Will I Be Able To Work Part Time And Major In Mech Engineering?

Question

Im planning on majoring in Mechanical Engineering this fall at Cal Poly Pomona, but I also need to have a part time job during this time. With both a part time job and school will I have any time to just have fun or any free time at all?

Answer 1

You can do two of the following three things successfully at college:

- get good grades

- sleep

- do anything else ( ie.social life, work, etc...)

If you want work and good grades you will not sleep, nor will you have any social life.

If you try to do more than two things you fail at all of them.

Answer 2

I worked full-time my Junior and Senior year of my BSEE (full load), but my grade suffered for it -- and there was little time for anything else (but I wasn't a social/party person).

.

Answer 3

Yes, there are many Co-op programs available. Check with the finacial aid office at the school. Being a lab assistant, library help or jobs like that can easily be done. More demanding jobs are tough. As another responder alluded to, you will be competing with kids that have nothing to do but study, but it can be done with the right amount of dedication, hard work, and a bit of luck.

Answer 4

You can probably work and go to school in your first two years, but after that - forget about it.  I was doing that for 1 semester in my 3rd year as a ME major.  I usually ended up finishing my homework or studying until 3 am and only got a few hours of sleep a day.

But if yo have to do it, get yourself a few cases of Red Bull.

Answer 5

No, but when you get done with school you won't be stuck working at a crappy job (well, I guess that depends on how good you are at Mech. Engineering and the particular field you are interested in).

Going to school is the best thing I ever did - I was working at a restaraunt during the day, and going to school at night.  By the time I graduated with my bachelors in electronics engineering I was doing field service work on Apple computers (working through eastman kodak).

After doing a wide variety of other jobs (mostly industrial electronics and 3-axis router/plasma cutter equipment), I've been at a decent sized Architectural/Engineering firm doing Electrical design for nearly 4 years - after working for another engineer for nearly 3.

I've gotten to design electrical and lighting systems for schools, banks, offices, medical facilities, industrial, manufacturing, auto dealerships.

All because I was smart, and went school.  You are only going to get older, and it's only going to get harder.

The one gaurantee in life.