Community Colleges have been around a long time and the savings from living and eating at home with the same first 2 years of the curriculum are an enticing option. Most Community Colleges work their curriculum out with the State schools to ensure a good transition from the community to 4-year school. Some Community Colleges have grown into becoming 4-year institutions. Our local Community College/Trade School transitioned from there into becoming a 4-year College but lost the Trade School part along the way. At Tennessee Tech they still had an active Trade School integrated into the University offering Machine Shop, Welding, etc. Not sure if it is still there now. They also had a heavy water reactor when I was there that has been long gone.

 

I have a BS in EET from Oregon Institute of Technology. The courses are not very different in EET from the EE courses. At that school the EET program is just slightly less broad and slightly more focused than the EE program. Maybe it’s not the same elsewhere.

It would be very useful if you were to elaborate on the areas of focus. I graduated from Lawrence Institute of Technology back in 73, as an electrical/electronic engineer. At that time the school did not offer an BSEET degree. Today they have turned into a university, and raised the tuition 100x what I paid. I rather doubt that the professors are paid even 10x what they were paid when I attended.

 

I'm impressed! Not a typical trade school technical curriculum at all including Calculus and Differential Equations which you would not find at a trade school. A true BS degree to be proud of. Congratulations! We also have a little technical school here in Georgia. The Georgia Institute of Technology which also is not your usual technical school.

Georgia Tech is not what I would call a little school. IT has a world-wide reputation of greatness. Good call, SamR.

 

Just an update about my self-taught challenge. I am going to re-read the books I have first. Then seek out the revision books online, so I can get caught up with the technology from 1996-2017. I found a list of books from Ohio State University at their web site. Here is the link: https://ece.osu.edu/currentstudents/courses/materials. Just click the text books list. I think someone made a mistake. Some of these books are going to be bought since I couldn't find a .PDF file to go along with it. The two must important books are Calculus and Physics. I took the Trig, fractions and word problems, with borderline calculus and conversion equations. But never took the full blown version of Calculus 1,2 and 3. I did take Physics 1 and 2 with a GPA 3.2. Not happy about the C in both Physics that I got, I went through all the basic's of Boolean algebra, NAD and NOR gates, the wonderful bridge rectifier and Ohm's Law. I am not trying to become a rocket scientist, but I am going to have to find a calculus book and a Physics book for advance college Physics. I think all of these technical books I found will bridge the gap. Sad news, I was also told by they wife, that it is possible if I release my old books from 1995 to 1996. The old school could sue me, even though they declared bankrupt 7 years ago. Also excuse me for repeating myself. I am not proof reading my comments and I am searching for Electronic Engineering Books online at the same time. Thanks to Mr. Sam. I am finding more than every in .PDF format

 

Some of these books are going to be bought since I couldn't find a .PDF file

Sometimes you can find an earlier edition of the textbook that typically has very little change from edition to edition at a much lower price. When I shop for books this is the first place I go to: https://www.gettextbooks.com/

And not just for textbooks as the name suggests. Enter the Title (or even subject), Author, or ISBN# and it searches ~1000 book vendors and returns hits for who has the book available and at what price. I rarely buy new books anymore. First, check the PDF site and then this site for availability. It also lists all editions of books. Not just those available for sale but ALL of them. Textbooks that list for >$150 can be bought for <$20.

 

Most Community Colleges work their curriculum out with the State schools to ensure a good transition from the community to 4-year school.

That hasn't been my experience.

When I transferred credits from a community college to San Jose State University, they wouldn't accept anything that they considered upper division. The courses used the same books and their solution was for me to challenge the courses by taking the finals. It had been a couple years since I graduated and wasn't sure I'd be proficient enough to pass, so I took the classes again. They were all easy A's, but it took time and money.

When my Daughter transferred credits from an AA degree she earned while she was in high school to a private university, she had to keep on her (multiple) advisers so she could graduate in 2 years (instead of the 2.5 they anticipated).

When my Daughter's boyfriend transferred credits from the same community college to Oregon State University, my understanding is that a fair amount didn't transfer. It took him 3 more years to get his BS.

 

That's a shame. Wasn't that way in Tennessee back in the 70's or Alabama. When my son went to Georgia Southern which is a full 4 year college, although considered a Teacher's College, he was studying programming. The curriculum there was co-ordinated with GA Tech so they could transfer to Tech with full credit to graduate from Tech and get their Diploma.

 

Just an update about my self-taught challenge. I am going to re-read the books I have first. Then seek out the revision books online, so I can get caught up with the technology from 1996-2017. I found a list of books from Ohio State University at their web site. Here is the link: https://ece.osu.edu/currentstudents/courses/materials. Just click the text books list. I think someone made a mistake. Some of these books are going to be bought since I couldn't find a .PDF file to go along with it. The two must important books are Calculus and Physics. I took the Trig, fractions and word problems, with borderline calculus and conversion equations. But never took the full blown version of Calculus 1,2 and 3. I did take Physics 1 and 2 with a GPA 3.2. Not happy about the C in both Physics that I got, I went through all the basic's of Boolean algebra, NAD and NOR gates, the wonderful bridge rectifier and Ohm's Law. I am not trying to become a rocket scientist, but I am going to have to find a calculus book and a Physics book for advance college Physics. I think all of these technical books I found will bridge the gap. Sad news, I was also told by they wife, that it is possible if I release my old books from 1995 to 1996. The old school could sue me, even though they declared bankrupt 7 years ago. Also excuse me for repeating myself. I am not proof reading my comments and I am searching for Electronic Engineering Books online at the same time. Thanks to Mr. Sam. I am finding more than every in .PDF format

Calculus does not change, and so a slightly out of date text will probably teach you just as much. And while there is a bit of new stuff in the most recent physics discoveries an older text will certainly be very educational. And the other topics that you will need to be familiar with in general are statics and dynamics, at least seeing the equations and what they tell you. Also "strength of materials" is a useful text to read. Some of those texts are able to educate you just by reading them, others are not that good. And you may find them really cheap at the end of the year by posting a books wanted note on a board.

 

Hint: Caculus is batter taken as a continuing ED course. The teachers are typically engineers and don't stress theory.

 

Wow you guys, have your ducks in a row. I am so glad that my post is bring me more insight than I can or could ever ask for. Thanks so much for the comments and insight. You're bridging the gap with every insight I need. I got a lot of response on smt technology first post I ever made here at all about circuits. I had a lot of misnomers and several comments that hit the nail perfectly. I still have a cmos kit or a smt kit on hot air soldering are better know as Re-Work Station. Now with the insight on books, I can feel self assured that I am getting the best educiton of all. Help from techinicans.