Where's WILL?
- Thread starter ghostwriter66
- Start date
How old are you Will? It is not about the money. It is about what the right education can equip you to do.
You will be amazed how easy it is going back as an adult. Old enough to not be afraid to do the work. No day job to have to work around. No wife and kids. I had all 3 of those when I got my BSEE.
www.unlv.edu
When I went to school, I was surrounded by kids whining about how homework got in the way of partying. And complaining about the instructors "I don't know what he wants from me!" Try reading the class syllabus. Life doesn't give you a syllabus, you have to figure it out for yourself. College is like life with training wheels and hot chicks.
I worked a full time job and took classes at night and on the weekends. I had a mortgage to pay and a 2 year old at home. I have never regretted doing it.
Here is what my job is like. I get assigned products to design. I create the hardware and software architecture. Create the PCB electrical designs (schematics). Make sure my PCB layout person implements my designs the way I want them to be. Then write the firmware to make them do what they are supposed to do.
People come to me and ask me to explain what is happening and figure out how to correct whatever is going wrong. Nobody tells me what to do in my daily job.
I have the best job in the world.
Bachelor of Science in Engineering; Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineering is the application of scientific and mathematical principles to the design, manufacture, and control of structures, machines, processes, and systems. In the past, the work of electrical engineers has had a direct and vital impact on people’s lives. Electrical engineers...
When I went to school, I was surrounded by kids whining about how homework got in the way of partying. And complaining about the instructors "I don't know what he wants from me!" Try reading the class syllabus. Life doesn't give you a syllabus, you have to figure it out for yourself. College is like life with training wheels and hot chicks.
I worked a full time job and took classes at night and on the weekends. I had a mortgage to pay and a 2 year old at home. I have never regretted doing it.
Here is what my job is like. I get assigned products to design. I create the hardware and software architecture. Create the PCB electrical designs (schematics). Make sure my PCB layout person implements my designs the way I want them to be. Then write the firmware to make them do what they are supposed to do.
People come to me and ask me to explain what is happening and figure out how to correct whatever is going wrong. Nobody tells me what to do in my daily job.
I have the best job in the world.
I work at a university. I considered going back for a PhD, but the lack of practical experience in the faculty would make for a very unpleasant journey. I read a book a few years ago by a very popular author within my discipline. I already had 25 years of experience (and a college degree) and felt competent in what I was doing. But people kept asking my opinion on things the author had written. So I finally bought the book and read it. Half the time I was thinking, "Oh, that's a nice theory, but have you actually tried to put that into action in the real world where someone has to maintain that monstrosity?"
I built my "Street Cred" by coming onto forums like this and learning, then learning some more until I was the one answering questions. I've been hired for two jobs because people knew me from the forum. Numerous consulting gigs were easy for the sales people when they dropped my name. (I'm completely unknown outside my discipline)
So now what's happening today in higher education? Enrollment is down. We're still crunching to numbers to figure out where most of the losses are coming from. A good number of non-returning students are upperclassmen that went off and got internships before Covid-19 hit. The word we're hearing is that the employers made a full time employment offer even with the understanding that the student had not completed their degree. A lot of students aren't returning because a virtual classroom isn't how they want to learn. Others are asking why should they pay the same amount of tuition for virtual learning.
Prove your competence and the world is open to you.
I built my "Street Cred" by coming onto forums like this and learning, then learning some more until I was the one answering questions. I've been hired for two jobs because people knew me from the forum. Numerous consulting gigs were easy for the sales people when they dropped my name. (I'm completely unknown outside my discipline)
So now what's happening today in higher education? Enrollment is down. We're still crunching to numbers to figure out where most of the losses are coming from. A good number of non-returning students are upperclassmen that went off and got internships before Covid-19 hit. The word we're hearing is that the employers made a full time employment offer even with the understanding that the student had not completed their degree. A lot of students aren't returning because a virtual classroom isn't how they want to learn. Others are asking why should they pay the same amount of tuition for virtual learning.
Prove your competence and the world is open to you.
Those students who take job offers and don't finish their degrees will end up with golden handcuffs. They can make good money in those jobs, but their promotion potential is limited and it is harder to change jobs without the degree. Especially if you want to change employer.
That was where I was in my 20's. One of the reasons why I went back and got my degree.
I would not recommend a graduate engineering degree unless you got a marginal BS or have an area of study you really feel drawn towards.
A BSEE OR BSME from an ABET accredited school is plenty to get a well paid, fun job. Wait till you have some experience and the desire and let your employer put you through grad school.
A BSEE OR BSME from an ABET accredited school is plenty to get a well paid, fun job. Wait till you have some experience and the desire and let your employer put you through grad school.
Hedges
I See Electromagnetic Fields!
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2020
- Messages
- 20,508
At your age? I was well past that when I went back to school. When I got my undergraduate degree, a Bachelor's from that particular university was a great meal ticket. Later, though, competition with higher degrees (even if not worth the paper it was printed on) and openings with requirement for an advanced degree started to matter.
After the Great Layoffs of 2008/2009, when I couldn't find a job I went back for a Master's in EE. In every course, I understood the value of what was being taught. One semester I took four courses, all held Tuesday/Thursday. I studied all day the other 5 days. In my next job (aerospace), I applied what I learned in every one of those courses. I corrected the experts in multiple fields who worked for the prime contractor. That was an uphill battle, of course, but I ultimately showed the Emperor had no clothes, and they had to modify and re-verify a major system.
As HRTKD said, most of the professors are lacking, especially in practical experience. But the theory and analysis behind semiconductors, electromagnetics, signal processing, statistics are useful to understand engineering. I recommend an on-campus degree if you can take a program.
But other than that, check out MIT Open Courseware. They have lectures, homework, tests available on-line for free. You can buy textbooks for $1 to $50 on Amazon because they are "out of date." Ideally, get a teacher's edition, better for self-study.
MIT OpenCourseWare | Free Online Course Materials
MIT OpenCourseWare is a web based publication of virtually all MIT course content. OCW is open and available to the world and is a permanent MIT activity
ocw.mit.edu
MIT OpenCourseWare - Wikipedia
You can also take some individual courses on campus from some universities.
I considered taking Quantum Physics at Berkeley, applying the units to a different school who's program I was enrolled in. The undergraduate quantum physics was quite impacted, but graduate had plenty of openings for outsiders. I didn't, though, because I needed to master the undergraduate by self-study before taking such courses.
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curiouscarbon
Science Penguin
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2020
- Messages
- 3,022
Will, thank you for taking time off. Youtube algorithm pushes people pretty hard. Creativity is not a well that can be pumped indefinitely ? don’t go below 2.2v!! ?
Gotta limit that house battery DoD and put your feet up now and then
️
This month, I’m sorting out a fortune cell build at home for a multiplus setup, and grateful for this forum to go and talk to other people who are studying renewable energy. Love this place.
Gotta limit that house battery DoD and put your feet up now and then
️This month, I’m sorting out a fortune cell build at home for a multiplus setup, and grateful for this forum to go and talk to other people who are studying renewable energy. Love this place.
For people that want to take a few university classes here and there and want to save money, be sure you declare as "non-degree seeking" on the application. A degree seeking program has higher fees. A co-worker found that out the hard way and all he was taking was a woodworking course.
heirloom hamlet
life my way
I think that most people in our culture think of taking a job or getting a job. That is, working for someone who in the past wanted to do something of their own, and then started a company.
But many don't remember the remaining option. Being the guy that had an idea and made his own income source and life around it. Often times, no secular degree necessary for that. That's the life for me. And I think guys like Will. I love learning and being a better man for it, but I would never trade my daily, in fact hourly, freedoms for a more institutional life. It makes me personally feel almost like a slave and follower. Path less traveled for me, and I'll gladly take less income, less accolades, and more backbreaking work, in the name of freedom to choose and express. I really don't care about any badge of honor or even about money. I'll be 44 Monday and have felt retired for 10 years now, with no degrees, a willingness to work and embrace hardship, and intense planning and frugality. Point is, there is another way no one talks about and it works as well and maybe better. I can't imagine a guy like Will doing this life and then placing himself under the requirements of a learning institution, then an employer for approval. To each his own I guess.
I do definitely agree with this, one life, live it. But I would also offer that an education does open more doors than it closes, imho.
I hope Will is socking away as much as he can. It could all go away in a moment. Meanwhile the unemployement rate for people who do what I do has been zero for 50 years.
I make my living with my brain and getting my EE has the best investment I have ever made in my life. But beyond the job issue, I love technology and I love knowing that if I invest the time I can fully understand it. And if I want to I have the skills duplicate it.
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My cousin has a masters from MIT in EE and is frequently unemployed due to being "overqualified". That's what I'm told.
It is doubtful that youtube collapses any time soon. Seems to be growing in leaps and bounds. Think Yahoo will bounce back and body slam Google and youtube?
I just don't understand people telling an entrepreneur what to do. He isn't 16, I mean he looks at least 22.
It is doubtful that youtube collapses any time soon. Seems to be growing in leaps and bounds. Think Yahoo will bounce back and body slam Google and youtube?
I just don't understand people telling an entrepreneur what to do. He isn't 16, I mean he looks at least 22.
Currently, I make over 80K per month, and 99% of it is going towards my next home purchase. I do not like to store money. It is a liability dependent on the reckless habits of our current government. USD index value has been down for the last five months due to our reckless money printing and national deficit: https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/DXY:CUR
Also, take a look at our current monetary supply: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/M1
American dollars are still "good" to hold for now, but not to be trusted in the future. I would rather own assets and precious metals.
I am not a fan of cryptocurrency either. It is inefficient and not backed by anything (similar to fiat). I could see myself buying a gold backed crypto, but nothing else.
I also do not agree with the various forms of welfare we have today. More welfare = more crime and inequality. America loves to "bailout" corporations that do not deserve it, in my opinion. I am tired of using our tax money to fund zombie companies. They should be allowed to fail.
I am sure that some people will disagree with what I stated, but I am pretty firm on all of these points and I can expand on them if you need me to.
Also, take a look at our current monetary supply: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/M1
American dollars are still "good" to hold for now, but not to be trusted in the future. I would rather own assets and precious metals.
I am not a fan of cryptocurrency either. It is inefficient and not backed by anything (similar to fiat). I could see myself buying a gold backed crypto, but nothing else.
I also do not agree with the various forms of welfare we have today. More welfare = more crime and inequality. America loves to "bailout" corporations that do not deserve it, in my opinion. I am tired of using our tax money to fund zombie companies. They should be allowed to fail.
I am sure that some people will disagree with what I stated, but I am pretty firm on all of these points and I can expand on them if you need me to.
Youtube has changed their monitization policies many times to the detriment of content providers. No reason they couldn't do it again.
I find it telling that you take offence at me giving Will advice, yet feel it is appropriate to tell me what to do.
I would probably go to med school if I went back to university. That was my original inclination, and I finished the pre-med requirements in college.
I LOVE electricity and science, but I prefer doing that for fun.
I would love to get a degree in medicine because the work is extremely rewarding. And there is always so much to learn.
Many of my engineer friends voice concerns of extreme burn out from the nature of their work. I could not imagine creating something on my own, then a company owns full rights to my intellectual property. This is a big reason I never wanted to become a full-blown engineer.
I would love to be a systems engineer, or own an engineering firm. But being an engineer does not sound like my cup of tea.
I LOVE electricity and science, but I prefer doing that for fun.
I would love to get a degree in medicine because the work is extremely rewarding. And there is always so much to learn.
Many of my engineer friends voice concerns of extreme burn out from the nature of their work. I could not imagine creating something on my own, then a company owns full rights to my intellectual property. This is a big reason I never wanted to become a full-blown engineer.
I would love to be a systems engineer, or own an engineering firm. But being an engineer does not sound like my cup of tea.
Glad to hear you are being financially prudent. You have to treat this like being a professional athlete or a movie star. You can be hot for a while, but you have to be prepared for it to all go away.
That is why I will NEVER trust youtube ad revenue. Only 10% of my income is from youtube. We never know what youtube will do next. They could shut down my channel tomorrow.
That is another reason why I started this forum. I could easily upload all of my videos here and help people directly.
My main income is affiliate programs and book royalties. I own the rights to my videos and books for a very very long time. I have everything backed up on multiple hard drives in my safe. I will have multiple safes soon for redundancy.
And this forum is not for making money, and I will pay for its hosting fees till the day I die. I do not need this forum to grow or succeed. I just want it to be a truly open platform free from advertising. The world needs it.
I am always expecting my income to go to zero tomorrow. That is why I paid off my house 100%. All of my money is going into assets or precious metals. And fun science projects haha :D
