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daft_monk
Mar 30, 2005, 4:16 AM
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Well I took up climbing about five months ago, just at the end of fall, so there wasn't much real rock that I got to up here in northern Wisconsin. Now spring is finally touching us up here in the north country and I have a good bit of plastic climbing under my belt (even got a job at the rock wall here at my college) and I am getting out to some basalt in MN. But the thing is is that I would rather be climbing and working in the southwest states than be going to college right now.
So what do you say stick to the grind of college, or hit the boulders and faces of the southwest? Maybe some NOLS semesters... Any advice you all may have.
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hibby11
Mar 30, 2005, 4:26 AM
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Minnesota sucks, a lot, but atleast its getting nice out now. If i had the balls to quit school and go to the southwest i would, follow your dreams, you can always go back to school.
By the way i'm from St. Paul I feel your pain
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chauch
Mar 30, 2005, 4:26 AM
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I sure do feel old/preachy for saying this, but you have the rest of your life (hopefully) to climb. Education is awfully important. I, too, am in college and struggle with finding time (and decent rock) to climb. Stick it out my friend, it'll pay off in the end, and you'll have the cash to pay for the gear too.
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chauch
Mar 30, 2005, 4:28 AM
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how's that for simultaneous contradiction... :lol:
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gremlin
Mar 30, 2005, 4:36 AM
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I passed up a chance to go to Rocktown this weekend since I have to do a huge paper before Monday, but I'll probably spend Sunday at the NRG even if it's not done by then. It's all about balance =)
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republiclimber
Mar 30, 2005, 4:38 AM
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interestingly enough i am a friend of chauch, here at school with him....i sort of introduced him to climbing...and i agree. stick it out out college. every fair weather day (and the crappy ones too) i wish i was out climbing instead of in class, but once i become a teacher i'll have time to climb and money to pay the bills.
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overlord
Mar 30, 2005, 4:53 AM
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it pains me to say so, but college is the way to go.
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extrasketch
Mar 30, 2005, 4:58 AM
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uh, why don't you try to go to college at a more climbing friendly location. College can be ideal for climbing.
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sbaclimber
Mar 30, 2005, 5:11 AM
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that's a tough one....
I spent 2.5 years studying in central NY, which isn't a mecca for climbing, but there was enough around and when I could find people to go with I definitely found time to do it.
Now I am done with school, have a job, no kids, and money to pay for enough gear to make me happy. I am also working and living in a pretty sweet area for climbing.
So all in all, I would say you should not have to choose between college and climbing. It worked out pretty well for me doing both.
That being said, there are 2 drawbacks you should be prepared for:
1) as student you probably will not have much money for gear
2) when you are done with school, if you get a job right away (which most americans have to, to pay off student loans), you may find it hard to find time to travel to really cool climbing areas (unless you work in Germany where you get 5-6 weeks of vacation a year)
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alpinerockfiend
Mar 30, 2005, 5:13 AM
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In reply to: uh, why don't you try to go to college at a more climbing friendly location. College can be ideal for climbing.
Seriously man, try taking a dialectic approach to this. Things don't always have to be one way or the other. There are hundreds of schools all over the west and east that offer more climbing than you could imagine. Each has its own character and will provide a unique climbing experience. Take where I'm at, Montana State University in Bozeman, MT, for example. You have rock, ice, alpine, and mountaineering opportunities all within an hour's drive from campus (many crags w/in 20 minutes!).
Look and ask around. Find a school that has a program you're interested in.To find out about the nearby climbing, post a message here, look in the Routes Database, check out Rock 'N Road, past issues of the climbing rags, etc... Get informed. Doing the bum thing and "sticking it out" in your current college situation are both options, but why not consider looking into another school?
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republiclimber
Mar 30, 2005, 5:22 AM
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true with the doing both. i am taking 17 hours this semester but still climb 3 or so times a week because i'm close to a crag. not the best rock ever, but it'll do for after class and on weekends we have real good rock within an hour.
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djcoppedge
Mar 30, 2005, 5:26 AM
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Move to Folsom, CA. Take night classes at the Sierra College extension. Drive to Tahoe to climb for the day (1.5hrs), then catch your class on the way back down the hill. :)
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enjoimx
Mar 30, 2005, 5:39 AM
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From what I have seen so far, you dont have to conform to society's expectations regarding life-path to be happy and successful. But, whether you choose college or something out of the ordinary, you will have to put in hard work to make it happen.
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bler
Mar 30, 2005, 5:54 AM
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colege is for louosers, I aint gon to college, look wheres it gots me.. :twisted:
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nedsurf
Mar 30, 2005, 5:56 AM
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I have finished my "4" year program and have real world experience with the military. Sadly to say, the only regular job I have so far been able to land is a crap a-- admin. job that my coworkers got without a college degree. Despite the deep satisfaction of finishing a humanities degree, I am in debt for my tuition and utterly hate my job. It depends on what you are studying in school, but college will not guarantee a better job when you come out. So from my experience, don't listen to those people who say you will be better off with college with an absolute tone, unless they are refering to personal life fulfillment. Then it is a matter of you evaluating what exactly you are going to school for.
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jtt
Mar 30, 2005, 6:18 AM
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Finish college then move to Yosemite/Bishop/Climbing Town for a year or two until you decide what you want to continue to do.
I lived in Yosemite for a year after college. Sure I was overqualified for my job in Curry, but in terms of disposable income, I was doing quite well. There is not much cost of living there ($15/per week housing and can go cheap with food). You can buy gear and save money. However, I would reccomend that you have some sort of "exit strategy."
how many more years do you have in school? I think the problem is that it's pretty hard to go back to school once you've stopped for a while. It can be done, but it's harder in most cases.
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horseonwheels
Mar 30, 2005, 6:21 AM
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I'm probably a little biased because I live in Boulder, and can climb nearly 7 days a week and still go to school, BUT I agree with chauch. Stay in school, and work on developing your climbing, so when you do go other places more options are open to you, and you will most likely have a better time.
If you had some amazing opportunity that was limited by time, I would then say take it and go to school later (although not many people really go back).
Yeah, you can always go back later, but money is then a bigger problem, if you then have a family or something you'll have to work and go to school at night most likely. AAAHHHH!!! Plus, I would imagine that it isn't the same being 30 and going to school. Not many parties, going to bars, drunken spring break climbing trips, etc.
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roadman33
Mar 30, 2005, 1:10 PM
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I'll respond for the 30 and back in school side of the coin. I spent my first 8 years after high school traveling and climbing working saving and going everywhere. 2 trips to Thailand/Lao/Indo, for 4 months. 3 months climbing all over S. America, and a billion wonderful experiences all over the US west and Ak/Hi.
I'm now going back to school and it's worked out great. I would not change a thing. A lot of what the kids that are in college have posted here is just crap. It's fear based thinking that has been shoved down there throats.
I’m from Wisconsin too, and I’ve taken a NOLS course and loved it. If anything, my life experience has made college a lot more rewarding. I hope none of the before mentioned college kids take the “crap” comment to seriously! After all I’m a college kid too!
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davidorchard
Mar 30, 2005, 1:15 PM
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In reply to: uh, why don't you try to go to college at a more climbing friendly location. College can be ideal for climbing.
this is an excellent idea. i recomend NAU in Flagstaff, AZ
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davidorchard
Mar 30, 2005, 1:18 PM
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In reply to: A lot of what the kids that are in college have posted here is just crap. It's fear based thinking that has been shoved down there throats.
I agree with this also.
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deschamps1000
Mar 30, 2005, 1:28 PM
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college. Trust everyones advice that has posted so far. You will really regret it in the future if you drop out of college. Just stick through it and then you have PLENTY of time to go to the desert SW. You do have about 60 years of living left after college. You don't need to rush out there now when there's something important you need to take care of.
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republiclimber
Mar 30, 2005, 4:50 PM
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In reply to: In reply to: A lot of what the kids that are in college have posted here is just crap. It's fear based thinking that has been shoved down there throats. I agree with this also. |
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theledge
Mar 30, 2005, 5:38 PM
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I have actually thought about this a lot. I am in a good climbing area, and I get to go out regularly, but this is actually hurting the amount of time I spend in school. On the bright side (kinda) the choice will soon no longer be mine as I suspect the school will kick my ass out of here unless I get my grades up..... and right now Pchem is kicking my tail.
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davidorchard
Mar 30, 2005, 5:49 PM
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okay, so i have posted twice already, but i think i have finally formed an opinion.
finish this semester and then go climbing until you are ready to go back to school or other things.
the problem with waiting until after college is that you generally have other things you have to worry about (i.e. school loans, girlfriend/fiancee/wife/kids). so you will have to get a job to pay back the loans or what not and then you are stuck for at least 5 years.
go now while you have the courage, have fun, college will wait.
and if you get out and realize it's not for you, mark it up as a learning experience and get on with the rest of your life.
plus if you take a bunch of time off between when you finish school and when you start a job, you tend to have to explain why you took so much time off.
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rockguy
Mar 30, 2005, 5:54 PM
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Go with what you think is best for you. Either way have no regrets. It IS true you can always go back to college afterwards; going back after a year or two hiatus to dirtbag it isn't gonna ruin your life. Like was previously mentioned don't necessarily buy into the whole "college will guarantee you a better future" malarky. While it is a fact that the median salary for college graduates is higher, this is of little consolation to the disillusioned guy with an advanced degree who can't find a job worth a lick. I've always been an optimist and have lived by the tenet that it'll work out eventually, so go with what your gut is pushing towards. Either will have its upsides and downsides so just make sure to focus on the good and you're sure to enjoy it in the end.
That said, I finished up my graduate studies in southern cali and had more than ample opportunities to climb, but more importantly defer my student loans. I even met most of my current climbing partners there. Now all I have to do is find a J-O-B! :P
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