I would like to apologize in advance if this post sounds stupid to most people here in the forum.
I really like Math and Science since I was in high school and so I have been planning to major Engineering. First of all, I didn’t grow up here in the US and I finished my high school back home. I’m currently taking classes at a community college. I am done with Calc 1, 2 and 3, Engineering Physics 1 and 2, Differential Equations, Engineering Mechanics (Statics) and General Chemistry. My current GPA is 3.49. I have been admitted to an Engineering School which I am planning to start this fall. My problem is, I am already a mom, and so I have to work full time. Right now my job is not related to engineering field. I am worried that if I pursue Engineering, it would be hard for me to get a job afterwards because of my current situation.
I would really appreciate honest opinions and advices.
Thank you very much!
How old is the child. Do you have child care. Do you have a partner sharing the workload of parenting, etc.
That’s a problem. Engineering is a demanding field. Even if you went half time, you would probably need about 25-30 hours per week for classtime and homework.
Not sure what you mean. I think it would be hard to complete a degree in engineering in your current situation. However, if you do and do reasonably well, I don’t understand what situation would make it hard for you to get a job. There are plenty of engineers who are parents.
How’d you get through community college?
Won’t the same strategies work for engineering school?
@ClassicRockerDad: I finished my pre-engineering courses with A’s and B’s while taking care of my son and working full time. I worry more about getting a job after I finish the degree. I’m a bit concerned employers would always prefer those fresh graduates who are not moms over me because of the notion " moms would always prioritize their family over work"
@ClassicRockerDad: I finished my pre-engineering courses with A’s and B’s while taking care of my son and working full time. I worry more about getting a job after I finish the degree. I’m a bit concerned employers would always prefer those fresh graduates who are not moms over me because of the notion " moms would always prioritize their family over work"
As @ClassicRockerDad said, the rigor, and thus the demand on your time to study, gets harder as you go. It will be tough to work full time, raise a child, and study, even if you’re a part time student. With that said, you’ve made it this far. That’s very admirable.
As for getting a job with a child, if you work in the US, your marital status, whether or not you have children and whether or not you plan to have more, cannot be held against you. In fact, employers can’t even technically ask. You could volunteer the information, and in most cases, it will likely help. It’s a compelling story and speaks highly to your drive, dedication, and time management skill.
Good luck.
You’re assuming that there are more candidates than jobs. Very often, that is not currently the case. The most desirable jobs are more competitive, but there are plenty of jobs.
People will evaluate your capabilities. If they are strong, you will get offers. After you have an offer, you should ask how much travel a job involves and how many “extra” hours so that you can choose among your offers.
Agree with @eyemgh. I’m not allowed to ask about such matters. I think you’d be fine.
Thank you very much @ClassicRockerDad and @eyemgh!
@ClassicRockerDad @eyemgh
My other question is: It’s really hard for me to get an internship because I have a full time job, how crucial it is to have an internship before graduating?
It’s all a matter of degree. There are a lot of jobs ranging from research and design engineers, to test engineers, applications engineers.
Research engineers work on the future concepts. Design engineers work on future products. Test engineers are responsible for quality control and developing procedures to verify the correctness of the systems within products.
Applications engineers work with customers to help them solve their problems using your firm’s products.
I think that it would be better to have an internship. If you can’t have an internship, it would be valuable to have some projects you can point to like perhaps for some undergraduate research. If you can’t do that, it would be good to put substantial class projects on your resume. If you can’t do that, take some advanced classes in something valuable, etc.
Basically, your desirability is proportional to the capabilities that you can demonstrate. More is better. A good GPA in your classes is something. Something that demonstrated that you took concepts from your classwork and attacked a problem that didn’t have a well defined solution directly from your coursework but required you to perhaps learn something or contribute something beyond the coursework would be valuable.
One last thing, and this may sound sexist but isn’t intended to be, have some confidence!
There is a gender stereotype that men will apply for a job if they have 1/3 of the qualifications, and women will not apply for a job they are 95% qualified for. Have the confidence that you will be able to learn what you don’t know on the job, and don’t be afraid to ask people how to get there so that you can learn.
As an engineer, you are expected to be able to learn what you don’t know. Have confidence that you can. Almost nobody knows exactly how to do every job, and sometimes the most interesting jobs are the ones where nobody knows how to do it. Continuous learning is part of the job.
Good luck.
I really don’t have anything to add except an anecdote. A student a year ahead of my son, was offered a job at both Apple and Tesla and turned down both to go to graduate school at Columbia. He didn’t do an internship. He was active on campus in an engineering club and in student government and had a job. Do what you can do and it will all work out fine.
Thank you very much @ClassicRockerDad and @eyemgh. You have been very helpful!
@ClassicRockerDad @eyemgh
I have to be honest, because of my current situation, I would really want to pursue something that would offer me more job assurance after graduation. Please be honest with me, do you think I am better off taking a major that is not considered a male-dominating profession like engineering? I like Chemistry too, a lot. I am debating to take BS Chem instead of Electrical Engineering or Chemical Engineering because I feel like more women are in the field of Chemistry versus Electrical Engineering. I’m so sorry if my questions are getting more stupid. 
Gender aside, a BS in engineering is WAY more powerful than a BS in chemistry. As an engineer you’ll make more money and do more meaningful work.
Being a white male, I’ve been dealt the easiest hand there is. I can’t pretend to understand how much more challenging it would be being female. That said, overt sexism, although still present, is at an all time low in the work force. Women have protections that were never afforded them in the past. Certainly there’s room for improvement, but I wouldn’t let that hold you back.
There are some advantages to being female. At most schools there are more internship opportunities for females first and second year than there are for males. Make sure you become a member of the Society of Women Engineers to capitalize on the opportunities.
@eyemgh you are very helpful! Thank you! I will go ahead and take my first choice and that is Electrical Engineering!
Anecdotally, don’t worry about being a mom.
Many years ago, I was doing college recruiting and we met a student, who in his early 20s and a dad, decided to start a 4-year degree. He worked almost full time (30+ hours a week) and went to school full time. His job/home was about 45-60 min drive from school. I don’t know if they guy slept. And FWIW his grades were good but not great, almost 3.0 as i recall. The decision was made before a formal interview (unknown to the student) that we would hire him, because a person with that level of dedication is desirable as an employee. The interview process turned into more of a chance to convince him to work for us. He ended up with multiple offers and ended up elsewhere.
To get anywhere in Chem you would need a PhD, even more years of education with minimal income.
Definitely if you can handle the academics part time, go for engineering.
One thing to consider. are you flexible as to where you might work when you graduate ?
Living near many potential employers will make the process easier when you graduate.
If you do not live in an area rich with jobs for EE majors, then you would potentially have to
travel for interviews and ultimately relocate. This may be true of many professions, but there are
some professions where you can more easily choose your location than others. I think for an EE,
you have to be more flexible than say an accountant or computer programmer.
@blevine : I am willing to relocate when time comes. Thanks for your insights!
@DecideSomeHow : that made me teary-eyed! I can really relate to that. People always tell me " do you even sleep?" I I only sleep for four hours most days with no day off. But I really want to finish school so I am not giving up!! Thank you!
OP, you’re receiving some golden advice here, especially CRD’s post 9.