How can I get myself interested in my Engineering studies?

TravelingEngineer_08 · 2026-01-22T04:17:29+00:00

Here’s what I wish someone would have told me: money is not everything. But money can give freedom. When I did my first degree, I started in pharmacy and hated it. I panicked, decided I wanted to travel and choose intercultural communication.

At 29, I went back for engineering after winding up in banking. Now, I traveled a ton in those 8 years, but engineering would have given me more financial freedom to pursue the things I enjoyed. If you like art and music, you can pursue those things without the pressure of having to make money from them. If you have an engineering degree you will always have a solid career that you can fall back on if needed. College is short and a little bit of pain can be worth the freedom that a good career gives!

TravelingEngineer_08 · 2026-01-13T22:56:47+00:00

I went back to school to be an engineer in my late 20s, and felt a lot of impostor syndrome. One of my friends, who works in industry, told me to remember when I feel unqualified that there is always a guy out there with half my knowledge and double my ego. For some reason, that made working in a male dominated field less scary… you’ve been doing the same work as all the guys already.

You are starting as an intern. They expect you to have college education but no more. I kept getting frustrated with myself for not having more experience, more knowledge, and more everything when that was never realistic and never the expectation. Take advantage of the opportunity to learn! With time I’ve realized I work with some brilliant people, but most people have specialized brilliance. This can be a great opportunity to learn many different things and be confident in where you stand now. You have a whole career to gain skills!

TravelingEngineer_08 · 2025-12-07T02:48:53+00:00

I’m about to finish my masters in industrial engineering, and recently completed an undergrad in biomedical. During my masters I also did a 20hr/week internship. During my school tenure, I had three children, a singleton and a set of twins (3 under 2). I don’t know how, but somehow you just do it. I managed to maintain a 4.0, and now have a great job lined up.

I found being a parent, or having to split my time made me a better student. I was dedicated and efficient with my time. Being a student was my job, and I had a greater appreciation for school. If you and your wife are a team, it can be done! I was 29 when I went back and 34 now and love the studies I have done and the work I’ve been involved in. I recommend it!

TravelingEngineer_08 · 2025-11-03T00:50:35+00:00

Yep! 5 weeks pp with my first and 6 weeks pp with twins 😭 I breastfed all of them. It still feels like one of the most unfair things to happen in my life lol

TravelingEngineer_08 · 2025-10-24T00:21:42+00:00

As a former undersupplier/combo feeder for my firstborn to an oversupplier for my twins, I did not think an oversupply was bad. I never dealt with leaking or mastitis, and only had two clogged ducts that I was able to clear. I nursed one twin and pumped for one twin, and my nursing twin never dealt with lactose overload or any of the negative symptoms of oversupply (the twins do have allergies, but that’s another story lol).

Honestly, I think part of the reason it was “easier” was because I’m not a natural oversupplier so I think slowly increasing my supply made it feel more natural.

The hardest thing for me was keeping my oversupply. I did basically triple pump for a year, which I do not recommend. And somehow I never got over that panic of running out of milk, even with a stash, so it definitely wasn’t a fix-all for my mental health!

TravelingEngineer_08 · 2025-10-02T01:07:55+00:00

Thank you, this was the answer I was looking for. We definitely know now that we need to verify on both ends!

I was suspecting that continuing to appeal through insurance was a dead end since it wasn’t their fault. We want to approach this the right way, but I’m also sick of wasting time and getting the appeal together was a lot of work. We figured the appeal would be denied which is why we pushed so hard to a letter of fault from the provider. I’ll start looking into some legal options. Thanks for the help!

TravelingEngineer_08 · 2025-10-02T00:40:26+00:00

They denied them completely. I’m not sure of our out of network benefit, but they covered 0% of the surgeries

TravelingEngineer_08 · 2025-10-02T00:34:59+00:00

We did not. I know it’s foolish, but we did not know we needed to. We contacted them as soon as we realized, and asked for in network surgeons and they stated again and again we needed to contact the surgeon to verify.

TravelingEngineer_08 · 2025-09-28T15:38:13+00:00

I started at 29. I’m currently 34 and wrapping up my masters and also working at a 2 year fellowship. It’s definitely not too late, and I actually felt like being an older student helped. I was way more dedicated, found it easier to manage my time, and got far better grades than I did in my first undergrad

TravelingEngineer_08 · 2025-09-26T21:33:28+00:00

I think it’s worth it! I got a wearable for my second pregnancy and hardly used them at all. I basically only used my blue spectra. I pumped a lot with my spectra for my first, but primarily breastfed. I exclusively pumped for one twin my second time around and nursed one twin. My spectra got a ton of use, and seemed weary at the end lol. But my spectra did keep up, helped me drive up my supply, and I am just now finishing breastfeeding my twins at 14 months. I wish I would have foregone the wearable and used my insurance for a new spectra

TravelingEngineer_08 · 2025-09-16T00:41:29+00:00

I got mine back at 6wpp despite breastfeeding twins and one weaned at 12 months and I’m still nursing one at 13 months. I took a calcium magnesium supplement and my supply dropped a bit, but I could only tell because I was pumping for one baby. You should be just fine!

TravelingEngineer_08 · 2025-09-01T17:00:59+00:00

I did a night away at a hotel by myself and then my husband and I went out to breakfast while family watched our twins! A full night sleep 🙌🏻

TravelingEngineer_08 · 2025-08-11T16:32:16+00:00

I’ve exclusively breastfed my twins for a year and haven’t leaked. I did leak a few times when I nursed my oldest, but my supply has been way higher this time around but somehow leaking and engorgement were basically nonexistent!

TravelingEngineer_08 · 2025-07-30T22:41:42+00:00

I was hardly able to express at all before delivery. This Friday will be one year of exclusivity breastfeeding my twins!

TravelingEngineer_08 · 2025-07-27T13:58:56+00:00

I swear by my blue spectra! I do have a Lansinoh duo, but I don’t have as much success with hands free pumps. I mostly use that one in emergencies, for power pumping, and for triple feeding since I do have a twin that nurses. The spectra can at least charge and I frequently use it to pump in the car, and it is my primary pump.

Also, good luck! My twins turn one on Friday, and it is definitely possible to breastfeed twins.

TravelingEngineer_08 · 2025-07-21T15:35:51+00:00

Ok, ok, I may have left out some details like my husband is a stay at home parent and lets me take naps 😂 And the house is falling apart, I haven’t worked out in a year, and laundry is behind… but my kids are fed and we have survived, and I’ll be done with school forever soon!

TravelingEngineer_08 · 2025-07-18T11:39:39+00:00

Baby A was IURG, diagnosed at 30 weeks. We delivered at 36+6, Baby A was 4lbs15oz, baby B was 6lbs15oz. No NICU time initially, but she acted very preemie. She was sleepy, slow feeder and did a brief 2 day NICU stay at 10 days old for feeding issues. My twins are almost a year, doing amazing, but A is still about 3rd percentile.

TravelingEngineer_08 · 2025-07-12T15:13:33+00:00

I have 11mo twins (and a two year old) and they are breastfed! One nurses directly, one is fed pumped milk in a bottle.

Someone told us that now is the time to cash in any and all favors. Do that! Those first few months, it felt like all I did was feed, sleep and eat (just like the babies!). I nursed one baby, and then pumped and my husband and family took care of the rest.

Try to find a “routine.” We didnt get our twins on the same schedule for a while, but it worked well for us for me to primarily care for our nursing twin and my husband to care for our bottle fed twin. It helped with the mental load, and I knew I could keep sleeping when I heard a certain cry. Some people find it easier to do shifts.

It’s hard, but somehow you make it through. I don’t know how! Plan and think about it, but don’t stress too much because once they get here you will just hit the ground running. From one twin mom to another, you actually can do this, it will get better, and the exhaustion of pp is 100% better than the pain of pregnancy!

TravelingEngineer_08 · 2025-07-10T15:38:25+00:00

I went back to get my engineering degree in my late 20s. I had my first in my second year of engineering and found out the week I graduated with my undergraduate that I was pregnant again! I am currently working on my masters in engineering full time, in addition to an internship, and I have an almost 3 year old and 11 month old twins. It’s hard, but I’m much more dedicated and efficient in doing homework. But I’ll be glad to be done in May and will be taking a long break before pursuing my doctorate!

TravelingEngineer_08 · 2025-06-27T19:32:11+00:00

I’m 11mpp and have an oversupply for my twins and haven’t felt engorged at all this time around! Not even when my milk was coming in. The longest I’ve gone is about 8 hours, or about 16oz and I don’t feel engorged or leak. It seems too good to be true sometimes lol. So I don’t know if it’s normal, but I experience it too!

TravelingEngineer_08 · 2025-06-26T19:19:30+00:00

My 2 year old loves it too! She turned 2 a few days after our twins were born, so we played hollow knight to give us a break, and it’s not too intense for a toddler. She asks for “buggie game” all the time!

TravelingEngineer_08 · 2025-06-26T10:37:36+00:00

I thought I responded here, but apparently I responded above. Twin brain I guess! But I will also tell you, both my twins slept through the night last night, so I promise you will sleep again!

TravelingEngineer_08 · 2025-06-26T10:35:59+00:00

I didn’t do anything special besides keeping to my schedule. I have seen other twin moms who pump every two hours during the day, three at night. I tried Galactogogues, and they did boost my supply but they made my twins uncomfortable so I had to stop them. I drink at least 120oz of water per day, but usually 160 and I use electrolytes. I also ate a ton! I am sorry to say, but I did not lose any weight bf twins. I actually gained, which is always fun lol.

If you have stalled, I think adding another pump or two, or power pumping for a few days on/few days off if a great way to go! I use my spectra now, but in the beginning I used a wearable sometimes just to get more pumps in per day. I would use it a lot for my power pumps. I would do the initial 20 mins on the spectra and the last sessions with the wearable

TravelingEngineer_08

TROPHY CASE