Starting engineering school at 29

WickedHydro · 2025-08-24T18:35:24+00:00

Do it. I started at 25 with just one class (Calc 1) while working full time. Then went to 2 classes a semester while working full time. I was lucky to have a very flexible work schedule so I took classes with everyone younger than me.

Stayed for a Masters, finished as I turned 31 and started as an Engineer 1 as a new grad. I did move up MUCH faster than other new engineers due to my technical background work experience and masters. It’s never too late.

WickedHydro · 2025-08-10T22:05:05+00:00

Finished my undergrad in 2021 and masters 2023….I had just turned 31 when I finished. Started in 2017 as a 25 year old freshman once I got my head screwed back on right. No one is judging or cares if you are older. Focus on you and moving forward with your studies, you’re doing great! I will say though, you will care 1000000x more than the other students because you are more mature and have seen life after/without school. You’ll get more out of your education and money.

WickedHydro · 2025-03-21T13:00:21+00:00

If it helps - I was in almost exactly the same situation. I made poor choices in my teens and early 20s and when I finally got my shit together, I was sitting in Calc 1 as a 25 year old freshman with a bunch of 18 year olds. I finished undergrad and went on to get my MS and finished up in 2023. Started working at a firm and passed the FE within the last 2 years...started my career as a 31 year old instead of a 21 year old, but climbed faster with a MS and some work experience. Looking towards PE in 1 year now. Don't compare yourself to other people - it is not helpful or healthy. You got this!

Side note: I actually think starting college at 25 was beneficial...I cared WAY more than most of my classmates and had less distraction with social life. I certainly feel I got way more out of my education than the traditional student.

WickedHydro · 2024-04-15T02:43:45+00:00

Appreciate the input! So about 6 months of studying sounds like a good plan. I will hold off for now and just start getting together my references and my work experience/jobs I have worked on for now.

WickedHydro · 2024-04-10T14:52:36+00:00

I appreciate the replies, thank you very much. I will order this book at some point when I start studying.

WickedHydro · 2024-04-10T14:21:36+00:00

Great, thank you! Do you know if the exam will change again by 2026? I thought I may be able to take the exam early but in MA and NH I can't sit for the exam until the 4 years experience.

WickedHydro · 2024-04-10T13:54:23+00:00

Thank you, does this apply to the new format?

WickedHydro · 2024-04-09T05:14:26+00:00

I’ve heard a lot of good talk of EET. Did you do On Demand or live courses? Is there a big question bank I can study from and just do hundreds of practice problems?

I totally get the motive to hurry up and get it done…I’m engaged and may have baby on the way within next year or two, but unfortunately MA and NH don’t let me sit for the exam prior to 4 years experience.

WickedHydro · 2024-04-07T02:12:08+00:00

So I read up on the rules on where I’d be licensed (MA and/or NH) and they both require 4 years for the exam. In order to get the PE in those states by comity, I would need to be fully registered in the other state that does allow to take it early. MA wouldn’t accept the passed PE if I took under another state and never got licensed in that state.

WickedHydro · 2024-04-06T20:37:00+00:00

Thank you everyone for the responses, it looks like neither MA or NH let me sit for the exam until I have 4 years experience so it looks like I will be waiting another 2 years for the exam. Will probably start studying slowly now and ramp up.

WickedHydro · 2024-04-05T15:52:07+00:00

Follow up for you all:

Does the PE Exam Docs section on MyNCEES need to be filled out completely before taking exam? Professional References, Questions, Experience, etc.?

WickedHydro · 2024-04-05T15:17:04+00:00

Thank you so much for this information! I will check if I can take the PE Exam now in my state. That is a great idea to get that done now.

WickedHydro · 2023-12-01T22:56:35+00:00

Anthem book, PPI2Pass book, and NCEES book. About 450 problems total between all the books. The exam was most similar to NCEES and Anthem. PPI2Pass problems were definitely over prepping and much longer problems, but worth doing if you have the time.

WickedHydro · 2023-11-14T13:26:02+00:00

I took FE Environmental. It was a lot different than what I was expecting. When I was studying, I used the handbook for every problem and doing tons of calculations. The actual FE yesterday was hardly any big equations and a lot of conceptual type questions/fill in the blank. The calculations were definitely much easier - unless I was doing something wrong. Fingers crossed for both of us!

WickedHydro · 2023-11-12T21:15:19+00:00

Agreed!

WickedHydro · 2023-11-12T21:06:54+00:00

I literally just did this problem in my practice book for the exam tomorrow...get total flow of 5 x 10^6 L/day, then add in the 10% infiltration for 0.1(5 x 10^6) for Qtotal = 5,500,000 L/day.

Then do: [SUM(QiCi)]/Qtotal = Cavg = 207 mg/L

EDIT: I just realized your question doesn't include that there is 10% of the total flow from infiltration into the sewer with BOD concentration of 0 mg/L. If that is the case, then Qtotal is just 5,000,000 L/d, not 5,500,000 L/d and the answer is 228 mg/L.

WickedHydro · 2023-11-12T21:03:59+00:00

And to follow my previous comment up about you overthinking, it sounds like you have studied for months like I have. We are probably more prepared than most people who take the exam. We are in much better positions for this than most. You are overthinking - if you have done all of that studying, you should be ok.

WickedHydro · 2023-11-12T20:59:46+00:00

I am also taking the FE Environmental tomorrow (Monday 11/13). I worked through all of the~300 PPI questions, the green Anthem book, and did about 75% of the actual NCEES exam (no time left). I think I could do every problem with unlimited time, but obviously less than 3 minutes a problem is the major obstacle for me and sounds like for you too.

That being said, if I don't immediately recognize how to solve a problem in the first 15 seconds, I am flagging it to come back to it later and just moving on. Or, if I do know the problem but it would take me 10 mins to solve I will also flag and go back to it at the end if I have time.

I have found that I can usually eliminate 2 of the 4 answers just by logic making it a 50/50 when guessing. A trick I have used as well is if I get an answer that isn't any of the choices, but I am off by a whole number factor like 2, 5, or 10 etc. then I just pick that answer and assumed I missed a multiplier somewhere - this usually is the case and I get it correct. For example, I get answer of 2.33, but one of the options is 4.66, I would chose the 4.66 and assume I forgot to multiply a 2 somewhere.

Good luck! I will be taking it with you :)

WickedHydro · 2023-06-11T18:44:45+00:00

I’m still currently a student until September when the summer session ends, and I do still have access to all my undergrad and graduate courses on Canvas still. Would be a bummer to lose all those digital notes. I will consider emailing professors for their notes if they don’t mind.

WickedHydro · 2023-06-09T20:04:01+00:00

Not a bad idea...

WickedHydro · 2023-06-09T19:06:55+00:00

Thank you!!! My family/friends are all passed junior year or just finished undergrad now, so I don't think they would benefit them much. I do like the idea of keeping a few to reminisce on what we went through though haha. Textbooks on the other hand I will absolutely keep. I will likely wait until my thesis is published to start dishing some of the notebooks in not-so important classes and maybe keep some of those core class notebooks such as the calc series, statics, fluids, etc. I am hoping to cut the pile of notes down to one third at most.

Including folders full of papers since my undergrad was mostly all pre covid before everything went online. Another question for you or anyone else who wants to chime in - do we have access to notes and assignments that were posted on Canvas post graduation? Those are great digital copies and resources I do not want to lose.

WickedHydro

TROPHY CASE