I've been trying to pursue my bachelor's degree in Architecture at the UW by first getting my associates at a local community college in order to get the prerequisite classes out of the way. I got my AA in the Arts in June and I've been taking a couple prerequisite Architecture classes at UW for the last semester. For the last three years I've been a full-time student while working full-time through college and maintaining a steady 3.5. I'm only 20 and I'm sick of the stress in going to school, working, and dishing out thousands of dollars every couple months... I've totally lost all motivation in trying to get a degree and really don't find the whole college atmosphere too appealing (I don't drink, I've been with my girlfriend for almost 5 years, and I golf whenever I can so I'm rarely on campus). I've decided that I want to pursue a career in Golf (my first true love and where I feel I can be truly happy working ). I've looked into the PGCC and the SDGA and don't know what else I should look into. I've also read several other topics about golf colleges in the last couple of days.

I golf as much as I can but still don't have an established handicap. I consistently shoot mid to low 70s so I should get a handicap soon since they are required. I'm really interested in the PGCC in Temecula but I just wanted to see what you guys think I should do in my current situation... Any help would be appreciated

Please don't take this as being an A-hole move, I truly want to give you "my" best advice. Majoring in "Golf" is a stupid choice for almost everyone.
1. Basically, you are spending an enormous amount of time and money to put all you eggs in one basket. If it works out for you, great. If not, a degree in golf is just about worthless in any other profession.
2. The Bright Side - just about any degree will get you into to the golf business. In particular, I would recommend a degree in business. With a degree in business, you have a lot of options, including within the golf world.

Statistically, you are likely to change careers at least once. Why not keep your options open?

Good Luck,

Bill

This might sound funny but I already tried business in my first year and I couldn't take it... The finance classes never made any sense to me (BUS 210, 220, AND 230) . I'm totally out of ideas when it comes to back-up plans.

Golf Architecture??? Maybe. Seems like it would combine two things that have an interest in

Stay in School... Proven Fact that College Grads make much more money.

http://www.thebizofknowledge.com/2006/10/c...more_money.html

How about teaching or criminal justice? There will always be a need for teachers and cops.

Almost nobody I know works in the original field of study.
My guidelines for getting out of college:
1. Don't major in something you are horrible at or hate;
2. When possible, avoid foreign professors. If the tell the class, "this is the first class I teach in America." You should change classes immediately;
3. If there are different teachers for the same class, try to get in the one they place the football/basketball players in.
4. Try to graduate in "something" as quickly as possible. A different "major" is unlikely to matter. Graduate first, change careers second. You will make more money in the long run.

Whatever you do Huskie....stay the course....a degree proves one thing to a potential employer....committment to following through! That's the bottom line! Best of luck to you!

Those are definitely the golden rules for skating through school.

I recommend checking out websites like http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/

There's a gazillion other sites like those (I believe social networking sites have the same thing) and that is by far the easiest way to find the most lenient professor on campus.

I'm kind of in the same place as the original poster, I just took fewer classes for a semester and golfed more. It was a nice way to recharge.

Actually that argument has been disporved.

The figures show that your earn more if you get a college degree, but those figures are skewed due to the fact that smart people feel pressured to go to college and would make the same amount of money if the did or did not attend college.

"Who's to say that if more of the county's brightest young people chose work experience over the pressure to attend an elite (and expensive) university that they--and the world--would not be richer? Our microcosm of America's wealthiest would indeed prove that to be the case: The average net worth of Forbes 400 members without a college degree is 6.6% higher than members with a degree." Forbes

LOL

What kind of silly argument is that?

College is not for everybody. I think our society pushes people into college that should not/don't need to go to college. I think it depends a great deal on what you are going to be doing. I know I could not be doing what I'm in graduate school for now (orthopaedic tissue engineering) by getting "real world experience", but that does not mean everyone should be in college. The best advice I can give is to find something you can be passionate about and pursue it. I am making peanuts compared to my friends who graduated at the same time as me but I am very satisfied with my work and have no desire to change. Money is not everything and shouldn't be the only metric you use to make your life decisions.

Also, don't just give up on what you wanted to do because it is stressful and tough. It is only a couple of years compared to the rest of your life and in the long run its likely to be worth it if you like architecture. Sometimes we have to invest in ourselves by putting up with a tough couple of years to improve our situation for the rest of our life. Good luck with your decision.

"Sometimes I do what I want to do, the rest of the time I do what I have to do"

Thanks for all the advice guys. To rdbivyleagun, Architecture was a small passion of mine. I've always been great at Art and Math and I always found Architecture to be a perfect combination of both. But the more I got into the program the more I didn't feel like it was right for me. The fact that it was stressful was due to the fact that I'm working so much to put myself through college and I don't have much time for homework. I too have kinda felt pressured into going to college even though I don't necessarily like it. These last three years have been really tough and I need a break. I've been in college EVERY quarter and semester since I graduated high school in 05 (even full time schooling during the summer) and I'm totally burnt out....

I try not to think about the money but its hard. I just wanna do something that will make me happy (and being around golf does that).

To Onebulldogs, I've always thought about teaching a high school calculus class. I've always had a passion for Calculus. Its always been in the back of my mind. I'm just thinking of going to the PGCC and if that doesn't work out then go back to school to become a teacher. I just need a break.

I've read many different opinions on this topic and I've heard very few opinions from people who've attended the PGCC and how it worked out for them. I've heard to many people say it was stupid and pointless but didn't state a reason as to why. I'd like to hear more opinions from people who've done the program and what they did soon thereafter. All the advice you guys have given me so far has been great

That figure is probably impacted unfairly by two things:
a) Bill Gates' enormous wealth.
b) People who inherit great wealth.

Good luck with your choice.

If you want to get in the golf business, go do it. You can always find a job at the local/area clubs and potentially work into an Assistant Professional position. I agree, you should probably slow the schoolwork down if you're burned out but stay committed to getting some kind of a degree. I put zero faith and credibility into the "golf schools". As a PGA professional I know that golf facilities are looking for qualified and professional candidates to work at their facilities, but most importantly we are looking for passionate hard workers because that is excatly what is needed to stay the course in golf. If you get into the golf business and love it and put yourself into the position of becoming a Head Golf Professional, I promise you the lack of a college degree will only keep you down. Good luck!

I think pursuing your passion is very important, and I think it would be awesome to teach part-time if you're good at it and love it. But when you begin to factor in longevity in your career as well as stability and security, I would assume architecture, or any other profession requiring post-undergraduate studies, would be a far better option. Higher education is a damn pain in the a**, but its a sound investment. 'Wasting those thousands' on tuition will reap huge returns later on down the road, trust me. I thought college was a joke and totally slacked off, but once I figured out what I wanted to do, even though I hated studying, I did it to get to where I am now. Don't give up! Higher education is what separates you from the millions of other stressfully employed folks who can't move up due to their lack of higher education.

Ok, back to studying for an exam....

Good luck brotha!!

I think you should ask yourself why you want to do this? Is it to play more golf or do you really just want to work in the game? And what are your expectations with regard to money? With the exception of a few didfferent types of golf jobs, there really is not alot of money in golf. But there are long hours and not alot of play. Figure out why you want to do this first.

Get a degree, any college degree. Architecture is one of the more stressful and demanding degrees and I can understand your frustration. So perhaps there is an alternative that is less of a bear.

If you want to stay in golf for a long time, the best jobs that I'm aware of are along the following lines: Director of..., Chairman of..., Head..., etc.

The general educational requirements for these types of positions are as follows:

Sports Management, business or closely related degree...Bachelors degree in Business Management or related field (graduate degree preferred)...bachelors degree and X years experience...

In other words, unless you have a situation that is making completion of your degree an impossibility (like a medical condition, severe financial hardship, or familial responsibilities) then I think it always pays to tough it out. Easy for me to say, cause my college days are behind me, but college education rarely if ever hurts your prospects.

Cheers,
Tim

I kind of get where you are....My suggestion is (and this is only a suggestion) take a semester off (or 2), work at a club (high end pay to play or private would be better), as a ranger or in the shop or as a cart guy and look at the business from that point of view. This will allow you to save some money (if your only expenses are school related) and work on your game for free of very, very cheap. the golf business is a hard one, difficult to break into, with little reward and a lot of BS. Im not saying it's impossible, just that it is a cutthroat business.
You could also keep your current job and just take some time off, concentrating in saving some $ and working on your game.
I think the key here is for you to take some time off from school, so you can come back to it with more energy and the desire to finish up. Getting a degree is one of the top 3 most important things you'll ever do. You can decide to take 2 semesters off, or however long you like the key is going back and finishing your degree while you're still young (because doing it as an old fart sucks!-experience talking here.) so you can explore all your avenues later.
Enjoy your youth, make smart decisions and finish your degree. Stress is NOT good so take some time off.

Just my .02

Get your degree and not in golf . I would not recommend to my worst enemy that they go in the golf business.

Golf is a service industry and you can not please everyone eventually every pro I have ever known gets fired.

Unless you get a job where you can teach all day which is very hard work and sometimes very boring.

You are basically a shop clerk. (Do you want to ride today Mr Peters did you want some range balls)

(Oh yes Mr Peters I am so sorry those people were holding you up I will say something to them.

Yes Mrs Anderson I am so sorry Mr Peters hit into you I will say something to him)

I admire Golf Pros but you better be ready to kiss a lot of rear on a daily basis I just could not do it. Thats why I am no longer in that business. Oh yeah if you like to play golf again wrong business.

Good luck to you

How about finding a school with a golf team, that way you can play and get an education...major in physical therapy or sports management or something like that. When school is out, work at a golf course...ranger, grounds person, caddy...this way you're 'in' the business and getting to play a lot.

Good luck either way. You're young enough to explore.

As a former Div 1 athlete stay away from careers that are going to put you in your passion full time. I agree with some points made, in saying stay away from doing a golf major, it really limits where you can go with it after you graduate. A business degree on the other hand has a very wide range of careers. Commerce, Accounting, General Managment of retail stores, the list goes on. I'm 26 years old I don't have a college degree I make $60+ thousand dollars a year have a great benifits plan, amazing pension through work, yes I have worked my a** off over the last 5 years, and took on everything and anything that was thrown at me, but I beat out a long list of College Grads along the way for promotions. In certain proffesions a Degree is just a piece of paper on the wall, it may get you in the door a little easier, but the rest is up to you. Best of luck with whatever you decide, if you do only one thing in life pick a career that challenges you, and then look 20 years down the road, and if you see yourself not hating what you do still then go for it. Work is work, and you may not love your job, but not hating it is going to make the world of difference. O by the way I write Credit for a financial institution if you were wondering. Cheers.

Have you thought about trying to get a golf scholarship? It sounds like you are a pretty good golfer. That way you could golf more and work less.

As far as getting a degree goes, it really depends on what kind of person you are. If status and financial success are important to you, you will almost certainly be aided by a degree. I'm 25 now, and was in college for 5 years getting a double major Finance and IT undergrad, and am now working full time and taking night classes toward my MBA (double major Finance and Marketing, so I will be there for a while). It is a grind, but getting that degree is a nice feeling, and it opens doors.

Here's the way I look at it: You can do anything with a degree that you can do without a degree. You can't necessarily do anything without a degree that you can do with a degree.

You don't want to be in a position where you are 40 and stuck in a dead-end job because you don't have a degree. At most companies, at some point, not having a degree will become an issue, unless you want to work in sales.

If I were you I would try to get a golf scholarship, but I would definitely stay in school! It's only a few more years. In the grand scheme of life, that really isn't that much time.

Oh and pgcc and sga dont actually get you ahead you still start at the beggining of the pgm program so why waste two years of your life.

I graduated from college with a BS in Business. I went through the PGM program at that school. Of about 70 students I started with I only know of 10 or so that are still in the business. (I am not one of the ten) I graduated in 2003 thinking that all I wanted to do was work in golf, but I didn't realize (or was too pig-headed to) that working in golf means not playing. I always thought that I could play after or before work but I found myself not wanting to be at the course any longer than I had to be. I wasn't working but was always working if you catch what I mean. Even 5 semesters of internships didn't show me that. Thankfully, I got a general degree at school and not a fully golf specific one. Working in golf takes a certain kind of person.

As a Husky Grad ('02) from the Business School, I can understand that the workload at UW (especially for the Architecture students) can be unbearable. I think you are on the right path with Architecture: you said you like it, UW has a highly rated program, there are lots of top notch firms here in Seattle, and the money is good! I think, from listening to you, that you need to take at least a quarter off. I always took summer quarter off (needed to make money and just get some time off from school) and loved the balance.

Don't underestimate the importance of a college degree (especially UW Architecture), I think you just need to take a quarter off, work full time at a place like Newcastle GC and then come back and finish up your degree. On a side note, didn't the UW vs. Hawaii game kill you?

Some advice from someone who interviews applicants:

Resumes with college degrees get put at the top of the pile. Plain and simple. If this were 1995, it would be different.
The applicants who do not have college degrees are interviewed only because they know the right people AND have plenty of experience.
There will be exceptions to every rule, of course.
There are some employers these days who automatically throw out non-degree applicants.
So, my advice to you...
You've been doing this for 3 years. Assuming you need 5 years to complete your degree, why not just tough it out and finish at this point? You'll be throwing away all that hard earned money, time, and energy you already talked about if you quit now. Your junior year is probably going to be your toughest year of school. Make it through this one, and the rest is downhill.

I would have to agree with coco. I am a student at SDGA and love it. People will rip on it and say it's a waste, the golf insustry is cutthroat etc. but what isn't?? For me personally I haven't been playing that long but love the game. SDGA has given me opportunities to volunteer at Bay Hill, Isleworth and others (network), get weekly lessons, learn clubfitting/making, the list goes on. I have learned and been exposed to so many great things the money isn't an issue. If I was a scracth golfer and had been in the industry for years I would just take my PAT and get in the PGM program. That may be the best road for you. For me SDGA has been a blessing. From what I have seen the people saying that the industry is a waste of time etc. etc. don't have any kind of network to get a good job or are just lazy and don't move up. Granted asst. pros are a dime a dozen but their is more in golf than that.
Take some time off, work at a nice course and see what it all involves. Judging by your dedication to work/school you have what it takes to stand out and be someone special in the industry.

We have a lot in common, its funny.

I live just north of Seattle and am going to have my AA transfer degree from Edmonds Community College completed in a week. I am also 20, and have taken full class loads every quarter since graduating high school in '05. A year ago, I was ready to drop 'the whole college deal', because like you I was burnt out. I also was planning on transferring to the Dub, but made the choice to go to Western Washington University instead.

One thing that kept me in school was that I developed an intense passion for the field I will be going into (psych). Once I established that passion, it rewired my brain. I am now focused on school, my goals, and pretty much everything else in life. Following your passions can make a HUGE difference.

I will tell you what I feel is the best advise I have gotten from my mentors and advisers when it comes to college for guys like us:

The UW is mean. Western is nice.

Remember, at the UW you are just another face in the crowd, along with most of your 36,000 other classmates. Unless you are at the top of your class (top 3%), you will come in the door, and walk back out in another two years. Western, on the other hand, is a much smaller school that is completely different. My buddy, who spent summer quarter at the Dub, and is now at Western, told me "The atmosphere at WWU is completely different from the U, no curves, no departmentally mandated averages for gpas... The UW is mean, and Western isn't." Instructors will get to know you by name, and will be happy to see you. I have been their a handful of times over the past few months, and some already know who I am. That won't happen at UW.

Quit work, and go to school full time. Work only adds stress. Need money? Apply for financial aid. You would be surprised who qualifies. Apply for scholarships. Get a loan. You might be in debt now, but it's good debt. Once you get a degree and start making big bucks you will be very happy, and then you can pay off those loans.

Make friends with your classmates, and set up study groups when other students are out drinking. It will keep you one step ahead and you will have a lot of fun doing it.

Have fun, and don't worry. College is the one place that will allow you to have almost no responsibility. Read you chapters, write your papers, and get good grades.


And remember, college isn't for everyone.

Here is my 2 cents on it. I actually graduated Univ of KY Architecture, it was hard grueling. I started at another program and got burned out and sat out for 2 years. I then transfered to UK, it gave me a better perspective on finishing. I say this because you can always go back to school. Sounds like you need a change, if it is a positive move for you then give it a shot. If you do finish the Architecture degree the first 3 years are boring as you have to doing grunt work in order to get your licence. The test is not easy to pass as well. My dad has his own firm and I worked for him off and on in the summers growing up, maybe I got burned out. I went into IT software sales and service instead. Remember you can always go back if that is your true passion.
Kevin

dont be an idiot kid! just stick it out for 2 more years. Most big golf courses are looking to hire people who have a college degree, it doesnt matter what it is in! This golf colleges are no good. You pay a lot of money and get this dinky little degree that isnt worth the paper its written on in the real world!!!

Depend what transfers to the program he has 3-4 years left. The first year you knock out your prereqs.
Kevin