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I agree with Ranger SVO about education. The thing that most people don't realize is that the majority of people that have an education aren't doing what they went to school for. Most companies look for college educations because they have shown they had the discipline to go to school for 4 years, whether your degree is in finger painting or engineering. Same goes for people that were in the military, or are an eagle scout, things like that. Companies can also say "x"% of our employees have a college education. Most careers have to train so specifically to the job that the education really doesn't account for maybe 10% of what you do, if that. Experience matters, but it doesn't give you anything to fall back on.

The exception is technical careers like electronics, maintenance, mechanics, and so forth. Car audio would also fall under this category.

School is a lot more than learning a trade or (in my case) learning to solve really large and hidious equations. I started back to college when I was 38 back in 1996. I originally started in a technical program and two years later switched to an achedemic program (mathematics). Hated math in High School (hated High School too but thats beside the point)

School is more about the experiance and learning to think for yourself. Always keep an open mind to new ways of thinking and other ideas. And if you discover something that you like look into it.

Yes I had to take 2 semesters of history and 4 semesters of english and one art appreciation (yuk) class. Math majors dont like art. But the point is I did very well in all of these classes because it is about the overall learning experience.

Make the best of it, even if there are classes that think are dumb, do your best. A good education is something that no one can take away from you.

I hate preaching but I feel strong about education. Its never to late to go back to school. I started back in 1996 and expect to graduate in 2008. Yes its been a long road but I have a family to support and can only attend part time. Its tough but it will be worth it. Its NEVER to late to go back.

Philippians 4:13 Christ gives me the strength to face anything

[quote="smoker"]there are some things i know to be fact and cant explain why they are that way.....weird huh?[/quote]

I so know what you mean. I learned to do installs by trial and error. So ther are a ton of things I know how to do, or what it will do, but I don't always know why.

Good luck man! You should meet a lot of interesting ppl in college. I know i did.

Oh yea, and dont forget to study and all that stuff.

awesome!!! i think youll love it...... i never attended school and im sure they are gonna teach you the why's about a lot of things.....i cant think of an example right now but there are some things i know to be fact and cant explain why they are that way.....weird huh? i can picture it in my head and see why but lack the vocabularic ability to express these thoughts...ive worked for a couple shops now and you definitely make more when you get older.....i never wanted school either, i just plugged along doing my best at whatever i was doing and i generally stayed at places for 5 years or so and experience is a great teacher. i was actually promoted above and better paid than a lot of college grads at my last job and i dropped out of high school! it used to piss them off but i knew my stuff....i had the experience and when these guys needed training they turned to me....


sorry.......in a nutshell use whatever job you get when you get out of this as a springboard to something better....and then keep moving up and you will find yourself making the money you want doing what you want.......

Yeah. Car Audio is about love, and really it's lost a little popularity over the last few years.

If I could go back about 20 years, I would have gotten a degree in Acoustic Engineering.

cool, let us know how it goes... i thought about one of those schools brieflyt but there isn't a huge market for car audio here and i'd imagine i'd be better of wasting time at a 2 or 4 year school. my current problem is finding something to do at such a school.

well, i did decide to go. i signed up for the january classes, i leave tomorrow. should be exciting, i hope i learn as much as i expect. wish me luck

To make the real money in this hobby, you have to be an engineer, or be a large company owner. Or, you could open a series of shops...but that takes years.

I'd say the experience at one of those schools is very much worth it, it'd be a great time and a lot of fun...but I am not sure that it can garuntee you anything later. Sure, you might learn A LOT, but it will be thrown at you in a month. It takes several months to years of doing this hobby consistently to get really good at it. Take Justin for example, I am sure he'd be the first to tell you that it takes a lot of money and practice to get REALLY good at it. But however many years later, look at him now...he's doing great as far as I can tell, and his work looks good!

What I am trying to say is, don't expect to go to school and come out on top of your game...it'll take a while, but don't give up. You will learn a lot there, so take [u]litteral [/u] notes, you will forget the majority of what you learn there within a few weeks, if not right away...if you don't use it regularly. And don't take my words in the depressing/difficult sense, think of it as going into this with a lot more knowledge, and a good heads up of what to expect. I spend HOURS upon HOURS in aeronautical labs at my college, and though I love ripping apart engines and working on planes...a lot of the "not so important stuff" you dismiss, and let me warn you...it WILL fuck you sometime down the road, this applies to any trade or hobby. GOOD LUCK!

If you make into the mid $30's I would be highly surprised...

Thats why at 99.9% of the shops you see kids from 17-25 doing this... Usually while in College...