the average mech engineering gpa is 2.7.<<<
At Rice? For sophs? Is that public info? I would love to see that sort of data from school to school, year to year. If that is truly a real stat, what is the average graduating GPA?
OP- good luck to you.
Two tips (since you asked for tips):
1- You wouldn’t be the first young woman who ends up in a relationship she’s outgrown but needs to stick with because the BF pays the rent and utilities and you wouldn’t be the last. I’m 60- and have at least a dozen friends who are unhappily married to “that guy”-- (or have divorced “that guy”). So you are a clear thinking, rational engineer. Keep it that way.
2- It is always tempting to take the highest salary job you can find when you’ve got loans but it’s not always the smart choice. Again- be an engineer. My H is an engineer and he’s taken the LOWEST offer on the two critical jobs of his career- one out of undergrad, and one out of B-school. Both were with the absolutely top companies in their field but due to location, cost of living, etc. they ended up being the lowest offers on the table. His career accelerated significantly because he could afford to turn down the bigger offers. If it ends up taking you 10 years to pay off your loans, or you end up without a car for a few years, it’s not the end of the world. You have your entire career ahead of you- don’t make a shortsighted decision for the sake of an extra $500 a month if you’ve got a substantially more attractive career option in front of you.
Good luck.
I agree on adding a few easy electives to pull your GPA up as you can.
People aren’t necessarily nice because they have to. Sometimes, people are just nice individually in a way that’s different from a HR decision making process.
What type of loans are you going to take? (HELOC from your parents, PLUS, your parents’ bank?)
Just worth repeating, don’t get trapped into living with a guy to make ends meet!!! That is a life decision. Live with someone because you want to not because you NEED to. When you graduate, try to live on your own for a year even if you spend all of your time at your boyfriend’s home. And maybe you will not even understand this until you are much older. Please listen to this good advise. 
My kid and husband have degrees in engineering.
DD graduated in 2010. She had a grand total of ONE elective course each term…ONE. It’s not like she could stack her schedule with easy electives. She had degree requirements filling up MOST of her schedule.
DH graduated in the Stone Age…but he had the same course inflexibility. Not much room for easy electives in his engineering course of study after freshman year.
^ true, but there’s summer… The goal is just to dilute the lower grades with higher ones, even if the classes themselves aren’t needed. A 2.7-2.9 engineering gpa would make a good job more likely than a 2.5. (I’m assuming op will do better work in upper level classes without the non academic issues that caused some lower grades.)
I have 2 more years of classes and hopefully those 2 years help me bring up my GPA.
The first 2 years are packed full of “weed out” classes and I’ve heard the last 2 years, while not easier classes, are easier to do well in for a multitude of reasons (smaller class size, everyone’s in the same classes, professors are more accessible, material is more interesting and relevant…)
I appreciate making sure I don’t just live with a guy to make ends mean. I don’t believe I’d get myself in that position and it sounds silly but I feel like this one is the one for me.
I am taking a couple electives next year (I got ahead in my schedule) so hopefully I can bring my GPA up with those.
Thank you all:)
Meche52, I just have to say that I am really impressed with your willingness to continue to answer questions, even if you don’t always like the answers. You sound like you are smart, thoughtful, willing to accept responsibility, and willing to explore options. When our daughter went off to college, we realized that our advice to her was based on our life experience, the wisdom that we had gleaned from situations we had seen, and the limited pieces of information she was giving us. We started listening, and then saying “Well, I can tell you what I know, but you know a lot more than you could possibly share. I’ll tell you four things that I would do/consider for your thinking process, but you need to make the best choice.” That’s you. I think the people on this board are truly trying to be supportive, but you know all the pieces. You know much more about your family situation and decisions, much more about your abilities and school, and much more about your immediate area. If we bring up a concern, you are willing to think it through and/or research it. That is the sign of someone who will make good decisions. Go forward with your head and your heart, and just make the best choice that you can with ALL the information that you have, and all the information we and other sources have shared. If you do that, your decision will be the best one for you. Good luck to you - you sound mature and focused.
I’m as loan-averse as the next person here on CC, but @meche52 , you’re going to be fine. You’re doing your homework. You’ve put the numbers into a spreadsheet and know what the payments will be and for how long. You have a ballpark idea of what your income and expenses will be.
To others: the OP isn’t truly on her own the way many people are. Her parents are covering insurance and it sounds as if possibly loan interest. It also sounds as if in a true emergency, they’d be there for her. It’s far from ideal, but she’s got her stuff together, and although 80k in loans stinks in general, she’ll survive.