College

B_K

B_K

Member
well i didnt know wether to put this in ski gabber or not but whatever..im a junior in high school and i really couldnt ever imagine my self ever having a typical desk job or something not outdoors or without skiing for that matter.....what are some colleges that offer skiing related majors?
 
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Most ski related jobs that require a degree are desk jobs. Sorry to burst your bubble! If you want to work outside, major in geology. There is an almost 100% employment rate for geology majors.
 
geology is one of the most practical degrees, maybe behind engineering and nursing. For me I looked at what aspects of skiing and sport interested me and I chose Kinesiology, hoping to do physio therapy as it seems like one of the only profitable but enjoyable jobs in ski towns. And you can make your own hours :)
 
That goes for every major right now I think.

My advice....Don't go to college, unless you're going for a Masters. Your Bachelors degree will be worthless.
 
Meteorology (weather), physical geography (geology minus the chem and physics details), ecology, and environmental science can all get you into the mountains, but might not necessarily be ski-related - no resort is going to shell out $$$ for a full-time meteorologist just to read the weather off CNN.

If you want to be involved in the ski industry, study business, commerce, or marketing and start you own business targeting whichever crowd you want.
 
haha what a coincidence. I was reading the newspaper for a comunity college in my town and saw this add on the back. gave me a laugh.

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and yeah, if you want a good degree, with a well paying job. Go geology. Fairly easy degree. You will have time to ski. Make lots of money over summers so you don't need to work. If you are a field geologist you can often get lots of time off in the winter to ski!

 
but at the same time, unless its a professional styled master what more can it give you than an undergrad? Yes, it sets you a part from other applicants but I think gaining experience in the field would be just as big of an asset, be it an intern or volunteer position you just have to get some practical experince
 
There are lots of jobs out there that require Bachelors. Not getting one could seriously hold him back, unless he actually IS certain of what he wants with his life as a high school junior.

Bachelors might be devalued, but that's because far more people have them now than in the past.

Not getting a BA/BS can really hold you back in life. Don't assume you will always want to be outside. This is coming from someone who spent half a decade in Tahoe between college and grad school.
 
Obviously they're different... Just simplifying things for the kid - they both deal a lot with geomorphology, but from a different perspective. I've studied both btw...
 
I don't have a geology degree. My school doesn't even offer one. We have "earth sciences" and I switched out of it into a geophysics program. Either way I would still say that geology is not that hard. The alberta schools might set you up better to work in the oil industry, but they still don't make you work THAT much harder...

And I have no idea what it's like in alberta but a lot of geologists get like 2 weeks on one week off kinda deals. That's plenty of time to go skiing! And a lot of exploration up north pretty much shuts down for the winter.
 
that would be sick if there was a ski bum major! Im at MSU bozeman and we have skiing classes you can sign up for for and elective but thats really it.
 
This is with unpredictability, living in isolation, short term contracts etc. It's not like every geologist gets it. Almost no one would want this lifestyle when they are in their 30's. I'm just saying that yes this is possible, and you will still make a decent amount of money.
 
The trick is study something in college that you are very intrested in, and will also give you a good job. I know people who took ski resort management and still have shitty jobs, whereas if you pick a trade, or skilled labour job you can work in a ski town, make lots of cash and get the best of both worlds.

Just cause you like skiing and the outdoors doesnt mean you have to study it in school to be successful and fufill your dreams!

I just got a job with a real estate developer in the sea to sky corridor making close to 100k and I only have to be at my desk 3 days a week, so thats an example of something you can do .
 
Just because there are programs out there does not mean you will get a job. There are many majors and programs that are pretty well useless, so don't waste your time and money getting a worthless degree. I have no idea how good these ski area management programs are, but thats something you should look into first.

 
As you get older you realize that there is a big difference between paying the bills and doing something that you really enjoy doing. Life after college is not what your guidance councilor and college admissions people chalk it up to be. The majority of people work jobs that they do not necessarily love doing. Yes, some people get lucky but for the majority of us it is just not the case. That being said, you have a great opportunity right now to set yourself on the correct path so you can afford to do the things you love to do when you are outside of work. This advice goes for all of you looking to go to college or figuring out a major. Do not go to college and major in something you like to do unless there are jobs available for graduates with that degree. It is not worth the worth the money if you cannot get a return on the investment. If you graduate with an art history degree you are not going to get hired anywhere outside of Starbucks. If you graduate with a four year degree in psychology you are going to temp after graduation. The economy is shit right now and these types of degrees are not valued in our knowledge-based system. If you want to graduate, get a job, and afford to ski, get into one of the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) majors and bust your ass. Companies are looking to hire people with these types of degrees right now. Want to improve you value to employers and increase how much money you make? Go on and get a masters degree in one of these fields. Also, do not go to law school. The market for lawyers right now is beyond saturated and it is not worth the debt for an uncertain job market.

I made some blanket statements and there are people out there who have graduated with degrees they love and have dream jobs. But these people are the exception. Keep the odds in your favor, get a return for all the money you spend going to school.
 
I think it was Utah State University (not totally sure though) that I saw this outdoor recreation major and you took classes like wilderness survival, avalanche rescue, ski instructor...stuff like that, looked like a fun major
 
Northern Michigan/ Gogebic College do a joint Ski Area Business Management program which includes technical mountain ops training supplemented by an accelerated business degree. I finished it in May, and am rolling over a 401K already .

But master a trade. It'll help to market yourself better.Every Sally has a generic bachelors
 
truth. and, if after working in the industry for a few years you decide you dont like it, just get an MBA. A TEchnical undergrad degree, with an MBA from a big time buisness school makes companies's wet themselves.

and for what its worth- no one like what they do until they become good at it...and you have to spend a few years learning the job before you can actually get good at it.
 
environmental studies yo! i went skiing and climbing with my professors a bunch. and beer drinking.
 
Michigan Tech, dude. There is a snowsports design team that you can get credit for, and design and build skis. You also get to design the park at Mont Ripley (MTU's ski hill). Live the dream
 
Yeah when I was younger I never wanted to have a desk job either... Now after working several outdoor jobs I am 23 back in school studying computer programming. I realized without having in demand skills you will be at the mercy of the world. When I am done school in 4 years I can move anywhere in the world and can fill a high demand job position. I wont be able to ski a lot in the next 4 years, but I am willing to sacrifice today, for what tomorrow will become. I will retire in a ski town, and ski until my last day.

Go to school and get skills. Dont just go and take general courses, they get you no where in life. I am not going to say "dont party at school", but dont waste your time, and money. Remember if you really want to be successful, just working hard isnt good enough, you need to work smart as well.

We have an opportunity to make our dreams become reality.

 
u of vermont has a ski resort management (i think its them)and montana state has snow science for a major.
 
From what they told me in my first engineering class, you are just as if not more likely to get into either law or med school than a pre-law / pre-med major.
 
freshman in engineering, i plan on getting a decent job and having a tiny house so i can have tons of awesome shit and ski constantly. i'm so grown up.
 
I didn't read this whole thread so don't know if it's been said but...

the major you are looking for in OUTDOOR RECREATION, yes this exists you can even get a masters degree in it. outdoor education is a pretty legit business. Ever heard of the national outdoor leadership school aka NOLS?
 
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