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DH + College

Kanye West

Kanye West

220# bag of hacktastic
Aug 31, 2006
3,768
501
$100K for a reputable school of any kind is not out of the question.

Let's keep in mind he's also considering out of state too. If you can't find a way to jew your way around that stinger, it's going to be a LOT more.

If you end up somewhere flat, just buy a moto. You'll probably have more fun and get more saddle time in on that anyway.
 
Kanye West

Kanye West

220# bag of hacktastic
Aug 31, 2006
3,768
501
Plus, if you stay in-state or go somewhere flat (and cheaper), you can afford a LOT of rubbers, or a LOT of abortions. Requires some careful analysis to decide which one is more cost effective over the long run.
 
gemini2k

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
Hacktastic said:
Plus, if you stay in-state or go somewhere flat (and cheaper), you can afford a LOT of rubbers, or a LOT of abortions. Requires some careful analysis to decide which one is more cost effective over the long run.
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The classic abortion/rubber cost curve. A staple in all undergraduate microeconomics textbooks.
 
OGRipper

OGRipper

back alley ripper
Feb 3, 2004
10,763
1,286
NORCAL is the hizzle
Lots of good advice here, but I have a couple questions: Who is paying your tuition? The decision to go to college or not, or at least when to go, greatly depends on the answer. Also, what do you plan to study?
 
Sandwich

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
22,119
7,384
borcester rhymes
couple things outside of sluts:

Consider in-state colleges. I *HAD* to get out of upstate NY when I went to school, and I'll be paying for that decision until I'm 35 or whatever. $220/mo adds up for realez, and I could certainly put that money to good use.

For the most part, employers do not care about where you got your undergrad degree from, in a general sense. If you're interested in further education, where you go is indeed important in the applications process, then it'll be ignored.

Don't take your major too seriously, but try and figure it out before you go. I know a couple people who changed majors because science was too hard and they had to spend an extra year in college. On the flip side, it's really hard to figure out what you want to be doing at 35 when you're 18.

As far as where you go if anywhere is an option, consider a school with a good race team. You're not likely to want the expense of a car in college, at least in the first few years, but if you rely on a strong team network, you can likely get wherever you need to go. UVM has a really strong, consistent race team, and so does NU. Regardless of whether you're inches from the mountain, you can pay the $20 to hop in the van and ride with them to race or practice. Plus, the east coast is kind of killing it with lift served riding (Highland, attitash, bromont, plattekill, burke, killington, jiminy, diablo, sunday river, mount snow all within 5 hours drive).
 
gemini2k

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
Sandwich said:
Plus, the east coast is kind of killing it with lift served riding (Highland, attitash, bromont, plattekill, burke, killington, jiminy, diablo, sunday river, mount snow all within 5 hours drive).
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Yes, but you're not in school during the summer when those lifts are open. If you show up at school in September you've got what, 2 months tops of any riding, then maybe another month in the spring? West coast schools are probably your best bet if you want to get real riding in during the school year. All I know is that I didn't really enjoy hitting dirt jumps and riding trails in the winter in IL. Shoveling snow off of a jump and then crashing on frozen ground ain't fun.
 
Sandwich

Sandwich

Pig my fish!
Staff member
May 23, 2002
22,119
7,384
borcester rhymes
Nobody has ever stayed in the town they go to school in through the summer. Nobody, not ever. I certainly never did, and I didn't have a full time co-op during it.

Also, I wasn't a part of the team where I went to school, but they were really active in both the spring and fall. You're right that you can't ride lift-assisted riding where there's snow on the mountains, but you can certainly when there isn't....and there's a good chance you'll end up living where you go to school, so you might want to consider picking a school based on where you might like to live, at least for a few years. Using any "ins" you have from college or internships will get you into the workforce faster than emailing a resume 3000 miles away and hoping they'll allow you to relocate...ask me how I know...
 
sethimus

sethimus

neu bizutch
Feb 5, 2006
5,445
2,514
not in Whistler anymore :/
Hacktastic said:
$100K for a reputable school of any kind is not out of the question.
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kind of sick, other here we pay like 300-500eur/semester in total, rest is paid by the state, because you will pay more taxes in your later life and the country then benefits from it. right now i even get paid to go to back to school (i'm 29) by the state to earn my advanced technical college entrance qualification and then go study next year. all backed up by the state 'cause they want more ppl with a apprenticeship education to have a degree. when i study next year i'll get the same amount of money (650eur/month), but i need to pay back half of it after i finished studying (over 10 years and max 10k eur).


there are private schools too here, but not much and they aren't that much better then the public uni/colleges. they usually want up to 5000eur per semester...
 
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T

thad

Monkey
Sep 28, 2004
388
21
We get it. America's educational and medical systems are ****ed. No need to rub it in.
 
stoney

stoney

Part of the unwashed, middle-American horde
Jul 26, 2006
22,032
7,949
Colorado
SirChomps-a-Lot said:
I recommend taking a few years off before going to college. Work a joe job, ride, and party. Be young. During this time, look around. Ask people what their lives are like. What does going to college get you and what does it cost? Generally speaking, if you work to live, College is a bad idea. Get a trade, it will pay better and the work is real and rewarding.

College makes sense only if you live to work. If you are passionate about your field and you are prepared to sacrifice to be the best, then and only then should you go to college.
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So you're saying we didn't have any fun in college? Thanks, I thought we had a great itme.

But he's right about making your decision. IF you want to work in an office, go for it. If you want to work a trade, a degree is useless for the most part. If you do decide to go to college, get a degree that is actually worth something. Engineering, mathematics, physics, the sciences, etc. They actually have a tangible value vs. a BA.
 
W

wood booger

Monkey
Jul 16, 2008
668
72
the land of cheap beer
If you are fast on a DH bike, stay in CO and go to Ft. Lewis on a scholarship!
Live/ride in Durango, school is paid for through collegiate racing. Maybe learn a thing or two along the way.
Durango is a rad town....

As far as West Coast goes: UCSB will cost lots more, but you get to live on the beach, look at hot girls all day long, and ride sick DH trails. Just no lifts.

California Schools:
Cal Poly SLO
UCSB
Chico State (Northstar lift service a few hours away)
UCSC (sick trails from the dorms if you can handle the hippie factor)

All depends on you major and cash flow. College is a time for fun, and some learning too. The California 6 year degree program rocks! You have the rest of your life to work.

Stay away from those greasy knuckle draggers on that other coast......
 
morethanjake543

morethanjake543

Monkey
Mar 10, 2005
479
0
Santa Cruz/Sacramento, Ca
I second UC Santa Cruz. Though, you should definitely take that with a grain of salt. Why?

I'd recommend going to community college for two years. That certainly doesn't sound classy, but some of the people I have the most faith in are people who didn't go straight to uni out of highschool. Work a ****ty job for a bit. Not only will it give you more perspective and motivation, but you'll also have easier in's when it comes to transferring (with transfer agreements and whatnot) and you wont have that bull**** college freshmen attitude that gets so many kids to drop out of their degrees. That makes your degree a substantial amount cheaper and, hey, if you want to dual major an extra quarter/semester really isn't that much more considering you aren't paying for a full four years anywho.

And really, why is everyone hating on Liberal Arts degrees? Is it because you guys are so insecure about the value of your undergrad degree that you have to put other guys down? Calm down, man. You aren't going to find any substantial value in your degree until you get post-grad. I wanted to get into the Computer Science program here at the UCSC because this school is one of the more influential guys when it comes to academic publications (UCSC ranked third in research influence in world university survey - UC Santa Cruz). However, I toured their film department and fell in love with the program - I did that instead. Now I'm working as a freelance programmer. My degree gets me gigs even though it isn't a BS degree, just because it shows that I can jump through the same hoops any other college kid can. And hey, at least I can say I enjoyed every single second I was in class. Plus, with all of the work experience I have now, I can go get a post-grad degree in something more meaningful.

Oh yeah, and the trails at UCSC are a few minutes worth of pedaling uphill from the campus. Public transportation doubles as shuttles and you're going to have a hard time finding as many of the sports pro's cruising anywhere else.
 
Mulestar

Mulestar

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2007
1,061
0
in the dirt
demo 9 said:
I got neg repped from gemini... I am gay because i think education is a priority
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Maybe not...but you're dumb if you think the average 17 year old mountain biker has the capacity to choose what he wants to do for the rest of his life before he applies for colleges. I agree that you should never go to a crap school just for good riding, but anyone telling him to pick based on what degree he wants is kinda kidding themselves. I (and everyone else I knew) had no effing idea what they wanted to do with their lives at that age (still don't!). I just wanted to ride and party.

Choose a place that has a VARIETY of practical programs...and trails...and loose women. Just about everyone changes their major at least once anyway.

If I were you I'd stay in CO.
 
ZHendo

ZHendo

Turbo Monkey
Oct 29, 2006
1,661
147
PNW
I'm currently in the Foster School of Business at UW in Seattle. I'm entering the latter half of my education (Junior), and I'm absolutely devastated that its ending. I took a route that I never thought I'd take and figured I'd throw my 2 cents into this conversation. Most of this is a report on my personal experience, but hopefully you can find some value in it.

1) I didn't stay in California. Getting out of the state was possibly the best thing I could have done, and I went to a school that none of my friends were going to. I feel more on my own, and its awesome.

2) I went to a good school that still complements my interests. I could have gone to a whole bunch of other schools, but Cal was too close to home and the east coast sucks (IMO of course). Yeah, it rains a lot here, but I can hop in my car and get to Whistler in less than 5 hours, go snowboarding less than 2 hours away, and ride some of the best bike trails I have ever seen within 45 minutes.

3) I looked into getting involved. Maybe its not your thing, but a fraternity was my way to get involved in a community of people that know how to have a good time without being total idiots. I joined a growing, freshly restarted fraternity of 23 other people and now we have almost 70 guys. I get to party, ride (bikes and snowboards) and kick it with awesome people that have interests like mine. Plus, the UW sorority girls are pretty top notch, much the contrary to the PNW stereotype. And yes, girls are a shockingly large part of how much fun college is.

4) Pick a school that can get you somewhere. Even though I hadn't spent much time in Seattle at all, I knew that there were a bunch of exceptional, progressive companies based here and that UW was a good school that gave me lots of options. I thought I wanted to major in architecture but ended up rejected my Cal Poly acceptance because being a polytechnic school, it was fairly restrictive and didn't give me much room to change my mind about what I wanted to do. I tried arch out at UW, and I didn't like it as much as I had in high school. I'm now a finance and information systems major and I love it, and I also know that the things I'm learning about will be beneficial to me regardless of what I end up doing. Nobody really knows what they're doing when they go to college regardless of what they might tell you, and its important that you give yourself the option of choosing from a variety of focuses.
 
norbar

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,517
1,738
Warsaw :/
The Joker said:
So you're saying we didn't have any fun in college? Thanks, I thought we had a great itme.

But he's right about making your decision. IF you want to work in an office, go for it. If you want to work a trade, a degree is useless for the most part. If you do decide to go to college, get a degree that is actually worth something. Engineering, mathematics, physics, the sciences, etc. They actually have a tangible value vs. a BA.
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You can have fun outside of college too. Not to mention tech universities, at least here are real sausage parties. If I want to find some girls I have better chances not going out with the guys from my uni.
 
buckoW

buckoW

Turbo Monkey
Mar 1, 2007
3,842
4,885
Champery, Switzerland
I went to Ft. Lewis in Durango, CO and got a degree in Finance. I never wanted to work in Finance or for someone but I thought it would help me later when I did figure out what I wanted to do. I went to Durango for the riding between classes but busted my ass when in class. I work in the bike industry doing lots of different stuff I really enjoy doing and that Finance degree has helped me every step of the way.

Yesterday I was building a sweet trail in Switzerland with this,
 
iRider

iRider

Turbo Monkey
Apr 5, 2008
5,848
3,355
buckoW said:
I went to Ft. Lewis in Durango, CO and got a degree in Finance. I never wanted to work in Finance or for someone but I thought it would help me later when I did figure out what I wanted to do. I went to Durango for the riding between classes but busted my ass when in class. I work in the bike industry doing lots of different stuff I really enjoy doing and that Finance degree has helped me every step of the way.
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/thread. You win! ;)
 
I

Iridemtb

Turbo Monkey
Feb 2, 2007
1,497
-1
Dude... Bro no one has mentioned this. I am this "| |" close to having my associates degree. Guess how much debt I am in? $0.00. I did it by attending a community college. Now I am looking for 4 year colleges. Unless your mom and dad pay for it, look at community.

I was the same way you are now. I lived for downhill and dirt jumping in highschool. That's all I did, my grades even suffered from it haha. Try going local. It will change you and make you more thankful for a 4 year college when you leave to. Trust me on this bro!
 
slyfink

slyfink

Turbo Monkey
Sep 16, 2008
9,883
5,736
Ottawa, Canada
I studied what I was interested in. Geography is my major, but it's a bit of a catch-all: I studied urban development, economics, environmental science, international development etc... I ended up working in my field (as a ngo/lobbyist for a while, now in Federal Government). I enjoyed my time in university, and I've enjoyed all my jobs so far. Maybe I just got lucky, but I think that you should study what you're interested in, not what you think will land you a good job later. If you're interested in what you studied, working in that field will not seem to be tedious, and you'll enjoy life. That's my theory anyways....
 
norbar

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,517
1,738
Warsaw :/
sethimus said:
wouldn't it be better then to go to europe, save some money in the end and enjoy some alpine riding? i don't know, but before i spend 100k, that's an option i would at least think about...
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Im still a bit bitter about not going to study in Insbruck, Switzerland, Maribor or Graz tbh. Not that i wasnt kicking myself for picking electronics over mechanical engineering, managment or copywriting. That is why I think it is good to take a gap year, work a bit. Preferably in a busy bar you like so you meet lots of ppl and hear lots of stories. Gives you perspective on things.
 
ire

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
Figure out what you want to do first, then look for colleges that are good for that major. Pick the one that has the best riding/partying. Pick a degree that is going to pay. I went into IT (graduated in '04). The unemployment rate in IT is around 4%. Healthcare is also a good choice. You'll want a career after college, and not just a job.
 
Gunner

Gunner

Monkey
May 6, 2003
533
0
Framingham, MA
I went to school for Mech engineering. Picked up a video camera when I joined our collegiate cycling team. Now I make videos (part time) in the mtn bike industry and want to get out of engineering all together.

My post contributes absolutely nothing to this thread.
 
morethanjake543

morethanjake543

Monkey
Mar 10, 2005
479
0
Santa Cruz/Sacramento, Ca
gemini2k said:
Best College Majors for a Career - WSJ.com

That's why.
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See: Work to live Vs. Living to work argument.

If you're trying to get an education just so that you can get paid, you're doing it wrong. Degrees help you get where you want to go but they definitely don't define you. This isn't some argument over identity and whether or not your time spent was "worth" than someone else's. People need to get off their high-horses. We may not all go to college for the same reasons, but we're all still trying to better ourselves in ways that'll set us up for what we want to do in the future.

That is, of course, as long you aren't talking about joe-I-don't-know-what-to-make-of-myself college kid, who is only really in Business because their parents told them that they had to go to college the second they got out of highschool. If anything, that's the only place where I would consider spending money on a degree as a "waste."

Easily, one of the worst parts about college was how all the small talk centered around "what major are you?" Common, guize.
 
max.broman

max.broman

Chimp
Jun 1, 2011
80
0
Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States
Well I'm definitely putting education first, but I'd like to be able to go ride sometimes too. The best school is gonna be where I go, but if two are about equal, I'll go for one with some good biking and such. I'm thinking portland, seattle, or somewhere in cali.

I for sure won't be going for some lame-o humanities degree. Science and engineering for me.
 
H

hogankoesis

Chimp
Jul 6, 2010
7
0
University of New Mexico is pretty affordable and is only a couple hours away from Angel Fire Bike Park. Use your first couple of years of college to figure out what you want to do. Get all of your basic requirements out of the way and focus on doing your best. College has its benefits, I currently operate a bike park and definitely wouldn't be able to do without the education I received. College opens avenues and perspectives that wouldn't of otherwise been opened. Anyone can get a trade, anyone can do what they want. However, sometimes it can take longer to do what you want without that piece of paper and the experiences accrued in college.
 
Loochi

Loochi

Chimp
Aug 18, 2009
28
0
Having just finished up college after racing for 15+ years I feel your desire to be somewhere you can ride and have fun. With that said in my opinion the bigger picture should be learning. Probe your curiosities and go from there. Keep in mind it might take a term or two to figure that out. Also, I don't think it helps to dwell on the future and base your studies solely on a future job or paycheck. At the end of the day you want to love what you do, even if that means studying a liberal arts program you're passionate about and taking it from there. There's always the academic route which at tenure can provide a great flexible lifestyle, assuming you love a subject that much.

I think location and riding opportunities should also be considered but definitely second to academics and quality of education.

Personally, I went to the University of Oregon in Eugene, lots of rain and no DH but within 1-3 hrs plenty of great DH, DJ, XC.
 
Loochi

Loochi

Chimp
Aug 18, 2009
28
0
MmmBones said:
"No DH"?

au contraire mon frere. Eugene has DH:


GrassRoots Racing DH Course Preview - dropinprod - Mountain Biking Videos - Vital MTB


This track is on private property that is open to the public. In 1986 a NORBA National was hosted there and the race was won by John Tomac.
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Yeah I know that track... I actually helped dig that trail with the boys you see riding it. Yes it's dh but mostly hike a bike (a few shuttle arrangements a year) due to the owner of the property only giving limited use. I didn't bother mentioning it because compared to college spots like Bellingham, Boulder, etc there really isn't anything comparable in Eugene. Although, within 1-3 hrs you have Willamette Pass, Black Rock, Bend, Post canyon, Coast and Hood. All rad places to ride.
 
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