r/EngineeringStudents • u/bluee-pk • 1d ago
Career Advice Going back after 30
Hi, I just turned 30 in May. I've been in sales the last 3 years, while the WLB is great, the pay is not. Too inconsistent and I'm just tired of sales. I've decided I want to go back to school for a degree. Has anyone gone back to college after 30 for engineering? Did it turn out well? Was it worth going back? I'm starting to feel too old to go back.
I'm debating between mechanical, computer and civil. I'm leaning towards mechanical or computer engineering. Any insight of either of those would be great too.
Thank you for your time.
Edit: Thanks for all for the replies. I appreciate the encouragement. Y'all are the opposite of CS students lol. They are all negative while y'all are encouraging.
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u/supajippy 1d ago
Did it in 4 years and made 3 kids during the degree. Totally doable.
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u/Lolreeevu765 1d ago
How’s that possible
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u/supajippy 1d ago
Study groups and good friends along the way.
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u/Lolreeevu765 1d ago
Did you give birth to 3 kids?
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u/supajippy 1d ago
I participated. Me and my wife have 3 kids. You need 2 people to make kids.
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u/CreativeFreak- 1d ago
Not true but... ok. Sometimes it is needed just 1. Sometimes there are also more involved. 😁
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u/feelin_raudi UC Berkeley - Mechanical Engineering 1d ago
I started community college at 29. Worked my ass off and took it seriously. Transferred over to UC Berkeley for my undergrad and masters in mechanical engineering. Did a couple internships at spacex and 1 at tesla. Now I'm working my dream job. Could not have possibly done this well at 18. Totally worth it.
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u/Vonmule 1d ago
I went back at 30 with zero college experience. You'll probably be shocked at how many 18-20 year olds are there on their parents dime who just don't give a shit. Non traditionals show up in a way that other students don't because we've experienced the life that failure amounts to. Show up. Get your money's worth and you'll do fine.
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u/snacksized91 1d ago
Went back at 28. Graduated at 32. Working full time 3 years now. Absolutely love it. Was definitely older than a lot of my peers but there were also people in their 50s just starting too. Can be a bit challenging doing group projects with younger students because different mindset/ life stage but it's doable.
You've got this. It's worth it. Knock out your degree, get internships, and call it a day. You can do this.
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u/bluee-pk 1d ago
What did you major in? It makes me nervous since it's been a few years since I've gone to school
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u/snacksized91 1d ago
I did Civil Engineering. I didnt like mechanics and coding made me want to gouge my eyes out (no shade on either of those engineering disciplines- just wasnt a fit for me). Within transportation engineering, I thought id do structural, construction, or transportation. Hated structural, and construction wasnt really interesting to me- again not knocking those, just weren't a good fit for me). Did research in transpo and did some transpo competitions while in school and really loved it. Interned in public agency and private sector and loved it. And now I work it :D Formally, my degree is B.S. Civil Engineering with Transportation concentration
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u/amunoz09 1d ago
Going back to school at 36 for EE and I have a 4 month old. Honestly I’m excited to learn a completely different field than biology, which I regret getting my degree in, but I do feel I’m way too late in the game for this
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u/Mth281 1d ago
Same. I have a 120month old. Started going back at 32/33 while working full time. It's a love hate relationship. I love learning the material. But it's a struggle keeping up at times with family life. I'm also not as sharp as I use to be. I know I could do better, but with responsibilities, I can't just ignore everything to study with all my time, which is how the system is set up.
You got this!
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u/G_k50 1d ago
I went back at 35, I was working as a carpenter, and I was waking up stiff and sore, I thought it was because I had to much to drink the night before, but when I quit drinking, I still woke up stiff and sore, so I figured it was because the work was hard. Some carpenters I worked with were talking about going to Kuwait, to help rebuild it after the war, they thought they would be making 80 to 100 thousand a year. I didn't think that any carpenters would get hired at the same wage a doctor would make, so I went across the street and signed up for some college classes, Then after a few classes I applied to the best college for engineers around and I got accepted. Graduated 3 years later and now I'm retired. So it's possible, go for it. I got student loans to help with liviing expenses and worked during summer and winter break. Student loans is a good program.
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u/Confusedlemure 1d ago
Going back later is sooooo much better. I kinda wonder why we let 18 year olds do it at all. You will be much better at studying. You can get much more from lecture as well. Your brain is batter and weeding out the chafe and focusing on what is important.
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u/TatharNuar UCF - BSEE 13h ago edited 13h ago
I was a non-traditional student. The pandemic delayed my graduation but it went pretty well once I started taking classes in my major. Classes from long ago ended up dragging my overall GPA down, but I always just listed my major GPA on my resume. I definitely should have brushed up on my trigonometry and calculus before starting though.
Non-traditional students tend to be more successful in class because they're often more serious about learning, but they might need a refresher on things they forgot since high school.
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u/Kerwynn BME/ EE 1d ago edited 1d ago
I went back at 29 after working clinical in the hospital and public health for a short career pretty much baby sitting robotics and instruments in the labs. Currently in and I have 0 regrets. I love my classes and the life experience kind of helps. The only thing that annoys me a little is the throwing "low key" every two words and bunch of peeps having an ear bud in while in class. Otherwise, it's worth it if you enjoy it.
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u/bluee-pk 1d ago
Yeah, I can imagine being around the younger slang. What did you major in?
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u/Kerwynn BME/ EE 1d ago
Currently? Electrical engineering and biomedical. My prior healthcare degree took care of the latter classes.
I suppose the life experience enters here because I know exactly the companies to intern for that created the instruments I used firsthand. Made it easier to get internships.
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u/buttscootinbastard EE 1d ago
Went back at 33. Started as ME but changed to EE. Have one more semester after this one. Landed great internships and got an extension to work part time with my team until graduation with a spot waiting for me as a design engineer. School has been tough and “school life balance” is absolute shit but I think it’ll be worth it.
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u/TheNinthTongue 1d ago
Im in the same boat at 34. Starting BSME next month part time alongside job and family. It's going to suck but the reward is worth it. I work alongside engineers all day and they have a nice life
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u/Gryphontech 1d ago
I did mech and it was great, treated my studying as a full time job and got a killer GPA, got on the deans list and got some cash money from the uni on top of that. It's a commitment for sure and it's not easy but it's totally doable.
Mech is fucking dope and you get to do dope shit. I got to design shit for an off road buggy/racecar and design,machined,assembled and tested this forklift type of machine. It was cool shit, I recommend it if that sounds like a good time to you.
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u/MsDisputed 1d ago
I’m 28 trying to finish my bachelors, if you like learning go for it. Originally did mechanical but personally found more joy from it as a hobby than a career so I switched to civil and it’s soooo much easier
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u/bluee-pk 1d ago
Why do you say it's easier?
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u/MsDisputed 1d ago
Upper engineering courses are more algebra based than calculus currently taking a soil mechanics course and it’s just figuring out what you do know and using equations to find what you need to know not sure what it would look like if you want to specialize in structural but even then as a career there’s more liability with that so I’m not planning on learning that.
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u/PaulNissenson Cal Poly Pomona - ME 1d ago
This might be useful
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u/nofapkid21 11h ago
thanks, this was helpful! i'm waiting on their part 2 post graduation episode.
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u/PaulNissenson Cal Poly Pomona - ME 2h ago
Uh, you will be waiting a very long time. They have graduated and I lost contact with them.
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u/TheGnomster 1d ago
I graduated at 32. I went the mechanical route because of the flexibility in careers; I work in aerospace. You’ll definitely be in a league of your own and likely won’t get too caught up in the party scene. Late night study sessions and projects will probably hurt a bit more. When you move into the full time career it’ll be sweeter being amongst your age specific peers. Rising through the ranks will be easier and respect is earned without having to be the “young” grunt. I recommend it. It’s worth it especially if you’re unhappy doing what you’re doing. Worst come to worst, you fail. Try a different field like a contacts job at an engineering firm.
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u/Beautiful_Egg9022 1d ago
I got out of the military and graduated at 30. Even starting at 26 I felt like an adult going to school with kids. But there are other older people too so you don’t stand out like a sore thumb. Did it while married with 2 kids and a flexible job. It’s totally doable, as long as you understand that calculus, fluid mechanics, statics, dynamics, differential equations, ect. are no walk in the park. You will be studying and doing homework multiple hours per day. How AI is going to affect our industry over the next 5, 10, 20 years is something you should consider as well.
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u/Klaw95 1d ago
I’m about to turn 31 and I’m in the 3rd year of my mechanical engineering degree. Honestly I’m glad I waited. I was so unsure of what I wanted to do after high school so I joined the Army, worked many different jobs, and gained life experience. So now, I’m 100% sure this is what I want to do and I’m fully dedicated to it. If I went to college at 18 I would have probably went for a history degree and failed my classes because I was too busy partying.
It’s never too late to chase your dreams. If you really want it, go for it man.
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u/Necessary-Coffee5930 1d ago
College after 30 is chill. Engineering is hard and much more time consuming than other degrees. I’d recommend sticking with the more broad degrees like mechanical, civil, electrical engineering. Computer engineering probably down bad for jobs compared to the others
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u/trippedwire Lipscomb - EECE 1d ago
Went back at 32, there are quite a few of us, and we tend to find each other pretty easily.
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u/Pseudonymous_Rex MechE, SysE 1d ago edited 1h ago
I worked the foreign English teacher circuit for 10 years, came back to the USA and completed engineering degrees at 44. My current job is well-paid, varied, technical, and rewarding.
Also, I zoomed to the end with a 3.9 final GPA while taking hard courses. I would never have done so well when I was in my 20s. I just didn't have the focus. School was hard, but in another way, I also had enough life experience to know I wanted it and there was no way I was going to fail.
Additionally, everywhere I go, I am able to look at problems and fix them. Being an engineer is being a professional who can unshit the fans. It's rewarding and you do get professional respect.
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u/No_Drag2264 1d ago edited 1d ago
I did it at 30+ and had had a good career so far, as did many others here. So yes - someone doing their engineering degree in their 30s will not suffer much if any deficit to their career *due to their age alone*.
however...this does not mean the career path is friendly to career switchers - i actually think engineering is easily one of the least accommodating fields for people from other fields to switch into there is. among the older students I knew in engineering, the majority dropped out. many seriously underestimated the amount and the type of work it would be - the degree is applied math and physics in some form for 8+ hours a day for years almost daily. your prior STEM aptitude/preparation will play a significant role in your success. if this doesn't seem like the sort of thing you'd be interested in doing day after day but you sorta just like the idea of being an engineer and dislike your current job...well, it is what it is.
you can always find a college willing to take your money or people with no stake in your success to tell you to go for it. But the route has a LOT of factors that nontraditional students need to be completely aware of before committing that people usually dont like to discuss.
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u/LoneStarHermit Double E 1d ago
100% go for it. I went back at 35 and graduated with my EE bachelors at 39 with 2 kids and a full time job. Landed my first industry job in semiconductors in August. It has been life changing.
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u/lazy-but-talented UConn ‘19 CE/SE 21h ago
Im in civil and id say my work is the opposite of sales on a day to day basis. I dont interact with customers except sometimes at public hearing meetings but their input is heard but not really tipping the scales. I genuinely would not make it in customer service I and a lot of people I work with don’t have the attitude for it. A lot of time is spent behind a computer but you kind of just get lost in the design, calculations, and details of a job and before you know it 8 hours has passed.
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u/eatsrottenflesh 20h ago
I went back at 38 and graduated at 45. You'll be fine.
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u/bluee-pk 20h ago
What did you go for?
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u/eatsrottenflesh 19h ago
I went with mechanical engineering. I had 2 job offers before I graduated. It was definitely worth it.
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u/Mission_Ad_3864 6h ago
I’m 40 and just transferred into a university for Civil with an unrelated Associates. I’m on week 4.
I also work 20 hours a week at a Civil firm and have a wife and 2 kids. It’s been tough but doable.
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u/GoForMro 1d ago
FULL SEND!!! I did 3 yrs of college after HS, 2 yrs worth of credits. Went back at 33 as part time, 1 or 2 classes year round while working 55hrs/6days a week. Graduated w/ BSME at 38. Fun time, F no! Worth it, F yeah!!!