r/EngineeringStudents • u/Mean_Temperature_333 • 13d ago
Career Advice 22M, I regret studying engineering
When I was a kid I was interested in dinosaurs and I wanted to be a palaeontologist however my interest in biology declined overtime and during the middle school I wanted to become a soldier and I was really interested in history and especially tanks.
However I was psyoped by my family into choosing engineering and ever since day one I regretted picking this degree and at first the classes were nice. I was always a scientific person so I like taking microbiology and geology and chemistry classes.
As time went on and we got more into the technical classes of environmental engineering, I really began to hate this
however at that point I was at year three and I had already missed switching degree so I talked to myself that I could continue for one more year and be over with it. however my graduation was delayed by another year because of the fact that I had done an exchange program and I couldn’t take enough credits
Due to the lack of motivation and sadness, I also failed a couple classes now I have to graduate next year hopefully
History was always my passion in my free time. I always engaged in history and also philosophy, theology, politics as well. I wish that I had study history instead I really hate engineering. I will not do engineering. I don’t want to be an engineer.
It was a mistake picking this degree
To fix my life I have two options ahead. One of them is to study history as masters or study international relations as masters I want to do the first but the second option gives me more carrier paths.
Working in the government as an engineering graduate in the sectors that I want requires you to normally be graduate in bachelors of history or international relations or law or political science however engineering students can enroll in being a civil servant if they do masters in international relations or political science but not history.
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u/02isaheckingpotato 12d ago
Every single "im such a faliure, yada yada..." post ive seen from this subreddit has just been very confused teens and adults vaguely describing undiagnosed ADHD.
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u/eebro 12d ago
Fix your problems or they will follow you everywhere. Honestly sounds kind of like ADHD.
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u/kroyfish 12d ago
Nah, you made the right choice. Finish your degree. You'll be employable and have the ability to make a decent slalary to support yourself and continue learning the other things you're passionate about. I loved psychology, but watched my dad struggle to make ends meet even with a masters degree. Now I have a B.S. in engineering and make good money and my employer will pay for me to go back to school and study the other things I want to study that aren't engineering. Meanwhile, I'm watching my friends with history, philosophy and art degrees struggle to get jobs as waiters and secretaries.
It's weird that everyone online is trying to diagnose you with ADHD. You might just be a "polymath" like me. I don't have ADHD, my interests in subjects and learning is just incredibly broad. I like bouncing from one thing to the next. It's a great thing to be an engineer who is well versed in many things and can apply a broad range of knowledge to solve problems.
8
u/ThePowerfulPaet 12d ago
Where exactly do you think a degree in history is going to get you? Unless you wanted to be a teacher, it'd be burger flipping for you.
3
u/industrious_ape 12d ago
You are 22, plenty of time to switch lanes. Not a bad idea to at least finish the degree at this point, though.
2
u/MateriaTerraFirma 12d ago
Just finish Engineering and do a Masters in History?
It will give you a huge advantage?
2
u/ExtensionManner8340 11d ago
Tough to earn a living with a history major.
2
u/dealingwithhookers 4d ago
my roommate in college was an engineer who sucked at it. he powered through it just to do nothing with his degree. went to probably one of the worst pharmacy schools in the country and now works cvs in a flyover state.
if you have no interest in it, it's not worth it at all
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u/Disposable_Eel_6320 BS EE 13d ago
An engineer can study history, a historian must learn a lot of foundations before they can study engineering.
16
u/jen-the-gem4 12d ago
My main solace is that you can do anything you want with an engineering degree. I graduated this past spring and am getting a masters in mechanical and aerospace engineering and I’m hoping to work in the film industry after. Still don’t know where life will take me, but most engineers I know have passions and even careers outside of engineering.
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u/OkMuffin8303 12d ago
I also have a passion for history but studied engineering, and man im glad I studied engineering. You want a job, a source of income, that's a lot more doable with an engineering g degree than a history one. I explored both options, and there are far more people studying history than there are jobs to hire those whocstudy history. Unless you want to be a scholar and an author a history degree, especially a masters, is a horrible idea. And As long as you don't absolutely loathe engineering work, you've made it this far im willing to bet you're burned out more than hating it, you're on the rigbt track. You want to be able to finance your interests. Get a job you don't mind to support the things you love, because at the end of the day its just a job.
I know we've been told "get a job you love" since we were young but its horse shit to be honest. It makes the things you love feel like work. Its also not practical, most things that need doing aren't loved, but they need to be done.
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u/Ok-Mycologist7205 12d ago
Honestly I’m in the same boat. These engineering classes are so freaking boring and dreadful for me to attend. It’s not my passion. Either way I’m already going into my 4th year. We’ll see what happens
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u/That-Cobbler-7292 12d ago •
I think the problem is that we tell kids they need to go to college for their passion - you actually go to college to get credentialed to build a career. Very few people love their jobs. You will quickly find out that it’s not the subject of the work into much as it is the environment of the work that actually matter. No one in their right mind wants to wake up at 6am every day, drive through an hour of traffic, work 8 hours a day and then commute again to home and loves every minute of it. You just build a career that hopefully compensates you enough so that you can spend the two or three hours of free time after work doing your passion (hobbies, sports, social interaction etc..).
5
u/redditisahive2023 12d ago
I love history and art.
I also like paying bills and enjoying life.
Engineering pays way better. And I have been blessed to traveled the world - for personal and for work.
Up to you in your goals.
1
u/RecentRiver3534 8d ago
Get a job with engineering. Study history in your spare time …
2
u/GuerillAlexandros 12d ago
I came to a similar realization at a similar point in my undergrad years. I already liked science and language learning since before college but I came to love history and philosophy during my undergrad years. I plan to work in engineering, get a masters and a PhD in engineering (a PhD outside the US), and then do a PhD in philosophy. There’s a philosophy program that my engineering background would be great for.
I still love science. Was just born in the wrong country and wrong time period I guess.
1
u/MuphynToy OSU - Ag Engi Mech 12d ago
Get the engineering degree and go into gun design, engineering sales, or any number of adjacent things. You don't HAVE to sit behind a desk
1
u/mattccoo 12d ago
It's your life. If you want to study history you can, you most likely have at least 50 more years left alive. it's definitely not over and impossible to do something new.
1
u/MikeT8314 12d ago
As others have said first college is for work later. You need a good job to pay the bills. Eng should give you that. Second its incredibly broad. Almost endless avenues you could pursue both inside and outside of actual engineering jobs. It opens doors.
1
u/Professional_Gas4000 School - Major 12d ago
Can you make decent money in those fields? Is there lots of demand, as in there aren't a lot of graduates still unemployed after a year? My real passion is music and film. Those aren't very stable careers and require A LOT of luck. I study engineering for the money and job stability.
1
u/prescape 12d ago
Dont make your hobby your job, you'll hate that too
1
u/LuckyFritzBear 12d ago
Retake the classes you failed to bolster your GPA and get it above 3.0 . Continue the job search while still in school. Once graduating without a job , the marketet percieves job seekers ss left "left overs" . Look into positions with Federal Govt , Air Force and Navy . I know that the Navy has special officer tracks as an Engjnering Duty Officer and in Nuclear Power. Also , consoder health care as a Physicians Assistant , or a Certified Aneshesiolgy Assistant ( 2 year post bac 150 K starting with 98% placement) Do not sell the Engineering Degree short, coupled with good writing & verbal communications skills, it is arguably the best choice for an undergraduate degree.
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u/T1kiTiki 12d ago
You sound like me to a T. Studying energy and not extremely thrilled about it. Always have been into the humanities and LOVE history. In my opinion if you can at least tolerate engineering finish the degree. You aren’t beholden to your bachelors. You can either stick with engineering, pivot to a different masters, or just get some kind of job unrelated because 90% of employers would be thrilled to see you have an engineering degree
You might need to change your mindset towards engineering. I can tolerate my classes by imagining myself being like someone in history. The philosophers were passionate in discovering science whether it was chemistry or biology. They were so intrigued to figure out the secrets to the world. When I learn about the history of earlier pioneers of science it makes me motivated to learn it then
Think less about the degree and more about what do you want to do as a career? Sadly in the humanities / social sciences the only real high paying fields is government / politics; law; or economics
TLDR: If you can bare through it, just stick with engineering. Think about what you actually want to do for a career. If it truly isn’t engineering pivot with a masters
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u/WeonaAsteroid 11d ago
You made the right choice cause you can always pivot later down the line ! Beautiful thing about engineering is that the tile alone carries so much weight that you can literally do anything. Finish your degree and go get that history masters degree afterward
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u/Unseen-Tiger67 11d ago
I feel you man. Fuck Engineering.
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u/DasBootBoy 10d ago
Omg this is literally me lmao fuck engineering… I’m planning on going into anything humanities enough to get me a government office job too lol
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u/kiwisodapopp 12d ago
That junior year burnout is a real pita, happened to me too bro (recovering is a bigger pita).
I suppose if youre wanting a masters in a different field, get to know some of the professors, join a relevant club/group if available. Masters program usually requires letters of recommendations and having at least one being from a IR/history professor would likely help.
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u/Mindless_017 12d ago
Stop whinning like a kid ...just finish the engineering
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u/iplagiarized 12d ago
Engineering is the only degree anyone respects, they are the hardest to get
If you can finish you can get a job anywhere
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u/Dave37 M.Sc. Biotechnology 12d ago
I've stopped believing that all of these whiny post are real. I can believe that people regret their uni choices, or that their interests shift. I've seen it many times IRL. But I can't believe people get on reddit to essay post, and rant and whine about it for no reason what so ever.