First, I'm not an engineer, I aced my major (manufacturing engineering) but didn't finish a social science paper (I had not clue what the hell I was doing, and an A$$ hole prof) and a philosophy paper(egotistical Jack ass prof).
Went to WPI (worcester polytech) in MA, sameplace those Kipware guys went.
Started as a Computer Science major, decided it sucks balls, looked at ME and decided it was a bunch of dipshits reciting formulas, and went into manufacturing, kind of a smathering of ME, management, a bit of EE, some CS, Industrial Engineering and lots of hands on. I explained it to a lot of people as Mechanical Engineering, but you could actually do something.
How did I pay for it? A few scholarships, small stuff, most schools only charge really rich folks and foreigners full price so that cut off about $58k, my folks ponied up about $30k and I got stuck with about $36k in loans, only $10k left to go, I'll be paying $102 a month until I'm 45, and listening to my old man bitch until he dies, which I hope is way past when I'm done paying off my share.
Cool senior projects, me and my room mate and one other unmentionable(the guy drank all our beer and tequila) did the SAE Micro Baja, not the Mini Baja that everybody wants to do, the Micro Baja, RC sized cars. I spent the majority of the first half of my senior year in the shop building this thing, and a full size test track. We went to the SAE Truck and Bus expo to compete and won 1st in design and presentation (most important to us) and 3rd in performance in our class, and won $250. I still say the two that beat us didn't follow the rules, but thats water under the bridge.
After college, or should I say while trying to complete stupid stuff to finish college, I kept working at the same place I had worked since I was 15. I slopped food in a nursing home, I worked my way up the ranks there. Me and my old man ran a restaurant for a while on the side, I wrenched on the side and did some fab work on the side. In 2001, at 27 when I left I would have made 38k, no OT, 4 weeks vaca, 8 sick days, $12.50 a week for a Cadillac insurance plan that included vision, disability, and life, and a 40hr bonus check on my anniversary.
So, 2001, my past room mate and project partner, who moved to the Land of Entrapment (enchantment), came home and we got together, he had stumbled into running a small machine shop, and asked me if I wanted a job. We talked about for about 8 hours at a titty bar. I wasn't sure. Well at that point, I was sick of what I was doing, the people I worked with were getting crappy, my girlfriend should have been the star in the exorcist. Talked with my folks, talked with my friends and some other older wiser folks I trusted, and they said "get the fuck out of here".
So... I quit, gave myself 3 weeks before I left(after my 2 weeks), did a few repair and fab jobs for my old job, banged down $45 an hour to train my replacement (I had a good boss). Threw as much stuff as I could in my truck and my cat, and headed west.
I had been out here/there before a couple of times to visit, so it wasn't a shock, but the M-F, no weekends, that was nice. Was tossed onto an old Fagor/accuslide, pretty disappointed in myself, I didn't pay for myself first paycheck.
So now here I am, 8 years later, me and my old college room mate, with our own shop, 2400 miles away from where we grew up and went to college. We've got a nice building, a pile of cool machines, we're profitable, doing some really cool work (getting sick of it though), we've got some of our own stuff in the works. Just having a good time in this big giant toy box.
Finally have a really good girlfriend, no kids, and no marriages thank god(me or her). She understands that I'm never going to grow up, the toys have just gotten bigger and better, if I can't buy it(or afford it), I can make it.
My 2 cents on college.....
I went into college to learn stuff, I told my folks that when I went, and they forked over the money, I didn't go to get a job. I kept that attitude all through out, so when I didn't actually graduate and get a degree, I wasn't disappointed, a bit pissed, but that was the situation with the 2 professors I was dealing with, I still wouldn't have gone and sat in an office, degree or not. I wanted to do my own thing, and I sort of did, and then this all just sort of fell on me.
I have no regrets (except for some women).