Can someone like me succeed in HVAC?

[newbie001]

Hi, im currently in college and not going so well and I was debating on whether to maybe go to Trade School if my next semester doesn't go well.

Only thing is, I don't have a mechanical background. How bad would I suffer from this? Im sure I can learn, no?

[RayD8630]

Attitude is everything.

Im sure you can easily do good at your college course too. Just tell yourself youre not going to let it kick your butt and study harder.

Hardly anyone these days gets into this with a mechanical background. It would all depend on how willing you are to learn the tools and to some extent if you have the kinesthetics to learn how to master them.

Go find some stuff to take a part. Then put it back together. Does it still work? Thats a good test.

[Tommy knocker]

Yes you can to answer your question. Would you? Don't know. If you asked me if you could succeed at college I would say yes you can. Both paths are yours to walk. You either will or you won't. I will tell you that although I love this trade it is punishing. It's work. Physical and mental work out in the weather. The hotter it is the longer you will be out in it. The colder it is the longer you will be out in it. Working. Climbing ladders, packing tools, dragging hose, running cords, laying in snow, standing in water, cooking in the sun, freezing in the wind. Not trying to scare you but make no mistake you'll earn your living. Like I said I love it but then agin I've been told I'm nuts on more then one occasion.

[timebuilder]

I believe that success is based on a combination of attitude and aptitude.

The mental work of heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration is just as challenging as technical subjects in college. You MUST be able to grasp a portion of physics, and you MUST have at least a rudimentary understanding of electricity.

The question for you is this: do you have what it takes to buckle down and learn a trade the way it needs to be learned to be successful?

[energy star]

http://www.manufacturing.net/article...ied-jobseekers

[HvacBry]

Your a college student, so you know what it means to study.

Its the same in trade school. you have to develop study habits.

I have had to learn study concepts from my daughter. but its going well.

I am in hvac Trade school. so far so good. while i have a mechanical background, i have never done anything in hvac.
but in trade school they are going to start you out like you dont know anything to begin with, if your not experienced with tools, no worry, labs are going to get you familiar in that resepct.

If you dont want to buck down and dedicate to it, then much like college, trade school will be a waste of your time.

At my school. they want students that want to come to class to learn, not to earn.

can earn nothing if you dont learn the basics first.

Anyone can learn, as long as they have the desire.

We just tested today for our mod 2 finals, lets just say this old guy suprised himself. i not the top of my class, but am far from the bottom so far.

If i can do it, then anyone can.

GO FOR IT !!!

[HvacBry]

My bad double post

[Tommy knocker]

Your a college student, so you know what it means to study.

Its the same in trade school. you have to develop study habits.

I have had to learn study concepts from my daughter. but its going well.

I am in hvac Trade school. so far so good. while i have a mechanical background, i have never done anything in hvac.
but in trade school they are going to start you out like you dont know anything to begin with, if your not experienced with tools, no worry, labs are going to get you familiar in that resepct.

If you dont want to buck down and dedicate to it, then much like college, trade school will be a waste of your time.

At my school. they want students that want to come to class to learn, not to earn.

can earn nothing if you dont learn the basics first.

Anyone can learn, as long as they have the desire.

We just tested today for our mod 2 finals, lets just say this old guy suprised himself. i not the top of my class, but am far from the bottom so far.

If i can do it, then anyone can.

GO FOR IT !!!

Those study habits are not just for school. I started in this trade in 1989 and I study more now then I did then. The industry changes fast and you better be prepared to keep up. I haven't done residential work in a few years and I would be lost on a new residential system today. I learn everyday.

[HvacBry]

Yes sir.
I have gotten it in my head that from here on out the learning is never going to stop.

I myself like to learn new things. So i feel i am in the right place.

I hope the OP jumps in and gives it a go.

[RayD8630]

I think OP is just having a rough spot. We all get them. Even those of us in trade school. I have problems remembering electrical mathematics.

Some people think trade school is an easy option, Google highest paying trades, and end up here.

[HvacBry]

I think OP is just having a rough spot. We all get them. Even those of us in trade school. I have problems remembering electrical mathematics.

Some people think trade school is an easy option, Google highest paying trades, and end up here.

I agree. Trade school has been brutal!!

At least this last mod was.

But its the best thing i ever got myself into.

[FL.HVAC]

I am sure you could do our trade. But like others have said... you have to want to do it. And you will earn your living. Be prepared to study all the time. I just recently switched from mechanic to controls and it starts all over again with learning. You really have to love it i think. Otherwise in 5 years you will be asking your self why you decided to go through school.

[jmac00]

Hi, im currently in college and not going so well and I was debating on whether to maybe go to Trade School if my next semester doesn't go well.

Only thing is, I don't have a mechanical background. How bad would I suffer from this? Im sure I can learn, no?

dude, Im 58, my back is killing me, my knees hurt, my fingers have arthritis and my eyes are going south faster than my .....nevermind.

If I had it to do over again, I would stay in college study 28/8 until my GPA equaled my BAC

This business will kick your butt and spit you out broken. And if your not really mechanically inclined, even with a great attitude you may have problems with sheet metal, how are you with electricity and electronics. have you ever tried to run a new thermostat wire down a wall, from a second floor.

How are you at sales? you like talking to strangers and convincing them to spend $8000-$12000 on a HVAC system

Just say'n

[mason]

Hi, im currently in college and not going so well and I was debating on whether to maybe go to Trade School if my next semester doesn't go well.

Only thing is, I don't have a mechanical background. How bad would I suffer from this? Im sure I can learn, no?

Everyone's different and has different experiences. That being said...

I had a full scholarship to the University of Louisville. My parents wanted me to go pre-med, so I did, I had no idea what I really wanted to do and felt like school was a waste though, I was always very physical(football, rugby) and I was smart, I wanted to do something that involved both. Dropped out and started working various jobs, ended up in HVAC at 19 and I've been hooked since.

If you are tough, love the feeling of a days hard work when you get home, naturally inclined to succeed at this occupation and want to learn to get better everyday... You will succeed in this field.

I would a recommend a summer working as a minimum wage helper and getting your but kicked on installs to see what you think of it. You might just need something like that to get you a little more "motivated" to succeed at school and find something you want a degree and career in.

[timebuilder]

dude, Im 58, my back is killing me, my knees hurt, my fingers have arthritis and my eyes are going south faster than my .....nevermind.

That's a good point.

I'm surprised how many guys I talk to that are less than half my age with those same complaints. I guess I'm genetically lucky.

Maybe the best advice has been passed around for many years: "choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."

[drife678]

You can do it if you want it? Depends how bad YOU want it. HVAC has its easy times, driving between calls, but has its brutal times, (rooftops- no heat wind blowing 0 degrees)

[supertek65]

If you are mechanically inclined, good at math and science, hard working then you can make it.