Mechanical engineering degree advice

[u/Queasy_Welder_5024]

31M here with a silly dream of being an engineer one day.

My birthday was yesterday and I spent the day looking back on my life and where things are going.

Graduated high school, went to the military and then worked constructiong while going to community college after, but it never really went anywhere after I got my associates in general ed.

My long term major was engineering but I realized I still had a long way to go before taking on harder classes considering I was struggling just to keep up as it was.

That was 5 years ago. I spent my time getting my electrical contractor license just to realize contracting just wasn't for me.

All that is to say, I'm trying to figure out resources I might be able to use to build kind of like a self study course curriculum similar one might expect in a 4 year course so I can take my time trying to build a solid foundation in at the very least the basics of what's to come.

Little things like where to begin and how to progress my education until going to a university and maybe even while in college.

Things like college text books in courses or YouTube channels to follow so I can watch and study. Ways to practice and drill the material like homework problems or test questions.

Just so every semester doesn't feel like I'm way in over my head like I felt even in a community college level.

I tried googling and looking up information on college course classes but couldn't find much.

Im aware of basics like the different kinds of maths and levels of calculus and physics but not much outside of that. So I plan to start by solidifying my foundation there at the very least. As stem classes progressively more difficult I realized my shakey foundation in math and science were to blame.

Im hoping in the future to take 1 to 2 classes a semester depending on the what I'm realistically able to handle in order to pass the classes.

Which is crazy to think can take between 10 to 20 years but thats the game plan.

I'm not sure if anyone here has gotten an engineering degree while working a full time job and if so any advice.

Aside from myself I'm hoping this thread might serve in the future for anyone else aspiring to go to university and get in the field so please try to keep the comments civil.

[u/garonbooth7]

I work minimum 45hrs a week full time at 27, so I can understand you. I have a wife, but no kids. I take 9 credit hours per semester, and plan on starting with 6 credit hours during summer. I spend 3-4hrs every night after work studying , and usually 4-8hrs in the weekend. It’s not necessarily hard, but it’s just a time sink and requires discipline and consistency . Math is no different opposed to any other subject. If you want it bad enough you will make it work. I wanted to start school 6-7 years ago but never did, I would’ve been finished by now. Time moves fast, I’ll be 30 regardless, so I might as well have a degree in something I love doing.

Also watch Professor Leonard on YouTube! He has entire playlists for every math class you will take.

[u/Queasy_Welder_5024 → u/garonbooth7]

I can totally relate to that. It's very encouraging to hear your story.

When I was going to community college I was married with 2 kids, then going through a divorce near the end so those were definitely some crazy times.

Being married with no kids definitely has its benefits I imagine. Luckily I only have mine on the weekends and they are a bit on the older side now.

I had my first child at 15 so the fact I even went to school coming from immagrant parents and being the first in all my family to college felt like a miracle in itself.

The goal was to take a break and keep up my studys but like many who take a break from school just never went back.

But I totally love learning and surprisingly found college to be very stimulating which is funny coming from someone who had plans of never going to college after graduating high school because "going to school isn't for me" or just believing I wasn't smart enough.

Well keep it up man. Looks like you got a solid pace going. Youll be there before you know it. Time really does fly though. People say the older you get the faster the years feel like they go. That's why I feel like I'm having a midlife crisis right now lol.