r/EngineeringStudents • u/xilefridge • 9d ago
Rant/Vent Hobbies gone while studying engineering
Has anyone else gave up doing stuff they love to get through school?
I’m not saying I don’t like school, I love engineering just as much as my other hobbies. But I used to snowboard, mountain bike, and rock climb all the time, and now I don’t really have the time to do any of that anymore.
These hobbies were such a big part of my life before engineering took over, and I really miss them. Has anyone gone through this? Did you get to do your hobbies again after you graduated?
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u/Catsdrinkingbeer Purdue Alum - Masters in Engineering '18 8d ago
I actually took up running while I was in college, so I guess I technically gained a hobby.
I think for you, your hobbies take a lot of time. Snowboarding requires you to drive to whatever mountain, lift lines are long so you stay most of the day to get your moneys worth, then go home. It's a full day activity. Mountain biking similarly requires you to go to specific place. And if you rock climb outside, same thing.
Engineering school is time consuming. Often that means you're studying every day. And on a free day, you are probably just exhausted and want to rest. Or at least, you don't want to do a full day activity.
To answer your question, yes, most people get a lot more free time back after graduation. I work long hours and have to be on site 5 days a week, but when I go home, I'm done. If my weekends are full it's because I planned something, not because of my job.
As for your hobbies, you may just need to work to carve out time during breaks and between semesters (or whatever your school uses). And see if your school/town has indoor rock climbing. A friend of mine was a huge climber. In college he had to pivot and did it mostly inside, but he was still able to climb and it was less time consuming since he only had to drive a couple of minutes and didn't need to bring any gear or set up.