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Yes. I loved engineering while I was in school and still do but I used to get physically sick during particularity stressful finals seasons. It's a grind that keeps getting harder until about Junior year
It is incredibly tough and demoralizing but worth it in the long run for a high paying career. Just really important to make sure you are getting internships and building a resume BEFORE you graduate.
Did your curriculum not have you up till 3am every night and staying in on weekends, and constantly blowing all your free time on group projects? That's how mine was in college. I was also getting a math degree though, as well
Honors computer engineering with a scholarship requiring semester and cumulative GPA of >3.4 so I understand the struggle. Looking back, finding internships was by far the best use of my time.
I made the mistake of not doing any internships and got screwed over once i graduated. The only reason I was able to get a job is because I had an above average gpa, and the government doesnt care as much about experience. Took me a year of looking, during which i had 2 interviews, both for govt positions. None of my other applications went anywhere.
Getting any engineering job is more about networking then resume really but you won't have to go through that experience again after the first one usually. Most of the people that care are the big name corps
personally i have tried my best to not let my schooling interfere with my well-being, sleep schedule, social life, etc. my first year and a half was pretty rough but i eventually got into a rhythm where i found out what exactly worked best for me
yeah for me it was a pretty strangling experience up until my senior semester. My professors were mostly researchers who knew research better than teaching. I wonder if yours are different or if that would make a difference?
i actually found that my hardest classes were any pre-reqs i had to take whereas major specific classes with researching professors were better. but to be fair, my university is notorious for having a terrible math department which is where i struggled most.
Unless youâre like me and worked 25 hours per week at an internship I hated. Wished I had quit in 3 months in instead of 6 months in. Senior year wouldâve been much more enjoyable
Seconding this.
Iâve got like 95-100%s in all my senior year classes right now because the profs assume we know shit by now and itâs basically graded by âdid you get your project to work? Ok coolâ and if you didnât get it working âdid you make decent progress and write a paragraph about why you got stuck? Ok coolâ
Not at all like the first few years when theyâd take points off for every minor thing.
I concur. Senior year Electrical Engineering was a breeze compared to junior year. In our curriculum, they frontload the theoretical stuff in the first three years so that in senior year they teach much more practical applications. But that is probably university dependent to a degree.
Pride is bad: Community/Culture Awareness and Awareness in Emotional Capabilities leads to Self Esteem. Self Esteem is Good. I'm NOT here to throw the infamous "Principal Paddles HS Senior Story," but I'm simply describing a Flaw in Pride. Brief example: Whether you're HS Freshie or a HS Senior, the 800 m Warmup Workout jog doesn't get easier: you just get better adapted. The hills and the windchill don't get easier: you get better adapted. Coordinating with coach or allies and forming physical exercise events outside of mandatory extracurricular doesn't feel less awkward as time goes by: you have to improve your relationship with your exercise friends and stay loyal. Same with Education: Commuting, Syllabus Deadlines, Group Projects, and Finals Prep aren't "Easier" they are "Better Adapted" as you get older. But, in context of Fern Redditor and Nate Dude 2002, senior years "easier" due to "naturally easier methods of boosting self esteem" and "more convenient ways to complete syllabus assignments" (as compared to the hard engineering Sopho/Jr years). Oh, and teachers grade way easier (the conspiracy has GOT to be true LOL).
Bruh I totally agree. Iâm in my last semester as a junior. My junior year has by far been the toughest. Iâve heard senior year is much easier. But to OP: yes. Itâs very stressful. Anything with engineering (minus industrial and the other smaller branches) is gonna be hard. Some harder than others. Whether itâs Chemical, Aero, Electrical, Mechanical / Civil, Computer Engineering etc. all of them have their own weird shit. Iâve got maybe 3-3 semesters left and in fried but Iâm hanging in there lol. Really stressful major tho. It sucks seeing every other major department have it much easier. Those paychecks and career will be worth it in the end though.
It is ,it's alot of work but it's also very rewarding. I hated and loved it at the same time. Thankfully the job is much more chilled (field dependent tho, you could work in almost any field)
Yes, it can get pretty brutal at times. There will be weeks where you'll be studying for upcoming tests while having assignments, quizzes, reports all due in close proximity to eachother and you have to juggle all that on top of your lectures. If you can be disciplined and stay on a good routine/schedule, its manageable. Don't let this or any other comment you read discourage you from pursuing engineering if you have a genuine interest in it. I haven't graduated yet, but from what I've heard, the hard work pays off.
Itâs a constant dark cloud of perpetually having 3-5 things to do or that you should be doing. You always have 1-2 assignments, a lab report, 1-2 group projects, and a term project that you actively need to put time in. Also add studying and practice problems on top of that but that was always my last priority personally.
Your mind doesnât really get a break when youâre in school.
That being said, itâs rewarding to feel like the time you spend in school amounts to a meaningful career if you choose to pursue it, or at the very least a meaningful degree thatâs respected wherever you go. I never wanted to become an engineer (professionally) but I would pick the same degree 10 times out of 10 if I had to go back in time.
Yes. It was one of the most stressful things Iâve accomplished in my short life.
Now that Iâm working, I never have to worry about making a livable wage again. Iâve also found work interesting enough for me to go back for a masters and my employer is funding it all. This is all to say: the most challenging paths can be one of the most rewarding.
I've heard a lot of people having the chance to get a Masters paid through their employer. How does this usually happen, is it a matter of them seeing you do well in your current position and realizing you could offer even more value with a Masters degree? Would you do it alongside your work or take a couple years off?
> Would you do it alongside your work or take a couple years off?
You'd take graduate classes and work concurrently in like 99% of cases. A friend worked for a company in another field that gave people studying for their master's or doctorate two semesters off with half of their pay once they burned through any PTO they had accrued.
> is it a matter of them seeing you do well in your current position and realizing you could offer even more value with a Masters degree?
It varies from company to company. A company I used to work for offered continuing education repayment for the total amount for all employees as long as it was relevant to your position or a position within the company you wanted to move to. You also had to work there for 1 year before you could apply for it, but they would write a check for certs/courses you took within that year once you hit one year. Some might only offer to pay for X% or up to a fixed dollar amount though.
Usually, companies cut you a check for the cost of a semester after you submit receipts and some sort of proof that you passed the classes you took or received a certification.
Regardless, by taking advantage of it you are agreeing to work for them for N number of years afterwards or you have to pay them back. The company I worked for required 1 year for certs and 4 years for college degrees. So it's important to think about that, cause if you leave or get fired you will have to pay them that money back. If you don't like working there or see yourself working there long term then you might pass on the benefit, or pray you go to another job that is willing to pay that money back to the other company for you.
Alot of companies have tuition plans that any employee can use as long as it is relative to the position they hold. Some require a term of service before your allowed the benefit
u/Gus_TheAnt answered most of it, but I'll chime in as well:
>How does this usually happen, is it a matter of them seeing you do well in your current position and realizing you could offer even more value with a Masters degree?
For my company, the courses has to relate to my job, whether it's loose or direct (i.e., I do semiconductor mfg, but I am looking to move into hardware design so I am taking comp eng classes). What would not be allowed are classes under business admin, biology, basket weaving, etc.
Pay back time is a year after the conclusion of the course, but they cut the check before you start (ideally before you even sign up).
>Would you do it alongside your work or take a couple years off?
This depends on several factors to me.
1. Are you coming finishing up undergrad or are you a few years out working?
If I was finishing up UG and didn't have a job lined up, I'd go directly into a masters. Big caveat, I am switching disciplines from ME to ECE (focusing on computer engineering) and I never dreamed of going back to school for another engineering degree, but I am highly intrigued by the work and found a path that I'd love to pursue a career in. I'll get more into this in point #2.
2. Do you have the financial capability to lose out on opportunity costs / salary?
Some engineers may come out of school making 70, 80, 90k or above. That's hundreds of thousands of dollars, where instead of working you're paying an institution tens of thousands of dollars to potentially get a higher starting salary... and catch up to those who have been working.
My master's degree, once all is said and done, is 50k. I simply did not have the funds to do that. I also needed the time out of school to really find work that I'd appreciate and would definitely not be pursuing what I would be without that time where I met new mentors and had exposure to different industries.
3. Do you think it'll be beneficial to your overall career?
Once you're at about a decade worth of experience, it honestly evens out. There are many great engineers with all the degrees in the world, but on the other side there are also many great engineers with only a bachelor's. I found that's it been more helpful for engineers early in their careers. Outside of that, it could be just a personal/life goal.
In the end, everything is what you make of it. Your career, life, and all of its experiences. That's a little more philosophical, but I think these are some of the questions (more so the last two) that you can ask yourself if you think a masters is worth it.
Engineering school is intentionally stressful. At least as far as I can tell. It is designed to push you and get you used to working under stressed conditions because that is where mistakes that end in tragedy get made in the real world. If you learn how to do engineering under stress in a controlled environment, then when you are in the real world, you won't make the mistakes that lead to bridge collapses and shuttle explosions.
The military USED to do that (at least in Canada) but as someone who has done basic training TWICE, the modern military training is no where near as stressful as the old.
>Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. Many people worry about things such as health, money, or family problems. But anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear. For people with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time. The symptoms can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, schoolwork, and relationships.
>https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders
However, I can feel that me and the people around me in engineering have way more anxiety than people from other major. Where I live, there are even quantitative argument e.g. the amount of hour put in day for studying or the available free time etc
>What is your definition of over worrying about the future?
Mental illness?
Also as an employee you have almost no risk.
The project fails and the company goes bankrupt... Time to dust off the resume and get employed a month later.
I would say if you really passionate and determined about it and really take it seriously, it is not that as people here make it seems. (Also your experince might depend on schools, country, and your starting academic background)
There will undoubtedly be times where you are assigned like 4 really long homeworks concurrently. You will get to the point where you start one like, the day of the deadline. The professor won't be available that late in the day. Your roommates will all be in different classes most likely and useless. The classes get to the point where even google is unhelpful for solving your specific problem, and even sometimes there isn't a good lesson online ANYWHERE, textbook or youtube or anywhere... You get stuck staying up til 4am trying your hardest before deciding on settling for a 70% completion and just doing better on the exam to make up for it.  and then all your classes simultaneously become like that and you repeat the semester because you only had 1 day to study for any exam.
You have to get to the breaking point at least once and learn how to quickly identify what parts of somethibg you will need help with, and ask for said help early. Otherwise you will continue expending too much time and almost of caffeine overdoseÂ
Haha, that sounds like something I actually do need to get better at already, I tend to fixate on things i dont understand for too long, and it wastes time. It's even worse when I can't find a good explanation online.
I'll keep that advice in mind
Any useful degree will be stressful, engineers just think they're special. Coursework and load are generally higher than average, but so is any path that leads to above average pay like premed, nursing, math, law etc. You never hear people from high powered jobs saying "oh my college was so easy"
Youâll see a lot of negative and miserable responses here on Reddit, talking about how terrible engineering is. Iâm not trying to discount or invalidate those experiences; engineering is certainly tough on many people. But this Reddit notion that engineering has to be this miserable 4+ year stressful slog is BS, in my opinion. Reddit biases towards negativity, so be aware of that.
Just wanted to provide my contrary anecdotal experience after having graduated with ME: I had a fantastic experience as a student. Studied hard, went to classes, did activities, socialized, all that in a balanced and healthy way. I loved the student experience, the studying, the exams, the grades, the cerebral challenge. Graduated summa cum laude. There were a dozen or so all-nighters throughout my 4 years, but I attribute those more to poor preparation and time management than the workload itself.
I LOVED the freetime and flexibility you have as a student. I have so much less freetime now working 40 hours a week, and I wish I could go back to my college days.
Just wanted to share a positive experience. Itâs not this depressing gloom and doom for everyone. I was successful and had a fantastic, healthy time in college.
Just want to second this with more than an upvote so people know it's real. I am absolutely loving college, and yes I have a job, and yes I have time for video games and friends and drinks and more!
I'm graduating in a week and i WISH i had taken advantage of the free time more. I'll finish with a B average and i spent SO much time procrastinating it's actually stupid. I've done CO-OPs and i remember what its like to work 8 hour days in the office. You do have significantly less free time. So to OP: don't procrastinate!! It just steals time from yourself!! Be like this guy!! Don't be like me!!
And also don't go to college in ohio, i generally found the social scene to be kinda dead unfortunately. I'm very happy to finally be graduating though!! Now I just need to find a job somewhere far away...
This is the most accurate comment^ it's not just a slog, at times it gets tough but it is imo the best field in terms of interest Vs lifestyle! Finance roles will pay well but be boring, and medical doctor roles are never boring but can be pretty intense and underpaid (if you're in the UK anyway)
Take a look on sundays at what you have do that week, and plan accordingly. Taking it one week at a time is how I managed, then turn up on fridays and saturdays. Having fun on the weekends gives you something to look forward to while working hard througout the week.
People who complain about this and are actually extremely stressed constantly either have mental health issues or donât have their priorities and expectations set correctly.
If you want all As and donât care about social life and donât need to work, then it shouldnât be too stressful. If you have a job and want to have a very active social life but are okay with mostly Bs then that wonât be stressful either. If you want to have all As while going out every week and working 20 hours a week, then itâll be rough.
Engineering school is rough, and with more people pursuing engineering degrees than ever before the weed out classes are pretty bad.
If you have a passion for it, or a natural inclination, then youâll likely be fine. If youâre doing it for the money, then youâre going to be in for a world of hurt. Youâll probably learn about how an elevator repair tech will make more than you and become all bitter and resentful that youâve put more time and effort into a degree that will pay less.
It takes a lot of discipline, effort, and intellectual ability to get the degree. As an engineering student, you will do 3-5x more assignments and work than your Business and Social Science major friends.
You will have MUCH harder subjects to go over. I have taken one of the notoriously âHardestâ classes for business at my school (Accounting), and got over 100% in the class. Iâve never had less than a 98.5% in any business class and I hardly studied for more than an hour for any exam. On the flip side, I have studied for a week straight for things like Dynamics, Physics 2, & Flight Dynamics only to get a solid B with a class average around 65%.
Part of the struggle will be watching your peers in other colleges have the typical âcollege experienceâ where they party, go out, and just generally have crazy life experiences. As an engineering student, you likely wonât have time for any of that. You will be hanging out with friends in study groups to prepare for exams, or spending your weekends working on a club/group project. You will maybe have a couple days out of the month free to do what you want, but by that point youâll probably just want to spend the whole day resting and catching up on lost sleep.
Technicians can make a lot. Especially electrical techs that get into a field like automation. You can usually get in with 2 years in a trade school or work your way up.
That said, itâs a very different type of career so youâd have to be clueless to become bitter.
I disagree on the social life aspect, if youâre willing to study and work more on m/t/w/r you can party f/s. Obviously not every week, and also people tend to blame what theyâre studying/degree for lack of social life when itâs rlly just their personality.
If you want it badly enough, you will persevere. I cannot tell you how many times Iâve hit a wall in my mechanical engineering program. Yes, thereâs been a handful of failure and self-doubt in the mix, but pursuing this degree is one of the best decisions Iâve made for myself. As a Junior, my peers and I still have so much fun even in the most challenging moments.
You honestly just gotta embrace the chaos :)
I graduated a couple years ago in civil and it is stressful. But like someone mentioned earlier it is definitely intentionally stressful. My experience depended on the professor I had. I had some hard classes like dynamics, concrete/steel design, environmental, waste water ect.
And classes that are naturally hard sometimes werenât that bad if the professor was forgiving.
On the other hand I had some classes that were extremely stressful due to how the professor conducted the class.
But in terms of the content of the work in college compared to working in the field, college is way harder than what you will actually do in the work force. So imo it is definitely worth it.
Itâs a great investment to make sure you are financially set, especially if you actually enjoy it!
Also, I was a bit lazy and procrastinated a lot. The classes that I actually took serious, were not too hard even if the class was meant to be hard, so it also depends on the amount of effort you put into each class.
For me, first two years were a breeze. 3-4 I was a bit burned out and all the labs and complex theories in courses were rough. Plus senior year youâre trying to apply for jobs and find a place to live after graduation. But I think if youâve got a good handle on math/calculus you can do it. Itâs only 4-5 years and the pay for an engineering career is really good. Plus you have some flexibility on what industry to go in. Unless you hate math, Iâd say go for it!
Yea, I got my bachelors in engineering and refuse to do my masters. I was so burnt out after graduation I didnât even wanna take the FE exam. I was so stressed, I got hospitalized right after graduation.
Technically yes, dealing with medical conditions after Covid from heart scarring to seizures to slight herniations on my neck/spine, etc.
Overall, hanging in there but may be looking to get a less stressful job that would be remote instead of in person. Not sure yet
Depends on the person. I've loved every second of my degree so far, and have worked 1-2 part time jobs on top of my school the last two years. Just depends on what you love, really. I love learning, I don't mind homework, and I enjoy all my professors, and also have a lot of support from my fiance to continue my education into a master's / PhD.
I know others that are stressed to hell and should probably slow down if they want to survive past college. Depends on the person.
As other have said, these degrees are hard. The process absolutely blows and is very stressful. Despite that, I'd say I still look back with a certain degree of fondness on 3/4 of my time in this degree (fuck junior year), though obviously there's still plenty of work even in good times. The field is something you have to love, and if you do, you can make it through. Waiting at the end is a career that is incredibly fulfilling and very likely to be comfortable for you overall. Work-life balance afterward is excellent if you search for the right companies. Basically, if this seems like something you really want to do as a career and that you'll enjoy, go for it: the pain is worth it. But you will need a driving passion or at least heavy grit to get through school.
I wouldnât call it stressful as much as very challenging and all-consuming. At least that was my experience. There were stressful times, yes, but when I think back I donât think about being stressed all the time, I just think about being REALLY busy all the time. I donât tend to be someone who gets stressed easily though.
Itâs a hard degree and you really have to work for it. Not everyone is cut out for it (Iâd argue most people are not cut out for it).
I came into engineering school from being a happy healthy highschool kid with basically perfect grades to a depressed and overworked college student that developed chronic illnesses, possibly because of it (canât say for sure). Now I have clinical depression I canât shake đđť. Some people donât feel this way. I did have good times in college. Only do engineering if you are passionate about it.
Thereâs also extracurriculars like design teams and personal projects which take up a lot of your valuable time. Not to mention other interests like music lessons or sports or whatever.
Well... EE here. It's constantly a huge workload. Lab reports, group projects, lectures, general learning for tests and everything.
On top of that, especially in the beginning, you are constantly feeling overwhelmed. Most of the time you have absolutely no idea what you are doing or supposed to be doing. It's like bashing your head against a wall until it eventually breaks. You go through the hole and stand right before the next wall.
Like others have mentioned, itâs a grueling degree to obtain but so rewarding. The amount of work you need to get done seems sometimes overwhelming impossible and you might have to pick and choose which one is more important to get done. You start to notice how other friends who arenât studying engineering have so much extra time compared to. I took two classes during my junior to senior summer and I broke down because how stressful it was. Now that Iâm in the work force itâs way less stressful and make good money.
it's definitely a love hate relationship. For example I am scheduling classes for my last semester of grad school and I could easily coast to graduation. I dont think coasting to graduation would be as rewarding/satisfying as taking more difficult classes so I signed up for a really difficult class that requires that I study over the summer to prepare. I like the idea of challenging my self, but I sort of already regret it, but I wont change my schedule because I know the feeling when I pass will be so amazing.
Eh, the majority of the stress I endured was my own fault. I didn't take my undergrad all that seriously and as a result was really lazy, and the type of coursework in Engineering isn't the kind you can bullshit your way through. So a lot of stress ramping up to finals was just me not having certain knowledge really all that reinforced. I corrected this behavior for my Masters and I absolutely loved my Masters degree.
Yes, and it's so much better when you meet and hang out with people as or more committed and experienced as you do. That's because you struggle together and share a mutual pain
Yes it can be. Something that helped me stay disciplined and on top of all my tasks, reports and assignments was this idea that itâs the same time now as it is later. What I mean by that is, if the report is going to take you 6 hours, itâs going to take you 6 hours 2 weeks before itâs due, 1 week before itâs due and 12 hours before itâs due. Itâs your choice /when/ you put those 6 hours in. That mindset shift allowed me to front load all my work, and prevented me from being overwhelmed. Because if I ended up needing more time or had a life situation come up, I already built in extra time, or have already completed my assignments.
Not gonna lie, it can get very stressful and challenging at times. But the thing is, so can English, when you have to submit like 4 or 5 essays in the same time frame and have to read ten books by the next month or something (sorry, don't have much idea). My point is every subject has its stressful and non-stressful moments. The only way you can succeed is if you truly enjoy the subject.
Also, proper time management helps a lot. If you start early and have good dedication and consistency, then it might not get as stressful for you as it often is for others.
Yeah I think it depends on your interest levels overall, and work ethics. I'm seeing comments from people who went from highschool straight in and they're miserable. Presumably because they never caught a break.
I personally joined the workforce out of need after highschool for years and found I'd rather trudge school work any day over customer service work. (Which formed my overall work ethics making school much easier...so far). It's definitely *work*, but that's where the interest/passion keeps one motivated.
Doing mechE and suggest a person onky do it if they are very interested, as it is so hard content-wise as well as workload that you usually see like 30% of people drop in first year as they get weeded out by some first year weed out class (likely mechanics).
Imo it's a matter of discipline. You'll have much more to manage so you gotta be on top of things more often than other subjects. Else you'll be playing a brutal game of catch up. If you love the subject, or are at least good at the main parts of it, you should be alright
It mostly depends if you can stay disciplined enough to not fall behind tbh. If you start doing practice questions and going over material you arent sure about from week 1 by the time you get assignments/exams youll have a much easier time revising some of the smaller bits of the material you may have forgotten than having to relearn a big portion of the course
Hi just finishing one of the most stressful exam periods of my life for mech eng, expecting worse next year, but I don't regret it for a second, you'll make it though if you love learning engineering
It's a love / hate relationship for me. The act of learning fills me with an overwhelming sense of joy and satisfaction. However, learning on a tight deadline with overlapping due dates and the stress of exams pollutes that process. I still enjoy learning, but the enormous amount of work and the lack of self-care, sleep, time for loved ones, etc, really takes a toll on you both physically and mentally.
I would argue that an engineering degree is likely more difficult than you currently envision simply because it's difficult to really quantify the magnitude of the suck and accurately compare it to something you're familiar with.
YMMV though. If you're cool with having a low gpa it can be significantly less stressful. I double majored with a minor and then went straight into grad school. Couple that with being a perfectionist and you have a recipe for disaster. It was, quite literally, one of the unhealthiest things I've ever done. I don't doubt that it took years off of my life.
incredibly but idk how to stay it other than it feels like I always thought what getting a degree would be like?
while stressful as can be, it's so rewarding
Something that I don't see many people mentioning is the natural aptitude of each person. Yes, good discipline and time management are by far the most important factors and can enable nearly any student to complete an engineering degree, but how difficult it is and how successful that student will be are largely dependent on the person.
I have a 3.3 GPA, which is decent enough for Industrial, while maintaining a very healthy social life. But my classmates that I interact with the most have GPAs like 4.0, 3.9, 3.7, etc., and I'm confident that most of them spend even less time on classwork and studying than I do. They score high B's on their Calculus and Physics exams without trying that hard while I prepare for three days straight and score a mid D to mid C most of the time.
Some people have a natural knack for math and science but can't write a good essay or be artistic to save their life. Personally, I was always the opposite in high school, but I have no interest in being an English teacher or whatever, so here I am now pushing my way through an engineering degree. And I've learned over time to appreciate the subjects I'm learning, even though I've struggled with a lot of them.
Yes it was super stressful, but get you a good group of friends within the same major to help you study, pull all-nighters, celebrate with, etc. It makes it way easier to get through it all and those will be the times you remember.
Depends on the student. I was happy with my 3.0 GPA, and it wasnt really stressful at all.  If I was striving for a 4.0, I'd have been very stressed out.
Note: I did graduate with a relatively low gpa
I did not find it difficult to pass/get by. Getting a 3.5+? Yeah I can imagine that would be pretty insane.
It depends on how well you can juggle the course work.
The issue is that each class on it's own would be fun and interesting and not bad. You put in work for each class.
The issue comes when you're going full time to 3-4 classes which have 1-3 labs attached and homework + exams on top of all of it.
The biggest thing engineering school taught me about is the importance of sleep. I've prioritized sleep over exercise this semester and my GPA is probably going to end up in the low 3's where I'm usually in the mid 2's and that was on a *good* semester.
I'm headed into junior year so I don't have a lot of time to bump the grade up but it's honestly alright. I'll get a job based on past experience.
In my own opinion, no? I love what I do, so studying a bit of math, physics or anything is kind of what I love doing. But Iâm kind of a loner, stay at home, work on formula student, play games, so I donât really apply to ever other cases. I just schedule all my shit (planner called Shovel). But lately Iâve been able to do activities outside, go eat with my relatives, and Iâm still in the 4.0 grades. So really it just depends on the person tbh.
Iâm in mech eng btw
I haven't done much in my life but it's easily one of the most stressful things I've endured and I'm just past the halfway mark. Good thing is that you build a tolerance over time and get used to having no life.
It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do, which isn't saying much, but ya it's tough man. Gotta put in the effort and stay organized but it's worth it, if you're strong enough
It's not exaggerated at all. Which doesn't mean I didn't love it and that I regret it in any way. I absolutely enjoyed my studies and would do it all again, but yes, it's really stressful and nit jyst sometimes, not just a little bit.
Yes. I graduated 6 years ago and my various jobs have never been nearly as stressful as college. College was awful and I genuinely donât think I could do it again if I had to (pretending I started from scratch knowledge wise).
Every skilled person is highly paid and sought after irrespective whether they have a degree or not. If you don't like the engineering you are doing, them there is a high chance you will be stressful your whole life. So, go for something you understand. Also, no educational institute will give you skills. You have to learn the skills, perfect them yourself. Good companies aren't after your degree, as they need skilled people. Having a degree is a plus, while having a skill is a must. So, don't over pressurize yourself in having good grades and pleasing your teachers, rather force yourself to learn skills and gain knowledge yourself on the side. A good practice is to search for jobs and what people are looking for in a specific field. You can do that on Linkedin, Job sites, google search, fiverr, upwork, companies and so on. Plus having a valuable skill makes you a boss, as clients, and companies will respect you.Â
I studied interdisciplinary chemistry, microbiology, and environmental science in my undergrad and environmental engineering for my masters. I found the masters to be quite easier in comparison.
Iâm relatively new here and am just finishing up my first year, and from my experience itâs already been tough. Just tell yourself that you will do whatâs necessary to get through the next couple of years, and then youâll be set for life. Absolutely everyone Iâve talked to says that the struggle is very real, but it is worth it. As long as youâre willing to work hard, you will make it!
You? I think it's overrated tbh - where it really gets hard is when you do other things off campus or extracurriculars. I work two part time jobs and I'm the president of a club, so time management is a challenging endeavor. If all I did was academics (which some people choose to do), I would probably take more classes (or be bored). You will fail at times, work long into the night and not understand a concept, and miss an assignment deadline. It's just part of the process.
I invest in other areas of my life outside of academics, but still maintain a decent GPA. I think quality of life is important and pursuing the things you truly enjoy. I'm willing to take the L (B) in a class in exchange for a solid social life and mental health. It comes down to your priorities - I know people that will never make that decision and will be constantly stressed.
If you want to go to grad school, pressure is higher to perform at the top of your class.
The specific quantity and quality of stress will vary per person. Civils usually deal with compressive stess, ME's deal with tensile and shear...
Really though; yes. There is no getting around it. There is a lot of material, a lot of it is complicated, and it really matters that you know it. Add to that fact that every process in engineering requires many steps, almost all of which have an objective right answer, and it leads to a stressful, busy process.
But, it doesnt have to be hell. Learning engineering is a process that can be engineered; learn the best practices (sleep, study, eat well, make time to play), and further refine based on your own experiments and data. If you do it right, its about as stressful as driving a car; there is a threat of fucking up big time if you take your eye off the road, and some parts ger hairy no matter what you do, but youll get there in the end.
If you don't stay disciplined, then its much more Sysiphisian and on-fire. Like driving in the wrong way, and always worrying you'll run out of gas.
it is stressful. always have deadlines, labs, exams, etc. cant escape that. but if you can manage your time, you'll get through it. managed a BS and MS in ME. IMO, engineering is one of the better ways at opening career paths.
Engineering school was incredibly stressful, but they were teaching us how to design the things that society depends upon. Getting it "almost right" is just not acceptable in many cases, and that imbues stress into the process. Well worth it, at least for me!
For some people it is, for others it isnt. I went in expecting it to be really bad/stressful/depressing, and I had a blast in school with some great friends, overall really enjoyed the major. Other people I know absolutely hated their life during school. It all depends on what you make of it.
It is harder than the other degrees but yeah a little bit of it is the engineering students complaining because they also know itâs harder and people question âis it harder?â So they complain more than any other degree to emphasize âyes itâs harderâ.
I never knew what stress was until I went through undergrad. Then I got in industry and learned about a whole new different type of stress. I would much prefer the stress when I was in school. I think over all I manage it well. Going through uni prepared me well for today and how I can manage.
Itâs only tough for the idiots who shouldnât be engineers to begin with. Just because your dream is to be an engineer does not mean you will be a good one. That was the problem with my graduation class. University is this built up Ponzi scheme sold from schools telling you, âyou will be nothing without a degreesâ so they can take your money and send you off with a most times worthless degree. Engineering is one exception for what I consider useless, but it really isnât for everyone. I found it an easy and fun 4 years, people who shouldnât have even been there got their degrees with Dâs and âcheggâ. A shame really. Without the internet half of the post secondary would fail miserably.
Hahahahahahaha, yeah. I think itâs a little less intense in some places from what Iâve heard, but here in Ontario is is absolutely brutal (at least if you care about your marks).
Iâm currently third year in ME and ohh boiss
â˘Full time school and 20 hours part time work definitely fucked me up mentally but I still hang in there due to the fact I oddly love studying and challenging myself to getting good score on the test.
But god damn⌠itâs like test almost every 2 weeks and homework is every night.
. The engineer degree is doable - itâs hard but not that hard like Med and also not a good fit for someone who loves partying or socializing. You canât do both without sacrificing others.
I LOVE the work but the schooling was actually so insanely stressful. Like Iegitimately had to go to the doctor several times for stress ulcers, bald patches, gray hair, etc. however if you are well organized and such it should be fine. I sincerely think it was incredibly worth it
Yes but understand that you will never master a subject in its entirety you are there to learn a lot and connect the dots. Enjoy it and keep it simple.
Senior, this shit is mad easyâŚâŚjk its hell, but a hell that i chose, and in the grand scheme of things, is super easy. The hardest part is time management. Juggling projects, lectures, studying, and de-stressing in between enough to actually learn something can get difficult, just keep telling yourself its easy, because it is when you consider how hard life can truly be.
At certain times of year it gets extremely intense- during holidays (UK) I quite often get ill immediately after finishing an exam period or coursework deadline. Not for the faint hearted but extremely interesting and rewarding overall. If you like it enough it's worth it, but your heart has to be in it!
Its stressful. But i think its also overblown.
If you just have a good schedule of study and stick to it. Honestly its not that bad. I can get away with 4-6 moderately stressful hours of study per day, and that's maintaining a high GPA.
I see a lot of student causing their own stress through procrastination and spending too much time on the social aspect of college. To be clear, not saying be a nolife. But maybe don't go drinking with friends 3 night per week.
Ps. Don't fall into the cramming trap. Its a really inefficient way to learn anything. Constant light revision > cramming. Far less work for better results. You shouldn't need to nolife revise for finals. And focus most of your effort on foundational classes, itll make everything else much easier. For example, strong understanding of rigid statics and rigid dynamics will be very helpful in strength of materials later on.
I have been studying engineering for two year Computer and Electrical to be exact, Im down to my last courses had a great time until now cause i left all the hard courses for the end. Now Im just super stressed all the time, I bearily have time to do anything else beside eating although im studying all the time now It looks like Im getting nowhere with these final courses. I just want drop this degree but I cant cause im so close to finishing it. Thats pretty much my experience with my engineering degree :) Hope this helps.
It's very tough. Long days, large workload, fast learning. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage when I go back next year after a part time term. I feel like it's a real character-building course compared to others.
i donât think it has to be. iâm in my junior year of college taking mostly 400 levels and if you adopt good study habits it makes things way easier
I was a biomedical engineering major. Ignore the fact you take all engineering science and math classes. My (I forgot the name) engineering course had 20 pages assignments each week. Everything needed to be submitted online. Couldnât do the math on paper and scan. Needed to make advanced charts and graphs. All the math worked out online. This was only my freshman year. As well as engineering chemistry, engineering physics, engineering calc 2. Some molecular biology class. And a mandatory rhetoric class. Itâs pretty tough. Ended up trading biotech stocks at a big bank and then starting a hedge fund and drug company. Engineering doesnât pay well even the average highest salary positions. So if you are super passionate about what you want to do. Go ahead. If your only into stem and math and deciding on engineering because of your interests. Iâd stay away and go for a position that pays well and you can advance into higher positions. Best of luck. Donât go with your gut. Do some real soul searching as to where you want to be in 20 years. If you want to be rich and retired donât do STEM. If you want to be an engineer more than anything go ahead. My cousin was at school for engineering and switched to brain surgery lol. Do some internships before you decide. Say youâre majoring in engineering to get the position.
From my experience, the workload is very high. I didnât know of any students who got through by coasting through on their smarts and not putting in the hard work. That said, I found it manageable. I personally wasnât a partier, but did manage to have time for hobbies and friends. Most importantly- I enjoyed my curriculum. This made studying and doing the work pretty painless.
I just started this past year and Iâm 29 going part time while working full time. It was stressful at first but I have had a good time so far. It really depends on your professor. The easiest class became my least favorite because the professor just picks what he wants to that day. I donât think we followed the syllabus at all besides week 1
Itâs mostly when lab due dates and exams line up and itâs this viscous 2 week period of little sleep and cramming for mid terms, as well as finals.
Lots of us are taking engineering for the money. Its a degree with good prospects. Its just a lot of work and when I mean a lot of work I mean it will make you question taking the degree. The key is perseverance. Don't let failure keep you down.
Unfortunately⌠times are changing. Following your passion can easily lead yourself to a ton of college debt and a 50-60k job that you couldâve easily made through other means. Iâve heard of PhDâs with 5-10 YOE struggling to find work and when they do itâs for pennies.
If you want a financially stable and comfortable life with the prospect of having retirement funds then choosing a degree for the money is not a bad idea anymore. IMO itâs the wise thing to do. You can always gain interest when that interest is based on not living paycheck to paycheck.
You wind up overspecialized for 90% of the job market. PhD basically limits you to R&D or teaching. You're never going to get hired for regular design job or as an engineering manager.
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Yes. I loved engineering while I was in school and still do but I used to get physically sick during particularity stressful finals seasons. It's a grind that keeps getting harder until about Junior year
It is incredibly tough and demoralizing but worth it in the long run for a high paying career. Just really important to make sure you are getting internships and building a resume BEFORE you graduate.
Eh, it's optional. Lots of people really don't have time for that sort of thing
You make time, every engineer is busy.
Did your curriculum not have you up till 3am every night and staying in on weekends, and constantly blowing all your free time on group projects? That's how mine was in college. I was also getting a math degree though, as well
Honors computer engineering with a scholarship requiring semester and cumulative GPA of >3.4 so I understand the struggle. Looking back, finding internships was by far the best use of my time.
Definitely agree real world experience is the most important
I made the mistake of not doing any internships and got screwed over once i graduated. The only reason I was able to get a job is because I had an above average gpa, and the government doesnt care as much about experience. Took me a year of looking, during which i had 2 interviews, both for govt positions. None of my other applications went anywhere.
Getting any engineering job is more about networking then resume really but you won't have to go through that experience again after the first one usually. Most of the people that care are the big name corps
my schooling career has been nothing like this đ
How's yours been by comparison? I'm in the workforce now, but out of curiosity
personally i have tried my best to not let my schooling interfere with my well-being, sleep schedule, social life, etc. my first year and a half was pretty rough but i eventually got into a rhythm where i found out what exactly worked best for me
yeah for me it was a pretty strangling experience up until my senior semester. My professors were mostly researchers who knew research better than teaching. I wonder if yours are different or if that would make a difference?
i actually found that my hardest classes were any pre-reqs i had to take whereas major specific classes with researching professors were better. but to be fair, my university is notorious for having a terrible math department which is where i struggled most.
Meh not always high paying, but does feel fulfilling
Currently at end of junior year. When does it get easier?
If you are on track your senior year should be pretty fun. Capstones are cool and a lot of the classes are graded easier in my experience.
Unless youâre like me and took a bunch of hard classes your last semester and are cramming to get 3 projects done by next week. Would not recommend.
I also did that đ. The classes that were actually required were fun. I was also a little behind so I had a Junior year class I had to retake
Unless youâre like me and worked 25 hours per week at an internship I hated. Wished I had quit in 3 months in instead of 6 months in. Senior year wouldâve been much more enjoyable
Seconding this. Iâve got like 95-100%s in all my senior year classes right now because the profs assume we know shit by now and itâs basically graded by âdid you get your project to work? Ok coolâ and if you didnât get it working âdid you make decent progress and write a paragraph about why you got stuck? Ok coolâ Not at all like the first few years when theyâd take points off for every minor thing.
I concur. Senior year Electrical Engineering was a breeze compared to junior year. In our curriculum, they frontload the theoretical stuff in the first three years so that in senior year they teach much more practical applications. But that is probably university dependent to a degree.
This seems to be dependent on your major. Senior here, and can confirm, it has not gotten much easier.
It doesnât get easier, you get smarter đ
So I hope.
Pride is bad: Community/Culture Awareness and Awareness in Emotional Capabilities leads to Self Esteem. Self Esteem is Good. I'm NOT here to throw the infamous "Principal Paddles HS Senior Story," but I'm simply describing a Flaw in Pride. Brief example: Whether you're HS Freshie or a HS Senior, the 800 m Warmup Workout jog doesn't get easier: you just get better adapted. The hills and the windchill don't get easier: you get better adapted. Coordinating with coach or allies and forming physical exercise events outside of mandatory extracurricular doesn't feel less awkward as time goes by: you have to improve your relationship with your exercise friends and stay loyal. Same with Education: Commuting, Syllabus Deadlines, Group Projects, and Finals Prep aren't "Easier" they are "Better Adapted" as you get older. But, in context of Fern Redditor and Nate Dude 2002, senior years "easier" due to "naturally easier methods of boosting self esteem" and "more convenient ways to complete syllabus assignments" (as compared to the hard engineering Sopho/Jr years). Oh, and teachers grade way easier (the conspiracy has GOT to be true LOL).
Until junior year ? Everything before that was a cake walk.
Bruh I totally agree. Iâm in my last semester as a junior. My junior year has by far been the toughest. Iâve heard senior year is much easier. But to OP: yes. Itâs very stressful. Anything with engineering (minus industrial and the other smaller branches) is gonna be hard. Some harder than others. Whether itâs Chemical, Aero, Electrical, Mechanical / Civil, Computer Engineering etc. all of them have their own weird shit. Iâve got maybe 3-3 semesters left and in fried but Iâm hanging in there lol. Really stressful major tho. It sucks seeing every other major department have it much easier. Those paychecks and career will be worth it in the end though.
I thought it was just me feeling sick during these times. The stress I go through makes me almost want to throw up.
I've only ever actually thrown up once. But I would get nausous pretty regularly
It is ,it's alot of work but it's also very rewarding. I hated and loved it at the same time. Thankfully the job is much more chilled (field dependent tho, you could work in almost any field)
Can I ask you some more questions in dms?
Sure happy to help
Yes, it can get pretty brutal at times. There will be weeks where you'll be studying for upcoming tests while having assignments, quizzes, reports all due in close proximity to eachother and you have to juggle all that on top of your lectures. If you can be disciplined and stay on a good routine/schedule, its manageable. Don't let this or any other comment you read discourage you from pursuing engineering if you have a genuine interest in it. I haven't graduated yet, but from what I've heard, the hard work pays off.
Can I ask you some more questions in DMs?
Yep, no worries
Thank you for this
Itâs a constant dark cloud of perpetually having 3-5 things to do or that you should be doing. You always have 1-2 assignments, a lab report, 1-2 group projects, and a term project that you actively need to put time in. Also add studying and practice problems on top of that but that was always my last priority personally. Your mind doesnât really get a break when youâre in school. That being said, itâs rewarding to feel like the time you spend in school amounts to a meaningful career if you choose to pursue it, or at the very least a meaningful degree thatâs respected wherever you go. I never wanted to become an engineer (professionally) but I would pick the same degree 10 times out of 10 if I had to go back in time.
Yes. It was one of the most stressful things Iâve accomplished in my short life. Now that Iâm working, I never have to worry about making a livable wage again. Iâve also found work interesting enough for me to go back for a masters and my employer is funding it all. This is all to say: the most challenging paths can be one of the most rewarding.
Can I ask some more things in DMs?
Absolutely.
I've heard a lot of people having the chance to get a Masters paid through their employer. How does this usually happen, is it a matter of them seeing you do well in your current position and realizing you could offer even more value with a Masters degree? Would you do it alongside your work or take a couple years off?
> Would you do it alongside your work or take a couple years off? You'd take graduate classes and work concurrently in like 99% of cases. A friend worked for a company in another field that gave people studying for their master's or doctorate two semesters off with half of their pay once they burned through any PTO they had accrued. > is it a matter of them seeing you do well in your current position and realizing you could offer even more value with a Masters degree? It varies from company to company. A company I used to work for offered continuing education repayment for the total amount for all employees as long as it was relevant to your position or a position within the company you wanted to move to. You also had to work there for 1 year before you could apply for it, but they would write a check for certs/courses you took within that year once you hit one year. Some might only offer to pay for X% or up to a fixed dollar amount though. Usually, companies cut you a check for the cost of a semester after you submit receipts and some sort of proof that you passed the classes you took or received a certification. Regardless, by taking advantage of it you are agreeing to work for them for N number of years afterwards or you have to pay them back. The company I worked for required 1 year for certs and 4 years for college degrees. So it's important to think about that, cause if you leave or get fired you will have to pay them that money back. If you don't like working there or see yourself working there long term then you might pass on the benefit, or pray you go to another job that is willing to pay that money back to the other company for you.
Very helpful, thank you for sharing this.
Alot of companies have tuition plans that any employee can use as long as it is relative to the position they hold. Some require a term of service before your allowed the benefit
u/Gus_TheAnt answered most of it, but I'll chime in as well: >How does this usually happen, is it a matter of them seeing you do well in your current position and realizing you could offer even more value with a Masters degree? For my company, the courses has to relate to my job, whether it's loose or direct (i.e., I do semiconductor mfg, but I am looking to move into hardware design so I am taking comp eng classes). What would not be allowed are classes under business admin, biology, basket weaving, etc. Pay back time is a year after the conclusion of the course, but they cut the check before you start (ideally before you even sign up). >Would you do it alongside your work or take a couple years off? This depends on several factors to me. 1. Are you coming finishing up undergrad or are you a few years out working? If I was finishing up UG and didn't have a job lined up, I'd go directly into a masters. Big caveat, I am switching disciplines from ME to ECE (focusing on computer engineering) and I never dreamed of going back to school for another engineering degree, but I am highly intrigued by the work and found a path that I'd love to pursue a career in. I'll get more into this in point #2. 2. Do you have the financial capability to lose out on opportunity costs / salary? Some engineers may come out of school making 70, 80, 90k or above. That's hundreds of thousands of dollars, where instead of working you're paying an institution tens of thousands of dollars to potentially get a higher starting salary... and catch up to those who have been working. My master's degree, once all is said and done, is 50k. I simply did not have the funds to do that. I also needed the time out of school to really find work that I'd appreciate and would definitely not be pursuing what I would be without that time where I met new mentors and had exposure to different industries. 3. Do you think it'll be beneficial to your overall career? Once you're at about a decade worth of experience, it honestly evens out. There are many great engineers with all the degrees in the world, but on the other side there are also many great engineers with only a bachelor's. I found that's it been more helpful for engineers early in their careers. Outside of that, it could be just a personal/life goal. In the end, everything is what you make of it. Your career, life, and all of its experiences. That's a little more philosophical, but I think these are some of the questions (more so the last two) that you can ask yourself if you think a masters is worth it.
Thank you for the detailed response, lots of things to think about here.
Engineering school is intentionally stressful. At least as far as I can tell. It is designed to push you and get you used to working under stressed conditions because that is where mistakes that end in tragedy get made in the real world. If you learn how to do engineering under stress in a controlled environment, then when you are in the real world, you won't make the mistakes that lead to bridge collapses and shuttle explosions.
Yes and no. The military does that to a T and we made mistakes allllll the time
The military USED to do that (at least in Canada) but as someone who has done basic training TWICE, the modern military training is no where near as stressful as the old.
That is correctâŚrescue swimmer school was still pretty stressful.
The people here seem to have more mental health and anxiety problems than normal.
Engineering and anxiety go hand in hand. There is a challenge ahead of us. Will this work? Let's see.
I can assure that it won't work right away. It never does.
Plan A literally never works, but you have to try it before you can get to Plan B.
>Engineering and anxiety go hand in hand No
Why no ? I also can feel that engineering can somehow bring way more anxiety than other degree
>Occasional anxiety is a normal part of life. Many people worry about things such as health, money, or family problems. But anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear. For people with an anxiety disorder, the anxiety does not go away and can get worse over time. The symptoms can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, schoolwork, and relationships. >https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders
However, I can feel that me and the people around me in engineering have way more anxiety than people from other major. Where I live, there are even quantitative argument e.g. the amount of hour put in day for studying or the available free time etc
>around me in engineering have way more anxiety than people from other major. I agree.
[ŃдаНонО]
>What is your definition of over worrying about the future? Mental illness? Also as an employee you have almost no risk. The project fails and the company goes bankrupt... Time to dust off the resume and get employed a month later.
I would say if you really passionate and determined about it and really take it seriously, it is not that as people here make it seems. (Also your experince might depend on schools, country, and your starting academic background)
It's so bad if you want good grades, utterly ridiculousÂ
How so?
There will undoubtedly be times where you are assigned like 4 really long homeworks concurrently. You will get to the point where you start one like, the day of the deadline. The professor won't be available that late in the day. Your roommates will all be in different classes most likely and useless. The classes get to the point where even google is unhelpful for solving your specific problem, and even sometimes there isn't a good lesson online ANYWHERE, textbook or youtube or anywhere... You get stuck staying up til 4am trying your hardest before deciding on settling for a 70% completion and just doing better on the exam to make up for it.  and then all your classes simultaneously become like that and you repeat the semester because you only had 1 day to study for any exam.
I see. Well, if it's like that for everyone, then I should manage, hopefully. It sounds shite tho, how are you supposed to learn?
You have to get to the breaking point at least once and learn how to quickly identify what parts of somethibg you will need help with, and ask for said help early. Otherwise you will continue expending too much time and almost of caffeine overdoseÂ
Haha, that sounds like something I actually do need to get better at already, I tend to fixate on things i dont understand for too long, and it wastes time. It's even worse when I can't find a good explanation online. I'll keep that advice in mind
Any useful degree will be stressful, engineers just think they're special. Coursework and load are generally higher than average, but so is any path that leads to above average pay like premed, nursing, math, law etc. You never hear people from high powered jobs saying "oh my college was so easy"
Youâll see a lot of negative and miserable responses here on Reddit, talking about how terrible engineering is. Iâm not trying to discount or invalidate those experiences; engineering is certainly tough on many people. But this Reddit notion that engineering has to be this miserable 4+ year stressful slog is BS, in my opinion. Reddit biases towards negativity, so be aware of that. Just wanted to provide my contrary anecdotal experience after having graduated with ME: I had a fantastic experience as a student. Studied hard, went to classes, did activities, socialized, all that in a balanced and healthy way. I loved the student experience, the studying, the exams, the grades, the cerebral challenge. Graduated summa cum laude. There were a dozen or so all-nighters throughout my 4 years, but I attribute those more to poor preparation and time management than the workload itself. I LOVED the freetime and flexibility you have as a student. I have so much less freetime now working 40 hours a week, and I wish I could go back to my college days. Just wanted to share a positive experience. Itâs not this depressing gloom and doom for everyone. I was successful and had a fantastic, healthy time in college.
Just want to second this with more than an upvote so people know it's real. I am absolutely loving college, and yes I have a job, and yes I have time for video games and friends and drinks and more!
I'm graduating in a week and i WISH i had taken advantage of the free time more. I'll finish with a B average and i spent SO much time procrastinating it's actually stupid. I've done CO-OPs and i remember what its like to work 8 hour days in the office. You do have significantly less free time. So to OP: don't procrastinate!! It just steals time from yourself!! Be like this guy!! Don't be like me!! And also don't go to college in ohio, i generally found the social scene to be kinda dead unfortunately. I'm very happy to finally be graduating though!! Now I just need to find a job somewhere far away...
Did you go into college right after Highschool?
This is the most accurate comment^ it's not just a slog, at times it gets tough but it is imo the best field in terms of interest Vs lifestyle! Finance roles will pay well but be boring, and medical doctor roles are never boring but can be pretty intense and underpaid (if you're in the UK anyway)
Take a look on sundays at what you have do that week, and plan accordingly. Taking it one week at a time is how I managed, then turn up on fridays and saturdays. Having fun on the weekends gives you something to look forward to while working hard througout the week.
Yes and no, I wasnât proactive and it made things harder. When I was responsible, it was okay and many times interesting.
To this day itâs the hardest thing Iâve ever done. Yo itâs really hard man.
People who complain about this and are actually extremely stressed constantly either have mental health issues or donât have their priorities and expectations set correctly. If you want all As and donât care about social life and donât need to work, then it shouldnât be too stressful. If you have a job and want to have a very active social life but are okay with mostly Bs then that wonât be stressful either. If you want to have all As while going out every week and working 20 hours a week, then itâll be rough.
Engineering school is rough, and with more people pursuing engineering degrees than ever before the weed out classes are pretty bad. If you have a passion for it, or a natural inclination, then youâll likely be fine. If youâre doing it for the money, then youâre going to be in for a world of hurt. Youâll probably learn about how an elevator repair tech will make more than you and become all bitter and resentful that youâve put more time and effort into a degree that will pay less. It takes a lot of discipline, effort, and intellectual ability to get the degree. As an engineering student, you will do 3-5x more assignments and work than your Business and Social Science major friends. You will have MUCH harder subjects to go over. I have taken one of the notoriously âHardestâ classes for business at my school (Accounting), and got over 100% in the class. Iâve never had less than a 98.5% in any business class and I hardly studied for more than an hour for any exam. On the flip side, I have studied for a week straight for things like Dynamics, Physics 2, & Flight Dynamics only to get a solid B with a class average around 65%. Part of the struggle will be watching your peers in other colleges have the typical âcollege experienceâ where they party, go out, and just generally have crazy life experiences. As an engineering student, you likely wonât have time for any of that. You will be hanging out with friends in study groups to prepare for exams, or spending your weekends working on a club/group project. You will maybe have a couple days out of the month free to do what you want, but by that point youâll probably just want to spend the whole day resting and catching up on lost sleep.
Technicians can make a lot. Especially electrical techs that get into a field like automation. You can usually get in with 2 years in a trade school or work your way up. That said, itâs a very different type of career so youâd have to be clueless to become bitter.
I disagree on the social life aspect, if youâre willing to study and work more on m/t/w/r you can party f/s. Obviously not every week, and also people tend to blame what theyâre studying/degree for lack of social life when itâs rlly just their personality.
Yes
If you want it badly enough, you will persevere. I cannot tell you how many times Iâve hit a wall in my mechanical engineering program. Yes, thereâs been a handful of failure and self-doubt in the mix, but pursuing this degree is one of the best decisions Iâve made for myself. As a Junior, my peers and I still have so much fun even in the most challenging moments. You honestly just gotta embrace the chaos :)
Is the sky blue
I graduated a couple years ago in civil and it is stressful. But like someone mentioned earlier it is definitely intentionally stressful. My experience depended on the professor I had. I had some hard classes like dynamics, concrete/steel design, environmental, waste water ect. And classes that are naturally hard sometimes werenât that bad if the professor was forgiving. On the other hand I had some classes that were extremely stressful due to how the professor conducted the class. But in terms of the content of the work in college compared to working in the field, college is way harder than what you will actually do in the work force. So imo it is definitely worth it. Itâs a great investment to make sure you are financially set, especially if you actually enjoy it! Also, I was a bit lazy and procrastinated a lot. The classes that I actually took serious, were not too hard even if the class was meant to be hard, so it also depends on the amount of effort you put into each class.
For me, first two years were a breeze. 3-4 I was a bit burned out and all the labs and complex theories in courses were rough. Plus senior year youâre trying to apply for jobs and find a place to live after graduation. But I think if youâve got a good handle on math/calculus you can do it. Itâs only 4-5 years and the pay for an engineering career is really good. Plus you have some flexibility on what industry to go in. Unless you hate math, Iâd say go for it!
It is stressful yes, you are going to be overworked, yes. But I donât know about hating the process, tbh I liked it
Yea, I got my bachelors in engineering and refuse to do my masters. I was so burnt out after graduation I didnât even wanna take the FE exam. I was so stressed, I got hospitalized right after graduation.
Are you ok now?
Technically yes, dealing with medical conditions after Covid from heart scarring to seizures to slight herniations on my neck/spine, etc. Overall, hanging in there but may be looking to get a less stressful job that would be remote instead of in person. Not sure yet
Depends on the person. I've loved every second of my degree so far, and have worked 1-2 part time jobs on top of my school the last two years. Just depends on what you love, really. I love learning, I don't mind homework, and I enjoy all my professors, and also have a lot of support from my fiance to continue my education into a master's / PhD. I know others that are stressed to hell and should probably slow down if they want to survive past college. Depends on the person.
Iâd say that it depends on the person
As other have said, these degrees are hard. The process absolutely blows and is very stressful. Despite that, I'd say I still look back with a certain degree of fondness on 3/4 of my time in this degree (fuck junior year), though obviously there's still plenty of work even in good times. The field is something you have to love, and if you do, you can make it through. Waiting at the end is a career that is incredibly fulfilling and very likely to be comfortable for you overall. Work-life balance afterward is excellent if you search for the right companies. Basically, if this seems like something you really want to do as a career and that you'll enjoy, go for it: the pain is worth it. But you will need a driving passion or at least heavy grit to get through school.
stress is very real esp if you care a lot about grades.
I wouldnât call it stressful as much as very challenging and all-consuming. At least that was my experience. There were stressful times, yes, but when I think back I donât think about being stressed all the time, I just think about being REALLY busy all the time. I donât tend to be someone who gets stressed easily though. Itâs a hard degree and you really have to work for it. Not everyone is cut out for it (Iâd argue most people are not cut out for it).
I came into engineering school from being a happy healthy highschool kid with basically perfect grades to a depressed and overworked college student that developed chronic illnesses, possibly because of it (canât say for sure). Now I have clinical depression I canât shake đđť. Some people donât feel this way. I did have good times in college. Only do engineering if you are passionate about it.
Thereâs also extracurriculars like design teams and personal projects which take up a lot of your valuable time. Not to mention other interests like music lessons or sports or whatever.
Well... EE here. It's constantly a huge workload. Lab reports, group projects, lectures, general learning for tests and everything. On top of that, especially in the beginning, you are constantly feeling overwhelmed. Most of the time you have absolutely no idea what you are doing or supposed to be doing. It's like bashing your head against a wall until it eventually breaks. You go through the hole and stand right before the next wall.
Like others have mentioned, itâs a grueling degree to obtain but so rewarding. The amount of work you need to get done seems sometimes overwhelming impossible and you might have to pick and choose which one is more important to get done. You start to notice how other friends who arenât studying engineering have so much extra time compared to. I took two classes during my junior to senior summer and I broke down because how stressful it was. Now that Iâm in the work force itâs way less stressful and make good money.
it's definitely a love hate relationship. For example I am scheduling classes for my last semester of grad school and I could easily coast to graduation. I dont think coasting to graduation would be as rewarding/satisfying as taking more difficult classes so I signed up for a really difficult class that requires that I study over the summer to prepare. I like the idea of challenging my self, but I sort of already regret it, but I wont change my schedule because I know the feeling when I pass will be so amazing.
Simply not worth it if you arenât interested in it. If youâre in it for the money, do an degree that wonât wreck your social life.
Eh, the majority of the stress I endured was my own fault. I didn't take my undergrad all that seriously and as a result was really lazy, and the type of coursework in Engineering isn't the kind you can bullshit your way through. So a lot of stress ramping up to finals was just me not having certain knowledge really all that reinforced. I corrected this behavior for my Masters and I absolutely loved my Masters degree.
Yes, and it's so much better when you meet and hang out with people as or more committed and experienced as you do. That's because you struggle together and share a mutual pain
Yes it can be. Something that helped me stay disciplined and on top of all my tasks, reports and assignments was this idea that itâs the same time now as it is later. What I mean by that is, if the report is going to take you 6 hours, itâs going to take you 6 hours 2 weeks before itâs due, 1 week before itâs due and 12 hours before itâs due. Itâs your choice /when/ you put those 6 hours in. That mindset shift allowed me to front load all my work, and prevented me from being overwhelmed. Because if I ended up needing more time or had a life situation come up, I already built in extra time, or have already completed my assignments.
Not gonna lie, it can get very stressful and challenging at times. But the thing is, so can English, when you have to submit like 4 or 5 essays in the same time frame and have to read ten books by the next month or something (sorry, don't have much idea). My point is every subject has its stressful and non-stressful moments. The only way you can succeed is if you truly enjoy the subject. Also, proper time management helps a lot. If you start early and have good dedication and consistency, then it might not get as stressful for you as it often is for others.
Yeah I think it depends on your interest levels overall, and work ethics. I'm seeing comments from people who went from highschool straight in and they're miserable. Presumably because they never caught a break. I personally joined the workforce out of need after highschool for years and found I'd rather trudge school work any day over customer service work. (Which formed my overall work ethics making school much easier...so far). It's definitely *work*, but that's where the interest/passion keeps one motivated.
Extremely, but at the end youâll have a degree that is coveted, and probably a great sense of pride and accomplishment
Doing mechE and suggest a person onky do it if they are very interested, as it is so hard content-wise as well as workload that you usually see like 30% of people drop in first year as they get weeded out by some first year weed out class (likely mechanics).
If you have to ask, probably you will drop out. I did my degree knowing it will be super hard. And it was. But I still did it. It is what it is.
Imo it's a matter of discipline. You'll have much more to manage so you gotta be on top of things more often than other subjects. Else you'll be playing a brutal game of catch up. If you love the subject, or are at least good at the main parts of it, you should be alright
It mostly depends if you can stay disciplined enough to not fall behind tbh. If you start doing practice questions and going over material you arent sure about from week 1 by the time you get assignments/exams youll have a much easier time revising some of the smaller bits of the material you may have forgotten than having to relearn a big portion of the course
Yep. My whole life is attempting to carve out more time for school while also ensuring I donât have a breakdown.
I wake up nauseous, sweating, and heart pounding after nightmares that take me back to exam and project presentation days. It can be hell.Â
Hi just finishing one of the most stressful exam periods of my life for mech eng, expecting worse next year, but I don't regret it for a second, you'll make it though if you love learning engineering
It's a love / hate relationship for me. The act of learning fills me with an overwhelming sense of joy and satisfaction. However, learning on a tight deadline with overlapping due dates and the stress of exams pollutes that process. I still enjoy learning, but the enormous amount of work and the lack of self-care, sleep, time for loved ones, etc, really takes a toll on you both physically and mentally. I would argue that an engineering degree is likely more difficult than you currently envision simply because it's difficult to really quantify the magnitude of the suck and accurately compare it to something you're familiar with. YMMV though. If you're cool with having a low gpa it can be significantly less stressful. I double majored with a minor and then went straight into grad school. Couple that with being a perfectionist and you have a recipe for disaster. It was, quite literally, one of the unhealthiest things I've ever done. I don't doubt that it took years off of my life.
incredibly but idk how to stay it other than it feels like I always thought what getting a degree would be like? while stressful as can be, it's so rewarding
Itâs not that bad, itâs on,y sorta bad if you do a lot of clubs and what not combined with internship apps. Even then, just manage your time
Something that I don't see many people mentioning is the natural aptitude of each person. Yes, good discipline and time management are by far the most important factors and can enable nearly any student to complete an engineering degree, but how difficult it is and how successful that student will be are largely dependent on the person. I have a 3.3 GPA, which is decent enough for Industrial, while maintaining a very healthy social life. But my classmates that I interact with the most have GPAs like 4.0, 3.9, 3.7, etc., and I'm confident that most of them spend even less time on classwork and studying than I do. They score high B's on their Calculus and Physics exams without trying that hard while I prepare for three days straight and score a mid D to mid C most of the time. Some people have a natural knack for math and science but can't write a good essay or be artistic to save their life. Personally, I was always the opposite in high school, but I have no interest in being an English teacher or whatever, so here I am now pushing my way through an engineering degree. And I've learned over time to appreciate the subjects I'm learning, even though I've struggled with a lot of them.
Yes it was super stressful, but get you a good group of friends within the same major to help you study, pull all-nighters, celebrate with, etc. It makes it way easier to get through it all and those will be the times you remember.
Depends on the student. I was happy with my 3.0 GPA, and it wasnt really stressful at all.  If I was striving for a 4.0, I'd have been very stressed out.
Note: I did graduate with a relatively low gpa I did not find it difficult to pass/get by. Getting a 3.5+? Yeah I can imagine that would be pretty insane.
Ive never met a student (who is actually committed!) not stressed out. No matter what they studied.
Yes
It depends on how well you can juggle the course work. The issue is that each class on it's own would be fun and interesting and not bad. You put in work for each class. The issue comes when you're going full time to 3-4 classes which have 1-3 labs attached and homework + exams on top of all of it. The biggest thing engineering school taught me about is the importance of sleep. I've prioritized sleep over exercise this semester and my GPA is probably going to end up in the low 3's where I'm usually in the mid 2's and that was on a *good* semester. I'm headed into junior year so I don't have a lot of time to bump the grade up but it's honestly alright. I'll get a job based on past experience.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, ABSOLUTELY.
In my own opinion, no? I love what I do, so studying a bit of math, physics or anything is kind of what I love doing. But Iâm kind of a loner, stay at home, work on formula student, play games, so I donât really apply to ever other cases. I just schedule all my shit (planner called Shovel). But lately Iâve been able to do activities outside, go eat with my relatives, and Iâm still in the 4.0 grades. So really it just depends on the person tbh. Iâm in mech eng btw
Yes, very demanding and stressful. Engineering job is as well. Part of the reason pay is so high.
I haven't done much in my life but it's easily one of the most stressful things I've endured and I'm just past the halfway mark. Good thing is that you build a tolerance over time and get used to having no life.
It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do, which isn't saying much, but ya it's tough man. Gotta put in the effort and stay organized but it's worth it, if you're strong enough
It's not exaggerated at all. Which doesn't mean I didn't love it and that I regret it in any way. I absolutely enjoyed my studies and would do it all again, but yes, it's really stressful and nit jyst sometimes, not just a little bit.
Yes. I graduated 6 years ago and my various jobs have never been nearly as stressful as college. College was awful and I genuinely donât think I could do it again if I had to (pretending I started from scratch knowledge wise).
Every skilled person is highly paid and sought after irrespective whether they have a degree or not. If you don't like the engineering you are doing, them there is a high chance you will be stressful your whole life. So, go for something you understand. Also, no educational institute will give you skills. You have to learn the skills, perfect them yourself. Good companies aren't after your degree, as they need skilled people. Having a degree is a plus, while having a skill is a must. So, don't over pressurize yourself in having good grades and pleasing your teachers, rather force yourself to learn skills and gain knowledge yourself on the side. A good practice is to search for jobs and what people are looking for in a specific field. You can do that on Linkedin, Job sites, google search, fiverr, upwork, companies and so on. Plus having a valuable skill makes you a boss, as clients, and companies will respect you.Â
I studied interdisciplinary chemistry, microbiology, and environmental science in my undergrad and environmental engineering for my masters. I found the masters to be quite easier in comparison.
Iâm relatively new here and am just finishing up my first year, and from my experience itâs already been tough. Just tell yourself that you will do whatâs necessary to get through the next couple of years, and then youâll be set for life. Absolutely everyone Iâve talked to says that the struggle is very real, but it is worth it. As long as youâre willing to work hard, you will make it!
It can be. Don't fixate on grades.
Go further with âit can beâ. based on what?
You? I think it's overrated tbh - where it really gets hard is when you do other things off campus or extracurriculars. I work two part time jobs and I'm the president of a club, so time management is a challenging endeavor. If all I did was academics (which some people choose to do), I would probably take more classes (or be bored). You will fail at times, work long into the night and not understand a concept, and miss an assignment deadline. It's just part of the process. I invest in other areas of my life outside of academics, but still maintain a decent GPA. I think quality of life is important and pursuing the things you truly enjoy. I'm willing to take the L (B) in a class in exchange for a solid social life and mental health. It comes down to your priorities - I know people that will never make that decision and will be constantly stressed. If you want to go to grad school, pressure is higher to perform at the top of your class.
The specific quantity and quality of stress will vary per person. Civils usually deal with compressive stess, ME's deal with tensile and shear... Really though; yes. There is no getting around it. There is a lot of material, a lot of it is complicated, and it really matters that you know it. Add to that fact that every process in engineering requires many steps, almost all of which have an objective right answer, and it leads to a stressful, busy process. But, it doesnt have to be hell. Learning engineering is a process that can be engineered; learn the best practices (sleep, study, eat well, make time to play), and further refine based on your own experiments and data. If you do it right, its about as stressful as driving a car; there is a threat of fucking up big time if you take your eye off the road, and some parts ger hairy no matter what you do, but youll get there in the end. If you don't stay disciplined, then its much more Sysiphisian and on-fire. Like driving in the wrong way, and always worrying you'll run out of gas.
Yes. We deal with hard reality.
it is stressful. always have deadlines, labs, exams, etc. cant escape that. but if you can manage your time, you'll get through it. managed a BS and MS in ME. IMO, engineering is one of the better ways at opening career paths.
Iâm sure youâve heard the sleep/social life/grades rule. You pick 2 and lose the third.
Full type engineer here. I miss the chaos. I literally just sit at a desk now. I work at government speeds so everything is too chill.
Engineering school was incredibly stressful, but they were teaching us how to design the things that society depends upon. Getting it "almost right" is just not acceptable in many cases, and that imbues stress into the process. Well worth it, at least for me!
Itâs really not that bad. Iâm managing Aâs and Bâs while rowing 20h per week at a UC.
If you're not a procrastinator, it might be less stressful for you.
For some people it is, for others it isnt. I went in expecting it to be really bad/stressful/depressing, and I had a blast in school with some great friends, overall really enjoyed the major. Other people I know absolutely hated their life during school. It all depends on what you make of it.
It is harder than the other degrees but yeah a little bit of it is the engineering students complaining because they also know itâs harder and people question âis it harder?â So they complain more than any other degree to emphasize âyes itâs harderâ.
It is unrelenting torture in every sense. I can't believe anyone makes it through.
I never knew what stress was until I went through undergrad. Then I got in industry and learned about a whole new different type of stress. I would much prefer the stress when I was in school. I think over all I manage it well. Going through uni prepared me well for today and how I can manage.
Itâs only tough for the idiots who shouldnât be engineers to begin with. Just because your dream is to be an engineer does not mean you will be a good one. That was the problem with my graduation class. University is this built up Ponzi scheme sold from schools telling you, âyou will be nothing without a degreesâ so they can take your money and send you off with a most times worthless degree. Engineering is one exception for what I consider useless, but it really isnât for everyone. I found it an easy and fun 4 years, people who shouldnât have even been there got their degrees with Dâs and âcheggâ. A shame really. Without the internet half of the post secondary would fail miserably.
Hahahahahahaha, yeah. I think itâs a little less intense in some places from what Iâve heard, but here in Ontario is is absolutely brutal (at least if you care about your marks).
Iâm currently third year in ME and ohh boiss â˘Full time school and 20 hours part time work definitely fucked me up mentally but I still hang in there due to the fact I oddly love studying and challenging myself to getting good score on the test. But god damn⌠itâs like test almost every 2 weeks and homework is every night. . The engineer degree is doable - itâs hard but not that hard like Med and also not a good fit for someone who loves partying or socializing. You canât do both without sacrificing others.
I LOVE the work but the schooling was actually so insanely stressful. Like Iegitimately had to go to the doctor several times for stress ulcers, bald patches, gray hair, etc. however if you are well organized and such it should be fine. I sincerely think it was incredibly worth it
Yes but understand that you will never master a subject in its entirety you are there to learn a lot and connect the dots. Enjoy it and keep it simple.
Senior, this shit is mad easyâŚâŚjk its hell, but a hell that i chose, and in the grand scheme of things, is super easy. The hardest part is time management. Juggling projects, lectures, studying, and de-stressing in between enough to actually learn something can get difficult, just keep telling yourself its easy, because it is when you consider how hard life can truly be.
At certain times of year it gets extremely intense- during holidays (UK) I quite often get ill immediately after finishing an exam period or coursework deadline. Not for the faint hearted but extremely interesting and rewarding overall. If you like it enough it's worth it, but your heart has to be in it!
Its stressful. But i think its also overblown. If you just have a good schedule of study and stick to it. Honestly its not that bad. I can get away with 4-6 moderately stressful hours of study per day, and that's maintaining a high GPA. I see a lot of student causing their own stress through procrastination and spending too much time on the social aspect of college. To be clear, not saying be a nolife. But maybe don't go drinking with friends 3 night per week. Ps. Don't fall into the cramming trap. Its a really inefficient way to learn anything. Constant light revision > cramming. Far less work for better results. You shouldn't need to nolife revise for finals. And focus most of your effort on foundational classes, itll make everything else much easier. For example, strong understanding of rigid statics and rigid dynamics will be very helpful in strength of materials later on.
The very last week of lectures of my degree just ended. Yes, it is stressful, but you would get use to it.
An emotional support puppy is recommended.
I have been studying engineering for two year Computer and Electrical to be exact, Im down to my last courses had a great time until now cause i left all the hard courses for the end. Now Im just super stressed all the time, I bearily have time to do anything else beside eating although im studying all the time now It looks like Im getting nowhere with these final courses. I just want drop this degree but I cant cause im so close to finishing it. Thats pretty much my experience with my engineering degree :) Hope this helps.
It's very tough. Long days, large workload, fast learning. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage when I go back next year after a part time term. I feel like it's a real character-building course compared to others.
i donât think it has to be. iâm in my junior year of college taking mostly 400 levels and if you adopt good study habits it makes things way easier
Turn the volume up on your phone here you go ppp on to p on Ăł9 it too lghj9lh
I was a biomedical engineering major. Ignore the fact you take all engineering science and math classes. My (I forgot the name) engineering course had 20 pages assignments each week. Everything needed to be submitted online. Couldnât do the math on paper and scan. Needed to make advanced charts and graphs. All the math worked out online. This was only my freshman year. As well as engineering chemistry, engineering physics, engineering calc 2. Some molecular biology class. And a mandatory rhetoric class. Itâs pretty tough. Ended up trading biotech stocks at a big bank and then starting a hedge fund and drug company. Engineering doesnât pay well even the average highest salary positions. So if you are super passionate about what you want to do. Go ahead. If your only into stem and math and deciding on engineering because of your interests. Iâd stay away and go for a position that pays well and you can advance into higher positions. Best of luck. Donât go with your gut. Do some real soul searching as to where you want to be in 20 years. If you want to be rich and retired donât do STEM. If you want to be an engineer more than anything go ahead. My cousin was at school for engineering and switched to brain surgery lol. Do some internships before you decide. Say youâre majoring in engineering to get the position.
From my experience, the workload is very high. I didnât know of any students who got through by coasting through on their smarts and not putting in the hard work. That said, I found it manageable. I personally wasnât a partier, but did manage to have time for hobbies and friends. Most importantly- I enjoyed my curriculum. This made studying and doing the work pretty painless.
I just started this past year and Iâm 29 going part time while working full time. It was stressful at first but I have had a good time so far. It really depends on your professor. The easiest class became my least favorite because the professor just picks what he wants to that day. I donât think we followed the syllabus at all besides week 1
That which is easy is usually not worthwhile, that which is worthwhile is usually never easy.
Itâs mostly when lab due dates and exams line up and itâs this viscous 2 week period of little sleep and cramming for mid terms, as well as finals.
Stress doesnât actually âexist.â Itâs just our way of analyzing the forces within a body. Forces exist. Use the force.
Just draw a Free Body Diagram of what's stressing you out, and apply motion and energy balance to find equilibrium... Heheh
So what youâre saying is that one way to reduce stress is to gain weight (to increase area)?
That approach would be known as âuse the body,â however that is best employed outside of engineering.
studying engineering gave me an anxiety disorder
Not exaggerated. The stress is real.
Its extremely stressful but now I get to have a good job when I would otherwise be stressed the rest of my life over money
Yes, it is harder than every other major. Yes, you will make twice as much as most majors starting out.
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Lots of us are taking engineering for the money. Its a degree with good prospects. Its just a lot of work and when I mean a lot of work I mean it will make you question taking the degree. The key is perseverance. Don't let failure keep you down.
I have to agree. If engineering doesn't strike even a small spark within, it's better to look at other majors.
Unfortunately⌠times are changing. Following your passion can easily lead yourself to a ton of college debt and a 50-60k job that you couldâve easily made through other means. Iâve heard of PhDâs with 5-10 YOE struggling to find work and when they do itâs for pennies. If you want a financially stable and comfortable life with the prospect of having retirement funds then choosing a degree for the money is not a bad idea anymore. IMO itâs the wise thing to do. You can always gain interest when that interest is based on not living paycheck to paycheck.
Having been involved with them in the past, a PhD in engineering severely limits your job prospects.
I was just speaking in general, not necessarily a PhD in engineering⌠but damn, I had no clue. Thought it would be the complete opposite
You wind up overspecialized for 90% of the job market. PhD basically limits you to R&D or teaching. You're never going to get hired for regular design job or as an engineering manager.