Is it possible to work fulltime and study full time mechanical engineering

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the feasibility of working full-time while pursuing a full-time mechanical engineering degree. Participants share their experiences and concerns regarding the pressures of balancing work and study, the challenges of specific courses, and the potential impact on academic performance.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Personal experience sharing

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses concern about the pressure of managing full-time work alongside full-time study, noting their struggle to find sufficient study time.
  • Another participant warns that attempting to balance both commitments could lead to detrimental effects on academic performance, citing their own experience of working while studying.
  • A different viewpoint suggests that if a job allows for study time, it may be manageable, but such opportunities are rare.
  • One participant shares their successful experience of working two casual jobs while achieving high academic results, though they still advise caution regarding full-time work with full-time study.
  • Another contributor emphasizes the increasing difficulty of coursework in later years, suggesting that prior struggles with study time may indicate future challenges.
  • A participant currently working full-time and studying part-time recommends starting with a lighter course load to assess personal capacity for handling stress and workload.
  • One participant recounts their experience of burnout while managing a full course load and part-time internship, advising to choose easier classes and limit work hours.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally express concern about the challenges of balancing full-time work with full-time study, with no consensus on a definitive approach. Some share positive experiences, while others caution against the potential negative impacts on academic performance.

Contextual Notes

Participants' experiences vary widely based on personal circumstances, job types, and stress management capabilities. The discussion highlights the importance of individual assessment in determining the feasibility of such a balance.

Who May Find This Useful

Students considering full-time mechanical engineering studies while working full-time, as well as those interested in the experiences of others in similar situations.

tj00343
Messages
59
Reaction score
0
Is it possible to work full-time and study mechanical engineering (full credit) at the same time ,How much pressure will I face through out the program ,any specific courses which are specifically challenging ,Because I finished my first semester(full credit) while working and barely found enough time to study ,everyone keeps saying that I will not be able to continue fulltime work with full credit university ,i need to what I'm up against to see if i should think about a loan.
Thnx in advance
 
Physics news on Phys.org
I having a feeling you already know what the responses are likely to be on such a question. For clarity, I would say that route is just a recipie for disaster.

The commitment you should be putting into any study subject will be more than the equivalent hours of a full time job. Can you work 100 hours a week? For how long?

It may technically be possible but I'd have no doubt that your results and overall understanding will suffer. I speak from partial experience, I had to work throughout my degree and was generally pulling more than 20 hours per week in whatever jobs I had going at the time. I definitely confess that this had a detrimental impact on my studies: but I had no option of loans etc.

Having said that, that is my experience. You know yourself better than I do, if you find that you effortlessly understand anything that's taught to you, then by all means, go ahead.
 
tj00343 said:
barely found enough time to study

This should be key in your decision.
 
If you can find a job that allows you to study on the job, then sure. They're few and far between, though.

I work as a mattress salesman. I'm the only person in the store most of the time. I may see 3 or 4 customers over the course of an 11 hour day. The rest of the time is mine.

Something like a night shift security guard might give you that same kind of freedom, but I wouldn't know that from first-hand experience.

Other than that, I'd say drop some hours at work.
 
If you can avoid that, do not do it.
 
I am going into my 3rd year of Mech Engineering this coming semester. Last semester i was enrolled in uni full-time and employed in 2 separate jobs (casual) near my home. It takes me about 1.5-2 hours to travel to and from uni every day on top of work time.
I got High Distinctions in all of my subjects.
So, i think it's possible, but i don't think i would actually recommend full-time work on top of full-time uni study. At least not for Mech Eng. You should know whether you will be able to keep it up...

As for particular subjects... as i said i have only finished 2 years of my degree but i think the subjects are just bound to get harder. So if you could barely study for your previous subjects, you may not find enough time for your upcoming ones.

Why not just study part-time? or even just delay one subject a semester if you can?
 
Your first year may not be bad, but after that you will need a significant amount of time devoted to studying and projects.

My .02:

Currently, I am working full time (40-50 hours per week) at a small, private company. There is always something to be working on here; the only "spare time" I have is barely long enough to make a post here and there on this forum throughout the day.

I am also enrolled part-time at the university, pursuing a B.Sc. in Engineering Physics. I am taking 9 credits this semester and I have plenty to do! If I would have taken a full load this semester I don't think that I'd have been able to devote as much time as I would have liked to each class.

This is the schedule that works for my life. The circumstances and issues you may face will likely be totally different. My suggestion would be to enroll part-time at first, and then add courses if you feel you can handle a heavier workload.
 
It depends on how well you can handle stress. I'm a 3rd year EE student and I had an internship last semester where i worked 20 hours/week and took full time course load and it was definitely a pain. I was extremely burned out by the end of the semester and would not want to go through that again! My advice is: choose the easiest possible classes you can and limit your work hours. If it looks like it's going to be hard either way, you should try to concentrate on school. Taking out a loan is not too bad and if you do good in your classes, you can apply for a few scholarships and not even depend on loans for future semesters. Good Luck.
 
Thanx all ,really gave me sum perspective
 

Similar threads

Programs Electrical Engineering PhD or Applied Physics PhD?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
1K
Admissions Plasma Physics PhD from an EE undergrad
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Programs Is doing a PhD in Engineering Part Time in 8 Years Possible?
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
5K
Studying I need advice for a master's degree in applied physics
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
What Engineering Path Should I Choose for My Career?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
Need to cut back on the time I spend self-studying each Intro Mechanics chapter
  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
3K
Studying Successful Study Strategies for Machine Design and Shigley's ME Design Book
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Studying Should I first study the math or math and physics at the same time?
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
5K
Uncertainty in pursuing Engineering
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
1K
Programs What Is a Doctor of Engineering Degree and How Does It Work?
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
3K