What to do.......

[GhostHostMatt]

Ok, I figured this might be a good place for this type of discussion, (I could be wrong:shrug being that there are so many different types of people on this site...the situation is somewhat complicated.....so here we go.

First a really quick back story leading up to now.....
BTW, this post does tie in with Disney

After High School, went to “Tech School” for Computer Animation that I thought I had a strong enough interest in, which I did at the time. My artistic skills lacked, and still do, and the school only really focused on the basics of the 3D programs and very little focus on the Artistic side.......at least at the time I went through the program.....**I think they redesigned the entire degree program since then.**
I graduated in 04, but my skills were sub par with the rest of the 3D industry. That combined with the saturation of the Industry = No job.:brick: **don't worry I do have a job just not doing that** Which leads up to now....
At this point I've lost all interest in Computer Animation and deemed the whole thing a complete failure and a waste of money (most of it my parents money which makes me feel worse—and I do blame myself--even though they don't hold it against me---my parents are absolutely fantastic, I am so lucky to have them *tears of happiness btw*)

Basically my first gigantic mistake in Life

That whole experience has made me very hesitant about trying to go back to college for something else...
Now part of me wants to go back...BUT...I can't seem to find anything that interests me
And believe me.....I've spent a lot of time trying to think about it:brick::brick:

OK now on to the Disney related part

I've been a fan of Disney since I first watched Pete's Dragon (my all time fav). I still remember my first visit to the World –that was great fun!! There I was introduced to Audio-Animatronics which I fell in love with, and had hoped one day I'd work for Disney dealing with the AAs, and for a good couple years became incredibly interested in Robotics/Animatronics.....but seeing the severe lack of college programs in that area (which still pretty much don't exist), kinda shooed me away. But part of me has always wanted to work for Disney.

Back in April 06 I had applied and interviewed to be a CM ( mostly with the hope of finding my niche), but attempting to find affordable housing was a problem and no matter how I ran the numbers just wasn't financially plausible, I had decided not to do it. Part of me kinda regretted it.

But now, I'm reconsidering it (again with the hope of possibly finding my niche---and I'm fully aware that it could go nowhere).
My parents are behind me all the way, and actually are encouraging me to do it. I really don't have anything to lose. But I'm having trouble trying to decide if it would actually be worth it.......---I don't make decisions easily--

ok....i think I covered everything. My apologies for making this so long

Mainly the purpose of this post is to get fresh perspectives
Comments, opinions, words of wisdom, ideas........

 

[WDW77]

A college education is never a waste of money. I say go for it. Follow your heart, but be smart about it too. I took the plunge and moved to Orlando for Disney. I now am working on my masters in hospitality and tourism management.

 

[happymom52003]

Sounds like you really want to work for Disney, so go for it. And since you said you have nothing to lose, then it should not be a big deal if things do not work out for you at Disney. But you will never know if you do not try. You do not want to spend the rest of your life wondering "what if", so I think you should take a chance.
It sounds like you are young and do not yet have a spouse, kids, etc....So this is the perfect time for you to explore your dreams. You can never go back to this stage in your life, so I think you should take full advantage of having the freedom to try something like this, especially since your parents are behind you on this. Have fun!

 

[GhostHostMatt]

Follow your heart, but be smart about it too.

You do not want to spend the rest of your life wondering "what if", so I think you should take a chance.
It sounds like you are young and do not yet have a spouse, kids, etc....So this is the perfect time for you to explore your dreams.

23 years old, no kids, no spouse/girlfriend

The More I think about it, the more I wanna do it.
I definitely don't wanna be asking myself What If for the rest of my life:lol:
If I choose not to do it, I know I'm going to be kicking myself later
Who knows, there could be so many opportunities that become available

And I wouldn't just sit back and wait for things to happen, I'd try all I could

 

[joanna71985]

I don't have any advice, just want to say good luck.

 

[WickedQueen22]

You never know if you never try. Go for it. Good Luck.

 

[wedway71]

Ok this is my 2 cents worth......

You like Disney and would like to work there.

You want to go to College but have no idea what for.


Ok here we go.....

Go to College. The first year to 2 years are General courses anyway like Math,Science,English.etc.

Do the Disney College Program.

While doing Disney College Program meet and network with different people from different Business Units at WDW.

After first 2 years at College hopefully then you will have a better idea of what Degree to get. Then focus course work on that Degree Major.

Then do Professional Internship last year of College. Graduate then apply for Full time Salaried role at WDW.

 

[GhostHostMatt]

You want to go to College but have no idea what for.

Actually it's more like : I'd like to go to college, but no degree majors I've looked at interest me

I'm going to change that in my original post too.......it's more accurate.

I've looked through whole lists of degree program offerings at many colleges (which pretty much covers all types of program disciplines).........nothing ever catches my attention, and I don't know why:shrug:.

That's really the problem with the option of going to College (at least in my situation). I don't want to go if I can't find anything at them that I would have a strong enough interest in, or that captures my attention.....

:brick::brick::brick: what to do.........what to do...


I do very much appreciate your opinions/comments/2 cents
They give me a lot more to think about.

 

[Captain Hank]

Not knowing what to take in college is a fairly common thing. I know that my university has classes specifically for "undecided" majors to help them explore different major options. I'd expect that a lot of schools do that. I'd recommend doing what wedway 71 recommended. In order to get a good job, you now need at least some sort of college degree, at least depending on the field. Also, by doing the Disney College Program, you'll be able to experience being a CM, while also not having to worry about finding housing in the LBV area.

 

[GhostHostMatt]

I spent the last couple hours looking through local colleges websites....I did come across one thing that kind of caught my eye.


Crafts- BFA

I do very much enjoy craft-making activities.
Now, a question comes up.........Could something like this be utilized anywhere within Disney?

And I believe that this particular school does have CP participation

Just a thought:shrug:

 

[wedway71]

I spent the last couple hours looking through local colleges websites....I did come across one thing that kind of caught my eye.


Crafts- BFA

I do very much enjoy craft-making activities.
Now, a question comes up.........Could something like this be utilized anywhere within Disney?

And I believe that this particular school does have CP participation

Just a thought:shrug:

In my opinion if you are not sure try to do something very broad like a Degree in Liberal Arts. If you get a Degree in something like Crafts it may do more harm than good by locking you into a job the the field of Crafts.With something like Liberal Arts you can still do the Disney College Program and have a Degree but gives the you chance to apply to more roles.

 

[OilSlinger822]

if ur interested in something like arts, I'd definitely recommend doing a broader degree... not too concentrated in one area... another option is to get a general business degree..... there are tons and tons of jobs u could get with a business adm degree.... u could always double major too in art and business

 

[GhostHostMatt]

Does anyone happen to know the current starting wage at the World.

I know back in 06 in was $6.90

also, does anyone know what the union dues amount is, and how often it needs paying?

I'd like to be able to run my financial number crunching with up-to-date info



I am still taking into consideration the other comments

 

[zeroFantasy]

Ummm maybe I am wrong but can't you do any master's degree program no matter what your Bachelor's degree is? I've always heard it was like this but maybe all those people were wrong?

If it's right though then the hardest thing you'd have to do is study for GRE and then get into Master's program at UCF, work part time at Disney and make contacts . Some companies pay for your school too if you're in the right program. I have no idea if Disney does it though.


GhostHostMatt, when I left my CP in Jan'07, they just raised the pay a little bit, but I have no idea what it is. It must be something like $6.90 though.

 

[SeaBreeze]

Ummm maybe I am wrong but can't you do any master's degree program no matter what your Bachelor's degree is? I've always heard it was like this but maybe all those people were wrong?

I think that depends on what you're studying... you can't get a Masters in an engineering field unless you have a Bachelor's in engineering, or a closely related field.

To the OP: I was thinking along the same lines as the poster who mentioned college and doing a CP. I was actually thinking you might be interested in going to UCF, which has a huge variety of majors and you could easily take semesters to work at Disney or even be part time at both.

As for not being interested in any degrees, I don't think you should stay away from college because of that. Hardly anyone goes in being very interested in anything. I was always fascinated by WDW and the AAs and such, so I wound up in mechanical engineering (and had an awesome PI at WDW!) I'm probably bored by 80% of my field but during school I found a niche in it that I absolutely love. You just never know. And like others have said, if you still find yourself uninterested, get a broad degree in liberal arts or business. You won't regret having a Bachelors; it comes in handy even if you end up in a job in an entirely different field. Perhaps give UCF a look see? Can't hurt!

Keep us posted :wave:

 

[WDW77]

Many people get their BA in one area and their masters in another. I am doing just that. My undergrad was in criminal justice, and my masters will be in hospitality and tourism. I am attending UCF’s Rosen College. It’s a good place to network with current and former Disney leaders.

 

[GhostHostMatt]

As for not being interested in any degrees, I don't think you should stay away from college because of that. Hardly anyone goes in being very interested in anything. I was always fascinated by WDW and the AAs and such, so I wound up in mechanical engineering (and had an awesome PI at WDW!) I'm probably bored by 80% of my field but during school I found a niche in it that I absolutely love. You just never know.

Mechanical Engineering is one thing that has caught my interest on more than one occasion, mainly because of it's close ties with Robotics / Animatronics. Even with all the time that has passed, I still have a large interest in Robotics / Animatronics. If there would be anything I would go to college for, I think Mechanical Engineering would be it.

 

[jsdratm]

I am an engineer so I can help out here. Yeah, if you want to work with robotics, there are three main disciplines in engineering related to it: mechanical, electrical, and software/computer. For ride engineering in conventional roller coasters, most of the work is probably mechanical. However in themed rides with animatronics, you are seeing a lot of electrical and software controls.

I'd say that if you want to work on rides, mechanical or electrical are probably the best ways to go. Mechanical covers a lot of things used in rides, like pneumatics, hydraulics, and forces on structures. Electrical covers electric motors, electric controls, etc. Having knowledge in both areas would be ideal. In the future, I imagine that more and more rides will use extensive software, like the upcoming toy story mania.

 

[SeaBreeze]

Mechanical Engineering is one thing that has caught my interest on more than one occasion, mainly because of it's close ties with Robotics / Animatronics. Even with all the time that has passed, I still have a large interest in Robotics / Animatronics. If there would be anything I would go to college for, I think Mechanical Engineering would be it.

:sohappy: jsdratm hit the nail on the head with the engineering disciplines. I think the choice of mechanical vs electrical just depends on how your mind works. Electrical is like sci-fi for me but mechanical is so tangible to me that I went that route. Both get you to robotics though and that's definitely a huge part of engineering these days.

It sounds like you should hire on with Disney and explore your options. I met quite a few interns who were part time at UCF and part time at Disney. If you decide you like working at Disney but want a more backstage role, you can apply to UCF and be an engineer at Disney. WDW is an engineering marvel and I still can't believe that I got paid to see and do the things I did.

Whatever choice you make, I'm sure you won't regret it. :animwink: Keep us posted!

 

[GhostHostMatt]

It sounds like you should hire on with Disney and explore your options.
If you decide you like working at Disney but want a more backstage role, you can apply to UCF and be an engineer at Disney.

I like that Idea.

hmmmm
That is a very plausible situation. Of course, as with all situations, there is an equal chance of failing, but that's what makes this decision so much fun

:lol: I have a strange sense of humor sometimes...

but in all seriousness,
I think with the type of person I am and the way my mind works that the engineering discipline might be the best fit.


--and I posted these next questions earlier in this thread but I think they may have been overlooked--
Does anyone happen to know the current starting wage at the World.
I know back in 06 in was $6.90
also, does anyone know what the union dues amount is, and how often it needs paying?

I'd like to be able to run my financial number crunching with up-to-date info


*sigh* this decision of what to do is so difficult...I'm just not sure what to do