Driving a school bus can't be too hard, right?

[Avocado]

In 6 months, I will be old enough to drive a school bus. The benefits of the job are great (my grandmother was one for a time and they were better then), and it pays exactly midway between what I make now and what I will make as a teacher (which, I believe I will have a strong and complicated love-hate relationship with that career). The thought of actually doing something new scares me, though, and I know I only have slightly above average charisma. All of the bus drivers I've known have been very charismatic people, and I'm afraid I might be disobeyed or hit by somebody. That, or something I don't foresee will go horribly wrong and send my life into a tailspin. I've thought of many scenarios where this could all go to shit. Should I still try to do this? It will be a nice stop on the way to teaching, and I'm getting a little dissatisfied with pharmacy. Is anybody here a bus driver? Is it as difficult as I think it will be?

 

[Yara the Corpse]

why don't you drive a car instead? way cheaper for gas and stuff and takes up less space usually.

 

[Lady_X]

i say don't let fear hold you back from anything job related that you're curious about. try it out. no harm done if it's not a good fit.

 

[Tellenbach]

Maybe you can start as an Uber driver first and work your way up to the larger vehicles? I have lousy depth perception so I don't judge distances very well so driving large vehicles is out of the question for me, unless it's a boat in open water.

 

[Avocado]

i say don't let fear hold you back from anything job related that you're curious about. try it out. no harm done if it's not a good fit.

Then it is settled. I will get my training to get a bus license and I will apply for a school bus driver position. I can do it my final year of college and until I get a teaching position. I guess I can continue my pharmacy as well, but its not as lucrative as bus driving on an hourly basis, I haven't gotten many hours (sometimes I get no hours), and I've started to dislike the job a little.

Lol....bus driving didn't sound scary to me until I considered doing it. Now it feels like I asked myself to do an open heart surgery or something.

 

[Avocado]

Maybe you can start as an Uber driver first and work your way up to the larger vehicles? I have lousy depth perception so I don't judge distances very well so driving large vehicles is out of the question for me, unless it's a boat in open water.

I have bad depth perception, but it is corrected with glasses...mostly.

Its funny how my plans don't scare me until I actually tie it to a timeframe, then anything outside of the status quo scares me.

 

[Lady_X]

it's unnecessary fear tho. we're all guilty of it but if you can convince yourself not to be then please do. it will most certainly have some value i think. good luck!

 

[/DG/]

Edit:. I am dumb and didn't read the whole thread. Sorry, carry on!

Pre-edit:

If in the US, I believe you will need to get a commercial driver's license (different than a standard license) to drive a school bus. I think this may involve a few driving classes and an exam.

Anyway, it doesn't hurt to try if you can manage to get the job!

 

[Riva]

Are you planning on becoming a school bus driver for work purposes or planning on driving a bus to work?

Edit - i think for work. Goodluck man. Sounds a bit scary yes. But you'd get used to it.

Heavy vehicles need a special license where i come from.

 

[kyuuei]

Okay. My dad drove buses for a while. It can be good, it can be bad. It isn't a great long term job, but can be pretty good short term.

They give adequate training. You'll do fine. Just pay attention to the training and you'll do fine.

The hard part is the kids. If you get a bad bunch they can ruin your whole day. My dad worked for a crap neighborhood.. fake guns being pulled, swear words and racial slurs thrown everywhere, fights on the bus.. it's really tricky at times. A good neighborhood can be a really pleasant experience though. Bonus: you'll look like a good driver for similar driving jobs.. my dad has seen job opportunities where you like literally drive a truck around a few places and get paid pretty good for it because of the licenses you need and such.

 

[ceecee]

Wait, can you drive a car?

 

[Avocado]

Wait, can you drive a car?

yes

 

[Kingu Kurimuzon]

My grandfather drove the special bus to stay busy in retirement. It was really heart melting because he was very good with the kids in the special ed program.

I hope they're all doing well.

 

[Avocado]

I ran the idea my by mom, who is now pretty high up in the school system, and she was like, "No. I will block you from doing this myself. You are not ready to watch the road and kids at the same time."

 

[Typh0n]

[MENTION=18694]The Wailing Specter[/MENTION]

It might be a bit repetitive of a job. Same kids, same sights, limited interaction with people and not much else. I sense you like variety, but I could be wrong?

Anyways, not trying to be a downer, just pointing the potential shortcomings this job might have...

 

[Avocado]

[MENTION=18694]The Wailing Specter[/MENTION]

It might be a bit repetitive of a job. Same kids, same sights, limited interaction with people and not much else. I sense you like variety, but I could be wrong?

Anyways, not trying to be a downer, just pointing the potential shortcomings this job might have...

I do, but if I picked jobs based on what I like, I would't make enough money to support myself. I have a writing side career and between losing money marketing and time put into my stories, I make less than minimum wage (I think I worked it out to a net gain of 0.50 an hour!). My pharmacy technician job that I neither like nor am I that good at makes $12.64 an hour, but I only average about 6 hours a week. I'm looking for something I can do competently as I have problems with details and I'm a little bit crippled, and I'll find reasons to like it later. Though I prefer to be alone, I can at least appease people and get by managing others emotional issues. That's one of the reasons I am considering counseling as a long term goal--decent hours and pay while avoiding my weaknesses and using my strengths. I cannot think of much I can do right now that I would simultaneously love and be great at and make a living on. At any rate, something is better than nothing, and if I can avoid getting fired at whatever and it pays alright, its a good job.

 

[Typh0n]

I do, but if I picked jobs based on what I like, I would't make enough money to support myself. I have a writing side career and between losing money marketing and time put into my stories, I make less than minimum wage (I think I worked it out to a net gain of 0.50 an hour!). My pharmacy technician job that I neither like nor am I that good at makes $12.64 an hour, but I only average about 6 hours a week. I'm looking for something I can do competently as I have problems with details and I'm a little bit crippled, and I'll find reasons to like it later. Though I prefer to be alone, I can at least appease people and get by managing others emotional issues. That's one of the reasons I am considering counseling as a long term goal--decent hours and pay while avoiding my weaknesses and using my strengths. I cannot think of much I can do right now that I would simultaneously love and be great at and make a living on. At any rate, something is better than nothing, and if I can avoid getting fired at whatever and it pays alright, its a good job.

Just a question; have you tried making a list of all possible occupations that interest you, and how much they could pay?

You're still young, dude, I understand tuition in the US(you are American, right?) isn't easy to pay, but besides that is there anything else keeping you from getting a degree? Like in counseling, as you mention?

 

[Avocado]

Just a question; have you tried making a list of all possible occupations that interest you, and how much they could pay?

You're still young, dude, I understand tuition in the US(you are American, right?) isn't easy to pay, but besides that is there anything else keeping you from getting a degree? Like in counseling, as you mention?

Counseling is a masters degree and it requires a bachelors in teaching or sociology. I was doing sociology, but switched to teaching since I could try teaching as a middle-range career until I have enough money saved to do counseling. I will have to go into a little debt since my high school GPA only got me 8 free semesters, and I wasted a couple doing sociology. If I do get a masters, though, Germany is an attractive country as is Canada, and both give a preference to teachers when it comes to immigration. Germany has the added pro of being my ancestral homeland, but the added con of needing to learn German. Canada would be my safe choice since the tuition, healthcare, and general standard of living are better than America. Canada has a few things I dislike about it, but it is overshadowed by the multitude of things I prefer about that country compared to here. I've already talked to a immigration lawyer, and I could even go there now if I wanted, but I chose to postpone until I've gotten my teaching degree and have been on my own and away from my mom while working at least a year. I probably won't give up my US citizenship, since having it has benefits and both countries charge a fee to renounce/gain citizenship, though I probably will try for permanent residence.

 

[mooseantlers]

I'm embarking on the path of a driving career. I plan on working my way up the size ladder so I can learn more effectively. I have 4 years experience driving a pickup truck, compact, and two mid sized sedans, daily for most of those4 years.

 

[Typh0n]

Counseling is a masters degree and it requires a bachelors in teaching or sociology. I was doing sociology, but switched to teaching since I could try teaching as a middle-range career until I have enough money saved to do counseling. I will have to go into a little debt since my high school GPA only got me 8 free semesters, and I wasted a couple doing sociology. If I do get a masters, though, Germany is an attractive country as is Canada, and both give a preference to teachers when it comes to immigration. Germany has the added pro of being my ancestral homeland, but the added con of needing to learn German. Canada would be my safe choice since the tuition, healthcare, and general standard of living are better than America. Canada has a few things I dislike about it, but it is overshadowed by the multitude of things I prefer about that country compared to here. I've already talked to a immigration lawyer, and I could even go there now if I wanted, but I chose to postpone until I've gotten my teaching degree and have been on my own and away from my mom while working at least a year. I probably won't give up my US citizenship, since having it has benefits and both countries charge a fee to renounce/gain citizenship, though I probably will try for permanent residence.

Have you considered moving to the Netherlands? Americans generally feel at home in the Netherlands, its a very free, open-minded mentality and learning Dutch is usually a little easier than learning German, though still not easy. And you could get by just speaking English in the Netherlands. Germany could be nice, though you would need to learn the language like you said plus Americans often need more getting used to the German culture. Still, its a nice language and I really like it but so HAAAAAARD to learn, lol. You could also consider Finland as its easy to get by on English, though I think Finnish might be hard to learn. And the nature seems beautiful even though I've never been (unfortuneately).