Should I finish out my C.E. Bachelor's?
Should I finish out my C.E. Bachelor's?
(OP)
My father (a civil engineer) and I (civil engineering student) have been discussing a juncture I may take regarding my college education.
I decided to go into C.E. two years after high-school, so instead of graduating Spring '13, it will be Spring '15. I've taken all my GenEd and all science classes at a community college, and my last years of college will be all core engineering classes.
The question is: is it advisable that I get an associate's in Science or Engineering from the community college and work a bit? Or that I finish out the B.S. and graduate? I already plan to intern while doing the bachelor's, since employers look for that, but otherwise I still feel finishing out the normal bachelor's is the right thing.
Also, quite frankly I feel bad that I'll be graduating two years later than I otherwise would have. Will this hurt my career opportunities?
I decided to go into C.E. two years after high-school, so instead of graduating Spring '13, it will be Spring '15. I've taken all my GenEd and all science classes at a community college, and my last years of college will be all core engineering classes.
The question is: is it advisable that I get an associate's in Science or Engineering from the community college and work a bit? Or that I finish out the B.S. and graduate? I already plan to intern while doing the bachelor's, since employers look for that, but otherwise I still feel finishing out the normal bachelor's is the right thing.
Also, quite frankly I feel bad that I'll be graduating two years later than I otherwise would have. Will this hurt my career opportunities?





RE: Should I finish out my C.E. Bachelor's?
Also depends on what you want to do within civil engineering. If you want to do structural (which is usually considered a part of civil engineering), I'd go to school right now. The amount of knowledge gained in the last two years by far dwarfs the first two. Others can chime in for other disciplines (hydrology, geotechnical, transportation, etc.).
For the structural firm I work with, we would not hire somebody with only an associates to do anything other than drafting (or admin-type stuff). We don't even like to hire people with only bachelors. Masters is becoming standard for structural engineers.
RE: Should I finish out my C.E. Bachelor's?
Two years late is nothing. When you get to grown-up college, you will meet many more students who did not start when they were fresh out of high school.
RE: Should I finish out my C.E. Bachelor's?
Pamela K. Quillin, P.E.
Quillin Engineering, LLC
RE: Should I finish out my C.E. Bachelor's?
Matt
Quality, quantity, cost. Pick two.
RE: Should I finish out my C.E. Bachelor's?
Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."
“Luck is where preparation meets opportunity”
RE: Should I finish out my C.E. Bachelor's?
RE: Should I finish out my C.E. Bachelor's?
Hydrology, Drainage Analysis, Flood Studies, and Complex Stormwater Litigation for Atlanta and the South East - http://www.campbellcivil.com
RE: Should I finish out my C.E. Bachelor's?
My opinion, unless it will put you tremendously in debt, go with the 4 year ABET accredited degree, take your EIT exam, and have a great career.
PE, SE
Eastern United States
"If a builder builds a house for someone, and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built falls in and kills its owner, then that builder shall be put to death!"
~Code of Hammurabi
RE: Should I finish out my C.E. Bachelor's?
If any of these areas interest you then go for the 2 year degree. Otherwise I would recommend continuing on for the BS
For me the BS took another 4 years with full and part time employment along the way. The payoff in salary, job satisfaction and personal self esteem were well worth the effort. If I could I would kick my past self in the pants to get moving on the 4 year degree sooner.
I personally did not find it any harder to find a job being an "older" graduate (27). Some employers look for an employee who is more established; so in a way the delayed graduation may have helped me.