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Colleges pass are great and all.... but how about those that cant make the money after college how do we ski?

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Holyflyingskiman
Posts: 385 - Karma: 18
I think there should be a post college pass for at least 4 years. I know I'm poor as shit and cant pay the 1000 adult pass. who is with me?
Sep 13 2010 11:06PM
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ESAND
Posts: 1607 - Karma: 744
I made more than 55k my first year out of high school. No degree. No trade. And no "/claim".

Its not easy, I worked my ass off, and I went from 120 ski days the previous season to around 30. It was a big quality of life hit, but its possible. I've since quit that job because 65+ hr work weeks suck the life out of you. You're bitching you can't get a good job in your dream field. Tough it up and fucking choose, broke ski bum or well earning professional.

The sense of entitlement in this thread blows my mind.
Sep 14 2010 2:50PM
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SFBv420.0
Posts: 2539 - Karma: 3,124

Do you know why most resorts offer a military discount?

because they deserve it

Keep posting though I'm sure the resorts are going to realize you deserve a discounted pass sooner or later

Sep 14 2010 2:56PM
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Rachy
Posts: 4355 - Karma: 2,761
Why do you think I was working at a hotel?

Seriously?

I was making and average of $17 an hour in highschool when I was working at zumiez. My friends that still work there are doing alright for themselves cause they got in at the right time.

If I tried to go back I'd be making less than that. I've tried going into a retailer and getting a job as an assitant manager and what not, and nope.. I don't have any retail management experience. Even though I managed a hotel...

And so you know.... my degree is in cultural resource management... a profession that was doing great until people quit developing. I hope to do it some day. But right now, the market is flooded with people looking for work and not getting any... so I resort back to the industry where I at least get interviews and low paying jobs cause at least I have one.

I worked over 60 hours a week all last winter. I was working more than 50 hours a week all this summer....

I'm barely scrapping by with my outrageous school loans. Now that ive been laid off I live on my dad's couch until my old job starts up again.


It isn't entitlement. It is that some of us are working our asses off and barely scrapping by. We were told when we went to college that we would have a great job. I still hear that the average college grad makes more and blah blah blah. The economy is shit, our degrees mean shit right now. If I had known that when it was time to decide to go to college or not.. I probably would have stayed at zumiez and would be better off than I am right now. But I didn't I went and got an education cause I didn't know to do anything else. And some day I'll be able to do awesomeness with my degree.... but just not right now.


I'm glad you were so awesome that you made so much money. Yay you for being better than the rest of us.
Sep 14 2010 3:04PM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089
60 hours a week? Who cares how much dough you make like that, that's just an idiotic way to spend your days.
Sep 14 2010 3:15PM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089
...coming from someone whose work is about 38 hours a week. Even that is fucking pushing it to the brim.
Sep 14 2010 3:16PM
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ESAND
Posts: 1607 - Karma: 744
Certainly sounds like entitlement. Or maybe it's just superbutthurtedness.

Your previous post implied that you thought there should be an "Economic Hardship pass". To me that reeks of entitlement.

I'm not exactly sure what Cultural Resource Management is, but if it, as you say, is tied to development, why don't you move somewhere with a lot of development going on?
Sep 14 2010 3:17PM
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Rachy
Posts: 4355 - Karma: 2,761
i didnt say there should be an economic hardship pass, i said it would be impossible to do so. If ski companies could have a reasonable way of doing it, I'm sure they would. It would mean more money for them.

Cultural resource management is essentially the bureau of land management. Surveying land for development and doing all the necessary archaeology work for it.

Id go somewhere with development happening... but places like China and most of the middle east wont let americans work at all in the field. I was looking into Hawaii because you can make a damn good living on 30k there.... but even their need has dried up.

Pretty much everyone I know that has graduated recently is in grad school for it because they could afford grad school. I can't... so I'm working.

I have some friends that go and do random archaeology work and get paid a bit for it.... but it is very irregular and they are all living at their parents houses... sadly where my dad lives, there is no archaeology work to be had... so im doing other things.
Sep 14 2010 3:28PM
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grambo
Posts: 1125 - Karma: 93

There is lots of field work in Iraq and China. Iraq specifically you can make huge amounts of money, but it is dangerous.

If you chose a good field, there are lots of jobs (engineering, finance/accounting, software engineering).

If you are another dime a dozen graphic design/website/photog person, you better have massive talent and some business develop ability to get started. Too many people go into fields without a real assessment of their chances of success. With how expensive school is in the US, you need to do some thinking/planning before you go.

You can walk into a $40k job easily in western Canada with the right degree. Trades are another option.

Sep 14 2010 3:43PM
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Ftacnik
Posts: 1997 - Karma: 111
Ahhh the joys of $289 Sierra and Northstar double-whammy pass. Gotta love it.
Sep 14 2010 3:57PM
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TravelsTI
Posts: 1000 - Karma: 353
One of the things that you have to understand is that with that degree you hopefully will be able to go up as far as you want or can. Your friends at Zumiez with out a degree are going to, at some point in time hit a salary cap because the next level requires a college degree.
Sep 14 2010 3:57PM
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Parker.
Posts: 1637 - Karma: 108
What? you've already graduated a 4 year school, and couldn't find a job after school. So you decided to start over with a different major? That sounds like an absolutely horrible idea.

I don't think the amount of education you have necessarily goes hand in hand with the amount of money you'll "command". You still need to have a head on your shoulders. I hope you end up with one after riding twice around the college merry-go-round. But if that doesn't work out you can always go back to school to get your masters. Think of all the money you'll command then!
Sep 14 2010 4:14PM
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steve0
Posts: 1119 - Karma: 1,036

This thread makes me sad. I really feel bad for you guys, while I can't really relate, it makes me really appreciate what I have.

I would suggest working at least part time at a local ski/snowboard shop? You can get super cheap if not free tickets to local mountains.

Sep 14 2010 4:39PM
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Rachy
Posts: 4355 - Karma: 2,761
yeah, i would have done college at some point cause I love learning... I just would have gone as high as I could first...then done education to go higher.

I appreciate my degree and that someday I'll be able to do something with it and that someday maybe i can even go to grad school so i can do more with it...

But I can't yet. I tried grad school already. Decent GRE scores and all that, I just can't get the loans on my own for it and unfortunately didn't get a high enough GPA to earn a scholarship.
I've been looking into positions at universities working in the digital media departments so that my schooling would be covered... but no luck so far. Almost had a position in career counciling for highschools for a uni in CO.... but my speeding ticket last year killed that cause you need to drive for the position.
Sep 14 2010 4:48PM
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nitsua
Posts: 4631 - Karma: 726
Does your mountain have volunteer passes? I am doing it this winter setting up comps and such, and you get a free pass cause 700 bucks for a pass for me is a lot to shell out with rent, car payment and life.
Sep 14 2010 5:01PM
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Rachy
Posts: 4355 - Karma: 2,761
That is massively rad.

Mammoth only offers it with the adaptive sports program and for each day you work, you get a pass....

Great for anyone working at night... not great when you work full time during the day.
Sep 14 2010 5:24PM
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SkierX
Posts: 16253 - Karma: 538
Uhm, you may want to reconsider that statement.

The cost of living in Hawaii is around 30% higher than the national average.

But discussing this in further would take us very off-topic so I digress.
Sep 14 2010 5:30PM
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Literature
Posts: 13673 - Karma: 3,086
Money is the last measure of a person's wealth. I'd much rather count family, friends, and pow days before I start worrying about what banks, paychecks, and a screwy economic system tell me.
Sep 14 2010 5:34PM
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Rachy
Posts: 4355 - Karma: 2,761
yeah... just checked that out. It's changed since 2004. And I was comparing it to my cost of living in Los Angeles (no longer living there)...

I was basing that off old info...
Sep 14 2010 5:40PM
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spruitm
Posts: 2219 - Karma: 1,057
How will they know youre not in college?  Just show your college ID
Sep 14 2010 5:48PM
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Rachy
Posts: 4355 - Karma: 2,761
a lot of resorts require verification from the school...
Sep 14 2010 5:52PM
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spruitm
Posts: 2219 - Karma: 1,057
The joys of living in MI, where they dont even check lift tickets
Sep 14 2010 5:57PM
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ScuffDUFF
Posts: 2027 - Karma: 143
you are retarded. If you are someone like me who is happy with topping out at 80 90+ thouasand a year when i am older its the shit. An like i said, most the people i know that have graduated from my program are doing way better the people with college degrees. Unless your the occasional doctor lawyer. Ya dig..... Instrumentation Technician is the way to go so shut it fool.
Sep 14 2010 5:58PM
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AwR
Posts: 5147 - Karma: 1,878
Listen up kids this man speaks truth.

I know i will be poor my whole life in the American sense as a ski-bum-math-teacher, but I'll be wealthy in realms of a simple life....oh and smiles.

It all goes back to the quote from Blow...money isn't real.
Sep 14 2010 6:05PM
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ESAND
Posts: 1607 - Karma: 744
No, but unfortunately the stuff it buys is.
Sep 14 2010 6:10PM
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jason...
Posts: 9006 - Karma: 780
So how do you suggest going skiing then? Good one fucktwat
Sep 14 2010 6:23PM
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ScuffDUFF
Posts: 2027 - Karma: 143
TRADE MATHAFUCKIN SCHOOLS. I have friends that just got jobs at the Tesoro oil refinery. Left school a month before graduationg to start out working for $34 an hour working probably about 50-60 hour work weeks. I have 5 other friends that just got jobs with a salt mine in california for $26 an hour. There is a ton of jobs, at least in our line of work. All im saying is trade schools are the shit. It blows my mind how many people i see that go to 4 year schools these days, get degrees and then are broke as fuck.
Sep 14 2010 6:26PM
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yellav
Posts: 10056 - Karma: 1,217
hah yah i was like LOLWAT!>? she must of read that fact wrong.
Sep 14 2010 6:28PM
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ESAND
Posts: 1607 - Karma: 744
Colorado, washington. I dunno I guess I've been spoiled by 400 dollar passes for so long that when I see prices at places like Jackson and Squaw I get ill.


Sep 14 2010 6:31PM
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Edew19
Posts: 365 - Karma: 13
"liberal arts college"...I found the problem.  You should make 20-40k out of college IF you get a degree in something useful.  I also graduated in May and make considerably more than that.  Most liberal arts degrees give you nothing except lots of debt and a useless skill that nobody really gives a shit about.
Sep 14 2010 6:32PM
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SFBv420.0
Posts: 2539 - Karma: 3,124
Click for larger image
Sep 14 2010 6:46PM
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creighton
Posts: 3836 - Karma: 3,386
get a job at the mountain. duh
Sep 14 2010 6:47PM
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jason...
Posts: 9006 - Karma: 780
Touring gear is another thing that costs money. And not everyone lives in a place where it is even accessible for them to go touring.
Sep 14 2010 6:59PM
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Tripplesixty
Posts: 835 - Karma: 148
but thats like saying not everyone lives where ski resorts are and ooo skis are expensive.. Null point
Sep 14 2010 7:05PM
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Capurnicus
Posts: 9947 - Karma: 1,886
That's just not true. Even though some of my friends don't have jobs, It's certainly not a result of their degree being from a liberal arts school. A lot of my friends and myself do have decent jobs and we have them because of our liberal arts degree. I graduated with a bachelors degree in Physics and it certainly opened a number of positions up to me because people did "give a shit" about my degree.
Sep 14 2010 7:23PM
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grown-ninja
Posts: 3031 - Karma: 175
Come to new york and find me someone who lives on 15,000 a year.  Its possiable if your parents take over your student loans, your grandparents have money set aside for you, and you were handed a place to live for free.  I'm a senior in college now and if I wanted to live off campus 15,000 would barely cover rent in any neighborhood around my school.

and what are you talking about balancing life man, thats an obvious but when your paying 1000 a month for loans, 150 for auto insurance, 300 for food (which isnt a lot) you're looking at almost 1500 a month before you factor in a place to live, spending money etc.  The necessities alone push 20g's

it not as easy as just balance your money
Sep 14 2010 7:26PM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089
Jesus Christ, do you live on an endangered species-only diet?! I spend around $80-100 on food a month. Healthy, homecooked food.
Sep 14 2010 7:38PM
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Rachy
Posts: 4355 - Karma: 2,761
Because I hate it when I do....


the cost of living in LA and Hawaii are about the same... but starting wage out of college for CRM in hawaii is around 30k and in LA it is 24k..... but again, that was back when CRM was doing well... no idea what it is now.

And considering I had been doing alright on 24k a year.... 30k sounded like pretty decent money to me.


But yeah, it isn't any cheaper to live there. I just have a pretty low standard of living. I went into a profession that means camping for 2 weeks at a time. Not like I need a nice place to live if I'm doing that.

But regardless... put my foot in my mouth with out listing where I was getting information from.

Hence why I now work in the ski industry. I love it but it is something I kinda fell into. But I entirely get where others are coming from. Some of us are still working our asses off waiting for it to pay off. And it really sucks that this causes a lot of people to not be able to partake in one of their greatest passions.

Sep 14 2010 7:39PM
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meeesh
Posts: 353 - Karma: 56
And where you not paying for lift tickets is causing the ski industry to take a harder drive... closing ski areas annually... Sorry, I hate people with this mentality. My income is based (and has been for years) off people willing to $$ on this sport of ours. And watching Michigan take a dive hurts so bad.

As for not having a job after 4 years of school and going back to school = it stops your loan payments. I've been seriously thinking about going back for a 2nd degree to stop my loans and be able to up my GPA so I can eventually get into the grad school of my choice.
Sep 14 2010 7:42PM
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Swervasaurus
Posts: 615 - Karma: 185
i would apply at a mountain for a job
thats how i get a free pass and mad discounts at shops and the mountain- i only make 9 an hour and only work 3-11 on saturdays and holidays so i get to ski almost a full day im sure you could make more as a college graduate
this thread makes me dread college haha
Sep 14 2010 7:44PM
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grambo
Posts: 1125 - Karma: 93
That is a stupid short term plan (stop loan payments now so everything is ok). You are going to take on more debt for a graduate degree. Grad school can be useful, but going to grad school shortly after undergrad in anything besides hard sciences is a mistake. You need to work hard in the real world and get real experience, that is how you make more money, not hiding in school waiting for someone to pay you more.
Sep 14 2010 7:58PM
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SFBv420.0
Posts: 2539 - Karma: 3,124

I have a complimentary utah silverpass which is 30 days @ every utah resort in exchange for 4 or 5 hours work from home on the interwebz. How did I score such a sweet gig. I like to think it was a combination of good karma (not the silly +k karma) but doing good things for others kind and 14 seasons worth of skibum employment slinging drinks, cranking binders, late night in front of the wintersteiger, giving advise helping what some of you call tourons enjoy their vacations (concierging) basically paying skibum dues and acquing marketable skills that allow me to pursue the life I love. I wouldn't trade those past 14 years people I've met, places I've been, and powder I've skied for anything.

So I guess my point is ski bumming aint for everyone neither is college. however long you spend getting edjumacated well I guess it's like due paying cept the parties over welcome to the real world start paying dues again and that piece of paper is not necessarily a willy wonka golden ticket to the life you want to live

Sep 14 2010 8:05PM
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NickSki.
Posts: 2009 - Karma: 61
lololol i make more than that and im 15
Sep 14 2010 8:08PM
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eheath
Posts: 61090 - Karma: 118,059
With a photoshopped schedule you could get a pass at PC, they don't check shit.
Sep 14 2010 8:19PM
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BWalmer
Posts: 9141 - Karma: 12,883
Well, my field of study is very crowded and there weren't many jobs out there in it, plus, I decided just after graduation that I want to do something else with my life, and unfortunately that requires starting all over again...it sucks, but it's what I need to do to be where I want to be. And, I need to get a masters in this field to actually get the job I want, so I'll be there for a while.
Sep 14 2010 9:00PM
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EmperorKuzco
Posts: 6660 - Karma: 254
become a dentist, it seems really easy for the amount of money you get paid
Sep 14 2010 9:09PM
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broto
Posts: 9039 - Karma: 25,658
how did this post get overlooked?! i am only quoting it because it is as true as you're going to get and my mountain is exactly like this. i know almost half of the newschool skiers at my hill by first name, and we only have a double and triple chair, neither of which is high speed. but it's still my favorite place in the world.
Sep 14 2010 9:35PM
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