Has anyone gone back to school to get a 2nd bachelor's degree?

One thing you will definitely want to look into is the requirements of getting the second bachelors. I am in the process of doing it myself right now and this is how it works at my university (Major public university in the west). Since I was in the school of arts and sciences, I can go back and just take the classes for my new major within the arts and sciences school (1 year of school for a second bachelors). If I wanted to go into engineering (like you), it is a whole different school (school of engineering) which means I would need to take additional core classes focused on engineering plus the classes in my major (2+ years to get the second bachelors). All you will need to do is talk to an academic adviser to find out the requirements. I hope that helps.

My husband did that. He graduated back in '85 or '86 I believe, with a degree in Biology, also with a low GPA because he wasn't focused on his studies. He taught for a while, but never really went any where with his degree. He came back to college in 2004 at the age of 36, originally intending to be a nurse, but then decided to go into Psychology when his first wife left him. This second time he went to school, he was more focused on succeeding and had all A's and B's. He really enjoyed this experience and is really glad he did it.

The only thing he does regret is the choice he made for his second degree, because Psychology didn't get him anywhere, he is still a security guard making minimum wage. He's actually thought about going back a third time to be a nurse, a doctor, or even an IT specialist.

But your choice to go into Engineering will DEFINITELY improve your career options over what you have in Biology, especially if you take the computer engineering route. You should definitely look into it if you are not happy about where you are. Either that or look for another job in your current field, because it could all be about where you are working.

I hope this helps. Good luck in whatever choice you make.

Getting A Second Degree

I've done it. I had a degree in English from a foreign school and then I decided to have a major career change. I went back to school and got a second B.A. in Psychology, with a minor in Chemistry. I am now in medical school. For me, it was worth it. Employers and higher education schools are always suspicious of foreign credentials. Scope out several schools and find out which ones will transfer at least some of your credits, so that you don't have to take all of the classes, including those you have already taken, all over again. Some schools are more reasonable than others when it comes to this. If you can do it in two years, that will be a great bargain. Your idea sounds like a very good one. Good luck.

What about nursing? You could do it if you think you can handle engineering courses. It's pretty tough from what I understand. But you sound committed so you probably would be able to do it. What's the market like for engineering? What kind of engineering do you want to do? My dad is an electrical engineer and doesn't recommend it now. However, there seems to be a great demand for chemical engineers.

I suppose it would make sense for you to get into Bio engineering?

Talk with an advisor at the college. They could be a great help to you. See what jobs are out there. Talk to a recruiter.

edit: I was in your situation and ended up getting my MBA/Accounting. I thought about a second degree in accounting. I'm in a position where I could possibly take 3 more graduate accounting courses and take the CPA exam. I'm looking at my options. I don't want more debt unless it will pay off.

This Site Might Help You.

RE:

Has anyone gone back to school to get a 2nd bachelor's degree?

I have a B.S. in biology, and I'm stuck in a job where I'm unhappy and making very little money. I don't see much room for growth at the laboratory I'm working at, and it took me a long time to just find this job.

I don't think I could get into grad school. I had a fairly poor GPA and nothing to...

It's not as difficult a road as the first one was. Actually, you may find the experience of the second bachelor's pretty enjoyable by comparison - you're older and have some 'real-world' perspective.

If you really can't get into a master's program or if a master's won't achieve your career goal - go for the second bachelor's.

You're going to hear from a lot of people who think you're insane. Keep two important points they're likely to miss in mind. 1) the economy is pretty bad and that's the best time to go to school to gain credentials. 2) everyone and his brother has a bachelor's degree and two bachelor's or a master's will indeed set you apart.

If you take the engineering route - give some real thought to doing a second bachelor's and then staying at it to get the master's. Three years now for a lifetime of serious earning power is a good trade. ☺

Yep. Sure did. I was fortunate in that I took a lot the maximum Arts electives when I did my BSc in Math/Stats... a lot of them being in Economics since I was greatly interested in Econometrics. I was also able to do it in 3 semesters with taking an extra couse each semester (overload).

I went back to the same university and they gave me a really good deal on tuition (because I had a high GPA).

Education is always a plus... but now you also have real world experience as unsatisfying as it might be. Use that to your advantage... by entering into bioengineering or even chemical engineering if you have a good bit of chemistry behind you... that way, your education blends. Real world lab experience is a fantastic thing to have! Be thankful at the very least for that!

I know lots of people with BSs in biology and chemistry. If you go into environmental science or engineering, the biology will be a real leg up, but you'll need more calculus and physics. At 23 you are still very young and will probably do well. Talk with the professors and see what they think. Your done with a BS in a complex subject, and professors like people with real work experience (laboratory counts quite a bit) to go for MS degrees, especially if they can help other student out in something such as running lab test. Check you options. They may pay you to go to school.

Yes - I went back and got a BS in Business Admin and the later an MBA.

Some career fields do require a Master's Degree in order to move to the next tier - Biology may be like this (might even require a PhD).

Engineering fields do pay well even with just a BS - so it could be very beneficial to go back and get the Engineering degree.