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Thread: Is it worth the time and money to go back to college to finish my engineering degree?

  1. #1
    68chevyman
    Guest

    Is it worth the time and money to go back to college to finish my engineering degree?

    I finished an Associate degree in Construction Engineering in 2005 and have worked in the construction industry for nearly 15 years. I have always wanted to be on the other side of the drawing board. I will be 43 in a week. Is it worth going back to college and competing with the 20 something year olds?

  2. #2
    Lead Engineer RWOLFEJR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Rochester Pennsylvania
    Posts
    396
    Sure is...
    Work experience and just life experience in general will give you a leg up on the younger folks when applying for a new position. Think about it. If you were doing the hiring wouldn't you pick a person that knows both ends of the job before a kid that's never hung a truss or made chips? To know every word in a text book still isn't the same as having actually experienced it. We get prints from time to time in our shop that are unrealistic. The designer obviously never machined a part and it's easy as pie to draw a perfect part. Without some understanding of how materials are cut etc. that engineer can't know where time and money can be saved with some design tweaking and still have a grand part. Understand? And of course you know that anything learned is a good thing regardless. Even if you stay on your current job you will have a better understanding and be better for it.

    Another consideration when talking age is this... When your sixty something will you still be able to tote around lumber or block or just hang on site in general all day? There's something to be said for all trades and I love working outdoors, but there's something to be said for an air conditioned office and a comfy chair! Myself... it's my hobbies, home, yard, garden etc. that gives me my outdoor time and it works out well enough I suppose.

  3. #3
    Technical Fellow
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Posts
    1,043
    +1 on everything he ^^^^^ said

  4. #4
    68chevyman
    Guest
    You just said the same things I have been saying to myself. Thanks for the input. I am in the process of making an appointment with a college advisor. I figure I better get a degree before it gets too expensive.

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