Define Cynical Fan Forums

Well, its the school's idea that all the 15 year olds go out to a workplace to see what its really like when u leave school. I'm at an avionics company (mentioned <a href='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... =890&st=30' target='_blank'>here</a>) and they've got me making pilot radio power supplies costing 200 each. 45 of em! By hand!<br><br>Well, I haven't screwed any of them up yet... I'll keep you posted over the next two weeks...

Sweet! Have fun with that Ozymandias. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... /smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--><br>

I wish my school did that.<br>We're wasting too much time learning all this useless crap here!

As someone who's been out for awhile, savor your time wasting . . . some of it will actually be useful.<br><br>I don't think any of my summer jobs during school were too interesting, although some of the stuff I did then comes up now every now and then. Sounds like you've got something interesting to do, good luck.<br><br>

-envy- <br><br>I'm getting an apprenticeship, but the closest thing to aircraft maintenance was fitting and turning, or simply machining. I just wish the company would actually get off their backsides and get it set up for me. This would be good since I'd automatically have something to do when I finish school.

Accuarly I've had some of these "life skills" lessons, one was on buying a car and what to look for and if it's second hand and the guy turns the radio on while he's driving you around in it, he doesn't want you to hear the engine because it's got something wrong with it.

I currently straighten the shelves at the grocery store, which isn't really real life experience for anything :-/<br><br>I did work at an Information Technology internship last summer, and that was a lot of good experience. I did enjoy it, which is good because that sort of environment is where I plan to make my career (IT Technician and/or Manager for a medium/large business), and it will be good work experience to put on Rsum’s coming right out of college.<br><br>-dabomb

I don't get paid for it, and some of it's quite difficult. With any luck though, they'll give me a summer job. By law I have the right to take two days off a week from school to get an apprentiseship but I'm aiming for the university route.<br><br>I'll post a diary when I get it written down

Its a bit late but I don't have much free time. Here's Monday:<br><br>-->Monday<--<br>Cases arrived for product<br>Check 50 cases for damage (I had to reject 2)<br>Cases have a problem - no screw threads<br>Drill 4 screw threads in the 50 boxes checking 2 screws on every 5th box (it was a really nice expensive DeWalt drill - it was quite light and very powerful. But because I had to hold it a 90 to the case my arm ached)<br>3 batteries later...<br>Get the 50 lids, put 5 to one side<br>Put 2 rivets in each lid (by hand - it ached at the end)<br>So that's 90 rivets, all of them well done, I was told.<br>*BREAK FOR LUNCH: 1/2 HOUR*<br>Push out 50 printed circuit boards form a frame.<br>Remove electrolytic capacitors from 10 (I organised them into batches)<br>Remove small plastic rubbish from around the boards (this was harder than it sounds - I had about 1mm before I ruined the copper track after filing them down so they would fit in the case)<br>Add solder to the pads on the PCB<br>>--End of Monday--<<br>

I haul heavy boxes of medical charts from the local hospital to its offsite storage facility. The pay is decent, but due to physical limitations, I can't work extra hours beyond what I'm scheduled for anymore, so I make less than $500/month. I know people working crap jobs who make $500/WEEK!<br><br>I recently applied for a job as a computer technician, where I'd be making upwards of $2,000/month, but I didn't get an interview, so I'm stuck until someone else in this area decides to make a similar position. Doesn't happen very often <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://definecynical.mancubus.net/forum ... ns/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo-->

I did a work placement in December 2002. Two weeks in a computer store, mainly as a technician (they made me do shelf cleaning first just to test my work habits). That was cool, and I even got to play test Warcraft III on one system. I didn't learn much, though, since I had already done lots of troubleshooting on the systems of people I know.<br><br>I also did one at a local IT college, but they didn't have much work for me to do so I mainly just studied some of their course material. Learned a little more from this one.<br><br>Another tip when looking at a used car: do a vehicle history check to make sure the seller actually OWNS the car, and to make sure the car isn't on an unpaid lease. That former is unfortunately extremely important in the area I live in.

Little tip to anyone who's going to do some electronics - get ready for pain. Especially minor burns.<br><br>Rule #1 of Soldering - NEVER catch a falling soldering iron. The main part of it that you're likely to catch is between 270 and 400 degrees celcius (518F-752F). I have never done this personally, but within the last two days I have....<br>lost count of the number of burns caused by solder oxides which splatter with heat. They splattered onto my fingers and the back of my left hand<br>Got some molten solder on my face. I still have a small burn mark where it hit me. Tbh, though, it was my own fault. I thought the solder had dried and was holding the wire in place, but it wasn't, so the wire sprung back spraying hot solder at me.<br>My fingertups are mostly skinless and raw. This is a combination of two things - <br>1) You have to hold wires to solder them. Heat travels up wires. Solder takes a bit of time to dry. You have to hold the wire there whilst its hot and the solder dries. Your fingers get small burn lines across them.<br>2) Solder is a small silver rod which is very flexible. Tinned copper wire is a small silver rod which is sharp. You can't mix the two up - putting solder in instead of a wire screws up a joint, and putting wire in instead of solder screws up the component-you're waiting for something to melt which won't with the heat going into the PCB. To test which is which you can either drag it along your finger. If its solder it will leave a grey line, because it is 60% lead. You don't want lead lying around on your hands; its poisonous. So the other option is to try to crush it between your fingers. If its solder it won't hurt. If its wire it will jab into ur finger.<br><br>But its good fun, really. I don't mind; they reckon I probably can get some summer work there (yay!) so I won't complain. Its not as bad as it sounds anyway.<br><br>Will post Tue and Wed soon.

<!--QuoteBegin-Ozymandias+Jul 1 2004, 11:28 AM--> <table border='0' align='center' width='95%' ><tr><td class='quotetop'><b>Quote:</b> (Ozymandias @ Jul 1 2004, 11:28 AM)</td></tr><tr><td class='quotebody'> Little tip to anyone who's going to do some electronics - get ready for pain. Especially minor burns.<br><br>Rule #1 of Soldering - NEVER catch a falling soldering iron. The main part of it that you're likely to catch is between 270 and 400 degrees celcius (518F-752F). I have never done this personally, but within the last two days I have....<br> <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table> <!--QuoteEEnd--><br>Being one who has actually caught a falling soldering iron, I will agree with you on that one. Also, don't adjust a welding nozzle with your bare hand, they tend to be rather hot as well.<br><br>A good way to deal with wires is a small set of needle nose pliers, if you have them handy. Should be relatively easy to get at your local hardware store. (not sure if they go by the same name in UK, sorry)

Yeah, they do. I tried that and ended up finding out just how much my hands shake. Also, they're hard to get around the relays that are already on the board. I don't mind. Its nothing permenant.

Being one that works with computers, I have seen people work a soldering iron and it's quite obvious not to try to catch a falling one.<br><br>I would go one about how badly my job sucks and how they never let me use a soldering iron at school, but that would just annoy everyone and turn me into a depressed mess.