i feel like I am wasteing time with my life

[daveinsweethome]

damn, i have never seen so many thoughtful replies and answers. i never finished college but got damn lucky with my own business. only thing i can offer is that it can all work out. it is up to you and your own determinism which to me sounds very grounded. good luck.

[Flash Gordon]

Its not what you know, but who knows you that matters

Flash

[magna_power]

The thing most students mess up (including myself) is getting good experience in the work force while you are still studying. As has been said on here, getting a co-op or internship really is the way to go. In Australia you can get year long ones, not sure about the US.... I'd be trying to work somewhere over very summer. When you finish and try to get a job that work experience will beat out people who have higher marks than you any day of the week.

My outlook on life is that it is all just a game. Like any game the first thing to do is learn the rules, then play to win! This thread has a lot of good advice in it, if you work hard and take the advice, graduating a little later in life won't matter.

For the last few years I've felt pretty much the same as you, that I've been wasting time at uni (I've been doing a PhD in engineering). A lot of people with PhDs in engineering struggle to find jobs afterwards in Australia as they are 'over qualified'. I spent a while looking for jobs, maybe 8 months before I was offered a position, however, my new job pays pretty well and they want me to go back to uni for more qualifications, which they will pay for

It can/will work out if you want it.

Just remember, a job is 40 hours a week for 40 years of your life, you want to be spending that time doing something you like

I wish you all the best

[timaishu]

Thank you everyone for the kind words of encouragement. It means a lot to me to hear your advice and personal stories of your college adventures.

This is why this forum is so great. I have never been apart of a forum with members like you guys. You are truly great people and its nice that we are all like extended family here.

I am going to stick it out. This is my chance, and I am going for it.

[BillE]

Jacob,
There's some sage advice for ya' my friend.

Bill,
What an inspiration you are!!!. I want to thank you for posting your age...even if it's to showcase just what you stated. "One is NEVER to old to learn."

Thank you for your kind words Bill.

Bill

[BillE]

Thank you everyone for the kind words of encouragement. It means a lot to me to hear your advice and personal stories of your college adventures.

This is why this forum is so great. I have never been apart of a forum with members like you guys. You are truly great people and its nice that we are all like extended family here.

I am going to stick it out. This is my chance, and I am going for it.

Bill

[CEE DOG]

Give your best effort in all you do and no day is a waste.

Hang in there bud! Take it one day at a time. Worrying about anything a year away or even in most cases a month or week away is pointless and deteriorates our lives. Of course you must plan and consider it but nce you decide on the best course try to focus on it one day at a time.

Also, it sounds like you are blessed to have the support and option to go through school without working full time at the same time. Be very grateful for this but it's your life and if you want to work full time and go to school full time you can do that to. It just means no sleep.

Best Regards and hang in there! Remember we never know if we will see tomorrow so enjoy today. Rejoice and be glad in it.

[lokerola]

As someone who will finally graduate this year (at, ahem age 42), I advise to stay the course. I made the mistake (in hindsight) to leave college and work in the airline industry. After leaving ther airlines in the early 2000's , I focused on Law enforcement and have fortunately secured a great job in the private sector. The advantage of this job is that the company encourages further education. The Bachelors degree is really a personal milestone for me more than for career advancement.

Good advice. I am (ahem..also in the 40+ age bracket) and only finished 2 years of college back in the 80's. While I currently have a great job, if I had to go back into the labor market, not having that piece of paper puts me at a disadvantage. Stick with school!

[Bigbull2984]

This has been bugging me for awhile and I don't know what to do. I graduated from high school in 2007, I started college the same year. I graduated with an A.S in Electronics and Computer Technology in 2010. After graduation, I had little to no luck in the job market. I have worked only about 1 year out of the 2.5 years since Ive graduated.

I decided to come back to school and persue a B.S in Electrical Engineering. I am in my 3rd semester and recently I began getting phone calls from staffing agencies asking if I am still in the job market. I have turned down two offers in one week. It is just killing me inside. I want to work so bad, but I also want to go to school. If I go full time in school, I would probably graduate when I am 27-28. I feel like I wasted all that time when I wasn't working. I could have been 2 years in already if I had started sooner.

My fear is that I will graduate with an EE at the age of 28, and still not be able to find a job. I will then be in more debt and I will be starting a career at a late age.

Ugh

Hey I didn’t read everyone’s response but here is my take. Don’t think of this as wasting time, you are investing in your future. I know today’s economy is discouraging for a graduate and his/her career outlook, but at least you are studying something that there will be a demand for. The debt part does sucks. I have lost many nights of sleep over that, but I have come to peace with it, I am 28 and my wife is 27. My wife has a BA from UF, Masters in Bio something from USF, and is currently in Med School. Even with her being in 3rd year of med school she still has a long road ahead. And me, I was lost and still am; I am a stockbroker and love finance, I started my MBA last year and love it, but with a fulltime career it is hard to keep up with fulltime MBA. I will be cutting back to part time MBA next semester. Just keep your head up and keep doing what you are doing, when you get done market yourself and start looking for internship, paid or not it just looks amazing on a resume. Goodluck

O yea back to the debt…..Lets just say when we are done with school we could have bought a Nice Lambo….