Thinking of going back to school...

[GalacticBusDriver]

Putting this in the "Science General Discussion" forum for reasons I believe will become clear.

A little back story:
I'm an electrical designer working in the mid-stream oil and gas industry. While it's a good paying job with one of the best companies I've ever worked for, I'm having trouble going to work every day. Part of it is burn-out. I've been doing CADD in one shape of form every working day (and a good number of weekend days) of my life since 1993. The other part is the fact that I am contributing directly to destroying the very planet I count on for my very existence. Far more directly than driving a car or buying some petroleum products. I'm helping the bastard tear it out of the ground (fracking) transport it and refine it. Ugh!

The good news:
Colorado State University is starting a new degree program, "Fermentation Science and Technology." When I heard about this my first thought was "what the fuck?" Then I started thinking. Majoring in this, with a business minor, I could open my own micro-brewery. There's huge demand for micro-brews almost anywhere you go in North America and plenty of locations where there are very few/none at all. At the very least I could land a position with Coors, Budweiser or any of the plethora of existing micro-breweries here in the area and do a job that makes people happy instead of one where I'm helping to kill a whole planet.

The (potential) problem:
There's a ton of science required for this degree. It's a little intimidating at my age (well past 40). Lots of chemistry, biology and math. The math doesn't scare me. I've always been good w/numbers. What I know about chemistry and biology (beyond the very broad strokes) you can fit in a thimble. For the most part, I only have myself to blame since I spent a lot of High School stoned out of my mind and asleep in the back of class. Still, I managed to get an AAS in Drafting Technologies in 1993. So, is the chemistry and biology that hard? Am I freaking myself out over nothing? I really want to do this.

Maybe a name change is in my future. GalacticBrewMaster has a nice ring to it.

[Mermaid]

Chemistry won't be hard for you if you're a math-brained person. It involves a lot of equations and concepts that use them. If you've ever taken physics, it's almost the exact same skill set despite the scientific foundation being different.

Biology is a lot of mechanics and visualization. If you can picture the subject, you're 75% of the way there.

The long and short of it is you won't know until you try! For what it's worth, if the degree takes you 5 years, in 5 years you will be 5 years older, degree or not. Why the hell not?

I started my MS program (biology) when I was 45 and finished in 2 years. I had the same trepidation--that I would be dumb compared to everyone else, and that I would suck at it. It took me about a week to realize that I would, with a little sweat, easily graduate with a 4.0. Being older and more mature has its advantages.

But can't you go to brewmaster school without the degree?

[Johan]

I can well understand being burned out and wanting to do something else after doing the same thing since 1993. Nothing wrong with wanting to change careers. I've done it several times.

But there are a couple things in your post that made me raise an eyebrow. First off I get that one of the reasons you want to get out of your present job is because it supports fracking and fracking is generally considered to be a bad thing. I get that. But then you say that you ultimately want to work in the beer production industry because its a job that make people happy. Beer does indeed make people happy. Beer also helps alcoholics ruin their lives and the lives of those who love them.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't do this. But you really need to examine your reasoning. Or at the very least be aware that you're getting out of an industry because on some level it does bad things only to go into a different industry that on some level also does bad things. Just some food for thought.

[aitm]

I have met several people who have started their own micro-breweries,,they ain't that smart. You may be over-reacting. Go for it. Worse case scenario you make your own beer and save several tens of dollars  :)

[GalacticBusDriver]

But can't you go to brewmaster school without the degree?

I could, but this seems to be the fast track to owning my own micro-brew.

I can well understand being burned out and wanting to do something else after doing the same thing since 1993. Nothing wrong with wanting to change careers. I've done it several times.

But there are a couple things in your post that made me raise an eyebrow. First off I get that one of the reasons you want to get out of your present job is because it supports fracking and fracking is generally considered to be a bad thing. I get that. But then you say that you ultimately want to work in the beer production industry because its a job that make people happy. Beer does indeed make people happy. Beer also helps alcoholics ruin their lives and the lives of those who love them.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't do this. But you really need to examine your reasoning. Or at the very least be aware that you're getting out of an industry because on some level it does bad things only to go into a different industry that on some level also does bad things. Just some food for thought.

I understand your arguments. But I can't hold myself responsible for every person's bad decisions. I can hold myself responsible for my own bad decisions. By making beer, I may enable someone to choose to ruin his/her life. By continuing in the petroleum industry, I'm enabling an industry that, if left unchecked, will ruin everyone's life. Releasing carbon and methane (fracking's biggest waste product) into the air is bad for everyone.

[Johan]

I am a person who has made several completely diverse career changes over the years. I've worked for large companies and small companies and I've been my own boss and I've been the boss of a few small businesses. Considering that, the best advice I can give you is to do as much due diligence as possible before pulling the trigger. Lots of career moves seem awesome when you're looking at them from the outside, but many times the reality is very different once you're in the trenches. Find out as much as  you can about what life in the trenches will be like before hand.

If owning a microbrewery is the goal, find as many individuals as you can who are doing that successfully and learn as much as you can about what their typical work day is like. The hours they have to put in. The decisions they have to make. The types of people and types of problems they have to deal with. You might also consider seeking out those who have started their own microbreweries and/or brewpubs or restaurants (if you expect to do a bar/restaurant as part of your business) and failed at it. You can learn a lot about what not to do from people who have failed at it.

Finally I would urge you to consider placing more emphasis on business part of your degree program. Either do a double major with fermentation science and business or do a business major and fermentation minor. I know that the brewmaster part is what you really want to do. But being able to build a better mouse trap doesn't keep a roof over your head unless you can also market and sell that mouse trap at least as well as everyone else who is in the mouse trap game can do it.