Submission + - Second Bachelor's in Engineering? 1
CrunchyCookie writes: Dear /.,
Having spent a good 50 hours reading local discussion threads in the hopes of absorbing the immense wisdom of the Slashdot community, I know this might've been asked before, but... what do y'all think about the idea of going back to college at age 30 to pursue engineering? It's a question I've been struggling with since this recession began (yep, that long), but despite all the reading/research I do, I still don't feel like I know enough about your world to form an answer.
First, a little background about my predicament. I graduated 8 long years ago from UC Riverside with a BS in Business Administration, and basically didn't enjoy a minute of it. In addition to the low caliber student body and teaching quality, most material in the major struck me as boring and/or a load of crap (think marketing). After two years of post-grad temp-hopping, 2004 came around and I somehow sort of achieved my dream of becoming an automotive journalist (which combined my two passions, analytical essay writing and cars). But my experience with the few employers in the field left me less than satisfied (it's either no byline, lame salary, or no creative freedom). Coupled with the fact that auto writing is a niche-within-a-niche that will only shrink further as time marches on, my practical side tells me it would be dumb to rely on. Sadly, my degree hasn't worked out to be the safety net I'd hoped, judging by the 500+ resumes I've spammed the world with since 2008, almost ZERO of which led to interviews (writing jobs, tech writing jobs, financial/data analyst jobs, market research jobs... no bites all around). Even adjusting for recessionary times, that's pathetic, and a good indication that I'm in for a lifetime of being discriminated up the ass if I keep trying to fight it alone with such petty credentials.
Naturally, that points me towards more education. I've ruled out B-school and law school: MBA just doesn't appeal to me, and while law does (the logic, justice, and philosophy aspects are cool), I've read enough articles about the epidemic JD oversupply to know the market is saturated. Plus, on top of tuition that's on the far side of ridiculous, both paths seem to lead to spending 70-hour workweeks to make fat $$$$ at the expense of doing enjoyable work — not really in line with my values.
See, I'm just a guy who wants an average income ($60K's fine) to do something, well, INTERESTING, since meaningful work equals a meaningful life. There's only one [set of] field[s] I can think of that seems to potentially provide that: engineering. My attraction's based on a lot of things. First, math/science-based stuff seems to be the only way to make a living doing something a human being could potentially enjoy (unlike equally practical fields like, say, accounting). Other pros: surrounded by smart people, no need for social skills, comes closest to being a pure meritocracy, 40-hour weeks with no dress code, get to live in my native Bay Area (Palo Alto boy here), and usually doing work whose effect on the world is net positive (I'm no humanitarian, but still).
I'm also drawn to it because I fit the profile. While I'm not a classic nerd or some math superpimp, I'm a lot of things engineers supposedly are: logical, analytical, rational, introverted, perfectionistic, obsessive, always looking to optimize efficiency, pretty good at math, enjoyed physics back in K-12, Trekkie, Digger...
But are these are good enough reasons to go for it? I don't even know what I'd really want to engineer (Blu-Ray players? Stereos? Bridges? The next Digg?), so I don't have any inherent specific motivation at the moment. Heck, I don't even know enough to choose between EE or CS (haven't totally ruled out Mech or Civil either), and I've heard many Slashdotters say engineering is something you need to have known you were born to do since age 7 (taking apart toys, programming in your spare time, etc.)
Also, the word on the street about outsourcing and ageism make me hesitant. The outsourcing panic seems to have scared enough people out of the field (circa 2002) to the point where supply and demand are in line again (right?), but ageism seems like an ongoing concern. Articles thrown around here say careers in engineering (and especially CS) die as fast as they do in the NFL, and that most people get their asses booted out by age 40. Given that I'd be 34 when I finished, does that mean I'd only have six years in the field to look forward to?
But still, given that I fit the mold, I'm assuming that if I would find something to like if I did enough exploring, and would do well. Also, I get the feeling that getting the degree could be a wise long-term move even if I don't end up staying in the field for long, since people with tech degrees seem to be at the front of the line for all substantial jobs. Math seems to be the one academic skill rewarded by the real world.
I already talked to UC Davis, who said I'd probably get in if I applied, after spending two years at a CC. Given tuition/books ($2K + $2K + $13K + $13K), plus the opportunity costs of not temp-slaving ($30,000 x 4), I'm looking at a $150,000 journey... yikes. I'd totally go for it if I didn't already have a Bachelor's, but good god that's a steep bill to gain an incremental advantage, especially since I'm still unsure of what I want to do. Still, the increment could be huge.
Sorry this was so long, but I would much appreciate any suggestions on how to tweak, tinker, or engineer my life to improve functionality.
Having spent a good 50 hours reading local discussion threads in the hopes of absorbing the immense wisdom of the Slashdot community, I know this might've been asked before, but... what do y'all think about the idea of going back to college at age 30 to pursue engineering? It's a question I've been struggling with since this recession began (yep, that long), but despite all the reading/research I do, I still don't feel like I know enough about your world to form an answer.
First, a little background about my predicament. I graduated 8 long years ago from UC Riverside with a BS in Business Administration, and basically didn't enjoy a minute of it. In addition to the low caliber student body and teaching quality, most material in the major struck me as boring and/or a load of crap (think marketing). After two years of post-grad temp-hopping, 2004 came around and I somehow sort of achieved my dream of becoming an automotive journalist (which combined my two passions, analytical essay writing and cars). But my experience with the few employers in the field left me less than satisfied (it's either no byline, lame salary, or no creative freedom). Coupled with the fact that auto writing is a niche-within-a-niche that will only shrink further as time marches on, my practical side tells me it would be dumb to rely on. Sadly, my degree hasn't worked out to be the safety net I'd hoped, judging by the 500+ resumes I've spammed the world with since 2008, almost ZERO of which led to interviews (writing jobs, tech writing jobs, financial/data analyst jobs, market research jobs... no bites all around). Even adjusting for recessionary times, that's pathetic, and a good indication that I'm in for a lifetime of being discriminated up the ass if I keep trying to fight it alone with such petty credentials.
Naturally, that points me towards more education. I've ruled out B-school and law school: MBA just doesn't appeal to me, and while law does (the logic, justice, and philosophy aspects are cool), I've read enough articles about the epidemic JD oversupply to know the market is saturated. Plus, on top of tuition that's on the far side of ridiculous, both paths seem to lead to spending 70-hour workweeks to make fat $$$$ at the expense of doing enjoyable work — not really in line with my values.
See, I'm just a guy who wants an average income ($60K's fine) to do something, well, INTERESTING, since meaningful work equals a meaningful life. There's only one [set of] field[s] I can think of that seems to potentially provide that: engineering. My attraction's based on a lot of things. First, math/science-based stuff seems to be the only way to make a living doing something a human being could potentially enjoy (unlike equally practical fields like, say, accounting). Other pros: surrounded by smart people, no need for social skills, comes closest to being a pure meritocracy, 40-hour weeks with no dress code, get to live in my native Bay Area (Palo Alto boy here), and usually doing work whose effect on the world is net positive (I'm no humanitarian, but still).
I'm also drawn to it because I fit the profile. While I'm not a classic nerd or some math superpimp, I'm a lot of things engineers supposedly are: logical, analytical, rational, introverted, perfectionistic, obsessive, always looking to optimize efficiency, pretty good at math, enjoyed physics back in K-12, Trekkie, Digger...
But are these are good enough reasons to go for it? I don't even know what I'd really want to engineer (Blu-Ray players? Stereos? Bridges? The next Digg?), so I don't have any inherent specific motivation at the moment. Heck, I don't even know enough to choose between EE or CS (haven't totally ruled out Mech or Civil either), and I've heard many Slashdotters say engineering is something you need to have known you were born to do since age 7 (taking apart toys, programming in your spare time, etc.)
Also, the word on the street about outsourcing and ageism make me hesitant. The outsourcing panic seems to have scared enough people out of the field (circa 2002) to the point where supply and demand are in line again (right?), but ageism seems like an ongoing concern. Articles thrown around here say careers in engineering (and especially CS) die as fast as they do in the NFL, and that most people get their asses booted out by age 40. Given that I'd be 34 when I finished, does that mean I'd only have six years in the field to look forward to?
But still, given that I fit the mold, I'm assuming that if I would find something to like if I did enough exploring, and would do well. Also, I get the feeling that getting the degree could be a wise long-term move even if I don't end up staying in the field for long, since people with tech degrees seem to be at the front of the line for all substantial jobs. Math seems to be the one academic skill rewarded by the real world.
I already talked to UC Davis, who said I'd probably get in if I applied, after spending two years at a CC. Given tuition/books ($2K + $2K + $13K + $13K), plus the opportunity costs of not temp-slaving ($30,000 x 4), I'm looking at a $150,000 journey... yikes. I'd totally go for it if I didn't already have a Bachelor's, but good god that's a steep bill to gain an incremental advantage, especially since I'm still unsure of what I want to do. Still, the increment could be huge.
Sorry this was so long, but I would much appreciate any suggestions on how to tweak, tinker, or engineer my life to improve functionality.
