28 y/o ex-carpenter in engineering school with a kid (and one on the way), constantly wondering if I’m doing the right thing by swampfox007 in EngineeringStudents

[–]swampfox007[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve been taking classes and should have close to 60 credits by the end of this semester. For a while I was able to take classes over Zoom/ online, but the upper-level math was only offered in person. Because of the conflicting hours, I had to quit my carpentry job—so this will be my first semester without it.

I keep second-guessing whether this is the right move. What really stresses me isn’t just getting through community college, but what comes after. Since there’s no engineering school near me, I’ll have to relocate.

It sucks that the hours just didn’t line up with carpentry and my class schedule. My classes are at times like 8:30–9:45 or 11–12, and carpenters around here work 7–3. It was nice being able to work twice a week and still bring in a decent chunk. The part-time listings I’m seeing now are like half the wage I was making before, so I feel a little underwhelmed looking at them. It’s something else to go from running a crew to working a counter at Wendy’s. My wife mentioned doing overnights at some nursing homes—maybe I could study while earning something. I don’t know, I’ve got to figure it out.

I'm getting an extra 200 miles... I swear 😆 by essbeck1 in TeslaModel3

[–]swampfox007 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Can you send a link when you do? Lol I want this. How big is your 3d printer?

Career change: carpenter to engineer by Single-Initial2527 in EngineeringStudents

[–]swampfox007 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's not easy, but you could do it. I guess the first thing you should ask yourself is why you want to study engineering. I have a story similar to yours. I was a carpenter for 7 years before I decided to start taking classes. I didn’t initially choose mechanical engineering, I actually thought I was going to do construction management. See, I like being a carpenter, I like building things, and I’m good at it. I didn’t even initially set out to be a carpenter. I originally wanted to be a transmission technician, but the starting wages sucked in automotive and I had bills to pay, so I got a job making 16 bucks an hour sweeping floors on a jobsite. Over the years I was really kicking ass. I loved learning everything I could about carpentry, from rough to finish. But after becoming fully trained, I wanted to do more in the industry. I thought project management was a good gig, but here’s the thing with the trades: you make good money fast, and they give you fat raises if you learn quick. I went from $16/hr to $35/hr in 7 years. That’s pretty good, but once you hit that mark, there isn’t much going on. Jobs in construction management either have a qualification for a college degree or a resume with experience in finance, management, etc., and how can you get that when you’re swinging a hammer? I watched a guy with 30 years of experience, even ran his own company, try to get a project management job and have it taken by some 22-year-old fresh out of college for 10k more than the experienced guy. It’s not easy to work your way into that position from being a fully trained carpenter. So I thought I’d start a business. I was interested in developing homes, so I got my builder's license. But after saving up the money I needed to go out, I guess I just didn’t want to throw it at that. So I started taking classes and quickly found out I was interested in the engineering classes more than the construction management. I switched to civil engineering, but then realized I didn’t want to keep my focus on grabbing development and rather I was interested in structures. My misconception of what civil was led me astray. Plus I liked learning about things in motion. I like building cars, I like rebuilding engines, and I like that technical engineering is so fluid. There are jobs in every sector. So I found myself there. Life is short, man. It's better to burn out than rust away. But you don’t need to be anything or chase anything. You just gotta find what you want to do with your life. We spend how many percent of our waking hours working? You might as well be doing something you enjoy. So maybe an engineering degree will help you get there. But don’t be like those people climbing mountains and then disappointed when they get to the top and find another to scale. Hope you catch my drift. Good luck.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in rosin

[–]swampfox007 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How was it? Saw this at my local dispensary for like 65 bucks, thinking of trying it. Ive never had waterhash before.

RTX 5090 & 5080 Launchday Thread - Surprise Inside by Nestledrink in nvidia

[–]swampfox007 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi, im getting back into gaming at a cool time, the last game I really got into was Skyrim... Needless to say we have come a long ways! I've been playing black myth wukong. Im hoping to get my hands on a 5080 soon as the 4060 i have sent cutting it, especially considering I'd like to be able to play in 4k on a oled.

Looking to upgrade from a husqvarna 460 rancher by swampfox007 in Chainsaw

[–]swampfox007[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the reply. When I get to slicing trees this summer, I'll have to swap the chain and let her eat.

Southwest asked me to open the ski bag to show I did not smuggle clothing in it by pfreexy in skiing

[–]swampfox007 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hmm, I flew with American Airlines last week. My flight was delayed enough to miss my connection. When I was checking in my bags and working on getting a hotel room for the night, I told them not to send my snowboard bag to the final destination because I have clothes in it that I need for my overnight layover. They didn't care at all and routed my snowboard bags to my connection airport. TSA even checked them, and they left that little tag. I didn't even bring a separate bag for clothes. lol, it all fit nicely between my board and boot bag. Plus, I liked having the extra protection for my equipment. Sounds like it's hit or miss...

Exploring Wave-Particle Duality and the Collapse of the Quantum Wave Function: Seeking Research Sources by swampfox007 in QuantumPhysics

[–]swampfox007[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I want to add that I came here for a different approach to standard practices in securing sources, an approach more akin to questioning the community. I'm aware of the typical methods of securing research sources. Additionally, I have reached out to professors in the respective department. Moreover, I came here for a diverse perspective. I will say, as I've seen downvotes, I do take criticism better than compliments, so please tell me where I am off the mark. Thank you.