A deal

If I was one of your parents and you handed me a legal document I would tear up the document and withdraw my offer to pay your tuition.  You are acting like a spoiled little brat.  Not many people are offered a paid tuition and you want to complain about no skydiving for 5 years. You are lucky to have parents who can and are willing to help. 

First: Take advantage of your parents' offer.  School is incredibly expensive and starting your post school life with less or even no debt will give you a head start that, at your age, you probably don't understand the magnitude of.  It will mean a lot of money to you, especially early in life.

Second:  If you parents want your agreement on paper, that's even better.  Things like that should be put on paper.

Third:  Forgive my cynicism, but your parents don't want you to skydive ever again.  It has nothing to do with the reasons they gave you. They are expecting you to lose interest during the time that you are not jumping.  They really do have your interest at heart, but they just don't understand what it is you are doing.  

Take their generous offer.  You will make many more jumps in your lifetime because you did.  You will also show your parents that they they were mistaken.  I predict that in the future you will win them over and they will be very supportive of your chosen sport.

4 minutes ago, skyderrill66 said:

If I was one of your parents and you handed me a legal document I would tear up the document and withdraw my offer to pay your tuition.  You are acting like a spoiled little brat.  Not many people are offered a paid tuition and you want to complain about no skydiving for 5 years. You are lucky to have parents who can and are willing to help. 

I thought the contract was the parents' idea.  If it's not the parents' idea, don't suggest it.  skyderrill66 is correct.  Your folks are in the driver's seat and you are in no place to be setting the terms.

Your parents are being generous.  Money is hard to come by for most people.

let's imagine a scenario. Let's say I wait 3 years. It's time for me to skydive again. And what if my parents don't keep their promise and use tuition to force me not to skydive at that time? How do I deal with that???

3 hours ago, billvon said:

Might as well tell my story.

I went to an engineering school.  THEN I discovered skydiving, four years after graduating.  I started doing it obsessively.  Even moved to California to be closer to good skydiving.  At one point I tallied up the year and realized I had made $26,000 skydiving - and that was just weekends and some Fridays.  I could quit my job!  Live the dream!  Skydive every day and get paid for it!

I didn't do it.  And I am very glad I didn't.  I know a lot of friends who went that route, and very few are happy today.  The ones who are happy were the best of the best - you've heard a few of their names.  The others eventually burned out, or their bodies would wear out, or they'd get themselves injured and be unable to work.  And at that point they would try to re-enter the workforce, missing years or decades of schooling/experience.  (Or they'd die, which happened all too often.)

Instead I kept my job and remained a weekend skydiver.  And during that time I did a half dozen four way teams, eight eight way teams, and did video for ~20 teams at local competitions and Nationals.  I set three world records.  And when one of those world records involved traveling to Thailand for two and a half weeks I could afford it, because I was still working a full time job.

Now I am mostly doing tunnel because of family, but I am doing it as often as I want to with no worries about how I will pay for it.  And when I skydive, again I don't have to worry about money.

That's not for everyone.  You may be one of those amazing natural skydivers who can get ten years of experience and then make a decent living coaching, or instruction/video, or stunt work, or even running a gear store or a DZ.  But if you're not sure, it's a LOT better (IMO) to have the education/experience to choose your job (a well paying one that gives you plenty of time off) and then make skydiving your weekend obsession than try to make skydiving an occupation.  If you try that angle and fail/burn out at skydiving (and it happens) you are still in good shape.

Thank you for sharing! I need to think about what you said. 

signing something is actually their idea. It's just on a piece of paper. My idea is to make it more formal 

4 minutes ago, David Wang said:

let's imagine a scenario. Let's say I wait 3 years. It's time for me to skydive again. And what if my parents don't keep their promise and use tuition to force me not to skydive at that time? How do I deal with that???

You have an answer for everything don't you? You have an injured shoulder and yet you are trying to get back before you have healed completely. You need to step back and look at your situation.  The tuition for college is likely well over 100k and you have the opportunity to get a free college education by simply not skydiving for 3 years. Take the 3 year's and heal. I wouldn't go to any dz in the  mean time and get tempted.  Study work and save your money.  By the time you graduate school you will have money for gear and skydivers. Go to a physical therapist and find out how to strengthen your shoulder . 3 year's may seem like a long time but it will be over and you will have an amazing degree and future 

6 hours ago, David Wang said:

I'm admitted to college of engineering, but it's a tough major and I honestly don't think I can succeed lol. But I will definitely try. I will probably study my ass off. 

If you are stubborn enough to still want to continue jumping after what you have been through you are probably also stubborn enough to fight your way through school and into the degree. And I take back at least a little about your parents and control. After reading your description of the way you have been negotiating with them I'm begging to thing YOU may be the controlling one!

41 minutes ago, David Wang said:

signing something is actually their idea. It's just on a piece of paper. My idea is to make it more formal 

Skip it. Worry about three years from now three years from now. It will avail itself to you when it is time. If it becomes 5 years from now so be it. Focus on school. 

38 minutes ago, gowlerk said:

If you are stubborn enough to still want to continue jumping after what you have been through you are probably also stubborn enough to fight your way through school and into the degree. And I take back at least a little about your parents and control. After reading your description of the way you have been negotiating with them I'm begging to thing YOU may be the controlling one!

I'm strongly addicted & obsessed with this sport. I love this sport SO MUCH. I can fly. "I can fly" is probably the strongest reason for a person to skydive. 

Many people have their own way to deal with their accidents. For me, overcoming injuries, getting back in the sky and achieving my dreams and goals is the way to do it. Get back up when life knocks me down. No quitting. 

It depends on whether I love engineering or not. If I love my major I will probably find ways to work it through. If I don't love it I will change major after my freshman year. 

Why am I the controlling one? I don't understand. 

38 minutes ago, TampaPete said:

Skip it. Worry about three years from now three years from now. It will avail itself to you when it is time. If it becomes 5 years from now so be it. Focus on school. 

ah...okay

1 hour ago, skyderrill66 said:

You have an answer for everything don't you? You have an injured shoulder and yet you are trying to get back before you have healed completely. You need to step back and look at your situation.  The tuition for college is likely well over 100k and you have the opportunity to get a free college education by simply not skydiving for 3 years. Take the 3 year's and heal. I wouldn't go to any dz in the  mean time and get tempted.  Study work and save your money.  By the time you graduate school you will have money for gear and skydivers. Go to a physical therapist and find out how to strengthen your shoulder . 3 year's may seem like a long time but it will be over and you will have an amazing degree and future 

I agree with what you have said. I know that I will have an amazing future if I can get an engineering degree from Purdue. I'm okay with 3 years as long as my parents don't come up with something new after 3 years. I agree that 3 years are not too long. 

side note: I'm getting arthroscopic shoulder surgery in August and will need to do 5 months rehab. My body should be ready before I go to Indianapolis in spring 2022. 

16 minutes ago, David Wang said:

I agree with what you have said. I know that I will have an amazing future if I can get an engineering degree from Purdue. I'm okay with 3 years as long as my parents don't come up with something new after 3 years. I agree that 3 years are not too long. 

side note: I'm getting arthroscopic shoulder surgery in August and will need to do 5 months rehab. My body should be ready before I go to Indianapolis in spring 2022. 

You are missing the whole point. If you wait 3 to 5 years and get your degree and don't have to worry about loan payments you will have the skydiving world in your hands.  The money you don't have to pay for tuition can go to skydiving.  You are not quitting anything you are setting yourself up for a much nicer life than if you have lots of bills 

19 minutes ago, skyderrill66 said:

You are missing the whole point. If you wait 3 to 5 years and get your degree and don't have to worry about loan payments you will have the skydiving world in your hands.  The money you don't have to pay for tuition can go to skydiving.  You are not quitting anything you are setting yourself up for a much nicer life than if you have lots of bills 

you're suggesting that I utilize the offer, get my degree and be financial independent ASAP so I can cut the "financial tie" with my parents ASAP and no one can stop me from jumping after that, right? and in the mean time I have a great degree

and yes I would have little to no debt based on their offer. 

3 minutes ago, David Wang said:

you're suggesting that I utilize the offer, get my degree ASAP and be financial independent ASAP so I can cut the "financial tie" with my parents ASAP and no one can stop me from jumping after that, right?

I give up there is no reasoning with you. You continue to argue and only see what you want. Go ahead and do what you want as no one can get through to you and you have all the answers. You know you are not only endangering your life but possibly the life of others if you skydive with a shoulder injury. With your attitude to defy what great advice others have given you will likely be on the incidents board. I  hope not.  Good luck and be smart. 

I will accept their offer. 

There is another way to be involved in skydiving - you are obviously smart and probably athletic/well co-ordinated. You could train as a pilot and fly the jumpers...once you have graduated of course -  just a thought. With all that money you'll earn once you graduate, you'll be able to afford it. I've followed your various threads from pre-AFF to post injury and you seem to be a determined, if headstrong, young man. With the injuries you have already sustained in your so far short career, you might want to look ahead a few years and consider what shape you are going to be in come middle age, especially if you sustain more injuries, which might be on the cards. Believe me, middle age comes up fast...too fast. My opinions only and apologies if I've offended or given duff advice!

What age range is middle age? 40-60? 

I’m 19 and will turn 20 this September. Lol.  After 4 years of college i will be 24. I’m grateful that I’m young and my recovery has been amazing so far. 
 

One of the main goals in these years is to get more healthy and strong. I do believe that I will be in better physical condition to skydive if I wait a few years rather than getting back to jumping next year, right after finishing all the surgeries. 

I will try hard to be safe and avoid injuries when I get back in the sport.

1 hour ago, David Wang said:

What age range is middle age? 40-60? 

I’m 19 and will turn 20 this September. Lol.  After 4 years of college i will be 24. I’m grateful that I’m young and my recovery has been amazing so far. 
 

One of the main goals in these years is to get more healthy and strong. I do believe that I will be in better physical condition to skydive if I wait a few years rather than getting back to jumping next year, right after finishing all the surgeries. 

I will try hard to be safe and avoid injuries when I get back in the sport.

Well, as the old saying goes 'you're as old as you feel'. By the time you are 60 you may still feel great. By the time you are 30 you might not feel so great. Middle age - its just a number. Whatever, I hope you do have a long and further injury free career - however you decide to proceed. As for the some of the  advice given to you by a few of the posters on your various forums, I'd just like to paraphrase Mark Twain who said (more or less) 'aged 18, I couldn't believe how dumb my parents were - by the time I was 28 it amazed me how much cleverer they had become in the space of 10 years'

I was a 24 year old single mom with a high school diploma when I got hooked. Never could afford to jump as much as everyone else. Jumped crap gear for my first 600 jumps.  Decided to make skydiving my career and live the dream. 

It really sucks watching other people jump their asses off while you are packing their parachutes or selling them googles or teaching first jump courses. 

Get that free education.  Get that good paying career. Then (and only then) go back to the dz and start jumping again.  It'll be way more fun, you'll jump way more often, you'll be a way better skydiver. 

I'd say that even if you weren't recovering from major injuries. 

You are being handed a golden ticket dude. You're an idiot if you don't jump (pun intended) on the opportunity your parents are willing to give you. If you don't want it, can you introduce your parents to my niece? 

2 hours ago, skybytch said:

I was a 24 year old single mom with a high school diploma when I got hooked. Never could afford to jump as much as everyone else. Jumped crap gear for my first 600 jumps.  Decided to make skydiving my career and live the dream. 

It really sucks watching other people jump their asses off while you are packing their parachutes or selling them googles or teaching first jump courses. 

Get that free education.  Get that good paying career. Then (and only then) go back to the dz and start jumping again.  It'll be way more fun, you'll jump way more often, you'll be a way better skydiver. 

I'd say that even if you weren't recovering from major injuries. 

You are being handed a golden ticket dude. You're an idiot if you don't jump (pun intended) on the opportunity your parents are willing to give you. If you don't want it, can you introduce your parents to my niece? 

 

David - Everyone in the community is interested in helping you. It's what is very unique about this group. 

We're all pulling for you. And expecting updates during the semester. It will be tough and trying, but you have the tools for this. 

will do, and thanks for the encouragement. 

1 hour ago, TampaPete said:

And expecting updates during the semester.

will do, and thanks for the encouragement. 

3 hours ago, skybytch said:

Get that free education.  Get that good paying career. Then (and only then) go back to the dz and start jumping again.  It'll be way more fun, you'll jump way more often, you'll be a way better skydiver. 

this sounds great!!!