College Education?

I'm in college right now and to be bluntly honest it really is not for me, im a do-er, not really a studier or any of that kind of stuff, my original intention was to be a defense lawyer or a lobbyist but im 3 months in to college and i dont think i can take 6 and a half more years of this. The question i wanted to ask some of the people on here who are detailers and own their own businesses is do you think its necessary to have a college degree to be successful in this business? I'm relatively sure i have a few people who would be willing to give the start up loans necessary to get a shop and equipment and such, and for someone my age i do a pretty damn decent job at detailing a car, (i had a detailing service for a few months over the summer and i did quite a few cars, with everyone very satisfied with the work i did). Any thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated

 

Maybe not necessary, but you've got to be so damned lucky to get a decent, recession-proof, job these days that you want to do whatever you can to look qualified. I went to University on my parents' insistence b/c I was all lined up to take over the family car dealership business. I graduated and worked there for 7 years and hated it. Now I love my profession and my degree helped me get in. But then I know a fellow with a high school education who now owns an extremely successful car restoration/auction company...he's one of the very rare ones.

 

Think about a different major. I took two years off and worked construction before I figured out what I wanted to do.

What were your reasons for wanting to be a lobbyist/lawyer?

 

Having college education is VERY important. You may opt to pursue another subject that you like, but my advice is to you is as to finsh school & get your degree. Bear in mind that the higher the degree, the higher your chances of getting a well-paying job that will secure you a rewarding future whether you decide to have your own business or not. Besides, whether you pursue a four-year degree or 6, time will past by so fast & in the end, you'll be glad you did.

 

I have a college diploma and I am currently trying to finish my MBA. You could gain alot of useful knowledge in school to help you run a business, just pick the right diploma or degree

 

Please, don't drop out of college to become a full-time detailer. There are so many that attempt to feed their families off this, and some do, but many many more fail.

Stay in school. Tough out. You will have a lifetime to thank yourself. If your current major is not what you like/want to do, change it. But get a degree. Especially in this economy, employers are more and more picky about what your resume looks like.

 

I totally agree!:thumb:

 

I also agree. I have been doing this a long time and have seen everyone that I have helped get started ( seven guys in the last ten years) give it up for various reasons ie: its too cold to work, its raining, I don't want to work late. This business is like any business, you have to work. My advice is to continue with school doing detailing on the side. That way you can see if you like detailing all year round in all seasons and you will quickly find out if you want to do this full time. A college education will give you something to fall back on if you decide to pursue detailing after college and it doesn't work out. On the other hand, I'm not saying you can't be successful without a college education - some of the richest men in the world are do not have any post secondary, but as stated above, it will provide you with a back up plan. If you decide to do this part time as you go through college and have any questions, feel free to get ahold of me.

 

WOW, A lot of smart people here giving great advise. I agree with all of it. Stay...:thumb:

 

I was given some very good advice while I was in college and considering dropping out. Someone told me "Look at it as an initiation into a club, fraternity, or something similar. You have to go through things you'll hate, but, in the end, you'll be in the club and everything you suffered through will be over and will have been worth it." He was right. Stick it out, the time will go by faster than you realize, and it will be worth it. No matter what you decide to do as a career afterward.

 

I would have to agree with what everyone here has said and like heatgain says it is like joining a club. This is just my opinion, I personally feel that having a good education behind your name will open many, many opportunities.

I grew up in a family where education is a priority, I'm glad I grew up with this mentality and I'll pass that on to my family. I personally don't like to be restricted to what I can do and can not do, well with the education I have I can go all over the world and do something I enjoy, not something I have to do to make ends meet.

The other thing you need to keep in mind is that there are many, many individuals out there that think that owning your own business is great and all and it really is BUT you have to work extremely hard to be successful. People assume just because you have your own business you have it made, quite the opposite if you ask me. When you have your own business you have to work twice as hard, constantly worrying about your business, you get so focused on your business that if your not careful life will pass you by wile your trying to keep your business from going under. I say this because this is what happen in my family. There are benefits, don't get me wrong but I feel it's important to know what your getting into.

I'll give you an example, everyone raves about Phil (Detailers Domain) always being there for the customer, responds to e-mails right a way, you can always get him on the phone. That's great that Phil does this but have you thought, boy if Phil responds this quick when does he have time for his family, friends? Having your own business is a huge responsibility, specially if you wish to have a successful business.

Well like I said I agree with everyone here, stay in school you'll be glad you did when it's all said and done.

Just my :2cents:

 

And let's not forget the everyone always thinks for college as the BEST time of their LIVES!!! Trust me, for me it was!!!

Hook 'em!!!

 

Hey I have to agree that you should stay and see how it plays out. 911, Nica and Heatgain have all given some great advice. And like many have said get the education even if you don't use it per se. I was like you and wanted to be an attorney but I was poor and my family couldn't afford to pay for my education so I did it and mounted up large debt doing it. Well I graduated in 4 years with my degree in History and right now I work as a Control Room Operator in a Power Plant and make very good money and only work 6 months out of the year! Go figure. Even though I don't use my degree as it is, it did open a lot of doors for me in my current profession and allowed me to pay off that education debt and lead a very good life. And hey I'm currently up for a possible promotion that would be a great career move and I'm up for that promotion because I'm one of the only ones at my facility that does have a college education.

The one thing I preach to my kids is the importance of education. You see education is the great equalizer. It doesn't care if you are rich or poor, your race, creed, or religion. If you are willing to work at it anyone can get an education and put themselves on the same level as everyone else. We don't have a lot of control of a lot of things in life but you do with education so get all you can get!

 

You can have hopes and dreams to be successful, but you have to ask yourself, "WHAT IF" it fails, what will you do then? There are sooo many small start up companies but the odds of them actually becoming successful isn't all that great. Many go out of business, especially in todays economic slump. You will have no college degree and your chances of getting a job compared to someone with a degree will be a lot worse.

 

I'm actually in the same boat you are. I go to Temple University and I'm a Junior right now, History major and on the path to law school hopefully. I contemplated the detailing business as well, and I'd rather just keep it a hobby. It's of no offense to anyone on here, but I don't think I could do it day in and day out. I thoroughly enjoy it, but I don't feel as if I have the mindset to do it everyday. Regardless of the economy, I think that becoming a lawyer will serve well sufficient enough because their are so many different types of law to get into. The first year of college is a very different time for everyone. I started off as a chemistry major and wanted to initially get into pharmaceuticals, perhaps even being a pharmaceutical salesmen since I'd have the leg up with my degree. I then considered being a chemist for one of the bigger car product companies, but I couldn't see myself sitting behind a beaker for the rest of my life. Over that summer I sat down for a couple days and took off from work, and just wrote down the qualities that I have. When doing this, try not to be modest. I thought for a while about what I was as a person. I wrote down my analytical capabilities, my writing skills, my interest in philosophy, morality, and just social aspects. My strongest quality that I wrote down was my ability to argue. Although I'll have a lot to learn about different types of arguments and where they essentially come from, I feel I have a leg up on many people in this aspect. From these I deducted that I would most likely love being a lawyer, and that's the path I chose to follow. Do not get discouraged the first year of school. Just think about who you are and what you want, and it'll come naturally. Most professions these days, minus a few such as medical or business, really don't care what degree you have, they just want to know you are hard working and trainable as to be an asset to their company. Think of life like a game of poker, the more outs you have in the deck(degrees, connections, schooling, career outlooks), the higher the chance of success. I agree with a lot of these guys about joining something. Your school might have a pre-law society or mock trial club that you might want to get into. You almost have to immerse yourself in the college and what it has to offer in order to just physically connect with your surroundings. Having people in certain clubs depend on you might help your overall drive. I had a hard time with procrastinating(still do) and I'm pulling myself out of it. It feels great to get things done and out of the way before everyone else does, think of it as a competition against your professor and your peers. It's a very rewarding experience on the rise to the top. Good luck, and keep your head up. If you shoot for the stars, you might fall short, but you'll make it farther than never trying.

 

im a freshman in college as well. and i do detailing on the side. im a bio major, so trust me... it's just as hard, if not harder than law major.

about a month ago i realized that i was getting too much into detailing, and that it was starting to interfere with my school. so i cut back from doing 2 cars a week to 1 car a week, unless it's 2 easy jobs like a one step polish, then i can do 2 a week.

my parents have drilled it inot me that education is the most important thing someone can have because it is something that NOBODY can take from you. Just stay in school, and do detailing on the weekends as i do. it keeps me busy, and i love doing it!

 

Inspirational post of the year for me....well done JL :applause:

 

Hey Dominic. Do they have a spelling class at your college? LOL

 

Stayyyyyyyyy INNNNNNNNN Schooooooolllll....

i had the same mind set as you when i 1st went to college....i have changed my major 3 times and schools 3 times......but now i found something to do "sociology" because i plan on doing photography and teaching photography classes. "anyone want to come to one" lol...but i have something to back up on is photography falls through....so get the degree...and stick with it...its not that hard if you just put a little effort into it..good luck man

 

Very well said, wow! Great story too!!!

:worship2: