What do you do for a living?

He choose A&M because of the quality of the program offered there. The local experience was secondary to his career pursuits, and while Austin is a great place to live and go to school, it is not the center of the universe (I too, live in Austin). Having lived and traveled in many countries, you begin to realize that it is not the physical place that makes it special, but the people you meet along the way. I have fond memories of my time at McGill University in Montreal, PQ and all that the 2nd largest french speaking city in the world has to offer, and the wonderful memories of my time at the Universidade de Salamanca, in Spain, the third oldest active university in the world, and drank and sang in the tapa bars and clubs in the ancient buildings and square. I cherish the memories of the many, very eclectic and caring people I spent time with in the some 26 different countries I have traveled to. The tremendous history of this great and wonderful world is still awe inspiring, and although the physical wonders are inspiring, it is the people I meet along the way that make these places special, often unexpected places, like the remote deserts of Africa or the Middle East, Communist Countries in Eastern Europe, the wilds of the Canadian arctic, or the vast empty plains of the prairies, and yes, also in the Texas Capital of Austin. I carry those special memories with me wherever I go, and I am very confident that if my grandson is pursuing a career in a field he loves, that he too, will lead a fulfilled life, with many fond memories to carry with him throughout his life as well. College Station is only the beginning of his adult life, not the apex. UT and Austin, are safe and prosperous, and very much American, and while it is a nice place to go to school, work, and live, it is not an especially unique city in the grand scheme of things, and the people experiences it offers, while certainly enjoyable and satisfying, are not especially unique either.

 

Yeah, you're right. I was referring to Austin before it changed. For the worse. Before Sixth Street, before Liberty Lunch. Before Michael Dell. Before the tech industries moved in and drove up the cost of real estate and made it too expensive for most people to live. Before the traffic. Before it became just too...eclectic and stuffy. And before seemingly every out-of-state Gen X,Y,Z and millennial flocked to it and brought with them their ideas about how to reimagine our great state and made Austin too progressive, as if there was a time that it wasn't. Just not this...much.

Wish you could have seen it before that, through Native Texan eyes...

Oh yeah, almost forgot: My father received a full scholarship in '42 to play shortstop for the Aggies. He turned it down in favor of enlisting in the Naval Air Corp. Flew B25's and Corsairs as a Marine, later Sikorsky's in Korea. His best friend was Grady Hatton, later the manager and vice president of the Astros. They traded off playing shortstop and left field in high school. Grady played shortstop on scholarship too. At Texas. Dad said that if Texas would have offered him a scholarship instead of A&M he would not have enlisted until later. Texas didn't need two shortstops though. The rest is history.

 

I'm not sure how old you are, but I spent time in Austin in the mid seventies, it was a quaint little college town then, nothing unique, but a fun place non the less. I returned in the early 90's and Austin was beginning to grow into a real city, very typical of most mid western cities of the same size, but still a fun place. Throughout the 90's until I moved here permanently in 2015, I visited frequently, both for work, and pleasure. We actually decided to move here because it is still a very affordable place to live, and one of the reasons many people from California are moving here as well. Austinites don't know how good they have it when it comes to the cost of living here compared with many areas of the country. Yes, it isn't what Austin was 45 years ago when I first came here, but that's not such a bad thing. It has grown up and matured, but still maintained, at least until COVID hit, a safe and vibrant downtown, a pretty good park system, and easy access to DFW, Houston and SA, as well as the Hill Country. I'm not sure how long we will stay, I miss the ability to get out onto open Public lands and out on old fire and logging trails, backcountry lakes and streams, and something more than cedar and cactus to look at. I guess as long as my kids and grandkids are in Texas, we will remain.

 

It was a village experience, vibrant and small at the same time. We lived in a flat across the street from the UT campus, right by the law school. Closest house to Memorial Stadium. The Longhorns were ranked #1. Saturday football afternoons we parked as many of our friend's cars in the yard and on the street as we could. The party began early Saturday morning with brunch and ended late Sunday afternoon. I am told that I enjoyed every minute of it.

Even then Austin possessed a robust live music scene, of Threadgill origin. My roommate was the stage manager at the Austin Opry House after Christopher Cross resigned the position when his music career took off. Rodney was also stage manager for Pace Concerts Productions in the mid-70's, so I am blessed to have seen from backstage most of the bands whose tours necessarily came through Austin until about '81. I visit family in Nashville from time to time. I think I have the perspective to say that Nashville's live music scene approaches Austin's but does not come close to eclipsing it. That may be the one thing that has not been diminished by Austin's "ascendency". I have family that helps put together Austin's bi-yearly Texas Songwriter's Hall of Fame Induction weekend, so that keeps me as connected as I want to be with the music scene there.

The open road scenery experience you cite formerly began inside the NW city limits at the beginning of FM2222. That's gone. Developers saw to that. I dove hunted in SW Austin where the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association building now stands. Sprawl has ruined the "Bee Caves" experience. Expansion driven mostly by Texan-wanna-bees has cumulatively ruined most of that. But not my memory of what was before. Still, Austin on its worse day is better than College Station on its best day!

I saw the handwriting on the wall and got out. Now live where if you walk outside your front door at night on a new moon you can't see your hand in front of your face. And we like it that way. Twenty-seven miles to Walmart. Twelve miles to the nearest gas pump. No traffic. No traffic noise. No sirens. Total silence at night. Fourteen miles from the nearest law enforcement duty station, but most of the LEO's live in this creek bottom, so we are safe. Golf course in backyard. (Local VOTING station located in a garage of a house on the #14 fairway. Any guess which way we vote back in these woods? BOO-YAH!!!) Big Thicket National Preserve, its cypress sloughs and hiking trails, semi-wilderness primative camping and attendant timberlands across the street stretching for more that fifty miles, in 300+ degrees of the compass. A triple-tiered canopy, yet still underneath, somehow, an impenetrable wall of green. More species of flora and fauna than any other place in North America. Five of the six U.S. ecotones converge and mix here, known as the biological crossroads of America. Four of five of the world's insect-eating plants thrive here, no other place on the planet possesses as many. The greatest natural diversity in North America, provided by our Lord and Savior, not some Parks Department. No gangs, except for the AARP and the Men's Golf Association. Deer in the yard constantly throughout the day, squirrels tame enough to jump in your lap for an iced oatmeal cookie. Here a man can still feed his family off the land if he so desires, hunting and gathering on public lands and waters within a fifty mile radius. And all the backroads anyone could ever need. Some even lead to Austin, if we get the urge.

So we got this. Ya'll got Austin. Congratulations on what ya'll out-of-state carpetbaggers did to it. Peace. Out.

 

You sound pretty bitter about the changes, I’m glad you found a place to call home.

 

I didn’t want to say anything regarding this but since you keep talking it up, I challenge you to look up the programs current standing amongst other schools like Colorado or Georgia. The construction program HAD a reputation of making great students but lately they aren’t producing what they say they do. I say this from experience. College is college to me so I don’t care, but some guys think they are “smarter” just because they came from a certain school, but then suck when they get to the workforce.

 

I work in nuclear medicine. It is a small field. Usually only larger hospitals have them but the specific area in nuclear medicine (PET/CT) is more readily available. So if you're looking into medical, it's a good paying job. Nuclear Medicine is a department in Radiology by the way.

 

Yeah, you can call it that. Not every Texan is happy about taking in your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free and wear a pair of lizard skin Tony Llamas. And all of the accompanying baggage that influx brings with it, and the regretful possibility of change it portends for our Texas way of life. The rest of the country can reimagine itself, but we ain't reimagining Texas. See you at the polls Beto.

 

Nothing personal, but you're 22 and haven't even seen much of what a career is. There's nothing wrong with the trades; too few want to be in them now, so in 25 more years who's gonna be building houses or welding steel? You won't get instant gratification in any career, there's dues to pay one way or the other to get into the more pay/less work level. In the trades, you have an apprenticeship and journeyman level before you can hope to be a master; in "professional" jobs, you've got to get the education and degree. Then you have to start entry level and forget everything you learned in college and slog your way up the ladder. Don't expect good money for what you're doing for at least ten years after you start, and that only after busting your ass to prove yourself.

I retired a year ago after 36 years as a Surgical Nurse (RN). I've also worked in the trades (journeyman carpenter), in manufacturing (upholstered furniture) and the military, and I've had a few jobs that there wasn't really a category for and weren't worth remembering after I quit. I went to Nursing school on a recommendation from someone who saw that I had potential in that field; I'd probably not have picked it for myself, but it was a good career. I even carried it over to the 8 years I spent in the USAFR as a Flight Nurse.

Look at all the things out there you are interested in, and have some understanding of. Investigate what the pay is like for them and what the requirements are to get into the field. Then pick one and put everything you have into making it work for you.

 

You are right, some people think that graduating from school is the apex, rather than the starting point. We see this in healthcare as well. The A&M Architecture school is only rated 7th nationally, and Texas Tech appears to have a better CS program in Texas. However, it is still ranked in the top 10% overall, and for my grandson, the full scholarship gives him the opportunity that he wouldn't otherwise had. For some finances aren't an issue, but it is in our family. Having 4 kids, I am still paying off student loans for them, and my wife's daughter is still in Dental School at $100,000/yr. With his mom being a single parent, the scholarship was mana from heaven. In addition to being in the Corps, he is working for the University driving bus while in school to provide his spending money. He is smart and motivated, he was an Eagle Scout, has his Welding Certificate, is a licensed diver, and is very good with motorcycle mechanics, as well as having experience working as a ranch hand. He has had the opportunity to travel, both throughout the US, and internationally. He has a high level of maturity for a 20 year old kid and has plans to enroll in Stanford once he completes his undergraduate at A&M as part of the Officers training program in the Navy. Although A&M may not have the best program, right now it is the best program for him, and I don't think a degree from A&M will hurt his career path too significantly as he moves ahead. One thing for sure, he is certainly miles ahead of where I was at when I was his age.

 

I can tell you are very proud of him, and with good reason. He sounds like a great kid! Construction programs with any school are all about opportunity. We are all given the opportunity to network and grow as a person before we even graduate. They essentially set you up to succeed in a way that can’t be compared to other college programs. The material taught is basically the same through the nation. It’s how well that student is able to use the resources available that will determine how high they succeed. Tell him to participate in the “national competitions”. Each big school has it. I did it as a junior and got 5 job offers before the convention was over. As a junior!

 

I did this backwards. I earned a four year degree and after I got into the trades. I started the local commercial carpenters apprenticeship, became journeyman , foreman and now I’m a Commercial Superintendent. I work 40 hours, support our family and my Wife is a stay at home Mom. Don’t let society pull the wool over your eyes when trades are discussed. Plenty of opportunities.

My typical schedule is 6 am to 2:30 Monday-Friday. 40 hour week. I can mountain bike everyday after work and still be home before dinner.

 

IT does suck. The pay is great and it's helped me through 3 expensive divorces but if you deal with data center, etc... it's 24x7x365. I can't remember the last time I've been unplugged. I bring my computer on vacation, camping, wheeling and I always have to be satellite connected in case they need to reach me. I guess that's really because of the position though, not necessarily all of IT. But, and I've been telling my kids this for a while, whatever you choose I would recommend that it be something that when you leave work for the day you don't have to think about it again until you're on your way to work the next day. Quality of life is more important than salary. Hopefully I'm done in a couple more years and won't have to deal with it anymore.

 

I have to agree, Nursing had its good points, but it depends on where you end up in the myriad of specialties within the profession. When I started out (I graduated from Nursing school in 1983), a two-year Associate Degree was all you needed. Once you passed your licensing exam, you could go most anywhere and get a job, there was a big shortage at the time. Now, the entry level is a Bachelor's Degree; many places will still hire you with an Associate Degree, but stipulate that you must complete the BSN within a set time period (usually 2 years), or out the door you go. Advanced practice used to be a BSN and preferably a Masters, but many are moving to doctoral level (PhD) to get into the positions. This is in many of the similar disciplines also, like Physical Therapy. However, these positions also offer the best salaries and autonomy. A CRNA (Nurse Anesthetist) with a Masters (MSN) can make in the $75-$85K /year range, a PhD CRNA can start at $100K and top out around $150-$165K, that's in NC.

The downside to Nursing, or healthcare in general, is regulation. There are more ways to screw the pooch than you can imagine, and it's gotten to the point that sometimes you feel you can't follow one set of rules without violating another set, and all that takes you away from what you're there for, to take care of your patients. generally, the work environment is okay, at least where I was, but it's still a female dominated profession and I found it to be a bit catty at times. I'm not trying to be antifeminist or sexist, but there is a distinct difference in how a male approaches a job in terms of mindset, than a woman does, and sometimes it clashes. Also, in circumstances like we're in today, the clinical environment can pose a threat to your own health, depending on what you do. I spent most of my career in the O.R., a tightly controlled environment, but I got out just in time, I think, from conversations I've had with the people who I once worked with daily, who are still there.

 

Shout-out to any of those who work in a profession they are proud to work in, but also don't like telling people what you do.

(That's not a knock on this thread. Just acknowledging those professions like that).

 

Our parents didn't work this hard. I remember my dad was home at 3:45 every afternoon and had time to invest in his kids. Eight weeks paid vacation. Mobil matched him share for purchased share. Excellent retirement. Mobil still pays ALL of his medical expenses through their excellent Medicare supplement. His late afternoons and weekends were spent being a "soccer mom": swim team, gymnastics, dance, Scouts, Little League, camping, fishing, yearly family vacations. We were blessed to have a father who worked for a company that cared about their employees and their families. This was all before the Exxon merger. He retired at 58, comfortable and financially secure, right before the merger. Those he knew that stayed were miserable. Exxon screwed the pooch. That's about the time that companies started demanding your soul in addition to your service. We have all worked harder since then.

The Trades indeed have something to offer anyone who places quality of life high in their value system. Through the years the bean counters and management slowly got us to keep our nose to the grindstone so we couldn't notice that quality of life was slipping away. Now people seem to accept that you live to work, not work to live. The trades offer a person latitude in choosing when you work that career employees do not enjoy. I have friends that work shut-downs and turn-arounds for six months a year and then take six months off. They earn into the six figures, in addition to massive per diem compensation. WHATEVER you choose as your career path, think of your children first. Choose a career that gives you balance of life, if not for yours, for theirs. One of my greatest blessings was my father's career decision that allowed me to enjoy the company and undivided attention of a full-time father. There are no gravestones bearing the words "I wish I would have worked more and fished less".

 

Couldn’t agree more and it is one of the reasons I got out of IT after 18 years in the industry. I have never regretted making the career change, now I work at home, set my own hours, and no weekend or evening work.

 

Fish truck?

 

Same here. Work from home in shorts and tee-shirt. Business attire mostly by Magellan and BCG! Still, long days: in the office by 4am and NEVER get finished. Could work 7 days a week, and usually do. Such is owning your own business. That tethers me here, more than I would like. That's okay though, because my father, thankfully, now sits eight feet away from me, he now 97, and I get to enjoy his company here in the office sixteen hours a day. My second job is now being a 24-hour caregiver. He's got the onset of dementia. He put up with my shit, I think I can give him my best now for as long as he needs it. He was the one that made the greater sacrifice. For me. There will be time enough, later, hopefully much later, to fish.

 

WHAT A BLESSED LIFE!!! Spending time with your dad and you giving back to him!!!!!! This speaks volumes of your character!!