Advice for Returning to School After Long Break?

arohann asks: "A few months ago, I quit my secure, well-paying (but boring) job as a software engineer in India and have been applying to graduate schools in the US, Canada and the UK. My aim is to get back to computer engineering studies (my undergrad major) as a grad student. However, after a 5 year break from academics I'm not sure about my decision and could do with some advice from Slashdot users."

"Here are some of the things that I'd like to know:

1) Typically, how do graduate admissions officials view work experience? Note that I haven't been working as a Computer Engineer but as a Software Engineer.

2) What are the differences between graduate studies at the Masters level in the US, Canada and the UK? I already know a bit from what is available on the websites, so I'm looking for some deeper insights.

3) I'd like to hear from people who've done this, i.e. quit their jobs and gone back to get a higher engineering degree. What problems did you face and what advice do you have?

4) People who've studied in the UK at the MSc, MPhil, MEngg level - how did you fund your education? Were you able to get things like teaching or research assistantships and how much of your costs did these cover?"

Guide to Success

[LBArrettAnderson]

Step 1: Have a tech job outsourced to you, forcing someone else to find a way to get back into school. Step 2: Ask them how they did it. Step 3: Expect an answser. Step 4: Profit!

Interesting

[ravenspear]

Americans want to get out of school and into the workplace and Indians want to get out of the workplace and back in school.

Sounds like a fair trade to me.

My Advice

[Dagny Taggert]

1. Start drinking now to build up a tolerance. 2. If you're married, get divorced; your marriage will not survivce. 3. Lot's O' Condoms. 4. Did I mention drinking? 5. ??? 6. Profit!

On the shoulders of giants...

[NoData]

I'd follow the example of the master. [imdb.com]

"Maybe later you could help me straighten out my Longfellow."
- Thornton Melon

Does that mean I can have my job back?

[Anonymous Coward]

Now that you're done with it, of course...

Asking for advice on slashdot...

[revery]

However, after a 5 year break from academics I'm not sure about my decision and could do with some advice from Slashdot users.

and you will immediately do the exact opposite, I presume?

--
You have been warned once. Do not touch my danish again.

wtf?

[delta_avi_delta]

Is it just me, or did some genius just post a troll on the main page?

Re:Mature students generally do well

[wheany]

Mature means 45+ years old. Teen means ~20 years old with ponytails.

Re:For the life of me

[Anonymous Coward]

American parents are considered a failure unless they tell their children that they will succeed in anything they put their mind to.

Re:Well...

[DeathFlame]

Aren't you assuming I am assuming that you weren't Candian?

Re:Guide to Success

[glass_window]

Haha, I checked out the posts to this article because I wondered how many people would be complaining like that. What I was thinking was more along the lines of:

You took my job, now I can't afford to send my kid to college, but it turns out he/she was put on the waiting list in favor of the software engineers from India that took my job! What will they take next, will I wake up to find one of them sleeping with my wife?

Re:Mature students generally do well

[Anonymous Coward]

Arrogant people are very hard to teach.

but a lot of fun to fail!