Quitting School?

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I am thinking about quitting the tech school I have been attending. It started in september. 2 nights a week, supposed to be 5p.m. to 10p.m. We have hardly ever stayed past 9p.m. The first 2 days we did nothing besides talk (couple hours) because our tool kits weren't in. Learned about torches for 2 or 3 nights. Then we finally started welding. I have gotten better but I feel if I didn't already have some knowledge and info and practice from this site I wouldn't even be as far as I am. All we have done is run stringer beads on plates. Started out with flat plate, then did some horizontal stringers, I then started on vert. up plate, stringers and never improved on it. Instructor then had us doing horizontal fillets (stringers). I just don't think I am learning what I need or for what I am paying. Never really even had us practicing joining 2 pieces of metal together. This is with stick by the way. I think I would be better off trying to get in some place and learning on the job. School cost about $1450 and another $350 for d1.1 cert test at end. For 4 months 2 nights a week. And not even getting a full 5 hours in each night. More like 4.  I am done venting. Any opinions are appreciated.
Reply:What other experience do you have.  It's pretty hard to get a weldign job without much experience.  JohnSMAW,GMAW,FCAW,GTAW,SAW,PAC/PAW/OFCand Shielding Gases.  There all here. :
Reply:Did you pay already?  Could you talk to the head honcho and tell them you feel you are not getting your money's worth?DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:I have only paid $200. I have already found some places to get a job that you only need minimal experience. Problem is I would have to move due to commute to work.
Reply:I attended a tech school for 15 mos and there was a lot of standing around bs-ing.  Probably my first month was like that.  It might just be the way the instructor approaches things.  He may be completely burned out & doesn't apply the effort if he doesn't see the desire to learn.  Is it right? No.  But there are tons of people who go to school & don't really take it seriously.  That's how it was in my class.  There were guys that were there for months ahead of me, & I finished before them.  Did you have to purchase a book on welding? We had to do "on our own" reading.  It wasn't promoted but the book was $80 & has tons of great info.  You're learning way more then I did my whole first semester.  Stringers sounds right on with the flat, horizontal.  I didn't even start vertical till the 2nd semester.  We spent weeks on safety & cutting...and I'm thankful cause I'm kinda good at it.  Have you leanred all of cutting...bevels, straight, small circles, large circles, pipe? Does he have you doing anything with the stringers? Like padding a plate (going around the the perimeter to the center overlapping each bead) Ask about it, if you let it cool properly & do it right you'll spend 2 classes on it.  After this you should start out doing tee & lap joints.  Are you using 7018's, learn 6010/11's too.  Ask him, once he sees you have an idea & want to learn he may shape up.  He may not realize it's so wasteful to you.  Talk to him.  It took a long time but my instructor gave me one on one instruction after he realized I was serious & one of the "guys".  I however went to school in the deep south so it was very different then the rest of the country.I don't think you should quit after a few months.  Unless of course an oppurtunity arises and a job "wants you & will train" otherwise its risky.Laura MM 180Chop SawDewalt grinderhelpful husband
Reply:Yeah, these places that hire you with minimal experience also give you minimal pay. And it's usually some kind of production welding  Boring!!!My suggestion to you is to stay in school. DON'T give up. Alot of welding classes are merely just a lot of hands on, and after all they're going to give you some kind of cert. Most places hiring, won't even test you without some kind of cert. unless you have a lot of experience under your belt.If you are having problems and getting disappointed with yourself, ask for help.The squeaky wheel gets the most grease.Jim
Reply:Pinklilly has some good advice. You need to talk to the instructor before you ever go over his head. I know from experience that the instructor probably has a day job and some of the students are probably asking him when class first starts when they can go home - Right ? He may not know how serious you are about learning. When the slackers start asking when they can go home he probably thinks everyone does and he has already put in a days work before class even starts. When he finds out how serious you are  the slackers will have to meet for the entire class for awhile. Plus he will spend more time with you once he knows you are there to learn all you can.I know. Many years ago I was a night student, and not too long ago I was the instructor.
Reply:Originally Posted by Addicted2Fusion I am done venting. Any opinions are appreciated.
Reply:Originally Posted by 6010Pinklilly has some good advice. Plus he will spend more time with you once he knows you are there to learn all you can.
Reply:It is only a 4 month program with only 2 evenings a week so it isn't alot of time and I feel alot of time has wasted. I will take into consideration everything you guys mentioned. Thx for your input. Greatly appreciated.
Reply:School tuition = $1800.005 hrs a night + 2 nights a week = 10 hrs. per week16 weeks x 10 hrs. = 160 hrs.$1800.00 / 160 hrs. = $11.25 per hour you pay for their time.Dividing their time between number of students per class and the real world figure in time that is spent teaching YOU...?You sound unhappy, judging from your 'Original Post'. I tried going to a "for profit" tech. school once. I left very early and carried a payment booklet for many months after my short stint. My experience was not with a welding school however.I am now involved with the welding program at a local community college and am generally very happy to continue my schooling. The beginning of tig classes did however get me very depressed with my apparent lack of progress. However, what welding process can ever be mastered without very much practice? Do not give up welding practice if you hope to achieve employment in the welding field. Ask as many questions as it takes to find out how to progress rapidly in your class!! City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:For what its worth I say finish. (Unless it the cost but thats another story)Until you've finished you don't know what you'll have learnt. It also shows potential future employers you can start and finish something.In addition it shows motivation ,willing to learn and initiative Its far better to go to an employer and say "I've done this course but didn't learn a great deal, it wasn't quite what I hoped it would be " than to rock up saying " Yeah I started that but they were clowns so I didn't finish". Employer MAY see this as you being someone who cant be taught and easily dismisses those who do have experience.Keep in mind some times your learning and not realizing it.It also forces you to practice, its all practice after all.Ask questions force them to educate you.I spent about 3 maybe 4  years at TAFE spread out over about 7 ,1 night a week , ended up actually becoming good friends with the head teacher (he works for me now on occasion ) Never regretted it__________________A good guess is better than a bad measurement
Reply:Guess I was lucky in the school I went to. 3 hours a night, 2 nights a week, each section was 5 weeks. Started out with safety videos and torch cutting the first couple classes, then stick. The reasoning was, once you get a good concept of puddle control with stick, it makes other processes easier to learn.
Reply:Yeah, after thinking it over I think I am going to finish. I'm half way through so.... Plus i'd like to have it on my resume and take the cert test at the end. I was just a lil discouraged. I am doing fine but I am very hard on myself. I hate quitting something also. Like you said, you gonna tell an employer," I was at a tech school but quit half way through". That wouldn't look good.  I think I just want to learn, know, and do it all too quick, maybe? I enjoy welding. I haven't messed with Mig too much, but I actually like the skill that it takes to stick.    Thx. for all the motivation guys. That's why I posted here cuz I knew you guys would straighten me out. LOL. Thx again.
Reply:Originally Posted by Addicted2FusionYeah, after thinking it over I think I am going to finish. I'm half way through so.... Plus i'd like to have it on my resume and take the cert test at the end. I was just a lil discouraged. I am doing fine but I am very hard on myself. I hate quitting something also. Like you said, you gonna tell an employer," I was at a tech school but quit half way through". That wouldn't look good.  I think I just want to learn, know, and do it all too quick, maybe? I enjoy welding. I haven't messed with Mig too much, but I actually like the skill that it takes to stick.    Thx. for all the motivation guys. That's why I posted here cuz I knew you guys would straighten me out. LOL. Thx again.
Reply:I went to a local community college for a wile to learn welding. That school split it up into stick positions, each half a semester (flat/horizontal was one semester and vertical/overhead was the second semester). The next was Mig/Tig. I did a LOT of MIG and not nearly enough TIG welding. I then did a pipe class that was all stick welding both with and without backer plates. We learned a lot about keyhole welding with 6011 for a root and then 7018 to finish.It was an AWESOME class/s and the instructor was GREAT! He really worked with you one on one and reviewed each weld you did, gave pointers, went into the booth and showed you what you were doing wrong etc. For the "exams" every weld was bend tested. It was either pass or fail. There was also theory and exams on that.
Reply:Hey all.I'm currently attending a welding trade school too, however this one is a LOT more expensive and a good amount longer duration. I started back in June at HoHoKus School of Trade. It's costing me $13,700 for 18months of 3nights/week at 3-4hrs/night ($21/hr average). It is a horrible horrible school, but I'm sticking it out for many of the reasons listed above. Basically what it boils down to is you need as much experience as you can get, and if you did quit employers would not be jumping to hire you if they found out. Certification is always a plus too, more of a necessity really.How is the instruction at your school?A little info on my school; Zero to very little supervision, even for completely inexperienced students (there have been lots of OxyAcetylene accidents). Zero instruction; you are shown to a machine and a scrap pile, you figure things out on your own. No fume extraction, air circulation, or fire safety. All the scrap is very rusty (or in the case of the aluminum, quite dirty and oil soaked). There is very little communication, especially regarding safety concerns. When I first started I did stringer beads for 20hours straight because no instructor told me what to look for or what to do next. I know what you mean by frustration from not advancing.All in all quite a headache, but price aside, it's worth it to stay in school if it helps you at all to get your foot in the door.
Reply:Definately stay the course however you must speak with the teacher. He may be teaching to the lowest common denominator which apparently isn't you.  If you reach out to him without "attacking" him he might just let you advance ahead of the others.  Also,  there is nothing that says you can't stay and run stringers after he thinks the class is out.  That is also a good time to get some one-on-one time with him to let him know how serious you are.  Remember you're a paying customer.I believe most people go to work to do a good job and to be proud of what they are doing and that goes for night school teachers who also have day jobs.  I doubt he wants to leave a lasting impression of failure but he has probably seen his fair share of goof-offs that he just needs to be reminded that there are those out there (you) who want to do well, excel and get ahead in life.I wouldn't give up until you've given him a chance to show you that he cares about your learning as well.MichaelMillermatic 25115" Rockwell Drill Press10" Logan Lathe5hp - 2-stage 80 Gallon CompressorHome Made Sand / Soda Blaster