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I currently work a salary 8 to 5 job with benefits and decent pay. I am in engineering school and my job is not flexible which will eventually cause me to have to change majors or find a new job. I do not love my job but for what I make I put up with it. I am considering leaving my job after this semester so I will be able to do summer classes and get done with school faster. I would love to be more of a "traditional" student and focus on school but I am very torn as to what to do. I would of course get a part time job and do co-ops every other semester if I left my job. What is your opinion on this?
I would suggest staying employed if at all possible. There are more and more universities which offer degree programs for non-traditional, adult students which move you rapidly through classes as a group/cohort. Many universities also allow for "testing out" of classes through CLEP and/or DSST exams. Then there are the many degree programs offered by online universities. I understand there is still the limitation of time since you would be working full-time. How many units have you earned so far? Where have you been taking classes? How many courses are you able to complete in a year if you continue working full-time vs part-time?
I know there are options out there for working adults but unfortunately my university does not have many of those options for my major I go to Miami university and I am in my third year. I have done full time classes while working full time and it is unbearable for me. I would hate to have to stay part time in school because I am 22 already so I feel like I will be in my 30's before I finish. If I stop working full time I will take 5 or 6 classes per semester and I will also do winter term and summer so I can graduate in about 2 years compared to 4 or 5 more years of part time classes. The good thing is that I still live at home so the only bill I really have is my car payment. I have been so indecisive on what to do for about two years now
I worked full time half way through school after transferring from a small town to a big city and a new school. I took classes at night and managed OK. I would suggest that you have the right idea, finish school as soon as you can, then find another, better job when you graduate. If you plan to be an engineer that could lead to a very nice salary. I also can relate to feeling too old. It took me 10 years to make it through school partly due to transferring and some medical issues I had.
I currently work a salary 8 to 5 job with benefits and decent pay. I am in engineering school and my job is not flexible which will eventually cause me to have to change majors or find a new job. I do not love my job but for what I make I put up with it. I am considering leaving my job after this semester so I will be able to do summer classes and get done with school faster. I would love to be more of a "traditional" student and focus on school but I am very torn as to what to do. I would of course get a part time job and do co-ops every other semester if I left my job. What is your opinion on this?
Will your job allow you to take a semester off instead of just quitting?
Degrees are much easier to get than jobs...... stay employed
It's not 2008. If the OP believes in herself, has decent grades, and the recruiting at Miami (OH?) is good for engineering, why not? Taking on some debt to finish her schooling earlier and embarking on an engineering career sooner may work out. Especially if the current job has nothing to do with engineering and makes it difficult to succeed, network or be involved in school stuff that helps get the better jobs.
Plus, we don't even know if that job she has is the kind that would provide security if the economy went south and jobs for new college grads dried up. If it was an employer that laid off a bunch of people in 2008, whose to say they wouldn't do it again? Also, you don't know the OP's safety net in terms of family, or other job prospects.
Everyone's risk tolerance is different. Would I advise a single parent with a union job that involves technical work and a possible promotion with an engineering degree that she would likely accept to go full time? Probably not. But a lot of factors go into a decision like this.
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I go to Miami university and I am in my third year. I have done full time classes while working full time and it is unbearable for me. I would hate to have to stay part time in school because I am 22 already so I feel like I will be in my 30's before I finish. If I stop working full time I will take 5 or 6 classes per semester and I will also do winter term and summer so I can graduate in about 2 years compared to 4 or 5 more years of part time classes. The good thing is that I still live at home so the only bill I really have is my car payment. I have been so indecisive on what to do for about two years now 
