I have been giving more and more thought behind enrolling into a Maritime Academy but I am not sure which one I should go for. My state of residents (being landlocked and all) does not have a Maritime State University so I will need to enroll as out of state. I really need a change from my current life and thought this could be a good place to start.
Where I stand right now.
California Maritime Academy: I like the idea of being close to San Francisco and I hear the ladies in that neck of the woods at OK.
SUNY Maritime: I think it could be interesting to go to school in the Bronx and being close to Manhattan.
Maine Maritime: I think it will be a cold 4 years but the campus looks very nice.
Mass Maritime: I can’t stand Massholes NO WAY
I still have a year to decide but any information ya’ll pass my way would be a great help.
Thanks,
MaritimeKid
Haha this should open up a can of worms…,.
Well, full disclosure, I’m a SUNY Maritime guy (so is john), so I say go there. I don’t know anything about Cal, but I sailed with a kid from Maine, and I’ve never met someone stupider - doesn’t mean it’s not a good school. What I do know is that Castine, ME is hours from anywhere. At Cal, you’ve got San Francisco, SUNY you’ve got all of the boroughs and Long Island. Mass is a good school too though. As for going to SUNY, what state do you live in? SUNY gives in-state tuition to something like 13 differnet states, so it would be much cheaper for you if you’re in one of those states.
SUNY is a good school. You lose your summers, as that is when they go on their summer cruise. Maine same thing - Mass goes out in the winter, but you don’t get done with the spring semester until the end of June. Cruise at SUNY gets back early-mid July (this year was July 4th). If you have any specific questions about SUNY, feel free to ask.
You forgot to mention a great possibility, Great Lakes Maritime Academy.
Pros:
Licensed as 3rd mate AGT Oceans and First Class Great Lakes Pilot or Third Assistant Engineer Diesel and Steam Any Horsepower or DDE
Bachelors in Science - Business Administration
Traverse City, MI is a great town with lots of things to do (winter and summer)
NO REGIMENT PROGRAMS (we wear the uniform but its quite relaxed)
two commercial sea projects on the lakes during the summer, and a commercial sea project on oceans in the fall.
The T/S State of Michigan is a great newer boat, and when we get underway for cruises there is actually hands on time in the PH or ER.
Cost of living isn’t very bad
Cons:
Degree comes from Ferris State University instead of actual academy (but the license is what really matters ; ) )
A focus on the lakes with the pilotage (this can be good or bad).
Not salt water (again, doesnt really have an impact on education)
I’m sure others can tell you more cons and pros. I’m partial because I attend GLMA (freshman) and am from michigan. But the biggest draw for me was the non-regimented program (there is a MMR program if you are looking for something like that). The instructors are great, they all hold licenses. One is even on the MERPAC commitee (pretty cool imo).
Feel free to PM me if you have any more detailed questions.
Also, check out the website - http://www.nmc.edu/maritime/ (especially the T/S State of Michigan you will be spending a lot of time learning/working on it!)
I go to the Texas Maritime Academy and while the other schools are okay Texas is one that you should definatly keep as a possibility. Why should you do this? Well:
1, The cost of living and the tuition in Texas and at the school is by far the least expensive of all the Maritime Academys. At Texas A&M which is the main school for which the Texas Maritime Academy is attached to, if you are in the corps of cadets at galveston (in the maritime academy) you pay in state tuition. This is one of the major perks of attending if you live out of state.
2. The Maritime Academy is located in Galveston. Now I’m not saying this is the greatest city but you are just a short drive away from the Houston (which isnt much farther then San Francisco is to Vellajo where Cal is) which has tons of things to see and do. You can even find things to do in Galveston though, Every year we have a big Mardi gras celabration on the strand, there are plently of bars and clubs to hang out in on the weekends and there is always the beach. Fortunatly in galveston the water stays warmer for longer then most of the other Maritime academys. The weather isnt to bad either. We dont have snow so it doesnt get that cold and the winters while a little wet are pretty mild. If you come from a state that doesnt get much snow this is nice. I am from houston so maybe my opinion is biased but i hate freezing my ass off in the winter and at the colleges that you have mentioned you are going to do that except California that is.
3. You are next to the gulf. probably 50 % of our students who graduate from the Texas Maritme Academy work in the gulf it isnt bad there are plenty of tankers that come right out of houston and all along the gulf coast. And, Im not trying to say you can not find good ships else where but its a good place to network and find jobs if you are right there.
4. You get a degree from Texas A&M this is a very well known school, Texas A&M Galveston(apart of Texas A&M different Campus location) that is the campus where our school is located, they offer 12 degrees which include Marine Biology, Marine Studies, Marine Science, Marine Transportation, Marine Engineering, Maritime Administration…etc I mentioned some of the degrees but there are more. I can not think of them off the top of my head but with 8 of the degress you can get a duel degrees. At Texas A&M you can get a a license plus one of 8 degrees offered at A&M. I think its pretty cool because if you decide that you dont want to go to sea anymore your options for a shore side job would be increased with another degree.
5. Number 5. is really just a statement that has to be made you are in Texas best state in the nation and yes my opinion is biased because I was born and raised here I love this state and my school and I hope I may have changed your mind a little even with the biased pride for my state that Im trying to show now(even if slightly arrogant. but not meaning to offend).
Well good luck in your school search and I hope this helps
<strong>“Yes, the license matters, but so does the degree. I’m not saying that Ferris State University is a bad school or anything, but if you want to work shoreside ever, having a degree in Marine Transportation (from SUNY, MMA, MMA, KP, etc.) having a diploma with one of those names on it may get you farther than a Business Administration degree from Ferris State University.”</strong>
That was actually kind of a pompous kick in the nards there New3M. You did yourself, and your school a disservice.
From a professional point of view, if you have to depend on where you graduated from to get the job, you’re probably working in the wrong place. If you know your business, and you have the experience, where your “degree” came from means little other than the fact that you have one. If you’re counting on a fellow “knocker” to give you a hand up to get the gig, then you’re being awful presumptious, as well as expecting an unfair burden to be bourne by your fellow alumnus. Besides, it is a tad nepotistic.
Then again, I guess of you didn’t study the “Rules of the Road” well enough, and ended up getting “ripped” in the simulator, you have to be able to count on something down the road when the traffic gets a bit too hot out in the real world. How did that feel? Thought so.
Maritime Kid: The answer to your question is; Where are you going to feel most comfortable going to school? If the big city is a necessity? Do you like the great outdoors? Does cold weather bother you? Give us some more details on your thoughts…and make sure you take note of the above an tuck it away for future reference.
El Capitan,
I wasn’t trying to piss anybody off with that, but I figured it was going to happen. All I was saying was that all of the shoreside job postings I see, whether it be for the chartering side or brokers or agents or whatever, most of them list in their job requirements a degreee in Marine Transportation. I’m NOT SAYING that having a Business Administration from Ferris State University doesn’t hold up to an MT degree from anywhere else, but I (and I assume others) didn’t know that GLMA got their degree from FSU, and if somebody told me that they wanted to work in the industry and they had a BA from FSU, I’d be confused. Now I know.
As for the Rules of the Road comment, go read it again. I wasn’t part of that class, I was the one running the simulator for the class. I know my Rules of the Road, and so do the kids in that class, thanks to the outstanding professors at SUNY. Sorry that when we were cadets we weren’t as knowledgeable as you are. Guess you always knew the rules of the road and never had to ask somebody for help.
And we both know that this industry is more about “Who you know” than “What you know.” It’s no secret that hiring personnel will try and hire people from their alma maters. Just the way it is.
Where your degree came from might help get your first job and yes nepotism does exist, but after that first job it is mainly experience.
Maine wasn’t bad if you don’t mind the cold and the fact that there is very little to do within a 45 minute drive. The instructors were top notch and the people were pretty good. I sailed with good and bad from all the schools. Contrary to what some people have experienced or said, 90% of the Pointers I have worked with were great people. There are dumbasses and geniuses at all the schools, that said I have a pretty low opinion of Texas A&M, sorry KJK… Of course that being said I sailed with a C/M and Captain that were outstanding from that school…come to think of it the C/E was from there as well and he was damn good… I know Mass and Maine have in state, in region, and out of state/region tuition so if you are close to the New England are give them a look. I also think Mass was pretty liberal about what they consider in region. I went with Maine, because I felt Mass was too militaristic for me.
Also, realize that everybody thinks the way they got their license is the best. Personally I think Maine and Mass are the two best, followed by California and then SUNY. It also depends a lot on what license you will pursue Maine has an outstanding engineering program that is highly ranked in the country. Take all the advice with a grain of salt and ask more specific questions about peoples’ experiences in one or two areas at whichever school you think you will attend.
I only have experience with SUNY and Texas. Both are really good schools. I’m a freshman over at Texas and so far it’s going pretty well. Due to Hurricane Ike though we’re stuck inland at the main campus up in College Station, Tx. This year had us living on board our training ship instead of the dorms which I don’t think other academies do during the academic year. Coming from a family that has people in the industry from academies as well as lot’s of friends from them, it depends really on where exactly you want to spend your 4 years. As for Texas, if you want to work in the gulf I’d reccomend them… If you can get used to all the hick’s ;).
Thats some great information ya’ll are passing down. Seems like there are allot of Academy grads here so hopefully you guys can help me out with some information that the schools would talk about.
I know that the “partying” at these schools is nonresistant or very limited at best. I’m NOt a crazy party animal but I would like to have a few beers on the weekend and have a little bit of the “college experience”. So whats the deal? Is this possible?
<strong>" I know that the “partying” at these schools is nonresistant or very limited at best.</strong>"
Hah hah hah ahah hahah. Where did you hear this from? Though most of the acadmies have a pretty low female to male ratio and what females there are, are well… As far as Galveston Island it’s alright, but being 21 helps. You’ll find a lot of the non academy kids get away with a lot in the dorms there. I’m sure pretty much anywhere you go will have parties.
To address living on the ship at Texas:
The reason that the freshman are living on the ship is because of restraints on rooms in the residence halls. Texas A&M Galveston used to know as Texas A&M’s best kept secret. You have the big college life on the weekends but the classes are smaller and you get more attention from the proffessors. The Freshman class this year was like 500 hundred people and because if you join the corps you have to live on campus for two years they did not have enough housing in the residence halls. Therefore renovate the ship and make the freshmen live on it. It makes complete since your in the Texas Maritime Academy your going to be sailing on ships why not live on it. i’m not saying its the best place to live but if its between not accepting as many cadets as applied and living in the residence halls which would you go with. BY THE WAY DO YOUR RESEARCH: other schools have the cadets living on the ship. California Maritime for one which you will be sailing with this summer or have sailed with.
New3M - I’m not trying to get into a pissing contest with, nor am I going to.
I think you need to spend a little less time knowing so much about an industry you’re still new to, and spend a little more time thinking about what you’re saying, and how you’re saying it. As do you, most of the people looking for advice in this post (these posts) have dreams and aspirations that they’d like to achieve. Try not to shatter those dreams with ill chosen verbage. As I did with you (purposely), it tends to piss you off when someone takes an inopportune shot at you, or your alma mater. Siberfire was answering MaritimeKids question, as were you, but you still had to take the opportunity to take a piss on Siberfire about the Ferris State degree, and on Maine for the “none stupider” kid you met. Why?
I know, and am friends with some outstanding Mariner’s - both Deck and Engineering - from all of the academies, as well as Hawsie’s. I also know some maladjusted malcontents with an evil streak a mile wide from all of the above. Which one are you going to be?
Last but not least, once the fraternal blush wears off, it’s all about what you know. The ring might get you the interview; blowing it, or making it, IS ALL UP TO YOU. Do you really think if you’re a know nothing prima donna, that one of your own is going to hire you for a job that you’re going to end up making a hash of?
Enough said. Let’s get back to the subject at hand.
“MaritimeKid - Tell us what you like doing in your spare time, and that might help to point you in the right direction.”
Lets see, I like working on my dance steeps, making ice-cream with my bestfriend jimmy, staying up late watching Gilmore Girls…. Just kidding. I don’t know. Mountain Biking, trying to score handjobs in the parking lot of school, drinking beers with my buddies, that kind of stuff.
