Are you going to college for skikng?

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Crazy Fool

Honestly if you are choosing a school for skiing, why not take a few years out work and ski. Once you ha e had some fun go to school and actually put all your effort into that. There is no point spending all the money school costs just to waste it so you can ski. If skiing makes you happy do that for a while. Then once you get bored of working shitty jobs and having no money school will seem much more appealing an chances are you will work harder as you no what the other option in life is.

Jul 1 2013 7:15AM

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i just don't get how you are so sure that is what's gonna happen. Its quite unfair to assume that just because we go to MSU means we're not gonna graduate or come out of school unsuccessful. How are you so sure you're gonna have a top notch job once you graduate from your school?

Jul 1 2013 9:21AM

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Parrish

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Now I take offense to this as I love my school and the program at my school is pretty damn good not to mention I love it. Skiing is a bonus.

But when you go to college you are there for 4 years maybe more of your life. You have to live wherever you college is for that amount of time so you might as well enjoy your surroundings. I could not legitimately function in a hot/humid climate, so that was, while small a factor of my decision.

Keep being a self righteous douchebag and insulting other peoples universities that they choose for their reasons.

Jul 1 2013 10:08AM

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also, how old are you and what college do you go to?

Jul 1 2013 10:23AM

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Austin.ski

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Insane

haha im going to MSU 100% for skiing too.

Jul 1 2013 10:26AM

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No Life

The ski industry is pretty big, the people in it are generally old and there are tons of amazing opportunities opening up.

If you love skiing, so much that you would base your final decision on location... why not go to school near a great ski resort, a few ski companies, get your business degree, intern for a ski company and then have a great job you love straight out of school.

Not everyone wants to be a chemist.

Jul 1 2013 2:34PM

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HolySchimmel

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I definetly picked my college because of skiing. I mean I skied for more than 60 days this season, might as well move closer to some mountains for the next one.

Jul 1 2013 2:37PM

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howlongcanausern

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LOLOLOL yeah, do this and get in line, chump.

if you want to live, work, breathe skiing and still make decent cash and advance your career; major in any one of these:

IT
HR
Accounting
Marketing (I would throw this in the bottom of the list because it's highly, highly competitive and it's typically who you know not what you know in marketing)

every major ski area has these departments and these jobs are as good as it's going to get in the ski industry. steady, year round w/ benefits and if you do your job well you can get out and ski damn near everyday

Jul 1 2013 3:14PM

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And yet my degree was in Archaeology... I started ski instructing in college. Then started working outside sales for the same resort. Then was a marketing assistant for a skate company. Then I interned at a recruiter for the action sports industry. Then I landed in the Marketing Department with a super awesome job at a great ski resort. This was all during college to within 2 years of graduating.

Now I own my own business. It's sort of sad and a little funny that if you want to be in the ski industry, it has a lot more to do with who you know and where you get your experience from than what your degree is in. They just tend to care that you have a degree.

Case Studies:

Marketing Director of major ski resort who used to be my boss = engineering

Sport Marketing for Red Bull = pre med

Team Manager of Burton = marketing

Production Artist for GoPro = engineering

Online marketing director at Volcom = Computer Science

Owner of one of the most popular ski companies = Law School.

Major in whatever the fuck you want and enjoy it and you'll be a better person for it.

Jul 1 2013 4:30PM

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Crazy Fool

^but one thing all those examples you gave do have in common is they did traditionally tough degrees. Engernering, law ect take some real dedication to achieve. There is no event management or music tech ect in that lot.

Overall the degree it's self I would agree is not the most inportant factor, but certainly some degrees and some schools can offer much more then others.

Jul 1 2013 5:27PM

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No discredit to my friend.... but he designs ski boots and his degree is in philosophy.

I don't think my major was particularly easy (still a "soft" science) but I was on the ski marketing track with a degree in archaeology.

I'd say it's more so that every one of us were doing ski industry things as our extra curriculars... and pretty much all of us went straight into ski/snowboard jobs out of college and lived in ski towns.

But I've worked for ski resorts since 15. Was president of the ski + snowboard club. Founded a ski + snowboard team.... went to every event in the industry I could. Made the connections and at 22 had more experience than most 28 year olds. I know this because the PR manager for Burton helped me write my resume and told me grad school would only allow everyone else to catch up.

It's important to have a degree and to do the things you love in college. It's more important to do what you love as your career.

Unless of course you are the sort of person that just wants a shit ton of money and thinks that is what happiness is.

I will say that most of my friends in the writing and design world have degrees directly related, but that is about it.

Jul 1 2013 5:37PM

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howlongcanausern

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rachy your posts are unbelievably self-centered...holy fuck look at how many of your sentences start with I

Jul 1 2013 5:44PM

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Crazy Fool

All I was trying to say is that the majority if people with the top jobs didn't just bum about at school. They took serious degrees and worked. Yeah if you want to get into the ski industry work alongside your degree in the industry that's what I did. My degree was in music tech so not related to it I got high up in my area from like you said knowing the right people. But the people above me all had really good engernering degrees and mechanical degrees. For me to move up to there level would be more a case of my experience in the industry a lot like Matt. If I had the more mechanical experience I do think I could have moved up faster.

But I have retrained now and work in a totally different industry so all in all if you want to do something as long as you have the commitment you can do it.

Jul 1 2013 5:45PM

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bighomieflock

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I think this is good advice for someone who wants to work in the ski/ snowboard industry but outside working for these companies, you will most likely have more opportunities by going to the best college that you can.

Jul 1 2013 5:50PM

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Arguing on the internet.... Bound to use "I."

To anyone who loves skiing but still wants to go to college. Do what you love. Many careers in many fields are obtained more on the basis of who you know and what your experiences are than what your degree field is. Most people don't "use" their degrees, it's simply a requirement for the position they apply for.

I just want everyone to be happy and love what they do. My friends are all generally happy, it's fucking awesome.

Jul 1 2013 5:56PM

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I agree with you entirely but would add that a degree program can only be as serious of a program as you let it be.

My friends in the industry all excelled in school and are highly intelligent people.

Given, this doesn't work for the STEM field as much. Maybe just the Tech part since a lot of tech people are self trained (as I am).

Jul 1 2013 6:03PM

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Crazy Fool

Overall I think the best advice is put everything you can into your studies. If you can find something you love doing alongside your studies which will help you in the future go for it. but skiing 5-6days a week like some in this thread have said is not going to do much to help you in the future.

Jul 1 2013 6:10PM

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even when the mountain is only 20 minutes away and is super easy to go up and ski for two hours and come back? i don't think skiing 5-6 days a week is going to negatively affect my long term future.

i do agree with your advice on putting everything you can into your studies. to make things clear, it's not like skiing takes precedent over my schooling (except on super good pow days, but that's beside the point). if i have work to get done, i get it done. basically, i ski as much as i do because i can and have the opportunity to.

i can absolutely understand that it is a waste to go to school near a mountain, ski more than you study, and come out of the four years with nothing gained except shit grades and debt.

i can also absolutely understand that it is not a waste to go to a school near a mountain, ski a TON, study a TON, and still come out of the four years spent there successful.

Jul 1 2013 6:31PM

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AaronO.

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I hate skikng. Worst sport ever

Jul 1 2013 7:31PM

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Heart

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I suppose I was a bit harsh on MSU. If MSU offers the degree you want, and you feel like you have the drive to complete your degree, that's great, enroll there. But if you are ONLY going there for the skiing, you should re-evaluate your choice in school. Do you really think you'll last all four years if the only reason you're attending is so you can ski? No, and you'll waste a ton of your parents money as well as your own in the process.

If skiing is really all you want to do for the next couple years, go and be a ski bum somewhere and live off your own money.

I'm not completely sure I'll have a top notch job after I graduate. With that said, I'm a mechanical engineer, and engineers traditionally have an easy time finding a well-paying job right out of school.

Jul 1 2013 8:04PM

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sleazy

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thats actually really reassuring, thanks!

Jul 1 2013 8:13PM

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reBlocke

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Choosing skiing vs school is a false dilemma for everyone except the most competitive Harvard/Yale/Stanford types. There are plenty of quality institutions that can help you get whatever you're looking for from out of college that are close enough to allow for plenty of skiing.

For both undergrad and professional school, I chose the institution I did (vs other comparable ones) solely to be near the mountains. I haven't regretted it for a second.

Jul 1 2013 8:26PM

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