Are you older and considering going back to school for Engineering?

I'm 23, I've been to four different schools. I recently just took a leap of faith and went back to school full time for mechanical engineering.

I just want to say that I am finding it very rewarding.

So if you are thinking about going back to school, for anything... doesn't matter what it is. If you feel like you are ready to do it, I say bite the bullet and do it. Education is a gift that we are so blessed to have access to. In the last 2 weeks I have learned so much, I can only imagine how different my life will be 4 years from now.

Never take no for an answer, and be confident in your abilities. Embrace that you don't know everything, and be willing to look for help. Fail fast when failing is cheap.

That is all, carry on.

Damn kid talkin' 'bout being "older"...23...bleh

Never too late to be the old creepy guy in the class!

But from my experience, the older folks are more motivated, less distracted, and are generally just better students. A few years of scars and experience will do that. By a few years, that can be 5 or 25. And, chicks dig an older guy when surrounded by obnoxious jerks.

Yes, after I get back from my reserve duty I will be going back to UCF to complete my Aerospace Engineering degree. Luckily I already have one of those B.A. degrees in Advertising/PR so a lot of nonsense classes are out of the way and I will only be taking classes related to the degree itself which is way less distracting.

And anyone looking to go to school for Advertising/Public Relations, Journalism, or Communications, don't waste your time

I'm 30, and the thought has crossed my mind a time or two. It hasn't gotten past that, though.

OP: How do you pay the bills?

scardeal wrote: I'm 30, and the thought has crossed my mind a time or two. It hasn't gotten past that, though.

Same here. I switched from mechanical engineering to architecture after freshman year, but I am getting really tired of the lack of employment/pay/job security in my current field. Add this to the fact that I have to get a masters and take the exams to be a registered architect, and going back and getting an engineering degree seems to make more sense. It would probably take less time and be more lucrative than trying to stay employed as an architect.

Older? You sure know how to hurt a guy- my son is older than you!

I should have done it a long time ago, but at more than twice your age , I'm pretty sure the grey matter just wouldn't handle it right now.

But I am glad to hear of the next generation of rising engineers!

poopshovel wrote: OP: How do you pay the bills?

Live on campus and take out private loans. It sucks, but it will pay out in the end.

No job? Not giving you a hard time. Jist curious.

I flip cars and bikes in the summer. Pays better than any other job I had.

Also, I'm doing about 70 hours a week in school, I doubt I could even make it to a job.

Holy christ. 70 hours a week? Is the school really open that much?

Yep. That includes studying and homework.

How far are you into your program? Summer internships for ME's pay well and should ease the pain.

Where are you located? If you're in the north east, give me a show when summer comes next year.

I graduated only 2 years ago and I couldn't be happier. I work for a great company that's growing and I get to work on cool E36 M3. Good luck, stick with it when the classes pick up, it's worth it.

I really wanna learn how to weld. I think I could be happy melting stuff together.

Not sayin' I could earn a living off it... just wanna do it.

This is funny to me. I'm 28 and getting ready to start my second year in an engineering program. It takes some of us a little longer to get rolling but I'm glad I finally did it

I'm in the same boat, except flip your age numbers.

Funnily enough, the bulk of my University friends are over 25, some nearer 30. Most of them are either supported by their partner, or saved up enough to take a few years off work, and live pretty modestly (with no kids). One of them peddles weed, though I don't recommend that particular approach.

Brotus7 wrote: How far are you into your program? Summer internships for ME's pay well and should ease the pain. Where are you located? If you're in the north east, give me a show when summer comes next year. I graduated only 2 years ago and I couldn't be happier. I work for a great company that's growing and I get to work on cool E36 M3. Good luck, stick with it when the classes pick up, it's worth it.

I'm a transfer, so most of my electives are done. I'm taking Calc 2, Physics 1, and Statics for my engineering related classes at the moment. I actually go to school at UMaine, so I'm in the Northeast!

I would love a summer internship in an engineering related field, but until now I haven't been in the position to pursue this.

I was 52 when I got my IT degree. So I don't think that age has anything to do with it. Motivation is the important thing.

Calc 2 is the devil. I berkleying HATED that class.

Calculus and Calc2 for dummies books are actually quite helpful.. I hated it too

I graduated with an engineering/materials science degree last may at the age of 26. nothing compared to some others, but older then most of my peers in classes.

Its never too late, I had a friend who was in his 40's taking classes with me. We ended up becoming good friends as we were both more serious then others.

That's good to hear. Although i'm not older, i'm 20, it's the norm to see the kids that go to uni heading there right out of high school at 18. I screwed around in school and didn't get the credits I needed and have taken a few years off, but I'm going to apply to go to college next september to start my mech engineering education.

I couldn't get past 23 being "older".
So, I'm, uh, decomposing I guess.

Well I'm older than 80% of the people here, so in that frame of reference I think it's fair to say older.