# Full-time Student and Apprenticeship?



## Okkinglish (Sep 12, 2018)

So I recently took my interview for local 98 and I am awaiting a response to tell me where I stand about getting in this fall. Hypothetically if I do get in, how possible would you guys think it is to do my apprenticeship and take a full course load at college?


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Okkinglish said:


> So I recently took my interview for local 98 and I am awaiting a response to tell me where I stand about getting in this fall. Hypothetically if I do get in, how possible would you guys think it is to do my apprenticeship and take a full course load at college?


Apprenticeship most often equates to only having enough time to eat and sleep. It's one or the other, Im afraid. College or apprenticeship. Not that they're both not worthy aspirations, but there's only so many hours in the day and only but so much energy contained in your human body. Could you pull it off for a while? Probably. For 4 or 5 years? Ain't nobody built for that. Something will suffer. Either your college studies, something on the job, or your health. I have no idea how you'd even plan your courseload. It's not like your apprenticeship will be a 9 to 5 workday, and there's classes associated with the apprenticeship besides.


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## splatz (May 23, 2015)

I doubt it would be doable but I wouldn't even try until you have six months or so apprenticeship under your belt. The apprenticeship already is work, possibly / hopefully with overtime necessary at times, plus some school. 

You might be able to pull off an online degree, or one of these nights / weekends programs they have for working people at a lot of schools now. In my opinion from what I've seen, they are kind of BS, but if it ends in an accredited degree, it might serve its purpose.


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

Remember. Union is 8 hours and maybe some OT. Then two nights a week in class/school.
I cannot see how you could fit college in that schedule?

Whatever you decide, good luck.

Oh...fill out your profile please.


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

Some apprenticeships are 1 day per week in school. So you are still only doing 40 hours.

Many people go to college while working full time. It's far from easy and takes a *lot* of energy and ambition, but it is certainly doable.

I would not attempt it myself.

I would start off by just taking some courses and seeing how it goes, not a full course load.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

We just wrapped up a small construction project at my work, and the union EC had guys in here nights and weekends. Apprentices included, of course. Imagine if that happened to a college student during exam week?


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## HackWork (Oct 2, 2009)

MDShunk said:


> We just wrapped up a small construction project at my work, and the union EC had guys in here nights and weekends. Apprentices included, of course. Imagine if that happened to a college student during exam week?


Over all the years I did union work, there were always guys who could not work overtime. Sometimes because they were single fathers or their wife worked second shift and they had to get the kids and take care of them, sometimes because they made enough during the day and didn't need extra money and wanted their free time. A few were in college including 1 guy who I remember was using his GI Bill. Either way it was never a big issue. Sometimes they would be the first to be laid off, but that's not that big of a deal for an apprentice since there is always work for them.


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

HackWork said:


> Over all the years I did union work, there were always guys who could not work overtime. Sometimes because they were single fathers or their wife worked second shift and they had to get the kids and take care of them, sometimes because they made enough during the day and didn't need extra money and wanted their free time. A few were in college including 1 guy who I remember was using his GI Bill. Either way it was never a big issue. Sometimes they would be the first to be laid off, but that's not that big of a deal for an apprentice since there is always work for them.


When I was taking a night course to prepare for my test, I had a breakdown after normal time to leave.
My boss was playing golf and I asked him (on phone) about missing my class.
Well you can guess what he said.
I missed that night and I was concerned I missed important instruction.

If not for the safety guy at the plant, I would have had to pay for school. I would have anyway. But he told me they would pay and they should pay.
Because he convinced them I would be a better asset with a license. They caved and paid the school part. But the plant manager was all about me getting a license and leaving to start my own business.

I had to buy my own books. But even to this day, my license has done nothing for me except make my resume look better.


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## sparkiez (Aug 1, 2015)

Depends what your degree is for. I'm in college, and I'm working for a non-union contractor. I pretty much get to set my own schedule, but even at just 20-30 hours a week it is very difficult. It is a constant juggle, and I often am just given a job to go complete (never easy stuff either). Here, build this winery. Here, get all the fire alarm stuff figured out for this elevator. The GC asked if we can do data for this medical building. Do you know how to build a network?

At the same time, I'm trying to keep up in school, so my GPA suffers, and I'm in a difficult program (electrical engineering). So what I ask, is which route is going to be better for you? You will either, as suggested above, have to put all of your energy into your electrical ability in order develop the proficiency to attain that college degree as well, then go to school or make the choice. You also have to keep in mind that if push comes to shove, you have to hold up your end of the bargain with your employer too.

I'm 33 and not interested in taking out $120K worth of loans to live on, so I supplement my income and am able to take on work part time to fill this gap. If you want both, and don't have the luxury of having parents to support you through college, then I would suggest postponing school in order to attain a skillset that makes you more than 8-10 an hour. Then working part time still gives you a fairly sufficient income. I had a 2-year in mechatronics and around 5 years of experience in order to get here. Once you put in time and develop that proficiency (a year or two), you can take just one class at a time somewhere and start getting your gen eds out of the way. I suggest a community college with transferable credits to where you want to go. This is cheaper, gets you started on the path to a college degree, ensures you have a viable income, reducing debt, and makes you even more valuable.

That being said, if your college degree choice is unrelated to electrical work, I would suggest picking a different path, or just going for the degree. Related fields would be architectural engineering, electrical/mechanical engineering/computer/controls engineering. You want your degree and work experience to complement each other.

Also, as a side note to the idea of juggling, there were examples where I was on the floor troubleshooting a machine, production was down. I could not just walk away from that machine because I had to go to class. I had to get that machine up. This happened several times. There were also instances I had to get some changes into a PLC. I was sitting in class with my laptop remotely putting my ladder into the PLC so that after class I could go back and test it. Sometimes the schedules do not line up, deadlines still have to be met, and you have to make a choice.


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