Coaster Careers

I know this topic has probably been posted before, but I've been looking for answers that I can't get.

Right now I'm a High School senior and I've been looking on how to get into the buisness of "roller coaster design" for quite some time. I've spent countless hours on-line looking for information on what courses to take and what to do to get into the buisness. It's been a pain. Is there anyone who might have some advice?

I realize I'm a coaster enthusiast, but I definetly want to persue roller coaster design as a career. I couldn't picture myself doing anything else. What should I do? Where can I get advice? I've been so frustrated with trying to get information that for a while I just figured I would persue a career in teaching because it's easier. I just can't do that. I need to do what I love and this is it. I know a lot of people out there feel the same way I do and would also like some answers.

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Check out the profiles on the new Gravity Group website. It names the schools where they got their engineering degress.

www.thegravitygroup.com

Moosh

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"Mmmmm....forbidden donut!" - Homer Simpson

*** This post was edited by Mamoosh on 9/10/2002. ***

Thank you that's very helpfull. I didn't even know they had a web site.

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"Life is like a roller coaster; there are ups and downs and it's over all too fast."

How about pursuing spelling and grammar first?

I love the way everyone here is so honest!

Look at Consign AG's website. It provides some good information on what roller coaster companies are looking for. Consign is the company that does the controls for B&M and GCI.

http://www.consignag.com/index_ae

Thank you very much JimFisher.

And what exactly did I spell wrong Doug Rowe? Was it so much that it made my post incomprehensible? If you're not going to write about the topic don't write at all. Seriously.

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An engineering degree is probably your best bet but if you also want to get your hands dirty with the projects(at least for wooden coasters), you should also take up carpentry.

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Ric Flair was hitting on the female host, he told her - "Space Mountain may be the oldest ride in the park, but it has the longest line." WOOOOO!

I know I shouldn't take posts as a personal challenge, but somehow I feel strangely sarcastically compelled to respond:

Misspellings:

buisness (x2)

definetly

persue (X2)

I just find it ironic that you wish to follow a very challenging career in engineering that probably requires you to be near the top of your field, but have some spelling challenges.

There ya have it! Enjoy!

Doug, geez, calm down. He was probably just typing it up very quickly and wasn't paying attention to the post. Posting on this website isn't answering a verbal question on the SAT's. If you don't want to give him an answer, then just don't reply. It isn't like he made his post completely incomprehensible, which tends to happen at times with posters. Have you forgotten that everyone makes mistakes?

Come on Doug. Give the kid a break!!!! While some words were not spelled correctly, he didnt butcher the English language.

Big difference.

Leave the moderation to the moderators.

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Ric Flair was hitting on the female host, he told her - "Space Mountain may be the oldest ride in the park, but it has the longest line." WOOOOO!

*** This post was edited by Chitown on 9/10/2002. ***

Hey, he asked!

He is just a senior in High school he might not even want to be doing what he says he is going to do in a few years or maybe not, as if reguar getting out of high school stress isent enough becuase I am getting out this year too, we have people who can somtimes can be rude, and act like they are moderators, like someone already said leave that too them to correct,but it is most likely that the persons with somthing always to say are the people tyring to become a monderator, by trying to act like a moron.

At the end of this thread, Doug will have a quiz! Honestly, don't be so hard on the kid.

You will have to study a lot of physics and mathematics.

You will also have to study structural engineering and maybe even some medical classes to learn more about the human body and what it can take and what it cannot.

Maybe you can contact Morgan or Arrow or some other coaster companies and tell them that you are interested in a coaster manufacturing career and ask them for some suggestions.

Good luck!

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The worst day at Cedar Point is better than the best day at work.

Internships don't hurt either, but thats only if you live near one of the companies

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"The opposite of war isn't peace, its creation," Rent.

Biggest opportunity I missed in college was not knowing about the "Imagineering" internship programs at Walt Disney's World. You want a foot in the door of the amusement industry? I think that may be your best shot! Ask you guidance counselor/dean/advisor/career center for more info. It might not hurt to search the Disney website and maybe drop them an email too for application info.

BTW: You need not live near a companu to get an internship. Most pay enough money that finding local housing is not budget busting

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"To get inside this head of mine, would take a monkey-wrench, and a lot of wine" Res How I Do

2Second what 2Hostyl said, as long as you can fit what you need for a few months in your car and the internship is paid the housing is not that difficult. When I interned for a company in the industry I looked around at local colleges and found a great deal. Chances are that people who rent for the school year will be looking to sublet for the summer if they are not living on campus. Often it is a way to get an affordable (and sometimes furnished) place to crash for the summer. In addition to getting to see a new part of the country and new parks it gets you out of your comfort zone for a while...something you will have to do in life anyway.

Adam
http://history.amusement-parks.com

Honestly, though, lay off the kid for spelling. There are plenty of brilliant engineers who can not even construct a proper English sentence. I call them "Professor." Gotta agree with everyone, get an engineering degree. That way when there aren't any well paying jobs open in the amusement industry after college you still have viable and lucrative career options.

Okay, just getting and engineering degree is throwing it out there. Try telling what kind of degree, type of engineering to study under, how far to go...... There are quite of few classes for engineering, so just saying engineering in general doesn't really help.

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Lake Compounce-So Fresh and So Clean Clean

Lets start with basic needs:

-Think about the conditions you would like to work under. Who are you, what can you do? What are your strengths and weaknesses? If you want to work under a large company like Disney or ITEC, you would need to become an expert in one skill. Or, you could work under a smaller that employ only a couple dozen people then you'd become general in all areas of the project.

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Lake Compounce-So Fresh and So Clean Clean