Requesting valuable career advice!

[Cujo_Chuckles]

Hello all

I'm 22 and about to finish my four-year business management degree.

Being a foolish teenager that studied business management instead of something like automation engineering or computer science (which is what I think I want to do now) I've used up almost all of my student loan entitlements, so that if I was to study a 3 year degree I'd have to self fund the last year $15k appx.

I would love to study mechatronics or computer science as it's my dream to create intelligent robots.

Limitations on geographic & finances leaves two options of study;

1. BEngTech at "Open Polytechnic" in New Zealand - yet it's an electrical engineering degree with a specialisation in mechatronics. It would create a gap of knowledge in the area of machine learning and neural networks, essential to intelligent software.
2. BSc - Computer Science at "Otago University" in New Zealand - Covers big data, wrangling and machine learning (as well as a heap of other stuff that is irrelevant) but my concern is the lack of learning in electrical, mechanical and robotics engineering that I won't have after I graduate.

I can't do both due to loan space --- Are there any INTPs out there that have taken similar pathways or have the ability to contribute valuable advice?

Which course would you recommend?

Thank you for your valuable inputs

 

[Cognisant]

Use what you've got to make money and learn robotics in your spare time.

Basically you're either making a robot with your money or someone else's money and in the latter case the investor is wanting to make a profit but domestic robots are notoriously bad investments. People have been trying for decades now and there's been plenty of decent robots made but they've never been that "must have" appliance. The closest anyone has come to cracking that market acceptance barrier is the Roomba and robotic toys like the Furby and RoboSapian, but they were only passing fads.

Making robots is easy, but selling robots now there's a challenge

 

[Artsu Tharaz]

If you'll have a degree, couldn't you do, say a one year graduate diploma or masters?

The idea of doing another bachelors after the first bachelors sounds unappealing.

 

[Architect]

What Cog said. You have zero career capital in CS and robotics, you have to build some up while paying the bills.

 

[bvanevery]

Join a Makerspace. Have fun building robotics-like devices and circuit board stuff in your free time. When you finally meet someone talented and disciplined enough at the Makerspace to start a business venture with, use your business knowledge to do so.