Concerns from a current Diesel/Locomotive Student

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kyleodonnell97

New Member
Hi,

I just want to ask some questions since I am planing working as a Locomotive Mechanic after college. I've just finished my first year of community college last May, and I'll be heading back to take the Locomotive Term this fall and winter. But I don't know what's going to happen to me after that for the following reason:

I do need to take 7 terms to graduate from where I go to college. But I've taken the Summer term off because I was going back home to look for a summer job while the rest of my classmates and friends take the summer term to graduate in the Spring of 2018. My friends have way more mechanical experience then I do and they were able to help understand a few maintenance techniques and ideas. But I do believe that I needed to take the summer off because I wanted to think about how I can understand what I didn't understood about Diesel engines a little more better.

I will be taking the Locomotive Term in the fall and winter of this year (August 2017-February 2018). However, my insulator told me that I can't be allowed to take the Spring term because there was this one class that I was supposed to take the summer before another class in the spring. So he told me that I will probably have to take the Spring term off or that I probably will have to take some welding classes or some other welding classes instead, while the rest of my classmates take . Then he said to me that I'll have to take the Summer 2018 term and then the Fall 2018 term. So he's saying that I should be finished by mid-November 2018, while the rest of my friends and classmates while graduate in the Spring of 2018.

I did emailed my school's technology center where I take my classes. He said that I should be finished at Indian Hills next August, but I told him about what my Diesel insulator told me. He did say that he will double check with him and that the class that a diesel electronics class I was supposed to take this summer is pretty much a prerequisite for the classes in the 7th term, because there's a second electronics class in the 7th term. So I does sound like to me that I might have to graduate in the 2018 Fall term anyway.

I do believe that while I'm taking the Locomotive course throughout the fall and winter of this year, there will be some possibilities. Maybe there might be a chance that the electronics class I was supposed to take in the summer could be available in the winter or the spring, and I can be finished by August 2018 instead. If that doesn't happened, then I can live with just graduating in the fall of 2018 anyway.

But I did got some advise such as talking to my advisor about classes. So that way I can be able to see which classes will be available throughout the year.

Like I said, I only didn't wanted to take the summer term because I was only trying to find a summer job, and try to find out what I can do to help me understand diesel engines better. Since the rest of my friends at the Diesel Program have more experience fixing engines then I do. I hopping that after I finished my time at college I be able to work on the railroad as a Locomotive Mechanic.

Any advice about what else I can do anyone? Thanks a bunch!
 
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