Being in AP English, we all know that college
work can be difficult. We are taking college courses while still being enrolled
in high school. Being in Trig/Pre Cal and NAVIT alongside this basically means
that I, myself, am more of a college student than high school student. You may
ask me, “Golly gee Frankie, why would you do this to yourself?” The answer is
simple, I wanted to save money. Every single college credit I earn right now,
is free time and money next year. Sure this may drive me insane, but I feel
that in the long term it will help me substantially. I am working for an
Associate’s degree in Mechatronics, which is a hot field to be in nowadays. I
hope to use the Associates degree as a foot stool to get a Bachelor’s, which is
required for most of the positions. The world needs mechatronics engineers so
that we can lift ourselves into the electric and mechanical utopia of the
future that everyone wants.
The Google definition
of Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary field of engineering that includes a
combination of systems engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical
engineering, telecommunications engineering, control engineering and computer
engineering. Companies would rather hire someone right now who know a moderate
amount of each of these subjects than one person who specializes in one. The
average pay in the US for a Mechatronics Engineer is around $88,800 a year,
which is absurdly amazing.
The work I
do at NAVIT isn’t too hard. Everything is either common knowledge or written
down in a book for you to read. The real difficulty is that NPC’s Mechatronics
program is barely starting up, so I will not get the full experience as someone
five years from now. Although this might affect how I perform out in the field,
I will get a jump start into the job world before these more educated students
can, meaning I have a chance to get the good job before they do. Hopefully
everything will turn out all right, my instructors keep informing us that there
are plenty of jobs out there, but you never know.
My role
model that inspires me to carry on my learning is a man named Elon Musk. Elon
is the CEO at Tesla and Space X, two companies that incorporate everything I
will learn in NAVIT (plus some) into their designs, revolutionizing the field
by introducing concepts no one has ever thought of before. Recently, Space X
tested a rocket that was able to fly into space and land; this is a remarkable
step towards space travel, all thanks one man and his team of experts in the
same field I hope to land in.
Even though I know absolutely nothing about mechatronics, I do know that college credit is vital. Right now I, too, am taking college credit and it has been a struggle. It creates so much stress, and sometimes, it feels like I should take the easy way out. I know how much college costs and these “free” college credits will help me out in the future.
ReplyDeleteAs a senior, I wish I took more dual enrollment classes and college classes during the summer. I thought of the amount of stress I would put myself through and I chickened out. I already have stress with advanced classes, so props to you for going the extra mile and fighting through it.
Good luck with your classes and I hope you get your degree in mechatronics.
Just the other day, I received word that many universities are anticipating a rise in tuition costs.
ReplyDeleteThat’s the kind of news that can make someone’s heart drop into their stomach, the realization that they may be denied a postsecondary education because their scholarships cannot cover the cost, that their parents cannot help them because they do not make enough money, that any job they take to fund their college experience may not have high enough wages, that they may have to postpone their attendance another year.
Everything always boils down to one thing: money. If hard work now can save you a pretty penny for the future, I say go for it. There is nothing wrong with wanting to get ahead, not when waiting can delay, or even permanently halt, your goals and aspirations.
I completely understand your frustration with the newness of your NAVIT program and the potential information you could be missing; just the other day I was walking around my old junior high and was astonished by the sheer number of STEM programs they have incorporated into the curriculum. I only recently - and completely by accident, mind you – realized that I wanted to pursue computer science as a potential career, and here these middle-school students have access to resources previously inaccessible. Resources that would have let my passion surface much sooner than it had.
No doubt that those that stick with the program will become much more qualified than I. I am happy for them, if a bit envious. I only hope that I will become a good enough candidate for my future career; I only hope that I can solidify my place in the world before I am outpaced.
This is nothing short of amazing, the fact that high school students are evolving from the typical image of being lazy teenagers into young adults interesting in the betterment of the world that they live in. Students are now taking on a more difficult path, in order to ensure a brighter future for themselves, than accepting low paying jobs that do not provide enough financially or give these same people the opportunity to make themselves better. What you are choosing to do is very inspirational to someone like me, who could not deal with that type of stress and attend high school at the same time.
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