Secondly, it is not a waste of time to study Petroleum Engineering in a country which (supposedly) doesn't have any oil and gas. Assuming you were referring to Germany, just pay a visit to Emlichheim in Lower Saxony. One of Europe's largest oil fields straddles the Dutch-German border. read more
The definition of 'successful' will be different for different people. I would say that first you should go out and have some real time working experience in the field after getting your degree. You'll soon realise whether you want to work in the field or you want to go on the research side. read more