new Energy & Power Engineering grad choosing between NH and WY

[Agent_Dale_Cooper]

Hi all, I'm a 23yr old grad student in Mechanical Engineering for Energy or Power Generation. I'm done in May.

I signed up for the NH FSP in November. Since then I've been listening to Free Talk Live and hanging around Bureaucrash.com. I'm deciding between NH or WY. I think both have their strong points: NH has more jobs and more people, and therefore more social scenes, but it's getting overrun with Massachusetts rats. If there's an economic collapse, I'd prefer to be in WY with my own land to farm and protect. I could also engineer self-sufficient energy sources for my property with all that land in WY to work with. WY is beautiful and has many energy extraction jobs, but the towns are few and far between. I'm a young guy and I love being alone but also love to meet people (especially girls.) I'll keep looking for engineering or production jobs in both states and see where I'm at by this summer!

I suppose I have to post 10 times before signing the FSW pledge?

[alexspartan]

I'm 22 and finishing up my Econ degree.  I plan on either moving out to Laramie, because that's where the UW is (and therefore the women), or joining the Marines.  Right now, I'm leaning heavily towards the military.  There will be plenty of opportunities in the energy industry, as that part of Wyoming's economy is just starting to grow to it's potential.  It's a good place to work for whatever energy companies are out there.  I chose Wyoming for the same reason you mentioned; NH has way too much spill-over from Boston and the rest of the East Coast.  Hell, it's a New England state. 

[bobcat]

Welcome aboard Agent_Dale_Cooper.

I think you answered your own question!  Even with the sour economy, mineral extraction in WY is not likely to let up.  Coal, CBM, uranium, oil, bentonite.  Oil may not be so good right now, but it'll be back as soon as the world economy drives demand up again.  With rumors of BHO limiting offshore drilling (if Queen Nancy has her way) to that of prior to the lapse in the restriction, the West becomes the place to be.

Some of the power plant jobs require you to have a PE or at least to have passed the EIT exam (beginning your five year EIT trek), so if you have a chance to sit throught the EIT, do it now.  Beyond that, your grad degree should be helpful as well.

Being an ME myself, I wouldn't think twice about going to WY to start my career if I were to do it over.  In fact, I figure my ME degree and experience are what will get me to WY when we make the move...

As for meeting the ladies, just try to plant yourself near someplace like Casper or other populated area and you'll probably be ok.  Going out by yourself has a real advantage in that you don't have to convince anyone to move with you.  And if you do meet someone in WY, you've a much better chance of finding someone that wants to stay in WY.  

[VFTR55]

Hi all, I'm a 23yr old grad student in Mechanical Engineering for Energy or Power Generation. I'm done in May.

Howdy "Dale" - glad you found your way here! I'm a 25-yr-old ME grad from a university in the east. More time you spend learning about the folks on the forums, the more engineers and technically-minded former military you'll come across. It's a cool thing - this movement seems to draw lots of people with critical thinking skills together (who'da thought?) 

If there's an economic collapse, I'd prefer to be in WY with my own land to farm and protect. I could also engineer self-sufficient energy sources for my property with all that land in WY to work with. WY is beautiful and has many energy extraction jobs, but the towns are few and far between.

I'm not a Wyomingite yet (will be soon), but from what I've seen thus far, farming presents some challenges in how versatile your ag-tivities can be. But, as the lofty optimists like to say, "the problems that exist are not unsolvable by their nature, but by one's approach." As to the economics of growing certain things vs importing, well, that's another animal.

See this forum section for some basic data:
http://www.fundamentalsoffreedom.com/fswforum/index.php?board=15.0

A native could tell you much more about growing successes & failures. Here's a thread to browse through:
http://www.fundamentalsoffreedom.com/fswforum/index.php?topic=7093.0

Hope you've got some good ideas in the noggin about energy projects; it'd be great to see a bunch of FSW tinkering-types come up with some innovative gizmos to make life in WY more prosperous for the network as a whole, and beyond.  Here's a group I've been watching for the past few months...their philosophy and birds-eye view of things seems on-target, but the pudding on many devices hasn't been "proofed" yet:
http://www.openfarmtech.org

I'm a young guy and I love being alone but also love to meet people (especially girls.)

Don't know about your travels, but I've found that cherishing privacy and solitude, and having a lady around don't mix well.  Maybe there's more "refined" types in Wyoming, or maybe some of us guys are too smelly and un-tamed to rassle one of those elusive breeds in. 

I'll keep looking for engineering or production jobs in both states and see where I'm at by this summer!

Sounds like a plan. Here's a quick list of job links I've bookmarked since talking it up with others here:

Wyoming-at-Work: http://www.wyomingatwork.com
Mine directory: http://www.wyomingmines.com/

At least a couple people here work for Kiewit; I've put in apps with them: http://www.kiewit.com/

EMIT Technologies - natural gas mining (multiple WY locations): http://www.emittechnologies.com/


Keep asking around here; plenty of people will chime in with leads.

Lastly, I'll end with these reports hosted on the FSP website, which elaborate on the many pros to Wyoming for a free state project:

http://freestateproject.org/archives/state_reports/wyoming1.php
http://freestateproject.org/archives/state_reports/wyoming2.php

You may find the content useful in your considerations.

Good luck! 

[HardwareHank]

Unless you're willing to live in Gillette or Rock Springs.... bring a job with you.

Wyoming is strongly anti-union, so be prepared to work for less than you might be accustomed-to.

[socalserf]

So Agent Dale Cooper,
Have you given up on Twin Peaks?
Are they out of a good cuppa joe and cherry pie?
Are you still working for the FBI?


But seriously, the question of East vs. West always seems to come down to culture.
Are you comfortable with open spaces and open people?
Or do you prefer social and spatial confines?

It also seems that many questions are answered by a visit to Wyoming.
Be sure to check out the area around Laramie, I hear that the odds are good there for young men.

I wish you the best of luck to you in your quest for a home.

[Agent_Dale_Cooper]

Unless you're willing to live in Gillette or Rock Springs.... bring a job with you.

Wyoming is strongly anti-union, so be prepared to work for less than you might be accustomed-to.

Unions?! I'll be damned if I'd ever scam my way off the man beside me. EARNING is what I'm accustomed-to! REALITY is what I want. It's the rest of this nation that's in a fairy tale. Give me grit - at least I'd be one of the few to experience an actual life. I'd prefer an honest low wage in WY compared a "workers' paradise" industry-rotting state like IL.

[Agent_Dale_Cooper]

Unless you're willing to live in Gillette or Rock Springs.... bring a job with you.

Wyoming is strongly anti-union, so be prepared to work for less than you might be accustomed-to.

Unions?! I'll be damned if I'd ever scam my way off the man beside me. EARNING is what I'm accustomed-to! REALITY is what I want. It's the rest of this nation that's in a fairy tale. Give me grit - at least I'd be one of the few to experience an actual life. I'd prefer an honest low wage in WY compared a "workers' paradise" industry-rotting state like IL.

And good call on the bringing a job with you - I don't doubt that!....I'll bring my brain, find my freedom to create, and see what happens! 

[celeste]

I'm a ChemE from Polytechnic University (the NYU engineering school) currently doing internet marketing in Wyoming.  I don;t depend on any BIG CORP (esp govt) to provide my living. My engineering background has given me the proper tools to understand many things and I could take up independant professions in many things  In fact I am currently taking correspondence courses for Naturopathic Medicine as that is my passion.

[wyomiles]

Howdy Agent-DC, and welcome.

[biathlon]

I managed to stay single for almost 6 months here in Laramie and I'm 53!

[Paul Bonneau]

... or joining the Marines.  Right now, I'm leaning heavily towards the military.

Don't do it!     I spent 4 years in the Marines, hating almost every minute of it. In fact the only good times was when I was off base. And I'm talking Hawaii too. If you are stuck in a place like Pendleton, or over in the "sandbox" killing people who are just defending their country, it will be worse, way worse. Even if you don't end up crippled for life or dead.

If you want to fight for something, just wait a couple years. There will probably be a battle of some sort or another right here in the US. No need to make yourself a slave for the military, or end up on the wrong side of the fight.

Pardon my hijack of this thread. I just don't understand any more how young men can make themselves a tool for the ruling class. They will throw your life away without a thought. I did it out of ignorance, people still do it that for that reason I guess, but anyone on this forum at least should know better.