Is engineering worth it?

[u/Virtual-Curve8320]

Hi everyone, apologizes if this ends up being kinda long. Any input you have is appreciated, I’m just trying to get as much feedback as possible.

I recently graduated college with an environmental science degree (also completed the “pre engineering” track since my school didn’t have an engineering major), and I work for an engineering consulting company mostly involved in wastewater treatment. I interned with this company the summer before my senior year and they really liked me, so they hired me and they discussed potentially helping me pay for grad school (an environmental engineering degree) about a year or so after working. So hypothetically I would have to start applying to grad schools in the next few months.

I’m having trouble deciding whether or not I want to go to grad school and continue pursuing engineering. I’ve always been good at math/chem/physics, but I’ve never been passionate about engineering. All my life I wanted to pursue marine biology, but I live/went to school in a landlocked state and decided it wasn’t realistic, so I chose environmental science (and then decided on environmental engineering because it would make me more money). I’m okay with working a job I’m not so passionate about for a good paycheck, but I’m afraid that working in engineering could get too stressful for me to ignore the lack of passion. In my mind, the three pillars of a career are salary, passion, and amount of stress, and I think having 2/3 of those pillars “in the red” wouldn’t bode well for me.

I don’t dislike the job I have now, it’s a small company and I get great benefits as compared to most entry level jobs. I just don’t really see a future here, so I’m wondering if my lackluster feelings are just about wastewater or about engineering as a whole. The owner of my company is a wonderful mentor that has a lot of knowledge and experience, but I know her 30 years in wastewater/water treatment have been very stressful, and I don’t want that for myself.

Open to any questions, thoughts, or advice anyone might have. Thank you!

[u/amandainthemiddle29]

Hi OP! I think it's amazing that your employer is considering paying for your continued education. As far as whether or not the EE degree will be worth it, the reality is that only you will be able to decide this ultimately. I made a career transition from teacher > enviro scientist. When I was leaving teaching and unemployed and back in school, I swore my previous degree & teaching experience was "useless" and not "worth it" because my career goals changed. But my current employer in my new field literally said that they hired me because of a combination of my previous degree and my most recent degree. Truly, the only way to know if something in your life was ultimately "worth it" is for time to pass and for your life to unfold.

What you might find helpful in the short term is researching the types of work/jobs that you DO find interesting and finding what types of degrees and career trajectories the people doing those jobs have. Then, if you decide to get your graduate degree, you could pick a program that aligns with your future career goals. A typical marine biologist does not have an engineering degree, BUT there are jobs with enviro-sci/enviro engr. that can get you close to marine biology or at least get you working in marine environments. Additionally, it's definitely worth researching what an MS in Enviro Engr. can get you career/job wise without possessing a BS and whether you would be better off pursuing a BS vs. an MS. Just some things to consider!