Member-only story
Why I Dropped Out of My Engineering PhD
and Pursued a Diploma in Photography
They say, “Fake it until you make it.”
Well, I did.
I faked it, but I didn’t quite make it.
After 35 years of pushing here and there, trying with every way possible to develop a passion for engineering I realized it wasn’t for me. But kept at it for the money.
After all that investment in a career that I knew from the beginning didn’t fit me, I finally dropped my entire engineering career.
I knew since day one that this was not for me, but I didn’t know what else to do.
I earned one bachelor’s and two master’s degrees in engineering and was in my first year of a PhD program in engineering.
I had enough.
At 35 years old, I knew I wasn’t meant to work in this field.
I was good at it. I got great grades. In my two corporate jobs, I was promoted and well-paid. I got along with my peers and supervisors. I received two touching letters from both of the companies I worked with. I was doing well.
