Thinking about going back to school for engineering...any advice?

Hi everyone, so I am thinking about going back to school for engineering, but I guess I will give you guys some background info.

I graduated almost a year ago (last December) with my bachelors in Biology originally planning on going to medical school, but things changed. I was still looking to get into medicine but a different route and I have finally realized...medicine is not for me...I am not compassionate enough to make a good doctor (or whatever) and I am finally accepting the fact that I only wanted to go into medicine for the money, which is no good and even if I did end up in medicine, I guarantee that I would hate it and that would not be fair to my self, or any patients that I would be working on.

So anyways, I am currently working in a DNA/paternity/forensic lab. The people there are nice, the job isnt bad but it is super monotonous and I dont think I can work in labs doing the same crap all day, everyday, for the rest of my life. I have considered graduate school in biological fields other than medicine but as interesting as they would be, they dont seem to pay enough to justify the extra schooling. I am really considering going back to school for another bachelors in engineering...what I should have done in the first place since I have always been tinkering with things, and building/designing stuff

I am pretty positive that I will have a full four years of schooling. Majoring in biology only required taking lower level physics (engineering majors at my university require the upper entry level physics classes), college algebra and a statistics class so I will need all of the math classes. My science (chemistry/bio) credits will transfer as well as my other gen eds. I kind of want to go into biomedical engineering since a couple of other science classes would count towards the degree but honestly, I kind of want to get out of biology/medicine as a whole and do something with vehicles (cars); would mechanical engineering be the way to go? Computer engineering would also be considerable. What is the job outlook for the various branches? I know that masters degrees are helpful, but are a lot of people with just bachelors able to find jobs pretty easily? I would hate to go back to school and end up jobless

Also, are there any online methods of getting an engineering degree? My current job does not pay much but it will be so hard to go back to being a broke college student working fast food again. I can probably take a couple of hours off each day to go to class but I doubt I can pull off working full time as well as going to school full time so I would have to quit.

This seems like it would be a big change for you...

Have you considered things like biomedical engineering, or medical research? Forensics is very popular these days, and even has multiple prime-time TV shows (CSI, Bones, Dexter, etc.). DHS is looking for forensics, as is just about everyone else. There are a lot of different things to do, and plenty of jobs.

There are lots of medical fields that may interest you - take a look at a few college course catalogs for everything related. There are multiple therapists and technicians, surgical associates, researchers, etc...

If you want to change, then change - it won't be an easy ride. With a biology degree you probably have 1/4 - 1/3 of the ~140-150 hours you'll need, so you'll need 3 years full-time.

I've often heard - like what you do - not do what you like. And, I've learned that as you get older, you can be less antsy and more comfortable about routine. I'm not comfortable with the same thing every day, that's why I do what I do - and I like it.

After four years, you'll discover engineering is boring and you hate it.

I don't know how to help you.

Peele1 said:

This seems like it would be a big change for you...

Have you considered things like biomedical engineering, or medical research? Forensics is very popular these days, and even has multiple prime-time TV shows (CSI, Bones, Dexter, etc.). DHS is looking for forensics, as is just about everyone else. There are a lot of different things to do, and plenty of jobs.

There are lots of medical fields that may interest you - take a look at a few college course catalogs for everything related. There are multiple therapists and technicians, surgical associates, researchers, etc...

If you want to change, then change - it won't be an easy ride. With a biology degree you probably have 1/4 - 1/3 of the ~140-150 hours you'll need, so you'll need 3 years full-time.

I've often heard - like what you do - not do what you like. And, I've learned that as you get older, you can be less antsy and more comfortable about routine. I'm not comfortable with the same thing every day, that's why I do what I do - and I like it.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I mentioned that biomedical would be interesting (and a couple of classes would be knocked off since I have all the bio/chem classes that would be needed) but at the same time, I kind of want to do something completely different from bio science. Forensics has always interested me, and I have actually been looking and it seems like there are a lot of crime labs that I can work for with my bachelors and my current job experience and they dont seem to pay too bad. Its just a matter of whether or not they would be super boring lab jobs or not...i would prefer to be out in the field :/

Practically, Pharmacy seems like it would be your best bet. You don't have to have great people skills, no more than a good retail clerk. Biology seems like it would have a lot of credits that would transfer. "Biomedical Engineering" is something printed on an Engineering School's brochure. It sounds great but I'm not sure it really exists except at a specialty research level (ie not a lot of jobs).

My 2c

Don't do it.

Well I realize its been a while since your post SwagenGTI, but I wanted to give you my opinion, or thoughts really, and hopefully you still reach this message. I'll try to keep it short. Im a Civil Engineer graduated 2011 Civil Engineering was my second Bachelors. Yeah I went ahead and did it. However, I wouldn't believe you could even guess what my first Bachelors is in unless I spelled out half the title. I can tell you I was very passionate about getting my engineering degree and the fact that I was still single when I did made it possible. I don't think I would have done it if I was married, but that's just because my wife isn't a big city girl and San Antonio would not have treated her well regardless what her attitude on it would be. I started from scratch from an engineers perspective. The only classes I didn't have to take were my rhetoric and political science classes. I had always "dreamed" of being able to design buildings structurally and bridges, slabs, etc... and I went back for 3 yrs and 1 summer to be a CE. I don't regret it, but I can tell you I went through hell.

With loans and two part time jobs I just wasn't good enough to keep organized and get the GPA I would have wanted. And that I do regret. I don't work in design (yet!) I actually work in construction. My father and I have a small C.I.P. concrete company and we do ok. But I really want to get into structural design. And I realize It probably won't happen unless I get a masters with that concentration, so that means another 2 yrs. lol! My life changed completely and I personally feel I got a better grip of the worlds realities with my new education, but it still hurts. The worst part is I really do want to go for a masters. And the one thing that is true in my case is that engineering really didn't start sinking in to me until my senior year. I was always so nervous about HW and Tests for the first 2.5 years of school because there was always new stuff popping up in each assignment. I didn't have the fundamentals like many other students did. And it took me a while to catch up, and Im still catching up. Hence i haven't passed my EIT exam (awaiting results for the third time).

I love engineering or Civil Engineering I should say. I could spend all afternoon every day designing masonry walls, slabs, columns and want to do more. Its weird cause I don't consider myself that good at it. But I can tell you if you want it then do it. Don't talk yourself into nonsense thoughts like, "gotta finish what I started." Try it, and measure your effort and dedication, if it lines up with what professors expect, and at that point you don't want to do it. Walk away, and shameless.

Do realize Mechanical and Electrical engineering, oh and Computer Engineering, all have better opportunities with this economy now a days. I do hope it gets better for us CE's in the near future.

I wish you the best of luck!! and sorry If I bored you.

OK-- I am going to tell you to do it-- if that is what you want to do. However, before you spend lots of money, I would spend some time ( and some money) with a career guidance counsellor and determine what it is that you will really enjoy. It may be pharmacy-- it may be something else, however, before you launch down the engineering road, as long as you have a degree and can keep a job as you determine your real interest, I would get some help.

Many colleges have career interest centers, normally in the admissions office that will help with this. This is really true at the community college level. I am thinking Strong's Vocational Aptitude Battery, however, there are many others. Take some of those tests to ascertain where your real interests lie.

Once you have that answer, then the community college is the way to get the preliminary classes out of the way. Why? Cost and teaching. You will have better teachers at the community college than at Big Name U. At Big Name U, you will have teaching assistants-- some are great, some are horrible. However, the preliminary stuff, the calculus, chemistry, physics is all the same-- here is where a great teacher can really "light the light" for you

Build a gameplan--mapping out your courses. This will appear impossible at the beginning, however, as you start down the path, you will see that the grades will appear after the class and pretty soon, you are done!

If you have the resources, I would NOT take out student loans. That program has gotten out of hand--- go slow and pay for it. Yes, it may take more time, however, you will feel better when you are done.

Does this help?

So I wonder what happened?

No one ever comes back and tells us if our advice sucks or not!

In his position, I would consider a masters in industrial hygiene or environmental science or something similar.

That would take much less time and money and is much more feasible to complete at night school.

Also more compatable to the biology background. Hemi79 makes some very good points about how difficult engineering school can be if you don't have the proper background - or trying it part time.

I also agree with solomonb's advice. Don't go for the student loan racket.

FWIW.

I don't think he would have been happy as an engineer either...

I don't think he would have been happy as an engineer either...

Its very possible. Ive had friends go through a masters and MBA just because they dont know how to be out of school. Its scary actually.

What's with all the haters on here?

You sound like me, if you were to replace Bio with Math and medicine with teaching.

I got my BS in Math, thinking I wanted to teach, but then I realized that I don't want to teach, so I took a job as a CAD tech at an engineering firm. I started to learn how to design things and decided I wanted to move up in the industry so I started taking night classes. After one year of that I applied to a Master's program in Mechanical Engineering and they accepted me with the stipulation that I take some more undergraduate classes as pre-requisites.

I'm mid-way through the masters program now, and just sat for the PE exam in April (and thus am glued to this message board awaiting my results). I took the test in Virginia, which is one of the states that will let you take the exam with a degree in a "science related to engineering" (not sure if Bio would count or not). That route requires more experience than the engineering degree route, but I reached that point before finishing the engineering degree, so I was able to take the PE test first.

PE exam requirements aside, my advise to you would be to get a job in an engineering field where you can work with engineers, see if you like it, and gain some experience while earning your degree. CAD is a good way to get your foot in the door. You can either do like I did and work full time while enrolled in school part time, or work part time while in school full time.

I say go for it! If you don't like what you're doing, keep trying new things until you find something you like!

TIM1981, your story is cool. Ive been working really hard in learning Autocad, and Revit with the hope that is would help me in getting a wanted job. I keep coming back to this thread to confirm that swagen hasn't answered cause im interested in knowing what direction was taken. Hopefully all is well and getting better.....

Bioengineering!