You just got the big fat acceptance letter in the mail yesterday. Your parents were over the moon. And so were you. But now, the butterflies have started. It seems that only yesterday you were in first grade. How exactly are you going to make it through mechanic school? You've had a look at the course calendar, and you can't believe all the things that you are going to have to learn in just two short years:
- catalytic converters
- systems diagnostics
- front and rear suspension
- electronics fundamentals
- 4x4 systems
- ABS systems
- Ozone/emissions certifications
1. Set up a routine
Your mother waking you up may have worked for high school, but that simply is not going to fly now that you are in mechanic school, nor after, when you find employment in:
- a dealership
- a franchise auto garage
- an oil/lube shop
- an independent garage (who knows, perhaps even working for yourself!)
So do yourself a favour: get yourself an alarm clock or set your phone to wake you up at the same time every weekday morning, ideally at least an hour or two before your first class, whether that is Engine Repair, Brakes, Diesel Engines, or Suspension/Steering. Soon, you won't even need it. You'll find yourself waking up naturally a moment or so before it goes off, reminding you with its beep, beep, beep that you are bound for another wonderful day of auto mechanic training, i.e., lessons on hydraulics, heating, ventilation and air conditioning.?
2. Make time for fun
If you are attending mechanic school straight out of high school, then this experience - with classes on damage repair and painting and refinishing - may be your first taste of full, adult-sized freedom. But you must resist the urge to party all the time. Choose one or two nights a week to hang out with your friends. The rest, you'll need to keep up to date on everything you are learning in your auto mechanic course.
3. Everything in moderation
Students in mechanic school should pray at the altar of Sophrosyne, the Greek goddess of moderation and self control. Set study hours and stick to them; when it's time to stop, do. Likewise, don't get too caught up in the excitement of having found a new social group in the form of your fellow students in your auto mechanic course. Find time for school, friends and yourself. Try not to let one sphere dominate at the expense of the others.?
4. Slow and steady wins the race
Keep up with your lessons in mechanic school. Review your notes each night when you get home. That way, you can ask the teachers in your mechanic training any questions while the material is still fresh in everyone's mind. Waiting until the night before the exam to hit the books is very risky indeed, and it precludes your asking your teachers any questions. (College teachers aren't fond of frantic, middle-of-the-night email messages from students, who really should know better!)
So, relax. Surviving auto mechanic training is easier than you think. All it takes is a little attention.
