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Itchy Boobs
Posts: 360
 
| I'd like some advice from some of you adults out there. I'm almost 18 a home schooled high school senior and i have been looking into colleges and starting to get serious about things. I'm stuck on choosing a career for one but i know im young and i have time to choose but with college coming up i need to start making some decisions. Is college rodeo worth it? I plan on going to a local community college for my first 2 years and then transferring. I would love to go out of state and college rodeo but its easier said than done. I have also considered running WPRA and taking online courses as an option. I do have several really nice horses but im curious about what it takes and some of you guys personal experiences. Also what are some good career choices? Thanks! |
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Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
Location: Oklahoma | I changed my major once, twice? Maybe even three times? I started out as AgEd, then went AgEcon after my first semester (scholarship reasons) and then went AgBusiness with a minor in finance because I didn't find out what I loved until my last year (pretty much everything up until your last two semester was the same).
I would certainly suggest going to college. I think you'll love the experience of meeting all different kinds of people. Start out with just some basics until you get some ideas gathered up as what direction to take. You can't take too much time or you'll be wasting you money.
Do you have any type of ideas on what you want to do after college? |
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Itchy Boobs
Posts: 360
| I'm definitely going to college. I'm not exactly sure what i wanna do though. I love riding and training horses its all i have ever done pretty much. However i know that's not a career i have looked into dental hygiene and becoming a nurse but im still unsure. |
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I Really Love Jeans
Posts: 3173
 
Location: North Dakota | Nursing pays well, make sure you are an RN. If you want to go bigger get an Animal Science degree and apply to vet school. or get a masters degree in Animal Science with an equine speciality and you can teach for a University or work for the AQHA etc...What you have to think about is how far your career path will take you. A nurse (RN) will get paid more and more as you pile on years of experience. A dental hygenist will top out after a few years and you can't make a full lifetime career out of it. You are very young but building a future for YOU is the best decision you will ever make! Horses can come later after the schooling is done! With a solid career you will have enough money to have horses! |
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Veteran
Posts: 269
| Have you taken a career aptitude test? You can find several online. They will help you find a career that fits your personality, which I think is very important in enjoying what you do. |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | Can't help you on the career as I am still struggling. My advice would be to look for jobs right now, and see what peaks your interest. See what education these jobs require. Also, get into a focused degree. Like, I did IT with a specialization in Administrative Management; I liked how broad it was. Hate that now. I would recommend a well known degree, like accounting for example. I have noticed many uses for an accounting degree (like office mgmt). Also, think about what jobs are available in the city you want to live in (big vs. small).
On another note, I really enjoyed college rodeo. A million times better than HS rodeo. If you have a competitive horse, I recommend it. Making it to the college finals was a great experience. |
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 Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
Location: N Texas | If you're unsure about the career path you want to take, I suggest taking basic courses that can go towards just about any degree. Any degree you choose will need classes like math, English, history, etc. Start getting your basics in and then take your specialized classes once you figure out what you want to do. If you can just never decide, get a general business degree.
Where I work, it was required to have a bachelors degree of some sort, didn't really matter in what. I majored in psychology and now work in accounting...go figure. A lot of people don't use their degrees for its intended purpose, so be careful getting a super specialized degree. |
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 Always Off Topic
Posts: 6382
Location: ND | if you have no idea on what career path you want to take, consider looking for a job that involves horses....you can always go to school and, imo, it doesn't pay to waste the money on college unless you have a good idea what the end goal is....also......look at what different opportunities various votech schools offer....might find something you are interested in and there are plenty of companies that pay for students to go through certain programs and then have a job right after grad....... |
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Veteran
Posts: 116
| You definitely can make a career out of training and riding horses! How do you think all the top horse professionals get by? From winning the lottery? No. They believed they could do it and worked hard to get what they wanted! Whether you tell yourself you can or can't do something... You are right!
If you want to train horses for a living.. Instead of going to college find a good horse trainer who would be willing to take you on as an intern. Many places provide room, board and food, as well as a small stipend. You will get to learn hands on.. Riding many different horses. An internship is like college for horse people. Do this with multiple trainers, and eventually you will be able to take on clients and build your reputation up.
If you don't want a career with horses that's fine too. Remember to dream big, and if you love something enough the money will come later :) |
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 Twister Survivor
Posts: 1270
Location: Minnesota | angelica - 2014-02-27 12:15 PM Nursing pays well, make sure you are an RN. If you want to go bigger get an Animal Science degree and apply to vet school. or get a masters degree in Animal Science with an equine speciality and you can teach for a University or work for the AQHA etc...What you have to think about is how far your career path will take you. A nurse (RN) will get paid more and more as you pile on years of experience. A dental hygenist will top out after a few years and you can't make a full lifetime career out of it. You are very young but building a future for YOU is the best decision you will ever make! Horses can come later after the schooling is done! With a solid career you will have enough money to have horses!
^^ I don't agree with this...I work in dental hygiene and I don't see myself "topping out" after a few years and not being able to continue my career? I love working in dental hygiene, its a GREAT way to support your horse hobby! I work mon-thurs, get paid VERY well, and have evenings and weekends free to do whatever I like! The schooling is tough to get threw, you have to be committed. I ran a bit while I was in school, had to take about 6 months off from it though. Education is definitely more important IMO than trying to go to school just to rodeo. I would definitely shadow someone around you in either hygiene or nursing if you're considering that too. Just remember, nurses are on call and work weekends |
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 Regular
Posts: 60
Location: Oklahoma | I know you asked the adults for advise, but I cant help putting in my opinion. lol I am currently in college and although Im not huge on the social aspect of it, theres so many people that are. The experience is great for so many people. Dont miss it. I also dont college rodeo, but I live at home (15 mins from my university) and rodeo independently. A lot of people really like college rodeo though, when choosing a college, take a look at their rodeo program as well. Talk to the coach, etc.
As for majors, these days it seems like the most important thing is to at least have a degree. If you want a specific career, then go for it! But if your not sure, just pick a general degree (for scholarship reasons, dont choose undecided for a degree). you can always change later on. I am an ag business major and have considered ag communications and animal science as well. As you start going through school you will talk to advisors and etc that wil aid you in finding what you want to do later in life. So dont panic! just take one step at a time: choose a college, pick a major, just go for it! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 685
Location: Arkansas | I went to a Community College my first two years out of high school and college rodeod. It was definitely tough; I was in the roughest region (competing against girls like Taylor Jacobs and Liz Combs.) I had a blast, learned a lot and made some wonderful memories, but it is entirely too expensive and I feel that the only way to make it worth it is to make it to the finals.
As for my career path, I went from vet, to vet tech, to ag science degree, to physical therapy and finally to a radiologic technologist... and Im not sure Ill stick with that!! I graduate in May, but I want to specialize in something. Just remember to have fun and enjoy it!! If something interests you, research it... go observe somewhere! Learn what the real day to day stuff is before you fully commit to a career... and good luck!! |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| Call around and try to set up some job shadowing in fields you're interested in. I'm a commodity trader and our office is willing to take on high school or college students who want to come in for a couple days and see what we do. I'm not sure how privacy laws will affect your ability to shadow in a medical setting, but it's worth a phone call.
If you know you want to go to college, I would start with some basic requirements, talk to counselors, see how long you have before you need to declare a major. Even if you decide to make horses your career, at least a two year degree in business or accounting will come in handy. Too many businesses, equine and otherwise go under because people don't know how to manage their money and their business.
Rodeo is going to depend entirely on the school and region you're in. The two schools I have experience with, Purdue and MSU are worlds apart. Purdue you're on your own to finance it, from horse to rig to entries etc. Oh and in the Ozark region, the closest rodeo is about 4 hours away in Kentucky with most being farther south. Michigan State has a better club and they help out with expenses and provide a trailer, but you're still about 8 hours from your closest rodeo. Those crazy kids still go though, haha. I know west of the Mississippi the college rodeo culture is bigger and you'll probably have more help from the school, but thats something to think about for sure. If you live in a good circuit for WPRA you may actually have less money invested in running that circuit than college rodeo depending on how spread out they are and what kind of help you'd get from the school.
If you decide not to go into horses as a career - do some research and see what job fields are steady or growing at a maintainable rate. Average and starting pays, etc. Money isn't everything, but when you want to support a horse habit it sure helps. I personally think it's better to be content in your job and be able to financially support what you love than to love your job and have to choose between your grocery bill or your feed bill... |
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 Expert
Posts: 1430
Location: Montana | Longneck - 2014-02-27 10:50 AM
I changed my major once, twice? Maybe even three times? I started out as AgEd, then went AgEcon after my first semester (scholarship reasons) and then went AgBusiness with a minor in finance because I didn't find out what I loved until my last year (pretty much everything up until your last two semester was the same).
I would certainly suggest going to college. I think you'll love the experience of meeting all different kinds of people. Start out with just some basics until you get some ideas gathered up as what direction to take. You can't take too much time or you'll be wasting you money.
Do you have any type of ideas on what you want to do after college?
I'd agree with this - don't worry too much about not having a major. Think about it, yes. But don't worry.
I might disagree slightly with the idea that taking classes you don't use in your major in the end is "wasting money" because you will use everything you learn in life. ;-) However, it is true that a 5th year will cost more. However, it's not uncommon either.
The main point, however, is really important. Go to a regular old on-campus college, don't do that online thing. College is fun. Probably the most fun you'll have in your life - unless of course you spend it staring at a computer screen. And that fun isn't without real value - you will learn a lot outside the classroom and you will make friendships that you do not want to miss out on.
College rodeo is good, if you can pull it off without compromising your studies. You can run barrels for years but you only get one shot at the great luxury of college - a time you get to focus most of your energy on learning and mostly just learning stuff you like. It really is a special time - make the most of it! |
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Expert
Posts: 1430
Location: Montana | mystiboo - 2014-02-27 3:19 PM
You definitely can make a career out of training and riding horses! How do you think all the top horse professionals get by? From winning the lottery? No. They believed they could do it and worked hard to get what they wanted! Whether you tell yourself you can or can't do something... You are right!
If you want to train horses for a living.. Instead of going to college find a good horse trainer who would be willing to take you on as an intern. Many places provide room, board and food, as well as a small stipend. You will get to learn hands on.. Riding many different horses. An internship is like college for horse people. Do this with multiple trainers, and eventually you will be able to take on clients and build your reputation up.
If you don't want a career with horses that's fine too. Remember to dream big, and if you love something enough the money will come later :)
While I'd love to see more horse trainers out there . . . I think the OP has a good point.
I'd have to say a lot of trainers have won the inheritance lotto and don't make it good living to survive. Don't assume all the ones with big names or fancy places earned it all the hard way. |
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Itchy Boobs
Posts: 360
| I would love to just train horses and rodeo for a living. However i want a career and just training horses on the side is more practical for me. My parents want me to go to college and get a degree and career. Don't get me wrong they're big into horses and support me rodeoing but its not really a career option. They're fine with me college rodeoing as long as school work comes first. |
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 Hugs to You
Posts: 7550
Location: In The Land of Cotton | rodeochick123 - 2014-02-28 11:50 AM I would love to just train horses and rodeo for a living. However i want a career and just training horses on the side is more practical for me. My parents want me to go to college and get a degree and career. Don't get me wrong they're big into horses and support me rodeoing but its not really a career option. They're fine with me college rodeoing as long as school work comes first.
You parents might not like this answer, but the typical 4 year college with a basic business degree isn't the end all be all. There are lots of trade school degrees that make more money and could be more satisfying. And a whole lot cheaper too. As mentioned, see if shadowing somewhere would work. Dispatching trucks, office work, human resources, plant work at a local plant, electrical, heating and cooling, etc etc. A 4 year degree doesn't make you any better then someone with a trade. And, you usually make more money quicker. And, it costs a whole lot less. Take your time and if you feel like it just do a local college, with basics, your first year. Good luck. And, remember, you are never too old to change directions. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 560
Location: Where the buffalo roam | As several on here have stated, you will more than likely change majors several times during your college career and often you end of working in a field that has absoutely nothing to do with what you get your degree in. I have a sociology/criminal justice degree and have never used it. I work as an executive in the banking industry and currently have an employee with an engineering degree that ended up really disliking the field once she got into it and not she now works in our loan department. One thing I have always suggested people do is to not just jump into college out of high school (I know this won't sit well with a lot of parents), but I ended up jumping from college to college and then took a year off to finally get a look at life. I wasted a lot of my parent's money and probably would have been better off to go the trade school route. That said, a college degree (regardless of what it is in) will open doors as employers often look at the fact that you have a degree as a plus. As for college rodeo, I had a blast, but if you're not on the team at a particular college I found you were always on the outside looking in. I'm sure that is not everyone's experience. It is expensive and you really have to be dedicated to your school work in order to keep up and rodeo at the same time. Looking back, I would have been better off to just do amateur or pro rodeos during the summer months and devote my time to my schooling. Best of luck in whatever you choose. |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| rodeochick123 - 2014-02-27 11:55 AM I'm definitely going to college. I'm not exactly sure what i wanna do though. I love riding and training horses its all i have ever done pretty much. However i know that's not a career i have looked into dental hygiene and becoming a nurse but im still unsure.
Emily Miller is a dental hygienist, I believe. I read an article on her this year. She made the NFR this year. Check her out. She is on Instagram and Facebook. |
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  Fact Checker
Posts: 16572
Location: Displaced Iowegian | LOL .... this thread is from 2014 .... Hopefully, Jamie has found a career path by now ..... |
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