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I'm at a point in my career where I need to invest time and $$$ in education if I want to advance any more.
I'm a software QA engineer. I make $80k/yr before taxes, full medical+dental+life, stock options, good work environment. I have an undergrad degree in mechanical engineering, and interned at a few research labs while at college.
The most obvious path is to stick where I'm at, keep making $, work hard, improve my computer skills, and either transition to software engineering or project/product management, whichever makes itself available. This might take 1-2 years, cost nothing to a few grand, and have me making $100k per year at least.
Alternatively, I could go to grad school. I previously applied and got into some of the top 50 programs in mechanical engineering, but declined for personal reasons. I think I would stand a good chance if I applied again. Fields that interest me are computer science (but I have no background and probably couldn't get in...), computational modelling, robotics, and bioengineering (I have a background in biomaterials but not genetics, which is where I think the future it). I might be able to get tuition remission and a stipend depending on the school I get into. I suppose it doesn't hurt to apply... But I'd be more interested in getting a master's degree, and financial support isn't as common for that.
The moonshot is med school. My overall GPA is 3.35. I took most of the prereq courses, but my grades there aren't amazing (mostly Bs, between C+ and A) and I would still need to take some biology courses (couple grand), shadow/volunteer, and study for/take the MCATS. Obviously this also has a fairly low success rate, and were I to succeed I would dedicate the next 7-8 years of my life to intensive study and probably graduate with $300-500k of debt.
Any thoughts? Ultimately I want to be making $100k+ after taxes, have zero debt in my late 30s/early 40s, do interesting work, help people, and have a fairly flexible schedule.
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Nice. Sounds like you need to just make a choice and stick with it. Go get more school.
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>>17579485
>Ultimately I want to be making $100k+ after taxes, have zero debt in my late 30s/early 40s, do interesting work, help people, and have a fairly flexible schedule.
well I'd scratch med school of that list right now
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>>17579500
Yeah that's a big problem I have with making big decisions.
>>17579501
Well let's so some quick accounting here. Med school... Let's error on the side of caution and say $300k in debt (4 years, little over 30k for in-state tuition, 30k for living expenses). 4 year residency making about $50k/yr and deferring loans and accruing interest... Then a 10 year plan at 7% apr yields about $70k/yr in loan payments. Pretty fucking hefty, sure... But the salary an ER doc is around $275k/yr, or about $170k/yr after taxes. So I've be netting $100k/yr, yielding $50k/yr in saving easily since I live frugally. At the end of a 10 year repayment + 8 years of training, I would be around 45 with $500k in the bank, and I could easily cut back my hours and work part time.
At a $100k/yr salary ($65k/yr after taxes), living frugally, I yield $25k/yr in savings. Over 18 years, meaning I'd be 45 with $450k in the bank. Hopefully I earn more than 1 pay raise in the next 18 years though... But still.
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Start your own business. Go back to school and learn how to manage a company. Start a business in software or whatever and make bank.
That's how you really get money. High risk high reward, but at least you tried and learned a lot no matter what happens
Or be a cuck and work for Mr goldstein so he can expand his yacht for the rest of your life
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>>17579974
>That's how you really get money. High risk high reward, but at least you tried and learned a lot no matter what happens
And being flat out broke
>Or be a cuck and work for Mr goldstein so he can expand his yacht for the rest of your life
So your the CEO of your own company then?
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