re: The Decision To Return For BSME At 30

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online) for a BSME.

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I dated a guy in his late 20’s who did the ME program on campus and didn’t work as his dad paid all of his bills and that program was still very tough. He had to take Adderall just to pass the toughest classes, and he didn’t have a young family. I can’t imagine doing it online.

It's his life and dream.
We don't know his financial or family situation.
He might be willing to make the sacrifices for one reason or another.

I just want to give him a good perspective so he can live with his decision either way.

30 is young, you won't miss out on your kids life. You will live your life normally and work like a demon when the kid is at daycare or asleep.

I am LSU BSME. While I was in the program, we also had several older guys who had gone back--working full time and taking a few classes at a time. As mentioned by previous posters, some of the more difficult Discipline Classes (Thermo, Fluids, Dynamics, etc.) can be extremely time consuming.

If I were to try to tackle the program while working full time, I would take a Discipline class or two at a time, coupled with an elective to help reduce the load. Unfortunately, in doing this you'll also extend the duration of the degree. There are "pre-requisits" for each class, so you will get to a point where you will have to have completed some in order to take others. Also, LSU seems to have moved into a "lock-step" program that only offers certain classes in certain semesters. If you don't take them at the time they're offered, or if you fail them, you'll have to wait an entire year to take it again.

To echo what another posted suggested, VERIFY the program is ABET accredited. For example, Southeastern used to offer an Engineering Technology Program, but it was not accredited.

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I have been thinking, researching, praying, debating internally for a long time now about returning to school (online) for a BSME. As a 30 year old with a one year old child and supporting wife, I know I can do this, but the question is how much time per week will I sacrifice? I’m looking to take 3 classes a semester. Working 40 hours a week with 3 classes a semester, will I miss out on six-seven years of my son’s life? For those who have been there, am I looking at no life until this is done, or would I be able to have one day on the weekends for the family if I manage my time?

Thanks in advance, this board has been very helpful in many ways. I know there are some Mechanical Engineer graduates here that can share their experience.

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I did Civil starting at 27 while working full time and getting married the first semester. By the time i finished at 32, I had young boys. I built a house during second semester an I did a lot of the work. I would go to work at 6, would leave for classes I had during the day, go back until 6 or so at night. Worked on Saturdays when needed to get my work done. When building, I would go work at the house until 11 or so and then go sleep.

You can do it and its not that bad. You have to prioritize and you need to take summer courses. Dont make it take 6-7 years, take 12 hours a semester and 3 in each intersession.

It can be done, I did it. Pay attention in class and take good notes. review the notes after each class.

Its really not that hard if you treat it like a second full time job. If you go in and half arse it, its going to eat you alive and you will flunk out by the time you reach statics or dynamics. Fluids and thermo will destroy you. Treat it like a second job and you will smoke those class.

Choice is yours.

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Your first 5 years out of college, expect to make around 75k, and with 5 years in you can make it up to 100k.

Mechanical is no joke at LSU. I’d also consider Lafayette as it might be easier and you will stand out with a higher GPA. Nobody gives a frick where your degree is from as long as it’s ABET and you have above a 3.0, preferably 3.2.

Being 30, get your PE afterwards ASAP. You’ll stand out later in your career.

Don’t believe the bullshite, LSU does not have any better ME program than other schools. The labs might be shinier and better marketing material, but you are just $$$ to LSU. You’re going to teach yourself the material wherever you go.

The best advice I can give you is expect nothing from the teachers and learn everything yourself. If you find one professor that might actually try to give a frick, that’s lagniappe. Do all the HW problems twice.

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This is not 100% true. I had experience like the op and was making much more than your figures after 2 years. You arent far off and everything else is 100% true.

My question to the OP is, why not get a different degree to get on in Maintenance at a plant?

I worked for a large chemical company and benefits and pay are awesome but maintenance supervisors and planners with no degree make 6 figures most years after overtime and bonus. If you get a degree and are able to become a superintendent, they make as much or more than many engineers do, granted most of the time those positions are filled with MEs.

It just seems like starting at 30 and doing only 9 hours a semester is going to cost too much and the return is not there until you have 20 years max left in your career.

I dont want to discourage you going back at 27 was the best decision I have made in my life, outside of marrying my wife. It can be done and I am a testament to that.

Also you dont need the degree from LSU and you dont have to have a 4.0 or hell even a 3.0. It helps to have that for the first job, after that its all about work ethic and ability to work with others once in the door. After your first job, nobody gives a shite about what your GPA was or even where you went to school.

Why do you want to go into ME? What’s driving this decision for a total career change?

If it’s just salary, maybe consider a career move. Look at what you can do to improve your current position in your company. Are there other classes you can take to expand your utility (safety, management, inspection, specialty equipment)?

Do you have the brains to make it through ME? I know A LOT of very smart people who could not make it through ME when school was the only thing they had. Your maturity at 30 helps, but that won’t get you through ME. Calculus, physics, thermo, dynamics, labs, etc. ME is relentless, and every class is difficult.

I have a kid and full time job in ME right now and can’t imagine going through school again. It takes a different kind of dedication and you really need the right motives, particularly if going back. You definitely don’t want to start down this path, only to give up (or fail out) after 2-3 years in and money burned along with lost time.

Don’t eyeball the engineers at the plants and think “I can do that”. It’s true a lot of engineers in the plant are dumbasses, but they generally have the book smarts to make it through the classes. The role we fill in the plant is not difficult, but it’s waaaaaaay easier than school.

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Why do you want to go into ME? What’s driving this decision for a total career change?

If it’s just salary, maybe consider a career move. Look at what you can do to improve your current position in your company. Are there other classes you can take to expand your utility (safety, management, inspection, specialty equipment)?

Do you have the brains to make it through ME? I know A LOT of very smart people who could not make it through ME when school was the only thing they had. Your maturity at 30 helps, but that won’t get you through ME. Calculus, physics, thermo, dynamics, labs, etc. ME is relentless, and every class is difficult.

I have a kid and full time job in ME right now and can’t imagine going through school again. It takes a different kind of dedication and you really need the right motives, particularly if going back. You definitely don’t want to start down this path, only to give up (or fail out) after 2-3 years in and money burned along with lost time.

Don’t eyeball the engineers at the plants and think “I can do that”. It’s true a lot of engineers in the plant are dumbasses, but they generally have the book smarts to make it through the classes. The role we fill in the plant is not difficult, but it’s waaaaaaay easier than school.

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OP this is all true. Like I said I did it only a little younger than you after dropping out half way through my junior year at lsu in ChemE.

ME is a bitch, as are all of the Engineering courses. The biggest thing is you need someone in your corner to push you. My wife did it for me. There was a time after Dynamics and Diff Eq were I begged to take a semester off, she said NO!! Next semester was Calc 3 and Fluids, again she made me keep going. The semester before was statics, physics 2, circuits and calc 2.

You need to understand how difficult it is because the worst thing would be to go 2 years, spend a shite ton of money and waste your sons time to only turn around and drop out.

Also as mentioned, what math will you start with? I had high enough ACT score that when I started completely over at 27, I could go straight back into Calc. If you don't, you will have to take college algebra and trig before even getting to math classes that actually count towards your degree. That would mean you still had

Calc I, II, III, Adv Calc
Diff Eq
Linear
Statistics

just in math. thats on top of Chem 1/2, Physics 1/2 and the rest of your gen ed classes.

Just understand what you are getting yourself into.

Every class is going to be relentless.

Statics
dynamics
fluids
thermo 1 and 2
materials
strengths
heat transfer
controls

etc etc

Just understand its fricking hard, but it is doable.

I was a normal aged college student, but my two best friends I met in my Civil Engineering program were both 30+. One was a 30 year old who had dropped out of two college programs in his 20s and went through rehab to fix his alcohol addiction. The other was a 34 year old who worked a dead end job and wanted a better career. The former was incredibly smart and was one of the best students across the entire engineering school, all disciplines. He is finishing up his Masters now and will probably start on his PHD. The latter followed the same game plan you're talking about and took about three classes every semester, never taking a summer off and finished school after about 5 years.

Both were tremendously better students than myself. I would be thrilled anytime I bested one of them on an exam, which didn't happen too often. If you're going to do this, take the same approach my two friends did and throw yourself into it. You'll spend most weeknights staying up to midnight working on a three page solution to a single problem, but it will be worth it. Find a friend in your class with the same dedication you have that won't be pissed off when you call him up at 11:30pm. If you truly enjoy what you're doing you will find satisfaction and self worth through the small things like finishing up an assignment or when you finally grasp a concept you've been trying to wrap your head around for the entire semester.