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Be patient. Go to Purdue and apply yourself towards an engineering, computer science, cyber security, etc. degree. It's a tough university to be admitted to, so you must be smarter than the average bear. A Purdue degree will beat your local CA degree when interviewing. USPA stats show many jumpers have technical backgrounds (engineer and CS). Get a good job that pays well. Take up skydiving again. The sky's not going anywhere but you have an opportunity to go somewhere unique: Purdue and beyond. Be patient.

Coach lined up to get me current - check License current- check Recurrency written test - check Full rig inspection / repack - check Lost 20 pounds to fit into old jumpsuit - check Scoped out aerial photos of DZ- check New helmet - check All other gear/altis/gloves/goggles/hookknife - check Tunnel time - Nope. If it takes me a few tries on recurrency dive that's ok Attitude/mental readiness/physical condition - check Case of beer on ice - check I'm stoked like my first AFF jump

You're getting some great advice here. I'm rooting for you to take it (and the deal). One thing I would add is, if you haven't already, have your parents read this thread. It might give them a kinder view of the community you've entered.

Traffic engineering. Replace traffic lights with roundabouts. Eliminate 4-way stops at intersections.

I don't think it's to do with mosque vs church but majority vs minority, oppressors vs oppressed. For instance, if pro democracy activists burned down a mosque in Tehran I'd be cheering them on, if a nationalist group burned down a mosque in London or Bradford I'd be horrified.

Just an outsider's perspective, it's weird how Republicans are usually so up in arms about people taking the knee in sports events "because it disrespects veterans", yet at the same time justify the 2nd Amendment because it gives them the ability to kill US Military servicemen (and women).

My attempt at something similar. Really basic code on Arduino Zero + some LEDs It supposed to show horizontal speed and heading (in degrees) but there's no GPS signal in the apartment Pros: * Cheap and really easy to build * Numbers on LED are kinda readable because it's standard LED numbers font (although it needs some time to get used to) * Easy to program new display information in basic C code * Numbers are readable even in bright light * Size could be reduced by 50% easily (most of the space is used by battery and its charger) Cons: * Numbers on LED are kinda readable (although it needs some time to get used to) Dry tests on the ground so far, not jumped this thing yet (want to reduce its size first) I'm looking for good alternative for LED so it would obscure even less view, but here I'm facing the problem with finding something readable at close range. I thought about monocle displays because they use standard AV input and thus may be used with Arduino too. @Gideon Yampolsky could you please elaborate on what exactly was inconvenient with Vufine display? gps_Full HD 1080p_(1).mp4

Might as well tell my story. I went to an engineering school. THEN I discovered skydiving, four years after graduating. I started doing it obsessively. Even moved to California to be closer to good skydiving. At one point I tallied up the year and realized I had made $26,000 skydiving - and that was just weekends and some Fridays. I could quit my job! Live the dream! Skydive every day and get paid for it! I didn't do it. And I am very glad I didn't. I know a lot of friends who went that route, and very few are happy today. The ones who are happy were the best of the best - you've heard a few of their names. The others eventually burned out, or their bodies would wear out, or they'd get themselves injured and be unable to work. And at that point they would try to re-enter the workforce, missing years or decades of schooling/experience. (Or they'd die, which happened all too often.) Instead I kept my job and remained a weekend skydiver. And during that time I did a half dozen four way teams, eight eight way teams, and did video for ~20 teams at local competitions and Nationals. I set three world records. And when one of those world records involved traveling to Thailand for two and a half weeks I could afford it, because I was still working a full time job. Now I am mostly doing tunnel because of family, but I am doing it as often as I want to with no worries about how I will pay for it. And when I skydive, again I don't have to worry about money. That's not for everyone. You may be one of those amazing natural skydivers who can get ten years of experience and then make a decent living coaching, or instruction/video, or stunt work, or even running a gear store or a DZ. But if you're not sure, it's a LOT better (IMO) to have the education/experience to choose your job (a well paying one that gives you plenty of time off) and then make skydiving your weekend obsession than try to make skydiving an occupation. If you try that angle and fail/burn out at skydiving (and it happens) you are still in good shape.

Hi David, Re: it's a tough major and I honestly don't think I can succeed I am a Mech Engr. I started college when I was 24 yrs old & a veteran. It is a tough major. I also did not know whether I would make it. I only really knew that I could finish when I started my very last semester. I saw too many younger people, who were much smarter than, I fail. Primarily, because they wanted to party, chase girls, anything but keep their nose(s) to the grindstone. Re: But I will definitely try. IMO this is the secret to success. I went on have a quite successful 30-yr career as an engineer. I'm nicely retired now; but I am very grateful that I never gave up. As other have said, the sky will wait for you; it is not going away. Jerry Baumchen

I agree with gowlerk to a degree (no offense just my opinion) and I respect his opinion. As a parent we are trying to teach you/ control you to keep you headed in what we feel is the right direction. Bribes do work and when applied judiciously can have the desired effect. That's all I read into their "we'll pay if you stop jumping" move. You have an opportunity to go to Purdue. Purdue is 9th for best undergrad engineering degrees. So its in the top 10 with the likes of MIT, Cal Tech, Georgia Tech, UC Berkley (tops in my degree), Stanford and is just in front of U of Texas (another great school in my degree). All good company to be around. Cal Tech, Carnegie-Mellon and Purdue tie for fourth best engineering schools in the U.S for graduate degrees. That's behind MIT (OK - #1) and ahead of Georgia Tech (WOW). As an engineer I understand the magnitude of this opportunity. Go to Purdue. Go with a positive attitude. I promise it will be hard, especially at first, but it will be very rewarding. Personally rewarding, professionally rewarding and financially rewarding. While you're there you will find friends and time to enjoy their company. I know people with engineering degrees that went on to other professions (lawyers and dentists - go figure). So you can do anything with an engineering degree. I think this adds up to my 4 cents worth and you were very brave to ask this in an open forum. Go Boiler Makers!

Yep, for a lot of reasons, primarily $$$. But if anyone wants to make a stink, the designation will likely not be held up. Does the person paying (the DZO) have the right to control or direct the work itself? i.e. require them to work to certain standards, use certain equipment, use a given syllabus or a given method of training? If so, they are not independent contractors per the IRS. Does the person paying require the worker to show up at a certain time, follow certain standards of behavior (i.e. no drinking?) Do they claim them are one of "their" instructors? Does their picture appear on advertising materials depicting how the service will be performed, with the expectation that additional customers will experience the same thing? If so, they're not independent. Some DZ's attempt to get around this by giving students "packets" to give their instructors which include their pay. That way the DZ can say "no, the person paying is the customer; I have nothing to do with that." But if the person cannot walk up to an instructor at random - and instead has to go to manifest to fill out waivers and whatnot required by the DZ before being allowed to approach the instructor - that doesn't fly.