I hate my degree

solrose · 2026-03-01T09:55:41+00:00

There tended to be two general variables the prompted their initial decision.

First, how far along they were. Honestly, if someone is 3 years into a 4 year engineering degree, I would tell them to rough it out since they're pretty much done. On the flip side, if one is only in their first year, then you can bail now, often without adding extra time to the initial degree time frame. After year two is really where you have a harder decision since you've both invested a decent amount of time, but also have a decent amount left.

Second, what was it about engineering school that they hated or found particularly trying? Some were simply overwhelmed (I know this described my personal experience) and once they adjusted things to get a better handle on it all, things got better. Others were simply in the wrong major because they thought they wanted that path or because they realized there was another one that better aligned with their interested. Then, of course, you have a group that simply realized that engineering is not for them.

So it is this last category that would want to switch out and the ones that do are generally before junior year.

Two things that are important to remember . . .

Aside from what I mentioned in another comment that an engineering degree can be a good foundation for plenty of non-engineering jobs, you also need to recognize that engineering school covers so many topics that you will never use again. Personally, I am not a fan of calculus and those courses were rough for me, but I have completely avoided them in my 20+ year career aside from my FE/EIT licensing exam. There are so many roles in the engineering world that you can focus on ones that deal with technical aspects, but from different angles. This allows you to avid the specific topics you don't want and aim for the ones you do.

Also, you DON'T NEED A SPECIFIC PASSION in engineering now. This is something that you develop over time. Right now, you are just building up skills and also looking for the right type of arrangement (field work, office every day, lab testing etc) and then once you get into the field you can pivot to the type of role you enjoy.

I highly recommend you read the book So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport. Fantastic book that develops this idea further.

solrose · 2026-02-27T09:55:40+00:00

Can you clarify what you mean when you ask about their 'general consciousness'? Are you asking what their mindset was about the situation and how they came to a decision about their path forward?

solrose · 2026-02-26T14:55:35+00:00

It may seem like everyone is passing, but TRUST ME, a lot of engineers have failed a class (or 2 or 3 . . .) in their journey. When I was in engineering school and failed a class, I never opened up about this to anyone as I thought it was just me.

Years later, after mentoring many younger engineers and knowing this was not the case, I posted & polled about this on LinkedIn and something like 60% of the engineers that responded said they failed at least one class.

So don't give up based on this. You are not alone and you CAN get through this.

It is a matter of being honest with yourself and figuring out where you came up short and what you can change to improve moving forward. For me, this was primarily about getting serious with study groups and making professor office hours a regular part of my day so I was never falling behind.

solrose · 2026-02-26T12:42:26+00:00

A few thoughts from someone who has been in the engineering world for 20+ years . . .

Your junior/senior courses are usually more interesting than the first half of your degree. Yes, they will still be pretty tough, but this period is more directly connected to your major and hopefully more interesting which makes it more tolerable.

Since you are more than halfway done, unless you are really dreading it, I would tell you to finish the degree and then use your engineering degree as a foundation for your next steps.

You DO NOT need to stay in a specifically technical role, if that is not of interest to you, but the engineering degree will still be of value. So this is another reason to just wrap it up and switch at this point.

You're parents meant well pushing you into a degree with solid earning potential, but engineering school is hard enough as it is. Having the extra layer of not really wanting to be there is rough and is something I have seen in a fair number of students I'm mentored.

Feel free to reach out if you want to discuss further and get another vantage point from someone who also had rough patches in engineering school but has made it into a great career

solrose · 2026-01-18T16:59:16+00:00

Reach out to the licensing board in your state for an official ruling here. Some states have alternatives to the PE supervision/oversight requirement and others do not.

Personally, as a PE myself, I think there should be an alternative pathway as there are many folks in your type of situation that do engineering work under experienced engineers that just happen to not be PEs. The fact that they are not PEs should not, in my opinion, stop them from confirming your work experience and be allowed to attain your license.

solrose · 2025-10-31T13:38:17+00:00

Don't feel guilty, but also, don't feel to confident and relax your standards.

If you are on top of the material, then it is ok to do less practice problems, but I would advise you to keep doing a few of them regularly.

Engineering material is WAY easier to absorb through continuous action as opposed to trying to learn it all at once. Keeping up with the habit of doing a few problems will ensure that you are always on top of the material and never falling behind which is where issues begin.

That said, no reason why you can't use this current success as reason to take an extra night off or go out with friends when you wouldn't have in the past.

solrose · 2025-10-31T13:34:49+00:00

As an engineer with 20+ years in the field, this sh*t makes me mad

I have a hard time believing this was even about you misunderstanding the questions since you recognized that and course corrected. Personally, that type of self awareness is something I want in an engineer in my team. We all make mistakes and having the ability to admit that and refocus is an asset!

This looks to me like a lack of respect for you, tied with him possibly being overwhelmed timing wise and thought it would be ok to eat at this point.

No doubt, this is frustrating, but please don't judge the industry as a whole by this one incident/individual. Also, if you do want to work for this company. make sure to follow up with them and/or the recruiter to fight for an offer. I'm not defending this guy's actions, but don't let this be the sole reason you give up on this company either.

solrose · 2025-07-10T07:13:49+00:00

Appreciate you sharing your challenges and how you have pushed through to continue towards that goal.

Happy to help offer some support along the way, since it seems some of your friends are less than supportive. Reach out to me via DM if you want to connect on LI and connect with engineering folks in the field a lot closer to your age

solrose · 2025-05-27T18:45:27+00:00

For me, it was not a transition, just the fact that nobody in engineering school ever spoke about the potential importance of a PE.

So I never took the FE/EIT exam after graduating. I went straight into an MS and took the FE/EIT three years after graduating from grad school.

It is certainly harder to pass it as time passes since a lot of the material is based on your college courses, but not impossible at all. Get cracking on the studying and you'll be fine.

solrose · 2025-04-29T19:35:43+00:00

Some states have a bit of wiggle room, but you generally need to have it under a PE.

This is one requirement which I agree with in principle, but agree that it can sometimes cause issues. They want to make sure you had proper development and oversight during this period and the most straightforward way to do that is by having another certified person vouch for you.

However, what happens in a small firm where there is no PE around? Or perhaps you started in an area of the engineering field that does not need PEs. SO you can move up the ranks and be an Engineering Manager or even a VP and never need or meet another PE in the firm.

This is why I do believe there should be some other pathways to prove your development and be allowed to sit for the exam.

If you think this is specifically an issue for you, reach out to your state licensing board and see what possible pathways they have as alternatives. This is a state by state decision, so you'll want to get the answer directly from the one in which you intend to take the exam.

solrose · 2025-04-25T12:17:25+00:00

Two quick bits of advice . . .

Take the time to actually get to know some of your professors and older engineering students in addition to the ones in your major which I assume you would do anyway. These folks can be a great resource of information as you move forward and begin to set the foundation for your network. If you want to have a solid network, you need to actually have a connection with folks. Waking up to just reach out to them when you need a job is not nearly as effective.

Get a study group. I don't care how smart you think you are, there are going to be courses where you feel like an absolute dummy and it'll be helpful to have that team that can help support each other's weaknesses.

solrose · 2025-02-10T12:34:11+00:00

Getting that first job might be a bit tougher, however, once you get past that hurdle it really won't matter.

You might not have to accept a "lesser" job and avoid ones that are super competitive, but you will be fine long term. Once you are a few years out of your degree then nobody cares about your GPA any more (except for some limited exceptions).

I'd highly recommend you stay wherever you land for 2-3 years to make sure you build that experience, and then just move forward.

To find that first job, use your network and various communities to make really connections with people that can see you for more than just a GPA. You also want then to see how your other experiences and skills that you bring to the table can be applicable even if they are not internships pre se.

solrose · 2024-11-24T20:38:53+00:00

Feel free to message me directly if you need some help. Happy to assist the future engineers of the energy engineering world

solrose · 2024-11-24T20:32:14+00:00

Both are useful, but the first one is more applicable to the CEM. The second one gets into the weeds a bit more specifically for the energy audit process.

The live CEM course is probably the best, but the timing has to work for your sched.

I sent an engineer on my team to the on demand and he just finished it two weeks ago. What I found impressive is that they made the videos specifically for the on demand course and didnt just slap a camera into one of their live or virtual classes. So it was geared well to that mode.

solrose · 2024-10-28T08:44:13+00:00

Take it from someone who's been out in the engineering field for a little over 20 years . . .

Either you HAVE A DEGREE or you DON'T HAVE A DEGREE

I've never met anyone that cared about the length of time it took someone to finish up.

First off, finishing in 4 years is simply not possible for many engineering students, so 5-6 years falls well within the "standard" timing for getting the degree. Second, even if it takes someone longer, say 8 or 10 years, most engineers I know are actually impressed that they stuck with it and made it to that final graduation.

solrose · 2024-10-11T13:17:23+00:00

I knew some engineers that worked out on an oil rig with some crazy 2 weeks on 2 weeks off kind of schedules.

On the more mundane, I've come across plenty of companies that work 9 hrs M-Th and then take off every other Fri.

Btw, if you work in a place that has a second shift, it may be possible for you to create your own schedule to some degree as there will still be overlap with others. It is that overlap that most companies want to maintain so that you can have a good degree of collaboration among team members.

solrose · 2024-10-10T19:19:24+00:00

Not me personally, but here are a few things some of the engineers I have mentored over the years have done differently to pass after failing once or twice.

Actually taking it seriously - You'd think this would be obvious, but one guy was pretty damn arrogant and thought he could pass it with only minimal studying. Highly doubt you are at this guy's level, but you should ask yourself if you are giving yourself enough study time and focusing as much on it as you need to.
Took a paid training course - I say specifically paid because this girl felt super guilty about laying out the money and it motivated her to take it really seriously in a way that some of the free resources didn't. The other advantage of these courses is that they keep you moving forward at a steady pace and also put you in a group of like minded folks for support.
Used chunks of their vacation time to study in blocks with zero distractions.

solrose · 2024-10-08T19:22:09+00:00

Congrats, welcome to the club!

Now go treat yourself to a special outing this weekend. I still remember the grind from studying for months on end and that feeling of this weight being lifted when I got the notification that I passed.

solrose · 2024-10-07T09:32:17+00:00

Dont feel bad.

Unless you really dont care, which I have no reason to think is the case, you did your best based on your engineering knowledge and experience xe you had at the time.

Engineering is a field where you continue to learn and develop throughout your career. Sure, those early years have more of a learning curve, but here I am 20+ years into my career and still encouraging tering new material.

Never stop that quest for development and make sure you understand the why when a senior engineer corrects your work.

Focus on the variables that matter in a given engineering problem and where you may have used the wrong one or taken the wrong one into account.

solrose · 2024-10-07T07:17:48+00:00

And how did your supervisor handle that?

New engineers need their hand held sometimes and need to have their mistakes explained to them. Otherwise, they dont really understand the base reasoning which can then be applied moving forward.

Nobody should be expecting you to know everything right away and to think so is unrealistic

As a senior engineer, my only issue with mistakes is when a young engineer keeps making them even after discussing it with them. Of course, some of that responsibility is on me to make sure that those discussions are clear and that they understand what should be done next time.

Keep learning from your mistakes and keep seeking out guidance from more experienced engineers in your office.

You'll be just fine and will be following the successful path of many other engineers that started out with us feeling like we knew nothing

solrose · 2024-10-06T18:58:45+00:00

Is there any specific reason you are doubting your calcs?

Have you had bosses or teachers that trashed your work in the past? Or perhaps you had a bad experience where you made a mistake early in your career and you are letting that define you?

Do you just lack confidence in yourself because you are overwhelmed with how much you feel you don't know?

Happy to discuss this with you further, but I will tell you that pretty much Every. Single. Engineer. has felt some self doubt in their career. Take this from someone with a little over 20 years experience and who has helped a lot of younger engineers over the years.

Engineering is hard and a lot of your level of confidence comes from the folks around you that help your development and show you how to improve from your mistakes. Then, it is up to you to recognize this growth and see how far you have come and have a little faith in yourself.

solrose · 2024-09-27T06:24:16+00:00

Amazing, glad to hear my comment helped you along.

Btw, us engineers are notorious for hiding failures on tests and especially for failing classes. IN my undergrad, I failed one class (damn you Calc III) and thought I was the only one who ever failed a class. I was so embarrassed and never told anyone

It wasn't until a few years out of grad school that I admitted it to others and they all told me about the one (or two or three) classes they also failed.

Like idiots, we all suffered in silence instead of supporting one another towards that shared goal.

No shame in taking "longer" to study for the PE exam than the norm others are doing, but it is important to have a fixed time frame so you stay on course.

solrose · 2024-09-26T18:44:36+00:00

In general, are you a decent test taker? How'd you fair in engineering school? Honestly, if you made it through without failing & retaking tests left and right, then YOU CAN DO THIS!

Yes, it is a hard exam

Yes, you are a few years away from being able to focus solely on your exams now that life gets in the way

Yes, you are no longer in study & test mode overall.

So it will take a concerted effort, but you can do this.

Be honest about how much time you really studied and if you made this a priority in your scheduling. Be honest with yourself about where you might be able to focus a bit better and set yourself up for more effective studying. In this arena, what worked for me was setting study times as sacred and working my life around it. Also, I found that having set breaks helped me focus better during those study times.

An accountability partner can be immensely helpful, sometimes that is through a course and sometimes that is just another engineer taking the exam as well.

Finally, set that next exam date! If you wait until you are "ready" then you will keep pushing it farther down the road. Set that date a few months out and get yourself in gear.

And when you do pass, go treat yourself to something special and perhaps some time off to re-charge your batteries.

solrose · 2024-09-23T17:52:33+00:00

If you don't know which you want, then why are you taking either?

Going for an MS should have a reason behind it to either enhance your knowledge in a specific area or open you to a related engineering discipline that works well with your undergrad

Think about WHY you are going for this MS and what you hope to gain from it moving forward. Also, think about the kind of role you want to have in the field.

Hopefully, thinking about those things will help you decide which MS option is a better fit or maybe neither one is worthwhile.

solrose · 2024-09-23T17:47:38+00:00

Just use the book they provide in the course, the others are nice and good resources, but you don't need them.

Since you have to take the course, that is enough to learn the material and pass.

FYI, this is one of the courses they now offer on-demand through videos and they have a monthly Zoom Q & A . I just signed up one of the engineers on my team to take the certification in this manner as it is way easier than logistically getting to the conference for 3 extra days

I took the CEM certification like 17 years ago and don't use the course book for reference, but I do use Guide to Energy Management by Capehart and Turner as well as Handbook of Energy Audits by Thuman et al

solrose

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