Bail out or knuckle down?

[MADOGA]

Finish the degree you generally wont get to far in life without some sort of qualification, being a grunt worker sucks.
Also once you have this degree it will make it a lot easier to get another degree maybe in something you like better, and you'll be able to knock that off in less time.

[RB 2 11]

Finish the degree. You're over half way and if you chuck it now you might find that you will regret not completing some form of tertiary qualification down track. I chucked in mine (BSc) and although it hasn't held me back, I wish I'd pushed through and finished.

Even if you choose to go into a completely different field after graduating, just having the qual demonstrates a good work ethic.

I know a Botanist who manages Flight Operations for an airline, a marine biologist who consults on everything except marine life and an ex-barrister (not coffee-maker) who is an airline pilot.

Good luck with your choice.

[Ozboy]

Do you see yourself in 20 years Nige, saying " I should've finished that degree"?

What other choices do you have in these uncertain times?

Engineers are needed the world over and are paid well for their experience.

2.5 years is not a large part of your life, but what you do with those couple of years could well define the rest of your life.

[SzyCo]

Personally I'd finish it. It becomes a good habit to finish something you've started. No one says you have to stay in that field once you're finished if you still don't like it

[XXX3]

Cheers for the advice so far, particularly thanks to Stevo.

To clarify, by bail out I mean transfer course in this instance. I realise a university degree opens a lot of doors and it's a lot easier to get one now with no one depending on me than deciding to study in the future with a house and kids etc.

If I stick with engineering I will definitely check out some vacational work (was planning to anyway, need money for racing) as Stevo suggested.

I am reluctant to throw away 2.5 years of study, but I am only halfway through the degree (another 2.5 years to go due to initially doing a combined course). I could do an entire degree in something I liked in 3-4 years so it's not much different.

Will be giving this lots of thought.

[zobo]

I'm in the same position as you, a year later, and have been asking that question for the past 2 years Engineering does that to you!

What would you rather be doing? Is that a 'I wouldn't mind it' or a 'My real passion is here and I know it but I'm scared to go for it'?

Finish if you can, even if it means going part time. Work experience is important- you may end up like Stevo, or you may consolidate your opinion that the whole career is not for you.

Nothing you do is ever wasted, and you will never end up homeless as a result of this decision... But follow your heart.

[thro]

2c. if you don't like the study, you may well not like the work that the job will entail.

If its really getting to you, see if you can side-step to a different degree you have more interest in, or bail out.

[Griff]

Nigel, see Vincenzo's advice mate.

Thing about engineering is that you can apply it in so many ways, and you can use the base skills of the faculty - research, analyse, design and think in so many arenas that involve systems thinking that the degree can really enable you to have a huge amount of personal choice for what comes next... whatever that may be!

[jackerz]

finish it for sure!

i am doing a mechanical engineering app in the navy.

ive been going a year now, and basically we do in a year what tafe does in 3.

half way through i was getting pissed off because some of it is just pointless, and we get told so much info in such a short time and well i thought it was too much.

but it gets better and more interesting when you are doing something more interesting. i basically learn the basics of everything, and then i move onto specific courses. im doing diesels and refrigeration.

im so happy that i have stuck with it, it is really interesting and opens up so many different paths...

you dont want to regret anything further down the track either.

[R160]

8 yrs into my 3 degree's (enviro science) and I'm almost finished, currently working as a consultant i find it boring as, in fact it makes me sick, but in 12 months I'm finished and can actually pursue a different job once i have the papers.
I'm thinking of buying a cnc lathe and milling machine and going back to my machining trade.

[Revelations]

^uugh, an enviro consultant, i feel sorry for you ...i hated that stuff.

[datsikk]

if your doing 3rd year units you probably want to quit!!!

4th year is a breeze so really you are nearly there. If you feel burnt out, take a semester of and get a dead end job. This will quickly make you want to finish your degree!!!