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DH + College

Alright, I'm gonna need to start looking at colleges soon. Where are some good places for college that aren't too far from a lift serviced mountain with good DH riding. I prefer west coast area, but anywhere works. Do I just need to stay here in CO? Or somewhere else. Any suggestions, tell em.
 
Feb 13, 2002
1,087
17
Seattle, WA
Alright, I'm gonna need to start looking at colleges soon. Where are some good places for college that aren't too far from a lift serviced mountain with good DH riding. I prefer west coast area, but anywhere works. Do I just need to stay here in CO? Or somewhere else. Any suggestions, tell em.
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.
 

ucsbMTBmember

Monkey
Nov 20, 2009
137
0
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.
I dont know why you have this view of college. I go to college to get a rewarding job so i can live the way i want. Not to live to work. If however, you are describing a liberal arts degree, then you would be correct. They are money holes. I mean comeon, who wants to hire a black studies major?
 

ucsbMTBmember

Monkey
Nov 20, 2009
137
0
Lift service riding with a good college, better off staying in CO. Good riding with good schools, come to cali, but the lifts are far and few between.
 

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
But back to your question. I'd pick Western Washington in Bellingham or UCSB. UCSB is gonna have better girls and better weather. But Bellingham probably has better riding. Both would be awesome.
 

birdman2447

Chimp
Aug 6, 2008
79
7
agreed, focus on the college that you can see your self at the most due to factors like location and social scene after you find a few that have a good program in what you want to study. I wanted to attend a college that had good dh riding near by also. I ended up at University of Maine due to there mechanical engineering program, turns out they have some of the best xc riding, before college i hated xc, now i dont know what to do if i cant atleast ride 4 days a week
 

Kanye West

220# bag of hacktastic
Aug 31, 2006
3,740
470
First of all, go to college for something that will actually pay off.

Don't invest $100k into something like art. Nobody with money to blow needs an art/humanities major. Remember, it's an investment. Look for return on it.

Invest that money into engineering/law/medical school, somewhere you can develop liver problems, and hide your dick in tons of wet places. If you're gonna blow a bunch of money, make sure it will pay off, and that you can have a hell of a ride doing it.

UCSB and Cal Poly SLO you'll have a great time at, get tons of riding in, and have your choice of legitimate degrees. You're young, you have energy, use it.

The most miserable people I know are 1) the people who never went to college and 2) the people who went to college and did nothing but work work work work work, only to graduate, and then......work work work work work. Oops, there goes life!
 

gemini2k

Turbo Monkey
Jul 31, 2005
3,526
117
San Francisco
First of all, go to college for something that will actually pay off.

Don't invest $100k into something like art. Nobody with money to blow needs an art/humanities major. Remember, it's an investment. Look for return on it.

Invest that money into engineering/law/medical school, somewhere you can develop liver problems, and hide your dick in tons of wet places. If you're gonna blow a bunch of money, make sure it will pay off, and that you can have a hell of a ride doing it.

UCSB and Cal Poly SLO you'll have a great time at, get tons of riding in, and have your choice of legitimate degrees. You're young, you have energy, use it.

The most miserable people I know are 1) the people who never went to college and 2) the people who went to college and did nothing but work work work work work, only to graduate, and then......work work work work work. Oops, there goes life!
^^ This. I will say, Hacktastic is one person you can TRULY take advice from college on. I think he had more fun than anyone I know in college, in one of the best places in the world. and still has a very nice engineering job. I only wish that I figured out what he did 3 years earlier. These few facts should be you only guiding principles.

1. No one really cares where you went to undergrad unless its Ivy league
2. No one cares what your major was unless it was a technical field, everything else is basically worthless
3. YOU will care how many chics you banged.
4. YOU will care how much riding you did.
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
I dont know why you have this view of college. I go to college to get a rewarding job so i can live the way i want. Not to live to work. If however, you are describing a liberal arts degree, then you would be correct. They are money holes. I mean comeon, who wants to hire a black studies major?
No he means typical corporate jobs can be real soul suckers if you really want to be good at it (and what's the point if you don't). Not all but even if you like your job it will change your life significantly.

I'm kinda wishing now I went the way he suggested since I'm yet to give in my paper and even though I have nice perspectives working in well paying jobs I'm not 100% sold on it. Not to mention realisticly speaking you have no clue where you want to be just after high school. I wanted to be an electronics engineer even though looking at it now I should do journalism, marketing or just get a trade (that is a bit harder here)


As for arts degrees - you can still be an advertising creative after arts. You have to create your book and it might be harder than from a typical school but you will stand out from the horde of guys who went the obvious way.
 

RMboy

Monkey
Dec 1, 2006
879
0
England the Great...
Come to England!

We have Universities none of the collage crap!

Women are always up for a ragging. They love someone who they think is from the OC and you will have a good time

+ we have 1 to 2 min downhills! Any you dont need a lift you can walk up. YES MATE

Come to England and have a great time...

But really do we need your money
 

RMboy

Monkey
Dec 1, 2006
879
0
England the Great...
Norbar are you Polish? Guessing you are

If so come to England. Most of your people are here now. its pretty much poland.

You do make the best Vodka too, so can you bring some? i got into alot of trouble telling a Russian the Polish made better Vodka than them. :-)
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
Norbar are you Polish? Guessing you are

If so come to England. Most of your people are here now. its pretty much poland.

You do make the best Vodka too, so can you bring some? i got into alot of trouble telling a Russian the Polish made better Vodka than them. :-)
Be honest. You really want our women because that's actually one of the few things we export that is as good as our vodka. I have some friends at imperial college and some friends at some other unis since I was stupid enough to do an IB program but I'm not really someone who gets along well with organized education. I tend to learn better as I work because it forces the lazy out of me ;) Tbh If I was to move I'd probably choose something with more lift access. Again. I'm a lazy bastard.


btw. Did english women get any hotter since you advertise them or is it the "it's basicly Poland" factor? ;)
 

RMboy

Monkey
Dec 1, 2006
879
0
England the Great...
Be honest. You really want our women because that's actually one of the few things we export that is as good as our vodka. I have some friends at imperial college and some friends at some other unis since I was stupid enough to do an IB program but I'm not really someone who gets along well with organized education. I tend to learn better as I work because it forces the lazy out of me ;) Tbh If I was to move I'd probably choose something with more lift access. Again. I'm a lazy bastard.


btw. Did english women get any hotter since you advertise them or is it the "it's basicly Poland" factor? ;)
This is true, you do export fine women and fine vodka. However czech republic and Slovakia Produce better women. My woman is from Slovakia and they are a fine breed. ;-)

The English girls have not got that much better. There are som good ones around. However i hold out hope for the younger generation as we are now breeding more with mainland Europe and should get some hotties. LOL
 

norbar

KESSLER PROBLEM. Just cause
Jun 7, 2007
11,346
1,587
Warsaw :/
I'm always hearing about great Czech and Slovak women but even though I am there on a regular basis never spot them. Are they all in england already? ;)
 

Jim Mac

MAKE ENDURO GREAT AGAIN
May 21, 2004
6,352
282
the middle east of NY
RPI in Troy, NY has a pretty good DH team/Cycling Club, if you can afford it, that is. About 50K a year. Closest lift svc. is 30 minutes away @ Jiminy Peak, Platty is also close - 1+ hour away as is Mt. Snow. You are limited, of course by weather, ski season, etc. Lift svc usually starts when school ends. You'll have maybe 2 months of ride time in the fall.
 

Hesh To Steel

Monkey
Dec 12, 2007
661
1
Hell's Kitchen
Most colleges' academic year is September to May. most lift served DH parks operate May to October (on the east coast, at least). Making your college choice based on 2 months of the DH season seems a bit iffy to me. Then again, what do I know, I'm just some schmuck.

Also, I think some of the non-Americans in this thread dont know this, but college and university mean basically the same thing here. At least, as far as anyone who matters is concerned.
 
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jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,562
24,182
media blackout
The point of college is to get an education, not ride your bike...
First of all, go to college for something that will actually pay off.

Don't invest $100k into something like art. Nobody with money to blow needs an art/humanities major. Remember, it's an investment. Look for return on it.

Invest that money into engineering/law/medical school, somewhere you can develop liver problems, and hide your dick in tons of wet places. If you're gonna blow a bunch of money, make sure it will pay off, and that you can have a hell of a ride doing it.

UCSB and Cal Poly SLO you'll have a great time at, get tons of riding in, and have your choice of legitimate degrees. You're young, you have energy, use it.

The most miserable people I know are 1) the people who never went to college and 2) the people who went to college and did nothing but work work work work work, only to graduate, and then......work work work work work. Oops, there goes life!

wow, can't believe i'm agreeing with everything these two have said.

be sure to prioritize:

1) Education. You're there, you're spending money. be sure to make the most of it.

2) recreation. Ride, party, enjoy yourself. make bad decisions (they're good learning experiences). all work and no play makes chinese suicide factories.


Make sure you balance both. Otherwise you'll go insane, or fail out. I busted my ass in college and graduated with honors, but rode a ton and partied my ass off as well. Education was ALWAYS my priority, and I'm benefiting from it now. Graduated in 2007, and have been gainfully employed ever since. I'm currently working in a cube farm, which isn't the best, but allows me to live the lifestyle I want and afford the things I want to do.
 

ianjenn

Turbo Monkey
Sep 12, 2006
2,998
702
SLO
100k for college?, not even uni? lol, you guys over there have a really ****ed up education system...
He was INFLATING some. Cal Poly will set you back about 1500 a 1/4 but you roll IVY League or private and yes it can cost $25K a year.

Are your grades good enough to get you into any school on West Coast? There are some good ones. UCLA, USC, Cal Poly (SLO), Brooks. First 2 are LA riding sucks then you have SLO and SB.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,562
24,182
media blackout
He was INFLATING some. Cal Poly will set you back about 1500 a 1/4 but you roll IVY League or private and yes it can cost $25K a year.

Are your grades good enough to get you into any school on West Coast? There are some good ones. UCLA, USC, Cal Poly (SLO), Brooks. First 2 are LA riding sucks then you have SLO and SB.

the college i went to has gone up so much i wouldn't be able to afford to go there now. When I started it was $24k/yr (2002, including room + board). It was ~$33k/yr by the time i graduated (2007, and again, room+brd). out of curiosity i looked it up, for students who started this year (2011), it was up to $42k (tuition, room and board).
 

fluider

Monkey
Jun 25, 2008
440
9
Bratislava, Slovakia
1) Think of job you'd like to do that cannot be done at comparable quality and for comparable cost by machine. And aim yourself that way.
2) Balance your study and entertainment, because it may be the last chance to study what you love and do bad things that olders shouldn't do :).
3) Use the college period to travel over the world and see different culteres ....
 

ianjenn

Turbo Monkey
Sep 12, 2006
2,998
702
SLO
the college i went to has gone up so much i wouldn't be able to afford to go there now. When I started it was $24k/yr (2002, including room + board). It was ~$33k/yr by the time i graduated (2007, and again, room+brd). out of curiosity i looked it up, for students who started this year (2011), it was up to $42k (tuition, room and board).
OUCH my buddy got two Masters from Cal Poly in 2 years for under $15K. Now he is a head RnD engineer at SHOWA USA
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,562
24,182
media blackout
OUCH my buddy got two Masters from Cal Poly in 2 years for under $15K. Now he is a head RnD engineer at SHOWA USA
yea it sucks its so expensive, but its a really good school . everyone i went to school with has a job in their respective fields (at least everyone that wanted one, some of the people i knew were total slackers).

and tell your buddy to get to work on a MTB fork.
 

Smelly

Turbo Monkey
Jun 17, 2004
1,254
1
out yonder, round bout a hootinany
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ianjenn

Turbo Monkey
Sep 12, 2006
2,998
702
SLO
Yeah got that. If you are worried about cost stay in STATE. I paid my way and when I went it was $1250 a 1/4 I have $9K in loans.....I think Poly is now $1750 a 1/4. So not too bad, and work while going then you don't have to borrow money for food/housing. I worked F/T and went to school FT.....
 

Aman112

Chimp
Dec 28, 2006
53
0
Go to a school that has the major and classes you want and think you will enjoy. You will find places to ride whether it be DH or whatever. If you are as into it as you sound wherever you go i bet you'll find something. Take all you can out of college.
 

bobsten

Monkey
Oct 23, 2008
240
0
rain rain go away
Lots of choices. I didn't read through everything so I may have missed but Western Washington in B-ham will be a good choice. Northern Arizona University is where I went, its a pretty central school and there is riding right outside the back door, literally, right outside.
 

descente

Monkey
Jul 30, 2010
430
0
Sandy Eggo
Didnt realize there were so many central coasters here. Cal poly worked out for me and most of my friends. Nearly every one of us has a good job in an industry we are passionate about, and your degree pretty much instantly catapults you to a position where you are not the bottom bitch. I worked and partied my way through college too, while most of my classmates were blowing money on their summers i was busy building million dollar houses for cash money learning real life skills and plenty of life lessons from the older joe carpenters. Now i not only have a degree that says i understand business management i have several trades that i am well versed in which will not only give me something to fall back on should things take a dive, i also dont have to pay people to change toilet seals or wire closet lights and other silly **** that are becoming forgotten arts. The riding in SLO and Santa Barbara is second to none, and i spent every spare second on my bike or 4 wheeling with my buddies. In fact on more than one occassion parking a muddy dh bike in the corner of my class and more then one pretty lady throwing a stare my way...Cause you can ride trails straight to the campus at poly, and there are tons of stair gaps to hit on campus too

University is also a great place to find a sugar momma...there are tons of capable, beautiful women who arent going to just sit at the pool and expect you to bring home the bacon for them. I know a ton of girls from college who were not only hotter than hell and good in the sack, but also motivated to succeed and become more than a trophy wife/baby factory. In fact, my facebook stalking would lead me to believe that most girls i know who didnt go to college now have multiple children and drive mini vans, andmost girls i know from college spend their time making money, traveling, and generally doing whatever they want.

Whatever you decide, educational and recreational opportunity should be first, you can always find a hill to throw yourself down
 
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Ithnu

Monkey
Jul 16, 2007
961
0
Denver
Student loans suck but so does working full time through college. So stay in state for lower tuition and don't work full time. You'll come out having more fun with less debt than going out of state or private.

University of Phoenix Online or ITT Tech? GTFO. Big state or respectable private (see above though) school and you'll be fine.

Don't take a year off before or during. Most don't come back.