David Wang

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Posts posted by David Wang

  1. On 7/1/2021 at 5:15 AM, Cocowheats said:

    What I haven't seen asked/mentioned is why engineering? Is this something you have a passion for, or at least did at some point? Or, is this your parents choosing your path (maybe your parents or grandparents were an engineer and they want you to follow the family legacy)?

    My grandfather was a mathematician. Both of my parents are not engineers. My mom chose the engineering major for me. I didn't choose it for myself because at that time I didn't know what I want to do in life. And right now I still don't. I'm glad I've found my passion - skydiving.  I only need to figure out what to do as a career. 

    But in general I'm a science guy.(good at math, science, etc but bad at history, geography, biology, etc. Hope you know what I mean.) I do not know if I will like engineering, we will have to see how my freshman year goes. Every engineering student at Purdue goes through a program which is called "First Year Engineering (FYE)". It's a tough program, and if I successfully go through the program and figure that I love engineering I would declare my major in my sophomore year (mechanical, chemical, civil or aerospace engineering, etc) If I don't then I would change my major...

    I'm a bit interested in aerospace engineering...I mean working at NASA or major aerospace companies would be pretty cool, right? lol. just a thought. 

    We will have to see. 

    Thanks for sharing your experience and advice. Those help. 

  3. 3 hours ago, skybytch said:

    Get that free education.  Get that good paying career. Then (and only then) go back to the dz and start jumping again.  It'll be way more fun, you'll jump way more often, you'll be a way better skydiver. 

    this sounds great!!!

  6. What age range is middle age? 40-60? 

    I’m 19 and will turn 20 this September. Lol.  After 4 years of college i will be 24. I’m grateful that I’m young and my recovery has been amazing so far. 
     

    One of the main goals in these years is to get more healthy and strong. I do believe that I will be in better physical condition to skydive if I wait a few years rather than getting back to jumping next year, right after finishing all the surgeries. 

    I will try hard to be safe and avoid injuries when I get back in the sport.

  8. · Edited by David Wang

    19 minutes ago, skyderrill66 said:

    You are missing the whole point. If you wait 3 to 5 years and get your degree and don't have to worry about loan payments you will have the skydiving world in your hands.  The money you don't have to pay for tuition can go to skydiving.  You are not quitting anything you are setting yourself up for a much nicer life than if you have lots of bills 

    you're suggesting that I utilize the offer, get my degree and be financial independent ASAP so I can cut the "financial tie" with my parents ASAP and no one can stop me from jumping after that, right? and in the mean time I have a great degree

    and yes I would have little to no debt based on their offer. 

  9. 1 hour ago, skyderrill66 said:

    You have an answer for everything don't you? You have an injured shoulder and yet you are trying to get back before you have healed completely. You need to step back and look at your situation.  The tuition for college is likely well over 100k and you have the opportunity to get a free college education by simply not skydiving for 3 years. Take the 3 year's and heal. I wouldn't go to any dz in the  mean time and get tempted.  Study work and save your money.  By the time you graduate school you will have money for gear and skydivers. Go to a physical therapist and find out how to strengthen your shoulder . 3 year's may seem like a long time but it will be over and you will have an amazing degree and future 

    I agree with what you have said. I know that I will have an amazing future if I can get an engineering degree from Purdue. I'm okay with 3 years as long as my parents don't come up with something new after 3 years. I agree that 3 years are not too long. 

    side note: I'm getting arthroscopic shoulder surgery in August and will need to do 5 months rehab. My body should be ready before I go to Indianapolis in spring 2022. 

  10. 38 minutes ago, TampaPete said:

    Skip it. Worry about three years from now three years from now. It will avail itself to you when it is time. If it becomes 5 years from now so be it. Focus on school. 

    ah...okay

  11. 38 minutes ago, gowlerk said:

    If you are stubborn enough to still want to continue jumping after what you have been through you are probably also stubborn enough to fight your way through school and into the degree. And I take back at least a little about your parents and control. After reading your description of the way you have been negotiating with them I'm begging to thing YOU may be the controlling one!

    I'm strongly addicted & obsessed with this sport. I love this sport SO MUCH. I can fly. "I can fly" is probably the strongest reason for a person to skydive. 

    Many people have their own way to deal with their accidents. For me, overcoming injuries, getting back in the sky and achieving my dreams and goals is the way to do it. Get back up when life knocks me down. No quitting. 

    It depends on whether I love engineering or not. If I love my major I will probably find ways to work it through. If I don't love it I will change major after my freshman year. 

    Why am I the controlling one? I don't understand. 

  13. · Edited by David Wang

    3 hours ago, billvon said:

    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.

    Thank you for sharing! I need to think about what you said. 

  14. let's imagine a scenario. Let's say I wait 3 years. It's time for me to skydive again. And what if my parents don't keep their promise and use tuition to force me not to skydive at that time? How do I deal with that???

  16. 2 hours ago, wmw999 said:

    My brother went to engineering school; he said that it was hard, but that it was hard for just about everyone. You’re not really the only one who doesn’t understand everything. 
    Wendy P. 

    haha, true!

  17. 11 minutes ago, TampaPete said:

    David - Don't sell yourself short. I believe you can succeed. I've said a couple of times, it's going to be tough, but not impossible. Stay focused on school and enjoying school. Don't skip enjoying school but do study your buns off. If Purdue has offered you incentives then you are smarter than the average bear. Don't worry about the sky it's not going away. When the time is right it will avail itself to you. 

    thank you!

  18. · Edited by David Wang

    5 hours ago, SethInMI said:

    I thought Purdue already had a skydiving club. 

    https://www.boilerlink.purdue.edu/organization/sportparachuteclub

    I asked around before and they said the club was no longer active. 

    I'm admitted to college of engineering, but it's a tough major and I honestly don't think I can succeed lol. But I will definitely try. I will probably study my ass off. 

    I will probably accept their offer. I can make my body more healthy and fit in these 3 years and I will be in better physical condition to skydive in the future. (exercise my shoulder and whole body) 3 years are not too long and it's better than 4 or 5 years. 

    I will sign a legal document with my parents just in case if they come up something new after I wait 3 years. (because the only thing that is not good in this offer is that I still keep the financial tie with my parents) I will return to skydiving immediately after I wait 3 years. I will start doing on campus jobs and saving money beginning my freshman year. (At Purdue University, $3000/year work study is guaranteed.)

    I will start a new club and will try to work something out with the local DZ. (learn to pack, etc)

    learning to pack sounds like a good idea. 

     

     

    • Like 2

  19. 1 hour ago, gowlerk said:

    Although he was mining my comment, I agree with you. His parents are controlling, but that does not mean they are wrong.

    Why do you think they are controlling? I’m not mining comments just a genuine question. 
     

    and thanks to Wendy P., Tampa Pete piisfish you guys’ responses help and I will definitely think about it

  21. Posted · Edited by David Wang

    Hi all....this is something that has been bothering me for a very long time, and I'd like to share with you all to look for insights. 

    background - I'm admitted to Purdue University in Indianapolis class of 2025. 

    So my parents made me a deal before: they would help me pay for my college tuitions and I would stop skydiving for the next 5 years. I could get back to skydiving after 4-year college and 1 year of working. I refused. 5-year is simply too long. 

    Then they decreased the time to 4 years. I refused again. 

    And today they decreased the time again to 3 years. And it finally makes me think. They also agree that I could start a skydiving club at Purdue University starting from my freshman year. 

    Their reasoning is that I need to train myself to be patient, because skydiving is a dangerous sport and rushing in this sport can be fatal. Their reasoning is based on the fact that I chose to jump again with an injured shoulder which directly caused my accident in 2020. So how should I train myself to be patient? They think that the best way is to force myself to wait for several years before getting back to jumping. In this case, several college years. 

    I do NOT completely agree with their reasoning. I was told before that many people jump with "injuries they thought they could handle" and got lucky. I don't see anything wrong with wanting to get back in the sport ASAP after getting injured. I believe many people do.  It'd be a problem if I got back in the sport when I'm not physically or mentally ready. I'm sure I will avoid jumping with injuries "I thought I could handle" again. 

    I have an alternate solution - I can attend a local university in CA and I wouldn't have too much financial pressures, and my parents wouldn't need to pay anything for me, and I could get back to jumping as soon as next year. 

    What do you guys think?

    PS: Why do I want to start a skydiving club? I want to introduce this amazing sport to as many people as possible even if I'm not actively jumping. 

  22. · Edited by David Wang

    7 hours ago, Chaskydives said:

    After I left the plane I didn’t feel anything and I felt amazing once I landed. 

    awesome!! I felt the same every time I landed too :) After I landed safely I often told myself " See? I did it. " haha. ^.^

    7 hours ago, Chaskydives said:

    But I’m wondering if this will ever go away?

    your anxiety/fear level will not completely become zero but it will gradually decrease over time. you don't want it to completely become zero because you want to avoid complacency. 

     

    7 hours ago, Chaskydives said:

    My next jump is tomorrow 

    Best of luck! Listen to your instructor, take some deep breaths and you will be fine! Keep us posted on how your jump goes!

  24. Posted

    So I asked a friend who is currently working at iFLY and she said that if I had shoulder dislocations I could not do tunnel at iFLY whatsoever. ( and she also said they wouldn’t even consider it unless if it’s been like 10 years after my last dislocation) 

    Is this true?? If this is true then it’s impossible for me to do tunnel again before getting back in the sky. 
     

    what if I sign something else with the tunnel to take away liability issues? 
     

    the waiver says “ANYONE THAT HAS CURRENT OR PRIOR HEAD, NECK, BACK OR SHOULDER INJURIES OR HEART PROBLEMS SHOULD NOT PARTICIPATE IN IFLY ACTIVITIES. ”

    yes, I know I shouldn’t, but can I still do it AT MY OWN RISK??

    my understanding is that by signing the waiver I release of liability and promise not to sue. So signing the waiver takes away my right to sue (and I wouldn’t sue anyway) so what is iFLY worrying about? 
     

    and I found this on the waiver :

    If you have a current or prior shoulder injury of any kind, we recommend that you do not fly. Previous shoulder injuries increase your risk of aggravating your prior shoulder injury or re-injury. Despite these risks, if you decide to fly, you are agreeing to assume the risk of aggravating the prior injury or re-injury. Prior to entering the tunnel, you must bring this injury to the attention of the flight instructor, who will discuss your options with you. Please keep in mind that we may decline to allow you to fly. 


    “Please keep in mind that we may decline to allow you to fly.” - are there any chances to fly at all?

  25. Posted

    Almost a year since my accident (September 19th, 2020) 

    Time flies!!! and...what a year. 

    I've been making some great progress in my recovery - had my hardware removed two weeks ago and right now I'm doing great. (pain level is zero) Will start running in a few months. And I have one more surgery in August (shoulder repair) then I will be good. 

    I really, really miss skydiving and sometimes I think about it I start tearing up. I've been taking up a new hobby in these months and it does distract me from thinking about skydiving. But it can't stop me from missing it. But yeah I'm definitely getting closer to flying again. My goal is to return to the sky in 2022 summer and it looks like I'm on track. 

    Blue skies to anyone who are going through the same stuff out there.