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To Uni or not To Uni. Eager for more insight and thoughts in the pros and cons of going to Universtiy for Electrical and Electronic Engineering Degree at 30+.

Jack Goodwin

I am an Apprentice trained Engineering Technician and have been working in manufacturing for 10 years. Starting in an Apprenticeship role building CNC machine tools and then leaving to work in commissioning role for a smaller business working in integrated bespoke machinary. After some nasty health issues I had to stop the travel that came with commissioning systems and started my path into Controls Engineering; doing my HNC and now working on designing, building and testing control panels and PLC applications/development that sort of thing. 

Now, that will keep me busy for the rest of my career should I choose too stick at it!

I have developed however, very ichy feet towards academic study and further learning. The debate I am having is whether to commit a good section of my life to going to complete an Electrical Engineering Degree or higher education in Automation and Controls. 

Aims? To both grasp and get exposure to new topics, other Engineers and best practices in design and applications, to increase my long term employment prospects and probably because I want to complete what I'd set my mind too a long while ago which was to have a degree in the tool belt. 

There are other things that the degree may assist with such as working abroad and eventually teaching, both are goals which I'd love to achieve.

My question is to those who have gone down a similar path or who have insight on the topic... is it worth the time and expenditure, (it is so expensive). Is there a widening disconnect between industry and academia when it comes to Engineering? I have to say I am not often around graduate engineers in my area.

It is such a hot topic, I know. Also, to add I am currently 29 and will be 30 at least before starting on this path. Too old? (That is not my thought, but I might be wrong). 

All thoughts welcome and have a lovely evening wherever you are!! 

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  • I'd say it's all about attitude and the reason you are doing it. The people I've known who've taken degrees late in life (including myself, I did my Master's when I was 50) because they were interested in the subject have been really glad they did so. Those who did it just because they thought it would be a ticket to a better job have been disappointed. 

    It reads as if you have more of the former attitude, in which case absolutely I'd agree with Lisa, go for it! But I would suggest finding a degree programme aimed at mature students (e.g. Open University?) otherwise you may find..to put it politely...that the approach that your fellow undergraduates take to their degrees rather frustrating. When I worked for a manufacturing company we used to regularly sponsor our apprentices through degrees if they were interested, they usually absolutely sailed through, and the University we partnered through always commented how much harder they worked than the students straight from school. Incidentally they very often were around 30 by the time they did their degree. NO age is too late as people regularly prove

    It's worth seeing if you can find any Universities that will let you do it in two years, i.e. that will take your existing qualifications in lieu of the first year. There used to be but I've now idea if there are now. However, just be prepared that if you do do that you will need to spend a lot of time catching up on the maths. But it is possible, again that's what our apprentices used to do. Alternatively you may find some that will condense the course to two years by taking out the long breaks, or, the other way around, allow you to take modules spread over time (again, the Open University approach) so you can work in between modules.

    Good luck!

    Andy

  • in reply to Andy Millar

    My experience was that very few universities will give full RPL for a completed HNC, even though the HNC curriculum does map quite closely to what's covered in the first year, at least at lower ranked institutions.

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  • in reply to Andy Millar

    My experience was that very few universities will give full RPL for a completed HNC, even though the HNC curriculum does map quite closely to what's covered in the first year, at least at lower ranked institutions.

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