Advice on Pursuing Engineering Degree: Graeme's Story

[graeme01]

Basically i left school with the idea of wanting to be an engineer and landed an advanced apprentiship with a colege called TTE being sponsored by Shell. I have since completed the apprentiship in March of this year and been working as a mechanical technicain at Shell Stanlow since. The problem is I am basically a mechanical fitter and i know i can do more as I am not challenged enough. I have been doing a mechanical HNC and finish it in june next year. I had confronted the company and asked if they would sponsor me to do a degree part time day release and they have basically told me to jog on by asking for me to get an a-level in physics and pure maths and then they would consider me for a part time degree which would bring me out about 30 years of age. I am just turned 21 at the minute and took it upon myself to apply to good universities around my area including Leeds and manchester to study mechanical engineering full time, not really expecting any good results. That was two weeks ago and leeds have just given me a conditional offer for 2011 entry. I am over the moon but i now need to decide if leaving the company to get a degree is the right thing to do at the present time we live in.

I know i have a well payed job for my age with good overtime with a prestigous company but i can't see my self going anywhere with it very quickly and i don't liek working onn the tools. I was wondering if anyone could offer some advice on what they would do in my position?

Basically i want to work as an engineer on maybe big projects possibly abroad where i use my head a lot more than just mechanical fitting. What are the job prospects like coming out of university with a Beng degree at present?

Any advice would be appreciated both positive and negative as its becoming a very hard decision to make.

many regards

Graeme

 

[lisab]

Of course, there are no guarantees with whatever path you choose. Putting your situation very simplistically, there are two outcomes.
1) You continue in your current job, knowing it is likely that you will look back and say, "I regret that I didn't go into engineering."
2) You get your engineering degree, recognizing that there is a chance you will look back one day and say, "I regret going into engineering."

Personally, I would rather have "I regret I did <whatever>" regrets, over "I regret I didn't do <whatever>" regrets. You have to decide for yourself, though, what kind of regret you're willing to live with.

Also in my personal experience, though: very few people who earn a degree look back and say, "I regret doing that."

Good luck, keep us informed!