[hndecision1234]

I'm in the US.

Really it just boils down to I've always been enchanted by engineering but never had the ability to due to having to work to make money to keep going. I'm considering computer science just because it would be easier to do while working and recently I've heard it's cheaper.

I do have a 2 years at a community college but most of the credits won't count which is why I said "no degree" but you're right, I can transfer some.

[lizknope]

Start by googling "university_name degree_name curriculum"

Here is my school's 4 year course curriculum including all senior year elective choices with descriptions of the classes for electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, and mechanical engineering.

https://catalog.ncsu.edu/undergraduate/engineering/electrica...

https://catalog.ncsu.edu/undergraduate/engineering/electrica...

https://catalog.ncsu.edu/undergraduate/engineering/computer-...

https://catalog.ncsu.edu/undergraduate/engineering/mechanica...

Take some time to look at the sequence of classes. Some stuff is obvious like Calculus 2 comes after Calculus 1. Look at the classes in common during the first 1-2 years.

I strongly suggest reading every single class description and especially every senior year elective class description.

Too often people think "XYZ sounds cool, that's what I'm going to study" without actually knowing the names or descriptions of the classes they will study.

Circuits 1 was the weed out class at my school. The first day of class the professor said 1/3 of you won't be here next year. He was correct. About 20% of the students dropped the class after the first test. Many of them switched to computer science which I think is a much easier major.

When I see someone say "electrical or mechanical" that is so broad that I feel like you don't have a good understanding of what either really are. That's okay but you shouldn't be making a big life decision with a vague understanding of what they are. That's why I took the time to post all those links for you to read.

[BrenBarn]

Not to say your advice is bad, but I think in many cases course descriptions are so short and vague that they won't tell you much of use. Sometimes there can be useful info in there but reading through every course description could be pretty mind-numbing. What's more informative is if you can actually get detailed course info like a reading list, assignments, etc. Unfortunately these often aren't publicly available, but professors may share them if you ask via email and explain your situation.

I do agree that looking at the required courses and degree plan is important.

[intended]

I know someone who has started a distance masters, after figuring out what they really enjoyed in life.

Getting a degree today, getting an education, is a very different beast from the most common experience. Things I have noticed:

1) It was surprisingly easy to get stuck with just figuring out how to finish assignments, or get enough crammed into for an exam - even if this was a field you actually loved

2) I have changed careers, several times now, and there is a marked contrast between

- a) Having a larger project in mind, that informs your decisions

- b) Figuring out things at the rhythm of the class.

3) GenAI is a pain in the ass. It’s everywhere, and it’s probably murdering your teachers as we speak. Its also a godsend if you want something explained to you quickly (assuming it gets it right, or the subject is covered enough)

3.1) Since you are actually interested by engineering, this gives you a substantial amount of protection from falling to GPT based crutches and habits.

My core suggestion, is to find some physical real world project you actually want to work on, and see your education as a path to making that project come to fruition.

The other suggestion is to truly figure out how you like to study, since that determines how you balance life pressures and education requirements.

[giaour]

What state are you in? A lot of community colleges have "articulation agreements" or "guaranteed admissions agreements" with nearby public universities that give you guaranteed transfer admission if you meet the requirements. You may be able to transfer more of those credits than you think if you jump through the right hoops.

[analog31]

Indeed, if you live in a state that has this, it's the bargain of the century. I live in Wisconsin, and the community colleges are coordinated with the state university system.

Also, the CoCo's are really focused on teaching and helping people get an education and make it affordable. The advisers are trying to make it work for you. The teachers are unionized, so it's a sustainable career, and teaching is their top priority. I've known three of those teachers, in electronics, math, and programming, and they were all happy with their jobs. That makes a big difference.

The CoCo's also have trade school programs and 2 year degrees that are not designed for college transfer, but the advisors are there to help you figure out what you want, and what classes you need to take.

Now this is just my personal political take, but I think our society and the press should take a hiatus from devoting such exclusive attention on the "elite" universities, and instead, focus on supporting and broadening the public college and university systems.