College maintenance course worthwhile?

[NJD]

I work part time and do mostly bugger all with my spare time, got bored one night and decided to apply for a basic motorbike maintenance course at a random college, they've replied and asked me to attend an interview, worth going?

I did a college course for car maintenance while at school as part of the "options" but quickly grew bored of the long hours and how time was spent in the classroom doing paper work as opposed to getting hands on all the time, after what felt like a long time I left because all we'd done was touch an engine and it felt like a waste of time.

I attempt to attend college a few years latter but found that they where totally useless and accepted any tom dick and harry and ended up asking me to join a course I hadn't even applied for, after eating all their free spread I gave up and haven't entertained the idea since.

There's also something about the "herp derp" type of teenagers that attend colleges and don't know what they're doing with life and just think it's all fun and games that irritates me, local collages always have groups standing outside like there's nothing better to do.

I'd probably have to pay for the course due to my age and the fact I've already done a government funded course, of course something to discuss if I went but are these type of courses really worth entertaining the idea of or teach me something that asking on a forum, buying the tools and referring to a haynes when the job arises cannot?

[Lord Percy]

I'd say it depends on why you want to do it.

If you want to get into the world of professional motorbikey stuff then I guess it's an official course so you can say you've done it, like a mini career progression sort of thing.

But if it's for the joy of learning I'd personally just learn it myself. You can probably buy a salvage bike for <£100 and mess around with it to your heart's content.

[NJD]

Currently have minimal hands on experience and all that has been done by research, asking on forums and trail and error.. reason for wanting to do it in college was to learn in a training environment while making mistakes on someone elses bike and parts.

Short term it was just to learn to do my own servicing on the tiddler so that I have the knowledge for when I get something bigger and more technical.

Whenever I visit the independent shop I use for servicing currently watching the mechanics is fun somewhat and being around all the bikes etc but is debatable if that's something for everyone all the time rather than a quick visit.

[Rogerborg]

[Lord Percy]

[NJD]

[pepperami]

OP, if any of the local colleges around here offered a bike maintenance course, l would bite their arms off to be able to attend.
I would suggest that if you can get on a course, go for it!
Surely you can look past the idiots and losers and get something from the course?
You would be there to learn, the idiots can do what they like.
____________________
I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[Snod Blatter]

A couple of years ago when I was completely lost and jobless with no clue of what to do, I looked into these. A quick chat with the guy who taught it was all I needed, the course was incredibly basic. First year (!) was normal routine maintenance, and by the time you got to third year it was about fork rebuilds and a bit of welding, probably just mig. I'd guess second year is chassis bearings and some basic electrics.

The problem with bike maintenance is that it's all surprisingly straight forward and easy to understand, a large part of the fight is simply having the right tools to hand. It's just bits of metal that fit together, no magic involved unless it's a box full of transistors in which case you can't fix it anyway. The whole idea seemed silly to me, but if you do go for the interview please report back what the course actually involves, I would hope they're not all the same!
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1994 CB250, 1984 CBX250RS-E, 1989 K100RS, 1995 TRX850, 2016 Z250SL

[Suntan Sid]

To my mind there are only three difficult tasks, as far as motorcycle mechanicals are concerned.

1. Rebuilding forks, only difficult because there are a few different types and can be a PITA, without the right tools to hand.
2. Getting the timing set up on rebuilt 4 stroke.
3. Shimming valves, because it's a PITA.

If you've got the manual for the bike you're working on, everything else is straight forward, you just follow the instructions.

You can learn all the difficult stuff, in your own time, relatively easily, especially if you don't have to fix something to a deadline.
You have a great resource here, in the workshop, there are plenty of knowledgeable folk willing to give advice.
If you filter out the dross there are plenty of good "how to" videos out there.

IMO, save your money, you'll learn more making your own mistakes, especially when you work out, for yourself, what you did wrong!
____________________
"Everybody needs money, that's why they call it money!"

[The Wobbly Orange]

[NJD]

TL:DR; A bit lengthy, sorry I rambled on a little. Summary at the very bottom, last two lines. Thanks for all advice and comments thus far.

If it wasn't motorbike mechanics then I wouldn't even entertain the idea of going to college but because it I think the least I could do is turn up and see what they're about, what they to offer, what the course is about and what fee's are involved so and so forth. The reason I mention the younger people that attend college is because I dread the thought that if any fee's should arise and I choose to enroll then I see it as a serious investment in my time, money and interest and wouldn't want to be surrounded by people who half an interest and are there because they feel they need to be, anyway that's an opinion based on nothing since I haven't even attended an interview yet so I want bamble on, the point being for me to commit I'd be serious about attending, studying, learning and so on and would want everyone around me to be also.

I have a preconceived notion that colleges accept anyone and everyone and are just about filling their courses up to maintain figures so don't feel anything more than half hearted about the idea currently but the least I could do is attend the interview and take a look around and see if it's for me or not. Looking at the appointment date see if I can change a shift at work as I can't be in two places at once, not it should be an issue since it's for something important and the whole reason I applied was because I wanted change from the work I do and to get out their so to speak, working part time is great but sure is crap when it comes to disposable income in regards to being able to buy an A2 legal bike of which will take a year and forever at this rate, I guess my point is that I applied for the college because it was either this or look for another part time job so again I might as well attempt to make use of my spare time rather than not do anything.

Upon reading Sid's comments about difficult jobs it reminds me of IT / Computing in that because I've done a course in the past are now able to guess my round around most issues, take apart and rebuild with a manual etc and fix any issues I create, mostly, I'm not saying I'm a computer expert but I'm saying that studying it in the past has proved beneficial know because I have a heap of IT resource books and hands on experience, knowledge and understanding. Anyway, I think that the college course could prove beneficial in a similar way in that it would allow me to undertake a course and get hands on in a learning environment and make mistakes on something other than a bike that I need to use as a daily commuter. As suggested I could buy a project bike and learn from that.. an idea to think about or buy an engine or so on from fleebay if this idea doesn't work out.

Firstly to see if work will budge on the date and then to plan and attend the interview with no expectations other than it's an interview for a course in a subject that I have an interest in and inevitably need to learn is the way forward.

[Benjums]

Hi njd, I recently went back to college myself (I'm 35) last year. And I was the same as you, a bit worried that I would be spending my hard earned and there would be idiots there just to waste time which would piss me off. When the course started there was a couple of idiots who tried to be the class clowns but for the most the rest of the students were a good bunch and a mixture of ages. After a couple of weeks one of the clowns left, and the other one stayed and got on with everyone and done really well at the course. What I found was as its a college the tutor was good as gold and had a word with the idiots and said if you want to learn stay if not fuck off and stop wasting his and their time.

[asta1]

Another option might be to try and land an internship with a local garage?

Just show up, explain that you have some previous experience on your own bike and wish to improve your knowledge by working there part-time on an unpaid basis. They might tell you to piss off, but if not you will get lots of hands on, practical experience without having to pay college fees and you might even get a job offer after a year or so.

Worst that could happen is that you spend a few months making tea and fetching and carrying.

[NJD]

Bump, because:

[331X2]

How come you only work part time?

[NJD]

[331X2]

Is now the time to look at training towards a career then? Courses are discounted for young adults and there are plenty of colleges running courses for trades etc.

Not trying to criticise, merely looking at putting the horse before the cart as it were