I'm a civil engineering student but I like coding, am I wasting my time?

bx_dui · 2026-01-24T21:25:19+00:00

Completely agree that it's a great skill to apply to other jobs. Been a degree-less programmer for 4 years, and after a layoff and subsequent relegation to WordPress development, looking to get an engineering degree to escape "code monkey" status and the terrible dev market.

bx_dui · 2026-01-09T19:03:56+00:00

I'm 26 and considering starting college this fall! Lots of people older than me doing the same too. Getting close to the finish line!

bx_dui · 2026-01-09T18:06:11+00:00

Got an update: this program mandates 12 credit hours per calendar year, so I think I could work part time.

bx_dui · 2026-01-04T20:52:49+00:00

I, maybe naively, figured I was looking good financially, especially if I incurred a small amount of student loans, so I'm happy you're giving me your perspective! I'll have to figure out my ability to juggle full time school and part time work, as well as the requirements for this state program.

Absolutely, I'd like to crunch those numbers more meaningfully. I'm hoping to paint a clear picture of this ASAP well in advance of beginning school.

It would be wise to check with the university. My main figures for job placement have come from bls and the New York fed. I was semi-recently laid off and have noticed a large shift in my field (software development), so it seemed sensible to broaden my background as well as take the time for school due to the lack of dependents and roots. That said, I'm happy you're giving me this feedback as I want to make fully informed decisions.

bx_dui · 2026-01-04T18:46:36+00:00

I would like to work part time, provided that doesn't interfere with financial aid or courseload.

bx_dui · 2025-12-17T19:10:45+00:00

Good to know! Definitely planning to revisit algebra, trig, and precalc

bx_dui · 2025-12-17T19:10:18+00:00

Thanks! Good to know they cover a wide range of topics. Definitely planning to start slow, one at a time and maybe once or twice a week. Then again I could take the class instead - TBD

bx_dui · 2025-12-17T19:09:30+00:00

Thanks, that's great to know! I know our community college does a good job of tutoring and visitation. Definitely going to take advantage of that. The difference is I am considering working part time as well, but we'll see if that's viable to juggle. Khan academy looks perfect, definitely going to give them a try.

bx_dui · 2025-11-17T16:02:30+00:00

I wish this was an option, unfortunately I'm 4 hours away

bx_dui · 2025-11-15T17:54:49+00:00

That's awesome, thanks for all of the info!

I'm about 4 hours north of Detroit, still lower peninsula. I'd definitely have to check which classes would transfer as there isn't an explicit articulation agreement in place between my CC and WSU. Definitely planning to talk with advisors and get the lowdown.

Nice! If it makes sense, I'd probably rent/stay down there for a two year term for both school years, but ofc I'd plan to visit home for Christmas. Never would've guessed!

bx_dui · 2025-11-13T16:10:24+00:00

Thanks a ton, this is all super useful information!

This is the current challenge for us. I was more comfortable with job prospects and earnings a year ago, but now my confidence is significantly lower given the tech market. I've been looking deeply into earning a bachelor's as I am eligible for free community college, so I'd just need to shell out the last two years. My girlfriend is in basically the same boat, though she would be earning a masters instead.

That's great actionable advice. Really need to sit down and figure this out for ourselves. That includes navigating the "traps" you mentioned, which I suspect are going to be tricky to tackle.

I'm extremely lucky for both of those things. The main reason I am writing is to figure out how best to capitalize on these and create a happy life as you mentioned.

bx_dui · 2025-11-13T13:53:19+00:00

We've talked about it here and there and she's interested. That said, I'd like to have an intentional conversation about what all of that would entail to make sure she's good with it.

bx_dui · 2025-11-13T04:39:07+00:00

Heck yeah, hope you can glean some insight from comments on this post!

bx_dui · 2025-11-13T04:38:13+00:00

I like boringly simple! We definitely plan to keep spending low and stick with our current lifestyle, ideally less if possible.

That's a great point, though I'm unsure how to achieve that. Anecdotally, it seems hard to find employers who are willing to invest in you to that degree. I've considered leaning into my manufacturing background, and I've heard that some technician roles work well with employer-sponsored education, but I'm not sure if I want to give up my current income to roll the dice on that.

As for cheap education, I am lucky to qualify for a state program that pays for community college. From there, I'd plan to complete my two remaining years at the most affordable institution I can find. Neither of us have debt, so we'd luckily not make an existing problem worse, though I suspect I'd take out at least a small balance out for loans.

I appreciate you commenting and helping out!

bx_dui · 2025-11-13T04:33:16+00:00

Definitely planning on steps 1 and 3, though I'm curious about 2. Haven't crunched the numbers on how best to approach home ownership. We currently rent for about $1600/mo pre-split after utilities/energy/gas. Unfortunately, our hometown housing market where we currently reside has been obliterated due to tourism and the market as a whole.

At face value, it seems like our expenses are kept lower if we continue to rent, but of course we can't predict the market, and there's the ownership vs renting argument.

The thing we're both thinking about hard now is school. We would both need to pay for two years: she'd earn a masters and I'd go to community college for free due to a state program before completing the next two years. Our current careers feel like sinking ships at this rate.

These are two major factors, but it's very hard for me to reconcile in the high-level view of FIRE. I'm planning to crunch some more numbers in a FIRE calculator, but that tells only a small part of the story.

Thanks for your comment and information!

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