Questions from a beginner looking for a career.

So Mr. Piper-want-a-be you have been looking for a career and your uncle told you something about becoming a Piping Designer. And you have a lot of questions.
I (and we) would like to know what your uncle did or does for a living? I suspect he is not a piper and knows very little about the profession. Also where are you?

What does PDMS stand for?
It stands for Pipe Design Management System. (correction) It was developed by AVEVA formerly CADCenter in UK.
PDMS as it is known in the 3D CAD industry, is a customizable, multi-user and multi-discipline, engineer controlled design software package for engineering, design and construction projects in, but not limited to, offshore and onshore oil & gas industry, chemical & process plants, mining, pharmaceutical & food industry, power generation and paper industries.

PDS developed by Intergraph, Huntsville, AL, USA is a Plant Design System with much the same capabilities.

Where do I start to get an entry level job?
I do not know where you could get an entry level job when you have no training in piping.

I've read that I should probably get an associates at Houston Community College. Is this correct?
I suggest you are thinking of four Degree program at The University of Houston, Downtown. They have (or had) an extensive course in Piping Technology.

If i started college with terrible grades a while back, would this hurt my chances of getting an entry level position?
Yes!

How demanding are the courses?
Very demanding.

I've never taken a drafting course before
If I were the instructor and you had no background in drafting I would not let you into my entry level training program. Just taking PDMS, AutoCAD or one of the many other machine graphics based drafting systems does not qualify you as being "Trained".

I've taken Calculus, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. I did very well in Calculus and Chemistry. I hate Biology and Physics.
These courses will be of little value in piping.

What is piping courses like compared to these classes?
"Piping" is a method of communication. It has it's own "language", a language that has a very special "alphabet", rules of grammar, dialects, reasons, laws, philosophy's, Codes, regulations and requirements. In addition to learning the language of piping you must learn, know and understand the languages of the other engineering disciplines (Civil, Structural, Electrical, Instrumentation, Equipment, Vessels, Process and others) that interact with piping. When you have mastered all of these, then perhaps you will qualify as a "Newbie" in piping.

What is the starting salary range?
Don't look to get rich as a Newbie in piping. Only the truly well trained, well experienced and well skilled will be worthy the higher rates. The higher rates are also impacted by the supply and demand of the industry.

What does it take to become a senior pipe designer and how long does it usually take?
Fifteen years of the right training, the right experience, the right skills, the right natural ability.

What is life like as a pipe designer, family wise.
I do not understand this question. In most of the cases you work an 8 hour day in an office environment 90% of the time and 10% in the field.

Do you love what you do?
Yes! And I have been doing it for more than fifty years. I am semi-retired but I am still active to a lesser degree.

What do you hate the job?
People who claim to be experts and don't know what they don't know.

What do you love about the job?
The sense of satisfaction of seeing the finished plant in operation and knowing that we (my team and I) produced a well designed, safe, and cost effective project. If you do not produce a safe, intelligent design someone may be seriously injured or killed. Think Bophal, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl.

If you want to learn a little more about piping then look up and read everything you find (Tips, Tools, Training, Standards, Forum, etc.) on this website.

I do not have a degree. I have on-the-job training and hands on experience.
I took a two year (three periods a day) vocational drafting course my last two years of High School in Bell California USA.
After graduating in 1954 my drafting instructor referred me to Fluor.
I started in the print room as a drafter trainee.
I went to night school for two semesters learning just the basics of Piping (pipe, fittings, flanges, basic assembly, etc.)
It took a number of years before I was considered a "Piper".

Others will have to answer for themselves.