MMI Questions

[Zarathustra]

i know a few of you guys on here take classes there, and i just wanted to get some facts from you about it.  I'll be heading down there after i graduate from the u of mn this year, and just want to know what to look for.
 
 how much does mmi cost?  i've gotten their pamphlet mailed to me, and didn't see prices in it; their website also says nothing.

 do you enjoy the classes?  are they well taught?  what are the other students like?  are you glad you picked to go here?  how is housing, i plan on getting my own place when i move down there (since i don't know anyone), anything i should know about in particular?  any thing else you want to say about the school?

 thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, i really need to get some more info on the school before i actually make it happen.

[yamahonkawazuki]

i went through tech 3, and harley late-model, ran me about 8.5k, i decided to drop earlymodels, cause there was not a market for it (much anyway), i dropped the er&p prog. cause they pretty much teach you the Engine Rebuild and Performance (er&p)in the core classes. if you take notes,  and then read them, you more than likely will not need some of those  classes. which are i think informative. if you already know what to do around a motorcycle, may seem a bit boring at first. but they also teach you the proper ways of doing things. remember (take notes!)ive about 2k pages. notes drawings tests etc. and i used those alot re-habbing my gs. now, housing......, thinking phoenix, or orlando, in phoenix, theres a place at 43rd ave&northern. studios run about 350/mo w/utilities, but big theft problems, also the meth capital of the world , hey orlando, close to disney, also you can go to daytona bike week :mrgreen:   im glad i went there. it gives credibility to your name, and it can open a few doors for you.im runnin kinda with out a job in that field, cause this part of the state (east tn. there is about 5 dealerships within driving distance) i may have to re-locate but i guess that is part of life eh?)

[Turkina]

I'm not sure if you want to be near mountains, or near beaches.
I'll give a thumbs up for Orlando    I spent a year-plus there when the old Navy base was open on the east side of town.  You never have to see Mickey World or any of that craziness, since Disney is a few miles SW on I-4, and all the other tourist crap is west of the center of town.  I never did  Don't have to deal with many Old South types, since the city is mostly populated by people from elsewhere.   There's plenty of non-tourist things to keep you entertained if you look a little north of town.  Probably better to look for a place to live in the north and east parts, rather than compete with tourist related pressure (who knows, maybe it's cheaper near Disney?)

Daytona is a cool place, but the beach is filthy and hard as concrete.  Figures, since they like to drive cars along the beach!  Bike Week is quite the spectacle.  But, there are many places and beaches to go that are under or about an hour (more or less) from Orlando, like Cocoa Beach, or places around Tampa.  St. Augustine is cool too.

Downsides... Beastly hot and humid in the summer (not as bad as Japan though!)  The roads are made for Harleys (aka straight and boring) and not for light and agile bikes like the GS.  Maybe if you go a north a bit into the hinterlands there are hills and curves.

[JohNLA]

I was all excited because I was getting ready to give my two cents about Orlando but Turkina pretty much nailed it. If you choose Orlando I do recomend one theme park. I did a lot of the scenic painting at Universal's Islands of adventures.  :mrgreen: There Spiderman ride is the best 3D ride on the planet.

[Zarathustra]

i completely forgot to say that i'm planning on going to AZ.  I really dislike humidity, and even thoug you say the tourist stuff isn't too excesive, i don't want to risk it.  plus, my sister may be moving out to the tempe area, and it would be nice to be closer to her again, family's important.  $350 a month isn't too bad at all, in fact, that's what i pay right now in minneapolis to live in uptown.

one other question i forgot to ask: what's the basic age/muturity break down for the school in phoenix?  i'll be 22 and have a double major from college here, and i'm just wondering if i'm suddenly going to be tossed in with all 18 year olds straight out of highschool.  not that being 18 is bad, it would just be different, so i'm curious.  thanks for all the great answers so far.

[Wrencher]

Let's see, where to start. This could quite quickly become a gigantic post, so I will try to sumarize.

Tuition and a few other things were summed up by Yamahonkawazuki.

Further reinforcement that this is the Meth capitol of the known universe is worth mentioning again. I would HIGHLY recommend a gated community and one that is at least 5 minutes or so away from any interstate. Vehicle theft is rampant so get a club for your car and at least one lock for your bike.

The classes in my opinion are taught quite well. There are the obvious exceptions to any rule and there are some stupid/obnoxious teachers as always. Many of them are VERY knowledgeable.

Age of the student body varies wildly. A large percentage are late teens early twenty somethings, followed closely by the 2nd or 3rd career people. If you are expecting ANY maturity from fellow students at MMI I strongly suggest you reconsider. This is 3rd grade all over again where fart jokes require that class stops so everybody can laugh for 5 minutes. The only difference is they hand you motors to work on instead of grahm crackers and milk.

All things considered (which is alot for me) I am still glad I chose MMI.

One other thing. Consider doing as much of the financial aid yourself as you can. Get EVERYTHING in writing from the administration because they will lie to you about everything!

I hope I haven't scared you out of going to MMI. It really is a great school and there is TONS of information to gain. If you want any more specifics on the school, feel free to PM me.

[yamahonkawazuki]

wrencher said it all.!!! :mrgreen:   by the way, what i quoted you, was current for 01 when i got out. id say prettyclose still, but if you are coming with wife/girlfriend/significant other,that price was for a studio. 1br, not much more2br not much more than 1br, option here, you could always get a ground unit, and park bike inside :mrgreen:
with your degrees, job hunting wont be much of a problem im thinking about going back to school sometime in the future, and my mmi training, i think will allow me to find a job in that field while im at school

[Zarathustra]

one more question about phoenix.  what's the scene like down there?  up here in minneapolis there's a big punk scene, and hip hop scene.  tattoos, body jewlery, all that kind of stuff is normal and expected (at least where i live).  can i expect the same sort of thing down there, or will i be the odd man out with my tats and piercings?  i don't mind, i'm just kind of excited for a move, and curious about where i'm going.  i'll be heading down there this summer to look at places to live, so i guess i'll see for myself then, but if you can tell me now, that'd be cool.

[JohNLA]

I know a cat from the Siggrapgh confreces I attend who is from Phoenix. He not only has mucho piercings but he makes and wears prosthetic implants in his forearms. The only way I can describe them are several rib like bumps that run opposite to your bones. Next to that guy I look nerdy.

[Wrencher'sWife]

There are a variety of people and cultures here in Phoenix. I am sure you will not feel like the "odd man out".

Wrencher pretty well summed up MMI. The only thing I can really add is that I have probably gotten more out of the classes than he has. He had more mechanical background than I did prior to starting at MMI.

[The Buddha]

But... But... But.... But..... I want to be the uneducated outside the box thinker... who is also motorcycle genius... Is there an MGI... Motorcycle Genius institute...
Oh forget it... The part that sucks is working for one of the monkeys that run the service departments... They are total pricks to customers, can't imagine how they are to employees...
Cool.
Srinath.

[Wrencher]

Depends on the shop I suppose, but from what I have seen the "Monkeys" usually aren't pricks to the mechanics. The customers are costing him money, but his mechanics are making him money (if they are doing thier job).

It seems like their should be an MGI.... oh wait.... I was thinking MGD....nevermind.  

[yamahonkawazuki]

like i told wrencher when he posted about mmi in the past, parts of phoenix you dont want to go into after dark, and sometime not even during the days , do not go south of washington st, or van-buren, in otherwords try to avoid south phoenix if you must. also as far as using the club in a vehicle goes, try to find other methods of securing a car. you can easily saw through a steering wheel and render the club in-effective. oh yeah, one other thing, dont let it turn you into a raging alcoholic.  :nana: , dont do like i did, drink whiskey till you cant see straight, and then climb into the apartment hot-tub for seven hours. :mrgreen: and also put bubble bath into the hot tub. boy did that make a mess :mrgreen:  :nana: but all in all, if you can avoid the drugs, crime, and the massive amounts of prostitution, still plenty of ways of enjoying yourself while there. btw ask wrencher, in the summer, 120 deg days, tires and shoe soles will stick to asphalt :mrgreen:

[Wrencher]

It does get amazingly hot here during the summer. The trick seems to be not to go outside any more than you have to between noon and 5pm. Even on the hottest days its still tolerable in the morning and later at night.

Washington does seem to be the divider for the "wrong side of the tracks" but I have only had a couple reasons I had to go further south than that. Living along the I-17 corridor seems to be a bad idea as well. People don't seem to bother other people, just steal everything thats not bolted to the ground with a rabid pit bull chained to it. Northern Glendale is ok and most of Scottsdale is just fine.

I have actually found myself drinking less. The rampant meth problem has never interested me so that was a non-issue. I have noticed that with the heat it doesn't take very much beer to get pretty well smashed. Arizona is also EXTREMELY intolerant of drunk drivers so be careful driving after so much as 1 beer. I can also completely understand why this area would drive a person to drink however. There isn't a whole lot to do in the middle of the @$%@ing desert.

[Moose]

There isn't a whole lot to do in the middle of the @$%@ing desert.

Then there Reno  :mrgreen:

[yamahonkawazuki]

if you move to az, 1 get an az drivers lic. (is good until like your 65th birthday), also it is an open carry state, i had a .50 cal desert eagle strapped to my side, also a glock 21, etc. etc. etc., if you are a resident and can legally purchase gun, do it. nobody hardly messes with you. especially if trip to work/school, takes you through high crime areas. ive relatives in peoria/glendale, i even wore it there