Baldo by Hector D. Cantú and Carlos Castellanos for April 10, 2023

Oh, do tell, Baldo, why you’re not planning on college.

Can’t say i blame him, the tuition prices are astronomical as it is.

record scratch

Go to a good trade school make the bucks and avoid a huge student debt loan.

Back in the days when college prices were still on the earthly plane, my parents required each of us (6 kids) to go to college for at least one year. We all got at least one degree, five went on for Masters and Doctorates. That’s with one parent working in a factory and the other working in a fabric shop.

The world needs ditch diggers too.

Trade school is better. My plumber drives a better car than I do lol!

Sergio owns a print shop and Baldo works at Auto Parts Store. Graciela, the student, is going to graduate from an University.

Join the military?

Lack of knowledge = PRICELESS!

Wise choice. Learn a trade

Right. I just looked it up and NYC colleges ARE tuition free again. And Baldo’s really missing out! Even players like Kobe Bryant (RIP), said that even though he enjoyed playing in the NBA, he wished he had gone to college. Because especially when you go away, you make long lasting friendships. And ESPECIALLY when guys go away, they meet women from all over the country and the world! And speaking from experience, college has a groove and lifestyle completely all its own. But at the time I went, I wasn’t mature enough to appreciate it. That’s why LeBron James insisted that his son Bronny go to college.

Baldo should become a Plumber, Electrician, Solar Installer, Car Mechanic, or County Worker it will be much more fulfilling. He should go to Community College and take a couple of accounting/business courses to manage his business

Be careful talking to HS guidance counselors.

Daughter #1 was told she should just go to community college and get married.

She did her graduate work at Harvard and is currently administrative staff at The Broad Institute, a collaboration between Harvard Medical School and MIT.

fusilier

James 2:24

Community colleges offer excellent trades programs with good jobs for successful completion

My nephew went to community college for 1.5 years and took one course at the local university. Had a job on the side. No college debt Three years after finishing. He earns a 6 figure salary.

Seriously consider that community college, Baldo. College doesn’t have to be four years at a university or a private college. It can be a two years at a vocational technical college to get an associates degree alongside an apprenticeship in a trade. Considering your work at Auto Y Rod and your interest in fixing up the car, that could be a really good career path for you.

Go to a good tech school….learn a good trade!

Auto Mechanic. Or, a little known secret, get your Water Treatment license through the state and you can right your own ticket.

These days…that’s actually not a bad idea. College is just so expensive and a college degree doesn’t carry as much weight as it used to. There are plenty of resources online if he wants to learn.

My son got much more committed to college after he got a part time job and then made a budget – and realized how much he needs to make and what benefits he needs to have a moderate lifestyle. Full time at minimum wage even at $15 an hour is not a livable wage.

Considering Baldo’s interests and aptitudes , why is anyone-let alone his father-surprised that he isn’t interested in attending college as soon as he finishes high school?

I think 90% of high school graduated should take a gap year away from education in all forms and get jobs in areas they’re interested in. Baldo already has a huge head start in that direction- he knows he wants to work with cars. College will still be there if he wants to attend two, five, or thirty years years from now.

As much as Baldo like fiddling with his car and such trade school. He’ll have a blast.

Went in the Navy Nuclear power program, got out in 6 years, immediately hired into civilian nuclear power plant, made 6 figure income retired out at 58 years old, financially independent. I put my son thru 5 years at MSU, graduated with “communication degree”, struggled in Chicago trying to get into advertising, finally talked to the Navy recruiter, immediately sent to OCS, got his commission, spent 6 years in and got out, used GI bill to go back to school at MSU. He got his RN nursing degree, worked 3 years in hospitals, went back to MSU and got his masters as a Nurse Practitioner and is now making a 6 figure income and is financially independent. High School graduates are MOSTLY not mature enough to go to college, the military is a great place to grow up and really know what you want to do. I would always advise young adults to go into the Navy or Air Force where at the least, you can learn a good trade.

The way he is about school, not wanting to study poor grades etc. He probably would do better with trade school. Plumber, electrician, there are very good paying jobs and they will teach you. He does seem to like automotive. Here again our secondary school system doesn’t seem to prepare our young to even have an idea of what they want to do. And yes some college is needed if he wants to run his own business someday. But then again his mentality needs a lot of ‘balls’ to start a business. Not to mention how to get a loan to start said business.

No more empanadas for Baldo!

There are always options and personal experiences and preference will always drive the option chosen (at the time).

My choice after high school was to join the Air Force and go to the flight simulator maintenance tech school (and what a fun job that was!). At that time college was simply not on my radar.

After I finished my first four years and re-enlisted for another four I did start college (toward an electrical engineering degree). On my next PCS move I had to change my degree plan to computer science (no engineering programs at my new location).

A little over twenty one years later I retired from military service with two tech school diplomas, a number of professional military education diplomas and four college diplomas… plus all that experience working for a living. I spent another twenty years working as a civilian (it took a while to learn how to be a civilian again 8^) and finally retired (comfortably) at 59.

Sometimes the options we chose change as we gain work and life experience… just chose what works best for you right now and the rest will follow.

Go to a community college. You can learn to repair your car. Mechanically and body.

They no longer teach you how to think, they tell you what to think.

That’s getting to be something worth considering, if you can get into a good trade school or apprenticeship program instead.

I did the Community College, then regular college route.

The Community college was literally within 5 minutes of the house I was living in and, since the house belonged to my mother, all I had to do was pay the utility bills.

The last two years was about 700 miles away, but that was before the Legislature stopped paying the University’s bills and started making the Students pay them, so my part time job was enough to cover my dorm rent and food bills.

I also added an extra year by signing up for the college’s Co-Op program which helped me get a job at a US Navy computer facility that counted as Class Credits, Paid me a nice salary and gave me a year of on-the-job experience to add to my resume. It was split into two 6 months stints with two terms at college in between. Plus the Money was a lot better than the part time job, so I was able to build up a small nest egg.

It was a great Co-Op program. we had people all the way from Miami Florida to Seattle, Washington. Although the guy who got the job with the CIA had the “Best” bragging rights. And, he hardly ever used the “I’ll Have To Shoot You” joke.