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Hi guys!
I just started my senior year of high school. This semester I'm taking Physics, Calculus I, Modeern European History from 1870 and Expository Writing. SAT's are on the horizon, and I have to do some serious thinking about colleges and where to apply.
This summer I was mega fortunate to land a job as a dockhand at a local marina. Part of the job was assisting in the lofting shed with the restoration of an old Chris-Craft runabout from the Fifties. it was beyond awesome, and I learned something about myself. I love woodworking and working with my hands to turn something derelict and forgotten back into something awesomely beautiful. The '54 Chrysler Hemi she's got in her gets down and gets the work doen too! Unfortunately, her owner got caught in the stock market crash here in the States and work on her stopped before I left to go back to school. My father won't let me work during school term except for Friday after school, and Saturdays.
Here's the question. I really think I would like to study yacht design and construction as a career. Maybe someday own my own boat yard and restoration business, and marina. I have been looking at the Florida School of Design at the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale. They offer a full BS degree in Yacht Design, and from the course structure it's a pretty difficult four years.
Does anyone know about this school? Any alums among the readership? Anybody heard of it second or third hand? I did write to a few current students I found through Myspace and Facebook but of course they all say the place is great. I thought it would be a good idea to get some other opinions.
I'm off to bed. It's been quite a weekend sailing and partying.
Jonny.
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I would explore all the possibilities if I were you. For one there’s a program in the NE at Mystic Seaport, CT. Museum of America and the Sea.
I remember another in the Northwest that specializes in wooden boats but the name alludes me at the moment.
It just seems to me these would meld better with the direction you seem to want to go
People will tell you where they've gone
They'll tell you where to go
But till you get there yourself you never really know
Where some have found their paradise
Other's just come to harm
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ScarySteve
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Getting started |
Location: United States
Registered: September 2007
Messages: 4
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I would recommend against such highly specialized schools. You need to prepare yourself to work for the next 50 years. That field could change drastically in that time, leaving you with yesterday's knowledge.
You should have taken the PSAT's by now. How did you do? Do you have a sense of how you'll do on the SAT's? What's your grade point like?
The schedule you listed is very ambitious. If you have the ability to do well in those courses, I would suggest a different tack. (Notice I threw in a sailing term there.)
Try to get into the best college or university that you can. To use an extreme example, you should go to Harvard over the Florida schools.
A broad background in your undergraduate work will prepare you not only to pursue that which interests you now but also that which will interest you in the future. An undergraduate degree in math or physics (and possibly chemistry) would prepare you to study yachts at the graduate level. Remember that architects generally cannot practice in this country without getting at least a Master's degree.
An example comes to mind of a friend of mine from high school. (This is way back in the day.) He was the salutatorian of our class. On the SAT afternoon "achievement tests" which were given in those days, he scored 800 each on chemistry and physics. (That's a perfect score.) He was accepted at a number of schools. His family insisted that he accept the top school if he thought he wanted to go there, primarily because it would offer him more choices later in life. He went to Princeton and majored in Chemical Engineering. He then got a Master's in the subspecialty that interested him. The Master's took another year and he got it at a state school. Throughout his life, the Princeton degree has helped him in so many ways because of the general education requirements that were behind it and because it is considered a top school. The Master's trained him for the specific jobs he wanted. The Princeton degree helped him rise faster, though. It also helped him in dealing with other folks, just because he had a broader, liberal arts education.
Things are more specialized for you today than they were for us 40 years ago. However, if you start out being trained in only the specifics, a ripple through the industry could leave you unemployable in ten years.
Now do well on the SAT's and keep your grades up!
ScarySteve
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saben
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On fire! |
Registered: May 2003
Messages: 1537
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I think if you have the marks to get into a more general degree at a more recognised school it's something to consider. But I have a friend that works as an Engineer. His major was religion. He's about 32. In the modern world doors open up seemingly at random. Jobs can lead to other jobs that you never thought about. Careers don't exist, you'll more than likely do multiple differing jobs during your lifetime, and even specialised degrees give a lot of general theory. So don't feel like you are boxing yourself in, but that said, more prestigious schools DO give better opportunities.
Look at this tree. I cannot make it blossom when it suits me nor make it bear fruit before its time [...] No matter what you do, that seed will grow to be a peach tree. You may wish for an apple or an orange, but you will get a peach.
Master Oogway
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Benji
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Likes it here |
Location: USA
Registered: August 2007
Messages: 297
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I'm happy for you, I (sigh) wish I could go back and finish college, but it is a little late. And I do not have the time, money or resources.
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Boats have been around for thousands of years, and won't disappear anytime soon. By definition a Bachelor's Degree in any speciality also requires various courses which do not deal specificly with the major but are an effort to expand your knowledge. Just make sure the college is accredited and any credits earned are transferrable. That way if you do change your mind or another opportunity presents itself, you have much to build on.
Good luck.
Hugs, Charlie
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I heard yesterday from a friend from Miami who said that Ft Lauderdale is a very Gay city. He mentioned that the gay/straight ratio is nearing 50/50. So that is a plus 'eh ?
Do what you love. I'm generally in favor of more general degrees but if you love working on boats then go work on boats.
On a side note, you might look at this book, http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580081509
It helped me immensely in my search for schools.
I live in Florida and have some friends that know the local schools pretty well. I'll ask them about Florida School of Design at the Art INstitute of Ft Lauderdale (what a mouthfull) for 'ya.
It's always the old to lead us to the war
It's always the young to fall
Now look at all we've won with the sabre and the gun
Tell me is it worth it all
~Phil Ochs "I Aint Marching Anymore"
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marc
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Needs to get a life! |
Registered: March 2003
Messages: 4729
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Credits are rarely universaly transferable and that is especially applicable when transfering from one state to another.
The best one can hope for is that a majority of credits are recognized as curriculum matches for new school choices.
Life is great for me... Most of the time... But then I meet people online... Very few are real friends... Many say they are but know nothing of what it means... Some say they are, but are so shallow...
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Benji
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Likes it here |
Location: USA
Registered: August 2007
Messages: 297
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Forgive my ignorance, but is this the same town with that Homophobic Mayor?
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Yeah, transferring is a pain.
It's always the old to lead us to the war
It's always the young to fall
Now look at all we've won with the sabre and the gun
Tell me is it worth it all
~Phil Ochs "I Aint Marching Anymore"
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Yes ! I also heard that. He's getting alot of flac for that (rightfully so) according to my friend.
But I mean, a quick search for Fort Lauderdale and Gay brings up the
http://www.fortlauderdalegaymenschorus.org/
THEY HAVE A GAY MENS CHORUS.
Maybe I should move to Fort Lauderdale.
It's always the old to lead us to the war
It's always the young to fall
Now look at all we've won with the sabre and the gun
Tell me is it worth it all
~Phil Ochs "I Aint Marching Anymore"
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THANK YOU GENTLEMEN!
First off, my apologies for not posting this thank you before this. The weekend was filled with "the last holiday of summer" stuff and even though school had already returned, we made the most of the weekend. Then because this week at school is a short one, the homework increased to fill the gap.
Thanks to everyone who responded to my initial question. The issue of transferring credits will need to be investigated, and also just how marketable I will be with that particular degree. There are famous schools with established degree programs in naval architecture, but I'm not very interested in design of bulk carriers and container ships. My thoughts were along the lines of sailing increasing in popularity as the costs of fuel increase and powerboating, especially multi-engine V8 powerboats just get too expensive to operate. I was IMing with a guy on the Magothy River in Maryland and he said his fathers spends upwards from $600 for a weekend's cruising in fuel alone.
To reply to the one question about grades, etc., yes, I did very well on my PSAT's and am working with a 3.87 GPA. I'm hoping I might be able to pull down some scholarship money for academics, because I'm not very good at athletics even though I do play.
The last time my friends and I went out, we borrowed my Grandad's sextant,and a 1926 book about navigation, and tried to teach ourselves celestial navigation. We got some weird positions until we realized that Daylight Savings Time hadn't been invented when the book was written and we had to convert current watch times to real Sun times. But it was fun. I knew high school trigonometry would come in handy one day! Yeah us!
Thanks again guys, and now back to reading about the the Anglo-German naval arms race started by that lunatic Kaiser. Then Physics.
Jonny
xoxo
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JimB
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Likes it here |
Registered: December 2006
Messages: 349
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If the profession you choose is one that you truely enjoy, you will be a very fortunate individual. I know, I'm one who loves the work that he does. It provides rewards far beyond the money I earn. My job is good too, but that is a different subject.
Doing work that you enjoy and having it fulfill other needs within your character will enhance ALL of your life. You may have to sacrifice money for this, but the richest are not always the happiest.
JimB
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Jon,
Congratulations on becoming a senior and on the classes that you are taking. Before I give my opinions, here is a disclaimer: I know nothing about the educational institutions discussed here, and I am much more a geek than an artist.
- Follow your dream! If you have a passion for yacht building, or woodworking, or harbors, or sea air, or whatever, do not let anything keep you from those things.
- As ScarySteve mentioned, education is for a lifetime. Understand the difference between vocational and academic education. Vocational education zeros in on the skills needed for specific jobs. An academic education, especially one grounded in the sciences, gives you more flexibility and adaptability and usually opens up the possibility of jobs that are higher paying and more intellectually challenging.
- It seems to me that yacht design is a subset of boat and ship design, which involves mechanical engineering, fluid statics and dynamics, materials science, etc. At least some naval architecture (or oceanic engineering) academic programs are given at the graduate level, to students who have already studied those disciplines.
- The course work for the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale BS in Yacht and Marine Design
(http://www.artinstitutes.edu/fortlauderdale/catalog/cur_ymd.asp)
seems strong in industrial design (art, aesthetics, design and construction techniques) but weak in the engineering aspects. Compare it with the courses required for a BEng in Yacht and Powercraft Design at Southampton Solent University in the UK (http://www.solent.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/yacht_and_powercraft_design_beng/course_details.aspx).
Note, for example, that the first-quarter Fundamentals of Vessel Design class at the Art Institute precedes the single math class that is required (and that math class is less advanced than the one you are currently taking in high school). Accordingly, I would guess that the seventh-quarter Foundations of Physics class might be similar to what you are currently studying or to a university physics class not intended for physics or engineering majors.
- In my opinion, it is easier to get hands-on practical experience (something in which the Art Institute seems to excel) after you have an academic education than to gain the academic understanding after you get a vocational degree.
A little bit about me: BS Electrical Engineering (computer science option), 1970; MA Psychology, 1976; worked as a computer programmer most of my life; recent classes in biology and chemistry; currently taking a class in passive solar home design. Oh, and I am a real klutz in just about any workshop or science lab.
Good luck to you, Jon, in your studies and life work.
Peter
http://tinyurl.com/qs5yh (my Amazon profile)
[Updated on: Thu, 06 September 2007 08:29]
"Tu non altro che il canto avrai del figlio, o materna mia terra..."
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One additional thought: Both the program that you are considering and the Southampton Solent one to which I referred are quite narrowly focused. As you learn new things, your interests could shift; you might discover a passion for something you did not even know existed.
One question to ask: how transferable are the classes you will be taking? That is important, but it should not dissuade you from following a path that you really want to explore. If your chosen course of study has many required classes and few electives, you may also want to consider taking an extra year (or more???) if you can afford it.
Peter
"Tu non altro che il canto avrai del figlio, o materna mia terra..."
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Pedro Castanya wrote:
...
>
> One question to ask: how transferable are the classes you will be taking? That is important, but it should not dissuade you from following a path that you really want to explore. If your chosen course of study has many required classes and few electives, you may also want to consider taking an extra year (or more???) if you can afford it.
>
> Peter
I'm going to say that that is great advice.
It's always the old to lead us to the war
It's always the young to fall
Now look at all we've won with the sabre and the gun
Tell me is it worth it all
~Phil Ochs "I Aint Marching Anymore"
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Many, many thanks...AGAIN!
The advice and suggestions of things to be thinking about are excellent, and these new ones are certainly right on target.
They keep telling us in school that we can expect three or four major career shifts in our working lives, and the key to weathering the storms seems to be always have a spare set of sails. If you will forgive the sailing analogy! So I'm still figuring out how I can have my cake and eat the whole thing too, with a spare set of sails.
I had an awesome talk with my Dad about this and life in general recently, and I think he might be starting to suspect my affections aren't entirely devoted to girls, but we haven't broached the subject yet. He wants me to get a degree that will allow me to teach in maths or sciences, and then do that for a few years. During the summers investigate jobs in boatbuilding and yacht design. He's worried that this summer's job has "been romanticised" by me into a "sort of vocation." His words. He might be right, and like most parents he used to be mega stupid but learned a lot lately. This year was the first real job I've ever had, other than hiring out as a farm laborer once and then doing lawns and gardens last year. I have a pretty healthy savings balance and my own checking account and even my own Check Debit card. I figured I'd need those for college anyway.
He also suggested mechanical engineering as a major, then see how I like that, then perhaps later on go back for courses strictly on yacht design, AND, you ready for this? He says get an MBA! The MBA will be great to have if I decide to go into business for myself, and can't hurt in any other field either.
I told him if I did all this I'd be in school longer than when he was going through medical school!! He just laughed at me.
Dad is willing for me to take a Thursday and Friday here and there later in this semester, if my grades are good, to go visit Ft. Lauderdale and some other places.
Something clicked in my head about the middle of last year, and school stopped being something I had to get through every day, and started being something I wanted to do.
Like Dad told me, "makin' the decisions are what kills ya!"
Thanks again dudes,
Jonny
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Wow... you've got your head screwed on pretty good Whitewater. It's a good thing that you don't see school as a chore or a "must do" sort of thing. If you can carry that attitude into everything else you do in the future, you should have a happy life.
Youth crisis hot-line 866-488-7386, 24 hr (U.S.A.)
There are people who want to help you cope with being you.
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I got posted twice for some reason. Go figure.
[Updated on: Fri, 07 September 2007 03:35]
Youth crisis hot-line 866-488-7386, 24 hr (U.S.A.)
There are people who want to help you cope with being you.
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Benji
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Likes it here |
Location: USA
Registered: August 2007
Messages: 297
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Scratches head!! I've done too, not knowing why?
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ROFLMAO.
Thanks for the compliment Paul but if my head was screwed on all that tight I wouldn't feel like I was standing in the center of a five way intersection without a clue which road to take! Like every other guy my age I feel like I'm chained into this testosterone fueled emotional roller coaster, lusting after my girlfriend one second and after me two best friends the next. And haveing sex (more or less) with all three.
Dad said to make as many of my mistakes that I can while I'm still young because the older I grow, the more zeros on the check it takes to correct them. LOL. I think he was trying to say that my head is a little loose on my shoulders, and not as screwed down as you think! I full some totally weirded out stunts and mistakes that a few minutes forethought could easily have prevented, but I just go ahead, and jump in! Argghhh!
Jon
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ScarySteve
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Getting started |
Location: United States
Registered: September 2007
Messages: 4
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As the great-great nephew, great-nephew, son, and brother of English teachers, the expression is "eat your cake and have it, too". It's technically impossible; that's why it's an old saying about wanting too much.
My father used to teach mechanical engineering. (Mother was the English teacher.) It's a good foundation for what you're looking at.
If you're thinking of an MBA, think about a law degree. Law is one year more than the MBA. However, they are both taught the same way, the case study method. Virtually any organization that requires an MBA for a job will accept a JD (law degree) instead. It gives you greater flexibility later on.
Downside is your father, the physician, will hate it. Doctors hate lawyers, even their own lawyers. It's the way the two professions operate (pardon the pun) that makes them mix like oil and water.
For those of us who are "of a certain age", Ozzie Nelson as a lawyer. Howard Cosell was a lawyer before he went into sportscasting. Indeed, Howard was a brilliant labor lawyer for many years in New York City.
Just sayin'.
ScarySteve
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Hey! Thanks a lot for the added advice. Right now, I'm pretty certain the law isn't for me. It's not about my Dad, since one of his closest friends is a lawyer and they play golf whenever the two of them can play hookie from their practices. LOL. I'm just not sure that even the MBA is in the cards for right now. We'll see after freshman year. Dad told me that I would come home after my first semester at college thinking and acting completely differently than the guy who went away, and after my first year away, I would come home for the summer a totally different person. That is he said, if I came home at all.
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My Dad used to tell me "stupid is as stupid does". He told me that quiet often, actually. Guess I did more than my share of stupid stuff. Oh well, to become old and wise you must start out young and foolish. The transition is gradual. And you can hardly learn by your mistakes if you've never made any. Your parents would prefer that you learn by their mistakes (and they will give you plenty of examples) but it just doesn't work that way. We don't seem to learn by other peoples mistakes, only our own. So don't beat yourself up about it: none of us had our heads on straight at your age. (I finally had to staple mine on!)::-)
Youth crisis hot-line 866-488-7386, 24 hr (U.S.A.)
There are people who want to help you cope with being you.
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I just found this and thought you might be interested. It's a free course in Yacht Design from MIT
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Mechanical-Engineering/2-996Fall-2003/CourseHome/index.htm
It is part of their OpenCourseware that they offer free on the web. They also offer 1700 other classes. It is really exciting.
It's always the old to lead us to the war
It's always the young to fall
Now look at all we've won with the sabre and the gun
Tell me is it worth it all
~Phil Ochs "I Aint Marching Anymore"
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Hi Jonny,
I can only speak from my own experience -- and I am afraid I don't know anything about yacht design or engineering. My background is an odd one -- computer science originally (until 2002 or so), but more recently film-making (which was always a hobby, but has in recent years turned into a serious professional interest). I am planning to become a cinematographer (lighting designer and head of the camera department, in the British film industry). I've just graduated from university so I'm currently looking for longer-term work, and also producing a short film of my own.
I do feel strongly that you will get the most out of a course if it's something you really want to do. So go through the course specification and be sure that every part fascinates you (or at least that there are plenty of options that do). If you do this, then you can be reasonably sure you'll do well -- university relies on its students being prepared to read and work beyond the syllabus to get the most out of it.
In terms of finding courses, I see no reason at all why it wouldn't be possible to write to/call up the admissions tutor at wherever you're looking, and ask for their description of the course, talk through what you would get out of it -- interview them, in fact. Ask for their honest opinion of whether it would suit you. Leave academic requirements out of it -- they can come later. But your enthusiasm will definitely count in your favour when you do apply. If they have open days or might be willing to show you around, then definitely try and go, even if they are inconvenient -- it would be far more inconvenient to start a course that isn't right for you! The course I have just spent three years on I chose only because I happened to have a few hours off from work and attended an open day at a nearby university. I didn't even know of the course's existence until I attended. If I hadn't gone (hadn't been free on that day, hadn't decided to attend the course 'pitch', hadn't had a chance to talk to the admissions tutor about it) then I'd never have applied to that course, and my life would have been hugely different (I might still be in the IT industry, might never have gone back to university, wouldn't have a degree, etc.).
The opinions of current and former students do count, provided you can get a good selection. My course was not always great (the first year was rather impersonal and sometimes very tedious) but it improved after that year -- I am glad I persevered, even though I would still have a number of reasonable criticisms of the course. I would have no hesitation to tell a prospective student these if it would help them to make an informed decision. I have spoken to a few others on the course and I think they are generally of the same mind. Do ask people pointedly what the weaknesses of the course are as well as the strengths. No course is perfect.
Whatever you decide, good luck with making your decision!
David
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Re: School, colleges, and a career. 
Choose your profession carefully 
Re: School, colleges, and a career. 
