[FLC2000]

You can learn all that stuff in the field. You don’t need an education for it. What you need an education for is to learn how to actually run a business. I don’t care if you’re the best lawn mower, applicator, or landscaper in the world. If you don’t know how to actually run a business you will ultimately fail.

 

[Mario Boesch]

Was kicking around the idea (already applied) of going back to school to take some turf/ landscape/ horticulture classes.
Currently have an AAS in fire science, so that would knock out many of the core classes required.
I’d like to transition the business from a mowing gig to more of an turf/ ornamental care and landscaping so I think the classes would help in that regard. But wanted hear others thoughts.
View attachment 511222

Total waste of time IMO. If it makes feel better like someone else mentioned I guess go for it. I've been in the landscape industry for 30 years and let me tell you the money you can make is totally dependent on your work ethic.

 

[JNyz]

Great idea to go back to school.
I would also recommend working at a company that does exactly what you want to do. It is better to see someone show a profit, make mistakes and learn.

 

[treemonkey]

I work at MSU and have some loose ties to the turfgrass program. Near retirement, my experience is that a person can succeed following many paths, but they ALL require a great amount of effort, whether its college, the school of hard knocks, or something in between. Book learning, hands-on, and mentoring are ALL part of an education. I did the "in between", starting with an associate degree and building on that over the decades with a bit of additional formal classroom work and lots of self learning and mentoring. I cannot move beyond my management/supervisor position because I lack the "paper" part, but that does not matter to me. I have more than achieved my professional goals, but much more important I have fulfilled my personal goals.

It's up to you how you want to achieve your goals. Everyone marches to a different drummer. For me, I find it challenging/difficult to self educate myself to the same level of a college or trades class. I'm sure others are just the opposite - it's so obvious in the responses in this thread. There is no shame in doing it either way. If anything, I "think" I am just starting to see a trend away from the BS degree paper mill maybe to more practical trades training. Our country is facing a huge shortage of educated, skilled trades people in all aspects - building trades, agriculture trades, vehicle trades, etc.. We need hands-on people that can get the actual work done.

 

[flashsmith]

As someone who has an AS turf grass management degree here's my take. I was a Golf Course Superintendent for 10 years and did sub work for Bayer for ten years or so doing custom apps at high end facilities all over where I used the degree. I was burnt out and decided to start my own business lawn care/ irrigation 6 years ago. I thought I would have an advantage because of obvious experience most lawn guys just don't possess. It didn't work. I wasn't successful until I "dumbed" down a bit. It all comes down to price. Nobody wants their "lawn" guy to be smarter than them. So with that unless you're planning on working on a golf course it's useless. I don't even bring up my past experience as a selling point anymore. Especially when they say my spray guy says mow it this way at this height blah blah blah.. Taking advice from a guy who last month was selling cars and now they are convinced he's some kind of expert instead of listening to a guy that regularly worked at Augusta National. 😂

 

[justanotherlawnguy]

You can learn all that stuff in the field. You don’t need an education for it. What you need an education for is to learn how to actually run a business. I don’t care if you’re the best lawn mower, applicator, or landscaper in the world. If you don’t know how to actually run a business you will ultimately fail.

My finance professor at USF made a comment once, probably the only thing I remember from 4 years in school that actually resonated with me.
"Just because your the worlds greatest plumber, doesn't mean you know the business of plumbing!"

The best thing you can do is find a successful mentor in your area.

The sad thing about lawn guys is their ego won't let them ask for help and are typically reluctant to change.

 

[JawT]

Like it or not politics is involved with education.

Ridiculous. Politics have nothing to do with that comment. He just wanted a chance to call the president "slow." Trump literally last week forgot the name of the guy he was speaking to endorse at a rally (JD Vance) and accidentally called him, over the speakers during his speech, "JP, right? JP Mandell." But Mandell is the OPPONENT. Trump called him the other guy's name. That is the definition of an addled mind. The dude can't even read notes unless they're in one-line bullet points. But you ignore it all when a Republican is in office, and exaggerate rare gaffes when a democrat is in office. That's how they do it. Trump lets a virus go unchecked for weeks, killing hundreds of thousands of Americans with his incompetence and lies (he said he thought the scientists should put bleach and light bulbs inside people!)... and not a peep from republicans. But they spent several years "investigating" Benghazi where a few people died. Same with debt and deficits. As soon as a democrat is in charge, republicans remember how "fiscally conservative" they think they are. Trump's call logs from Jan 6 have a 5 hour gap. The records are missing. No big deal to republicans. But they made a pretty big deal out of Hillary Clinton's cake recipe emails. Their tax plans hurt the middle class and benefit only the rich. They actually have no policy platform to run on anymore, no ideas for how they can make life better for the American people. All they have anymore is the white supremacy and the senseless culture war trolling. The GOP is the party of hypocrisy for every single topic that comes up now.

Who the president is has nothing to do with going back to school or not. If you want to learn more about which party killed public funding for education and created the student loan debt problem, create a thread for it in the politics section and I'll be glad to explain it.

Go back to school. For sure. But for something else. Maybe it doesn't make sense to take university classes to learn landscaping skills. Why not offer a guy who knows these things $1000 to follow him around, help, and get trained for 2-3 weeks? Or go to comm college or take MSU extension classes now and then.

 

[MILLC]

The best thing you can do is find a successful mentor in your area.

100% behind mentorship’s as well. I worked for a coffee shop for a number of years where the owner took me under his wing and it is a big part of why I am successful today. I grew up in family businesses but learning the ropes of “modern business” from someone outside the family was a HUGE influence.

 

[capetrees]

Was kicking around the idea (already applied) of going back to school to take some turf/ landscape/ horticulture classes.
Currently have an AAS in fire science, so that would knock out many of the core classes required.
I’d like to transition the business from a mowing gig to more of an turf/ ornamental care and landscaping so I think the classes would help in that regard. But wanted hear others thoughts.
View attachment 511222

you'd be foolish not to go if you can afford it. Eventually, most people in the trades and blue collar labor fields wear out. Bad back, bad knees, too much competition, too many regulations. Get you degree and you can always continue doing what you're doing, you would then also have a degree to fall back on. Degrees from accredited colleges can get you a leg up on others and sometimes not even related to landscaping or other related fields. Locally, a person could land a good paying job working in the court system for instance so long as they have a bachelors degree. My sons in school now to the tune of $34K/year and I told him if he wanted to be a plumber or truckdriver after school, go for it so long as there's money in it. But once the fun wears out, he'll have a degree to fall back on as he gets older.
Not many people can go back to school later in life due to obligations to family and income. Go now while you can and you won't regret it. I have my degree in Earth Sciences and haven't used it but I could if I wanted to change fields and go into teaching or other fields that require a degree.

 

[hedgehog_MI]

you'd be foolish not to go if you can afford it. Eventually, most people in the trades and blue collar labor fields wear out. Bad back, bad knees, too much competition, too many regulations. Get you degree and you can always continue doing what you're doing, you would then also have a degree to fall back on. Degrees from accredited colleges can get you a leg up on others and sometimes not even related to landscaping or other related fields. Locally, a person could land a good paying job working in the court system for instance so long as they have a bachelors degree. My sons in school now to the tune of $34K/year and I told him if he wanted to be a plumber or truckdriver after school, go for it so long as there's money in it. But once the fun wears out, he'll have a degree to fall back on as he gets older.
Not many people can go back to school later in life due to obligations to family and income. Go now while you can and you won't regret it. I have my degree in Earth Sciences and haven't used it but I could if I wanted to change fields and go into teaching or other fields that require a degree.

Could not find one point to disagree or take issue with. Andrew H, this is some very solid advice from capetrees.

 

[Joe Dirt In Louisiana]

Amdrew, I have recently retired after 43 years in the Oil and Gas business, seen many that were where you are, could do the work but thought that if they had a degree they could come back to the company and be the CEO, by the time they left, got in debt, lost good wages, retirement and 401K plan, when they did come back did not last long, quickly layed off, what was different, he would ask people like me who had at that time 40 years of experience, "do you have a degree" what changed he was no longer a fellow your wanted to help him learn so he could take you place or be promoted by his quality of work and being a good communicator, he was now a bragger about his piece of paper that meant you only had a piece of paper that was handed to you from a Liberal Professor that never did what he was teaching, if you want more education there is still this thing call books that you can read and learn on your own and keep working, remember listen, look and learn, when the time is right then you ask questions, never get to the point that you think you cannot learn from ever person you meet, but remember you must know how to express yourself never down grade anyone cause of education, the fellow that taught me the most in the Oil Filed in the early 70's he could Hardley read and wright, he taught me to see it in your mind, then you can figure out what needs to be done, keep focused on what you want to be and be the best, be honest, always say thank you, "if you don't respect yourself, you won't respect others", Joe

 

[GroundWorx]

Degrees are overrated these days. As a matter of fact, and generally speaking, I have little use for someone with a "higher education" simply because they typically know less than a person who has a couple years of actual experience.

Unless of course, you want to be a "Landscape Designer" or "Architect" it's completely worthless. And the ONLY reason those programs have any value at all is because state licensing boards generally require it - to help reduce competition for already established operations, because unnecessary educational requirements have a deterrence affect on small business startups.

 

[rider997]

Andrew, Holding an AAS, you probably already realize that the value of an education is more than its component parts. You certainly took English and literature classes, meaning that it's likely you are able to communicate more clearly and formally than many with only high school diplomas. While some general education requirements exist primarily to make you a "well rounded individual," you've seen that the courses you take are best viewed as an applied framework for what you need to know and apply in a specific job or position. College courses are an accelerator - you can obtain the same knowledge through self-study, mentorship opportunities, and apprenticeships, but the second route take much more time and you must always consider whether you're being taught 'correctly'. Even an engineering degree is only basic preparation for a highly technical job; employers see it as a basic hiring requirement, but still expect you to learn a great deal on the job, specific to the company and position. Having a solid formal education puts you in a better position to evaluate new information in your field, gives you a common base of knowledge with other degree holders, and provides you with guidance on further self-study and areas of interest. While college courses may be expensive these days, I do think they provide substantial value. You will also find that as your income level increases, your economic peers are increasingly likely to hold degrees (or have a greater amount of formal education and training), and your formal education will help you interact with them more effectively. I'm a huge proponent of vocational education and lifetime self-learning, but formal education is an important component of your career and a legitimate life choice. It looks like you have identified courses (and possibly a degree) that you think will be beneficial to your life and career -- if you have the financial means and available time, I would highly encourage you to go for it!

 

[JawT]

You can just go to college to go to college ....
you don't need permission👍

Yup. In a college town there's a whole economy, a whole world where you can go. Hide for a few years while the economy recovers. And you don't have to leave when you graduate.
Colleges are about 60% women now, so that might be a pleasant change of scenery. Get on the landscaping staff while you're there, why not. Take a Shakespeare course. Start a band! Join the cycling club or outing club and ride your mountain bike all over the USA. Cut loose! Buy a motorcycle before you move to campus. A rumbly guzzi V9. Totally reinvent yourself.
Hit The Riv and sing along to Sweet Caroline every Thursday.
Get in touch with Joel Eddy and get on the lifeguarding staff in the summer at IM West. Get a bartending job at Rick's. Drain a few shark bowls at Landshark, then stumble up to Linden St.
Get season hockey tickets.
Whatever you do, please post all your adventures here so we can live it all over again, through you.

 

[JawT]

Andrew, Holding an AAS, you probably already realize that the value of an education is more than its component parts. You certainly took English and literature classes, meaning that it's likely you are able to communicate more clearly and formally than many with only high school diplomas. While some general education requirements exist primarily to make you a "well rounded individual," you've seen that the courses you take are best viewed as an applied framework for what you need to know and apply in a specific job or position. College courses are an accelerator - you can obtain the same knowledge through self-study, mentorship opportunities, and apprenticeships, but the second route take much more time and you must always consider whether you're being taught 'correctly'. Even an engineering degree is only basic preparation for a highly technical job; employers see it as a basic hiring requirement, but still expect you to learn a great deal on the job, specific to the company and position. Having a solid formal education puts you in a better position to evaluate new information in your field, gives you a common base of knowledge with other degree holders, and provides you with guidance on further self-study and areas of interest. While college courses may be expensive these days, I do think they provide substantial value. You will also find that as your income level increases, your economic peers are increasingly likely to hold degrees (or have a greater amount of formal education and training), and your formal education will help you interact with them more effectively. I'm a huge proponent of vocational education and lifetime self-learning, but formal education is an important component of your career and a legitimate life choice. It looks like you have identified courses (and possibly a degree) that you think will be beneficial to your life and career -- if you have the financial means and available time, I would highly encourage you to go for it!

I agree with most of this, but I think you cannot learn the same things on your own. Self taught people always have spotty knowledge. It's too specific in some cases, and they overlook important areas. There's a reason instructors spend years getting their syllabi exactly fine tuned how they want.
At college you'll also learn to have a good BS filter (which it seems you already have), and you'll fine tune your information literacy skills, which can come to good use on Lawnsite's 'politics' and lies section! : )

 

[treemonkey]

Hit The Riv and sing along to Sweet Caroline every Thursday.

LOL, I thought that would be Crunchy's.

 

[chuckny]

and exaggerate rare gaffes when a democrat is in office.

Rare gaffes ? Really ? It's painfully obvious that someone has been to a reeducation center, er, I mean, college. You literally just accused someone of turning a blind eye to their particular party's shortcomings while turning a blind eye toward your own parties shortcomings.
Change your news source and you will find out what I mean. That is why I do not watch ANY news. I have decided to let my mind decide what my eyes are seeing to be the truth and not let someone on tv do it for me. Every news channel has their own form of the truth. Where they get you is lying by omission. For instance, you will never see Joes gaffes on MSNBC,CNN, NBC,ABC,CBS, but they will replay Trump gaffes ad nauseam. The opposite is true for Fox News. Depending on which source a person accesses is the deciding factor in which president is dumber, more incompetent, racist, etc etc.
I have seen many, and when I say many I do not mean 5 or 6 videos of Joe embarrassing himself with a confused mind. In one instance the host of a popular news source tried to cover for him by steering Joe into saying the right words and finally saying the words for him. I remember a little over two years ago that same host badgering the former president and calling him racist for wanting to shut the borders to keep Covid at bay. Then, 6 months later, that same network badgered him for not shutting the borders sooner to keep Covid at bay.
I wasn't even going to comment on your stupid comment until you crossed the line and accused the former president of killing people with policy and words. Your views are definitely biased.
Research what the Democrat Governor of NY did to nursing homes in the heat of Covid. When officials begged him not to his words were, " too bad, do it ". That tyrant should be in prison.
I could go on and on and on and on.
"Take a Shakespear course". Yeah, that should help him be a better landscaper. Do you even realize what sight you are on ? These people are hard workers who want to be the best at what they do and I bet 95% could care less about taking some artsy classes.
Just my opinion.

 

[capetrees]

And if you do go to college, get a degree that you can use and can build on. Liberal Arts isn't a degree, it's just 4 more years of high school. Transgender African Dance Studies or Social Aggression Studies aren't degrees with any worth. Business degrees, accounting, landscape architect, turf management all have a place in the areas your headed. Laugh all you want at the landscape architects, "they don't know what they're talking about", "they've never planted a tree" but I'll bet most upper executives in most of you Fortune 500 businesses didn't work in the mailroom or drive the delivery trucks either. The degree allows you to be a level above. You don't have to use it but it's there if needed or the opportunity arrives.

 

[kemco]

Liberal arts are about worth a degree in gender studies... It will allow you to teach guess what... Gender studies IF you go for the PhD and spend another 5 years in school and another $100k. Build a business. Or go to trade school... And then build a business based on that trade. My recommendation.

 

[zlandman]

I have a bachelor's in landscape architecture Most certainly I've planted a tree. Thousands of shrubs. But I don't tell any of my customers about my degree. I took half the professional registration tests no problem. But I can never be registered without working for another LA. Like I'm going to work for someone else at this point.

I wanted to start weed and feed I looked into some courses from schools i met at GIE but ultimately I just studied the state materials and did internet research. Ability matters more than a degree.

I went back to college for another bachelor's this time in engineering technology. I'm enjoying it and learning a ton. But the only reason really is that a degree is required to become an engineer. It's a huge time commitment for an adult even at part time. But for instance I'm learning more about use of excel and business management this semester so it translates to about anything I'd end up doing in the future.