At a Crossroad

[3am Shadow]

Well I really do have one.
Do I quit my union job where I am guaranteed 40 hours of work a week at $20/hour OR do I quit school?
I'm about a year (hopefully) away from a bachelors in bio, where I would then look to get into a physicians assistant program or med school. Leaning towards the pa program.

I'm a doorman on 5th avenue with a friday-Tuesday, 2:30-10:30 shift. It takes about 3 hours of my day to get to and from work. I can't study or do homework while at my job. However, at christmas time I'm looking at $5,000-$7,000 in tips. I tried switching with some co-workers, but my boss said no.

I have bartending experience and an EMT license to fall back on.

I'm a very big crossroad in my life b&b
What would you do?

 

[lindcruiser]

Hi,

I'm a high school graduate with three years in the Army, and I've been working a blue collar job at the same company for the last 20 years. I'm 42 years old. Not feeling overly qualified but I thought I'd give you my opinion: stay in school. You will almost always be able to find a decent paying job busting your hump, but a career in the medical field has a greater potential payoff financially and personally in the long run. That isn't a putdown on busting your hump for a living, it's basically what I do and I do enjoy it. In the end that's the most important thing, do what you most enjoy, it's a long road. Best luck and good shaves~

 

[xbwolfx]

If you're only a year from a bachelors, quit the job.

Better yet, keep the job while you're making good money and save what you can. Quit the job and return to school before any of your earned credits expire (if they expire at your school). This way you won't quit a good job only to graduate in a year and struggle to find good pay in this struggling economy.

 

[jwhite]

I can't begin to tell you what to do. The only advise I can give is to take a moment of self reflection. When you think of yourself, do you think of yourself as a student, or as a door-man. And does that thought make you feel happy or content. That should be enough to tell you what path to follow.

 

[Alacrity59]

In my life education has made a big er huge difference. You feel like you are behind while you are doing it and there are no guarantees . . . but a few years later you end up way ahead . . . in most cases.

You owe me a buck for this advice.

Edit:

I'm 50 . . . I'm still taking courses

 

[Kcaps]

Stay in school man! It is tough, I know. I am married with two kids and on my 6th year of full time university. It is really tough, especially when my friends are working full time and making money, but stats tell us that education will always pay off!
Go shave, and think about it. Good luck my man!

 

[3am Shadow]

Fellas, thanks for all the words of wisdom. I appreciate it.

 

[TimmyBoston]

How have your grades been? If good, stay in school. If you're barely passing, take some time and work.

 

[RayH]

Depends on what your really want in life. If you want to be a PA then quit your job and go for it. At the same time there are a lot of people who would love to have your job. Heck I'd love to have your job. But I'm not in school. Contrary to what others have said, one does not always get ahead because of more schooling. There are plenty of people out there with degrees in say English that aren't working in any field that requires a degree in English. There are a lot of people who are getting working on getting an MBA. A friend of mine got one and she's working as an enrollment counsellor at a private university. I personally agree with xbwolfx about saving as much as you can from work then going back to school.

 

[Obsessed]

On a practical level, can you hold out until the holidays and collect your tips before making a final decision?

 

[Dennis]

I can say practically that once you make a decision to work and "do school later" that school rarely ever happens again. It is so much easier to continue schooling before you get used to a steady paycheck and have bills and obligations. Just my two pennies.

 

[jlanger]

Of all of my close friends that started working union jobs and didn't go to any school (Trade school included) I'm by far making the most, and usually double what any of them are making in the same amount of time worked. Mind you I am now in a Union Job lol, that I never thought I'd have making money that I only dreamed about 10 years ago. But without my bachelors (which is a very basic anthropology/history degree), I'd never be in the spot I am now. If you can finish school, maybe work PT at the door man job?
PA's and CNS's are in very high demand in today's medical field as they're taking over the role of general practitioner Dr. IMO I personally tend to have better experiences with them as well as they tend to be more flexible then a Dr. If you're doing well enough in school to even think about qualifying for one of those schools I'd really say go for it, even the additional 2-3 years school required for that is worth it IMO. I think starting for a CNS/PA is like 50-60k right? Which is way more then that $20/hr job you're looking at now.
However if school is not the thing for you, which I know it's not for anyone and too many people are pressed into college when they should really be steered towards apprenticeships or trade schools, then I'd think about quiting. It seems that this isn't the case for you though.
Good Luck in whatever descision you make!