Back to School as a Physics Major

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the experiences and feelings of a participant returning to school as a physics major after several years in the workforce. The conversation touches on personal circumstances, financial considerations, and the emotional aspects of transitioning back to full-time education in the context of pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Personal narrative
  • Supportive
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses excitement and nervousness about returning to school after a four-year break, highlighting the differences in motivation compared to their initial college experience.
  • Another participant suggests that if one has no debt, it may be beneficial to avoid working while completing a degree to focus on academic performance.
  • A participant clarifies their financial situation, indicating they have minimal debt and a plan to work part-time while attending classes, aiming to balance work and study effectively.
  • One participant shares their own experience of returning to school under challenging circumstances, emphasizing the positive outcome of that decision.
  • Several participants offer encouragement and express interest in the original poster's journey, suggesting they share updates on their progress.
  • There is a light-hearted exchange about financial literacy and the original poster's apparent expertise in managing finances, with references to popular financial advice literature.
  • Another participant reflects on their own struggles, expressing solidarity and wishing the original poster well in their academic pursuits.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the value of pursuing education and the importance of financial planning, though there are differing opinions on the necessity of working while studying. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best approach to balancing work and education.

Contextual Notes

Participants' financial situations and personal circumstances vary significantly, which may influence their perspectives on working while studying. The discussion does not resolve the complexities of these individual choices.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals considering a return to education, especially in STEM fields, and those interested in discussions about balancing work and academic commitments may find this thread relevant.

S_Happens
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After working in the real world and saving for the past 4 years I'm headed back to school tomorrow. Due to a technicality (sorry) I'm actually a physics major until next semester.

Since I'm now married with a house, I'm staying local and finishing up my BS in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Houston. It's taken a lot of hard work to get to the point where I can leave my job and go back full time, but I'll never have an opportunity like this again. I have enough vacation that I am going to try and work through this semester while I take two classes, but after that it will be school full time.

I'm excited at the possibility and very nervous at the same time. It's certainly a much different situation going back, than it was just starting (more drive, lessons learned, etc.).
 
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S_Happens said:
Since I'm now married with a house, ...

Kids? How's your debt right now? If zero, I would recommend going into debt and NOT work while finishing your degree. The payback potential is very high, compared to "not having time enough to do well enough."
 
Sorry, I guess it wasn't clear.

I am 27, dual income, no kids, and our only debt is our mortgage. I work shift work and while I take 2 classes this spring semester I can use my vacation and swap shifts around to work just weekends. This will get me through most if not all of the semester. The financial gain to this would be normal salary as well as a significant bonus based on last year's performance if I stay until March. My goal is to attempt this only if it doesn't interfere with the classes (Tu-Th 8-10 AM and 4-7 PM). I don't plan on working after this semester except for summers, since the ME classes aren't offered during the summer.

Back to the debt. We've been saving for four years, and have enough to cover tuition/books, plus our budget (living expenses, mortgage, etc) for the time that I'll be in school. We're not the typical American couple that has debt and no budget. We've been lucky and worked hard enough to save this money, build a house, pay off student debt, pay off a new vehicle, and invest significantly in retirement.

So, I'll see your "NOT work" and raise you a not going into debt.
 
Last edited:
I'm unemployed right now. I'm not enrolled in school, but I will be auditing a course in Advanced QM starting tomorrrow evening. At least I will have adequate time to study. If I find work though, I may have to quit the class.
 
S_Happens said:
After working in the real world and saving for the past 4 years I'm headed back to school tomorrow. Due to a technicality (sorry) I'm actually a physics major until next semester.

Since I'm now married with a house, I'm staying local and finishing up my BS in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Houston. It's taken a lot of hard work to get to the point where I can leave my job and go back full time, but I'll never have an opportunity like this again. I have enough vacation that I am going to try and work through this semester while I take two classes, but after that it will be school full time.

I'm excited at the possibility and very nervous at the same time. It's certainly a much different situation going back, than it was just starting (more drive, lessons learned, etc.).

S Happens, I went back to school at about your age and under much the same conditions, except I only had a handful of classes under my belt at that time. Talk about pressure! I had to completely walk away from a successful career as I was always on-call. At times I could only attend part time while working full or part time, and I was forced to take menial, even humiliating jobs, in order to stay afloat.

It was one the best choices I've ever made. I wish you all the best.
 
Thank you. I know that my situation couldn't be any more optimized for going back. Knowing that others have overcome much more difficult situations is just that must more motivation.
 
Best of luck to you! Let us know how it's going, too. You won't have much spare time, but making a quick post doesn't take much time.

It's not like PF is addicting, lol! I can stop anytime...:rolleyes:...sigh.
 
Hey S! That's wonderful news!
 
I lurk a lot, but I could definitely work on my post count. This semester I have 6.5 hours in between classes and ~40 minute commute (meaning I'll stay all day) so I'll have time to study, do my homework, and play on PF.
 
  • #10
S_Happens said:
I lurk a lot, but I could definitely work on my post count. This semester I have 6.5 hours in between classes and ~40 minute commute (meaning I'll stay all day) so I'll have time to study, do my homework, and play on PF.
It'll be great having you around again.
 
  • #11
S_Happens said:
So, I'll see your "NOT work" and raise you a not going into debt.

Why the H*** are you asking us for advise? You could tell Suze Orman a thing or two!
 
  • #12
Chi Meson said:
Why the H*** are you asking us for advise? You could tell Suze Orman a thing or two!

You think you're joking, but I only had to adjust my line of sight from the monitor about 30 degrees to count 10 Suze Orman books (ok, 9 of those are only around 50 pages each). But I can credit most of the work to my other half. That's what happens when you marry a finance major.
 
  • #13
Go forth and do not look back. I am in a worse situation than yours, barely moving forward, but I will eventually make it, somehow. Best of luck, friend.
 
  • #14
S_Happens said:
You think you're joking, but I only had to adjust my line of sight from the monitor about 30 degrees to count 10 Suze Orman books (ok, 9 of those are only around 50 pages each). But I can credit most of the work to my other half. That's what happens when you marry a finance major.

So this isn't so much a "help me" thread, as a "dig me!" :smile:
 
  • #15
Chi Meson said:
So this isn't so much a "help me" thread, as a "dig me!" :smile:

Just stating that I'm going back to school. Although it does feel good to show all the hard work that we've already put into it.
 

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