is it too late for me?

Adrianna,

Please do not feel discouraged just because you are a few years older than what might be considered an average college student age.  I attended engineering school with several, two of which I was close friends with that were in my graduating class, that were in the military first then completed engineering school second.  They were 28 years old when they graduated and they were offered the same opportunities as the rest of our graduating class.  In my experience, employers understand a late start to a career when you show military on your resume.  Your military experience could also provide you a leg up on skills such as leadership, personal motivation, working with others, etc. that entry level students have not experienced as they have not yet “been in the real world” such as you.  

As far as not having taken classes to prepare for engineering…not a big deal.  Some engineering students may have taken calculus, physics, etc. in high school to get ahead on college classes so when they take that class in college, it is a repeat of information.  So in theory, those classes may be easier for them than for you who has never seen the information, but that is not a prerequisite and certainly should not be a deterrent.  It just may mean, you might have to work a little harder in your studies in order to pass the classes.

A tattoo on your arm could be cause for some concern if you pursue a professional office job in engineering where suits or business attire is required.  A tattoo could be viewed as not being professional by some people.  Therefore, I would recommend keeping it covered especially on interviews and professional meetings.  If you pursue an engineering career in something like construction or industry, showing a tattoo on your arm might not be of any concern.  You do not want to get labeled unjustly just because of a tattoo so you will have to do your best on feeling your way through on whether to show it or not. 

If you pursue engineering, which I hope that you do, talk to your college councilors and professors.  Ask about on campus opportunities, professional societies, volunteer opportunities, and engineering groups that you could participate in to expand your resume.  An example is that I worked in our environmental engineering lab for two years in college.  Mostly my job consisted of washing test tubes for experiments run by the professors, but I was at least able to show it on my resume that I had some experience in an engineering setting and those professors recommended me as a hard worker.  You need to build your resume so that by the time you graduate, you have something to show your potential employers that you have been involved, committed, and willing to participate in the opportunities presented to you during college.  Professors also know a lot of other engineers in the business.  They make for great references when you graduate so any opportunity you get to interact with them so they actually know who you are and your hardworking capabilities is going to benefit you in the long run.

I wish you the best of luck.