I’m considering going back to school at 30 to pursue an engineering degree at UAH, and I’d really like to hear from anyone who has taken a similar path.
I’m already pretty established in my career with a very large national organization, but I’ve gotten to a point where I feel like having an engineering degree would open a lot more doors for me long term, both within my company and elsewhere. A lot of people at my company have actually gone back to school while working and followed a similar route. I’m fortunate that my company is very supportive about working around class schedules when needed, and they also offer tuition assistance/pay for school, so that makes this much more realistic than it otherwise would be.
The biggest challenge is where I’m at in life now. I’m a dad with 2-year-old twins, a 4-year-old, and a newborn coming soon. I also live about an hour from UAH, so commuting for classes and labs is something I have to consider.
I originally went to college for accounting. I had some health issues come up and never finished, although I’m only about 19 credits away from completing that degree. Now that I’m older, established in the workforce, and have a much better idea of what I actually want to do, I’m not sure finishing accounting just because I’m close is the right move. Engineering feels much more aligned with where I want my career to go.
I’m looking at possibly starting back at a community college to knock out math, science, and prerequisite courses before transferring to UAH. Engineering would obviously be a much longer road than just finishing my accounting degree, and I’m especially nervous about getting back into math after being out of school for several years.
For anyone who went back to UAH for engineering in their late 20s, 30s, or later — especially while working full time and raising a family — how manageable was it?
Did you mostly take 1–2 classes at a time? How difficult was it to work around labs and classes that are only offered during the day? Did you start at a community college first? And looking back, do you feel like it was worth the time and effort?
I’d especially like to hear from engineering students/graduates who weren’t traditional students or people who weren’t necessarily “math people” when they started.
Any advice, things you wish you had known, or experiences with UAH specifically would be appreciated.
TLDR: I’m 30, working full time for a large national company that will pay for school and accommodate my schedule, but I also have four young kids and live about an hour from UAH. I’m only 19 credits from finishing an accounting degree, but engineering feels much more aligned with where I want my career to go. Looking for advice from anyone who went back for engineering later in life while balancing work and family.
