u/Few_Airport681

Hi everyone, I hope this is the correct place to post this. Let me also preface this by saying I am from Austria (so within EU), and speak fluent German as well. This is a long one, I apologize. Also @ mods, please feel free to remove this post if it's inappropriate for this sub.

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The CONTEXT is as follows:
I've always wanted a career within aerospace, the space industry, engineering, mechanics, physics, the likes of it, since I was a child. I've been exposed to it my whole life. I finished my (Austrian equivalent) of an Abitur in physics as well and my goal was to actually pursue a bachelors in physics.

Due to personal mental health and self esteem issues, I did not think I could ever succeed in this field. I studied something else instead, not at all related to MINT, and am now stuck in a dead-end job that is making me genuinely depressed and feel like I've wasted my whole life. I'm only 25 and still I feel like I've thrown it all away. So, I figure, I'm only 25, maybe I can still turn it around. Why should my depressed teenager-self be able to ruin the rest of my life?

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The situation NOW:
The problem is that, on paper, I am 100% unqualified for any sort of mechanical, engineering, or even MINT related career. I have never worked remotely close to any MINT related career. My grades, on paper, are horrible. In reality, this is not for a lack of understanding. I was so depressed as a teenager, I aimed for a passing grade and called it a day. This would usually take me 1-3 days of study and not much effort. The few times I did actually put in appropriate amount of time to study, I actually got amazing grades fairly easily. So, the aptitude for those subjects is there. Studying comes extremely easily to me. It just doesn't show on paper, at all.

Now, since high school is also a lot of years away, I would need to catch up on math basics again. I believe I could manage the math, as now for a few years I've been in a much better place and actually want to build a proper future for myself. I've gotten over my issues long ago and am more motivated than ever to make a life for myself that I can be proud of.

I'm in a creative field right now, I have zero gaps in my CV, I've never been unemployed, I never even took a gap year or traveled after graduation. I went straight into further education, I switched majors around, but I was never out of school. In fact I had a job lined up before I even finished graduating college. So, despite my grades being bad and being unsure of what to do in life, on paper it's also very clear I was never a lazy bum.

I should've just stuck to my plan to pursue physics right out of highschool, but life happens. I want to fix my mistakes.

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So, my QUESTION is:
Do you have any experience with someone like this in your field of study, specifically aerospace? Are people like me even accepted into TUM? I have read the application requirements, and that's exactly why I ask. Based on my grades and job history, I'm an easy immediate rejection. I doubt I would even make it to the second round of interviews at TUM. Have you ever heard of someone, or know someone, with a similar path to mine, who actually got accepted into TUM and succeeded there? Is it even possible? I would love to hear your experience.

I want to be very realistic with my odds here. If it's not possible, I will focus my efforts elsewhere, as TUM would also involve moving and different financial planning. It's not like TUM is the only university in the world, or the only way I could ever succeed, but I was hoping for realistic, brutally honest answers. I'm not a dreamer, I want to plan accordingly and properly and if studies at TUM are impossible, that's how it is.

I will also email Studienberatung, but I was hoping to get experience reports here.

Thank you all in advance. Again, sorry if this is the wrong place.

ETA: This is relevant for the winter semester 2027/28. I want to cross my t's and dot my i's before making any irrational, impulsive decision.

Hallo zusammen, ich (W26) und stehe gerade vor einer schwierigen Entscheidung bzgl. Ausbildung.
Ich weiß auch nicht ob ich hier richtig bin aber dachte mir, ich versuche mal mein Glück. Falls das der falsche Subreddit ist, bitte bescheid geben... :') Kontext ganz unten.

Was sind denn aktuell bzw. in Zukunft vernünftige Ausbildungen, die man machen kann? Hat jemand Erfahrung mit komplettem Karriereumschwung/Quereinstieg in andere Branchen in den 20ern?

Eigentlich hat mich nach der Matura das Physikstudium angesehen, hab ich aber aufgrund mangelndes Selbstbewusstseins und Unsicherheiten dann halt nie gemacht. Bringt einem das heute noch was? Man liest viel von Kürzungen, Arbeitslosenrate von Akademikern, ...
Würde mir das Physikstudium, vor allem in meinem Alter, noch was bringen, oder wäre eine andere Ausbildung/Handwerk da sinnvoller? Welche Ausbildungen machen noch Sinn?

Aktuell recherchiere ich auch selbst sehr viel, aber natürlich bewirbt jede Branche die eigene als die beste, und das muss nicht immer der Wahrheit entsprechen. Also bin ich wirklich für jeden Tipp und jede Erfahrung dankbar, egal welche Branche oder Tätigkeit. Mir geht es darum, mir mal ein Bild zu machen, was sinnvoll wäre.
Ich danke schonmal im Voraus <3

Kontext, feel free to skip: Ich arbeite seit fast 5 Jahren im Grafikdesign, hat mir aber eigentlich während der Ausbildung schon nicht gefallen. Habe einen stabilen Job (lol, KI sagt langsam auch bei uns im Unternehmen hallo) fühle mich aber sinnlos in meiner Tätigkeit und möchte das nicht für den Rest meines Lebens machen. Mir fehlte es damals ganz groß an Selbstbewusstsein, Plan fürs Leben hatte ich auch keinen - da bin ich selber schuld und das ist mir auch bewusst. Auch habe ich Angst, dass ich einfach schon zu alt bin und nach einer neuen Ausbildung halt nicht mehr eingestellt werde, und sozusagen zu spät dran bin, meine Fehler in der Berufswahl zu ändern. Vor allem da es eh schon Arbeitsmangel gibt. Aber ich möchte nicht den Rest meines Lebens in "hätte ich machen sollen" rumsudern, sondern will was ändern.

Edit: Tippfehler