that does is a BMW tech and he is making a little over 100 a year but he flags about 80-100 hours a week . and works on cars at home.

A lot of people get the degrees and go into that field and don't like it ,then try something totally different.

The main thing is enjoy what you do.

Come up to BAJA and get a job testing boats. You could go to Delaware or the lake everyday in a brand new boat. People dont have to know its not your boat!

I can go to college for 1/2 day next year. I will get college and HS credit. Also, HS will pay for it.

Anyone know a place to learn some languages? I dont want to do it at school, more of a when I feel like it kind of thing.

Tommy......Listen to me.......whatever you do......DO NOT KNOCK UP ANY CHICKS!!!!!......unless you are going to marry her, you both agree 100% and you want to spend the rest of your life with her......I know guys (personal friends) that make 80 to $100,000 a year and have to live at their Mom's home in their old room at 40 yrs old and litterally dont have enough money to go out for a beer let alone boat of ANY kind...........doug

Child support, i know it all to well !!!!!!

DITTO THAT TWINN29!

Twinn 29 is right, I knowa guy that makes $125k a year and could'nt get financed for a washer/dryer combo at sears...women can be evil

I went straight to college in the middle of my senior year of high school. I left on a school at sea program with Texas A&M Galveston. It was a lot of fun, but I wouldn't do it again. I'm now a senior in Texas A&M's marine engineering program. We design the structure for offshore platforms and bridges. I am taking quite a few naval architecture classes, and eventually hope to buy into or build a boat building company. The offshore platform industry pays engineers a lot of money and this is what I plan on using to fund my hobby of boat building. I have doubt that I will ever be really into offshore platforms accept for maybe a year or so after school. However the school gives me a structural engineering degree which I can use in any industry, and I will probably always be able to get a job.

I can recommend to you that you get a college degree. My dad never went to school and he has spent his entire life in construction. He is doing what his dad did and so on. He does own the company and makes plenty of money, but still has to be there at all times. He now has built his own commercial industrial rental buildings, and will probably never work again. But has had 3 neck surgeries and suffers daily from back injuries.
If you have the chance, go to college and work with your mind, not your back.
I have now been in college 5 years and have a really hard time with reading and writing. I finished all my math classes over a year ago, and in engineering math is one the most important. I'm gonna struggle through this English, but when I finish, I'll have a degree from the top university in my field.

The rich let their money work for them, they don't work for their money.

You need to read Rich Dad Poor Dad
by Robert Kiyosaki

Ernie

If you want to go to a good small college, I would suggest Grand Valley State University here in Grand Rapids. Great school, and Lake Michigan is only 15-20 miles away. Lot's of OSO'ers around to lend a hand with anything you might need and to take you boating when it's warm. G.R. is a nice town, good restaurants, bars, movie theaters, etc...

Grand Valley's football program is second to none in division 2 these days, so there's even some sports to watch. Hell, I'm only about 20 minutes or less from campus, you could live here cheap and commute after your required freshman year on campus.

Guess I'm trying to say go to college. If not, I would consider the armed services. I tried to get in, but back then, with my eyesight, they wouldn't take me into any of the programs I wanted to get into. So I went to college instead. Oh, and my college beat that one up the road from you this year by the way!!

plus you could live with waterfoul.... his roomate is fixin to hit the road