I'd like to go to college for electrical engineering

I live 5 miles from the university of north texas, and since I am 25 years old and still working crap jobs I'd like to pursue my interest in electrical vehicles for a career.

I've never applied to a real school, and have only a done a few semesters at community colleges. What can I expect when I apply? I did poorly at math in high school because I found it boring, but In real world applications I am quite good at it. Should I refresh my math @ community college before I try at a university?

You will definitely need good math skills. Go talk to a counselor. They can tell you all the details.

Make sure you find our how well graduates of that program are doing, how well the school helps them find work and all the stuff like that. I once thought that getting a BS degree would solve all my career problems - not a chance. All I could get with a BS in Finance (ugh) was basically a data entry position (even thought my title was financial analyst -total Bull), and even that took like 9 months of job searching and moving to a new a state.

I would like to be a mechanical engineer or something similar - such as in the alternative energy or alternative transportation industry - but going back to school for that doesn't seem like a great idea. Grads are not just handed jobs, you have have great experience with internships or real work experience to get anything. Just keep that in mind.

You won't be accepted into the EE program without a strong math background, but you could apply to the university as a general studies student and apply for the EE program once you're close to finished with the prerequisites. But community college will probably be less expensive. On the other hand, university will probably be more fun...

julesa said:

On the other hand, university will probably be more fun...

Click to expand...

Don't kid yourself.

UNLESS you're the partying type. But that's a maybe since CC students party too.

Auraslip,

UNT is my alma mater.

High school math was very easy for me. I took my first year of college calculas while in high school at the university of Northern Iowa. 1st entered college a year and a half after high school. They told me I should be a physics major. I really struggled and ended up retaking for no credit calculas one a second time because I had forgotten all of it after a year and a half.

Physics requires, as does electrical engineering, a more thorough calculas than most general engineering students. All of the calculas I took in college was 4 hours, vs 3 hours for standard calculas and had an additional 4 hrs a week of math lab. Very intense. I learned to study. Up at 5 am, generally studied until 10 pm, sometimes later. Combined with the required 4 hour labs for chemistry and physics, along with 4 hour chemistry and physics classes. I usually did'nt study a lot on the weekends. The good students studied or where in class from 6 am until 10 pm 7 days a week for 4 years. I was not a good student.

I went to school for a semester, then worked for a semester. This was the only way I could make ends meet which was also very detrimental to my studies. You get to forgeting the math and I always was playing catch up.
Then the big bang, I transferred to the physics program at The Univ. of Texas, Dallas. I went from nuclear engineering at UNI to electrical engineering at UTD, mostly antenna theory my junior year, again, the math was different and I had to retake some calculas at UTD that applied to electrical engineering that was ommited at my previous university.

Electrical engineering is a very demanding, if not the most demanding engineering dicsipline. I went to the University of North Texas and got my Accounting degree there, highly regarded school for that. Accounting is an extremely easy field as compared to engineering. Up at 7 am, study between classes, no labs, done studying at 4 pm, oh, I think I studied some on weekends for finals.

UTD is probably the best school in Texas for electrical engineering, Motorala, Nortel, Collins Radio, E-systems, Rockwell, all here in Richardson, all recruit heavily from UTD, All support UTD also.

Electrical engineering is all math, lots of lab, interesting lab too, by the way. You will learn more every month than you would think is possible.

I did find that UNT was very unfriendly when it came to transferring credits, Myy Godd, they would'nt take anything from UNI or UTD, they accepted my math and my science, no history, english, computer classes, nothing.

So, make sure before going to any community college that UNT will accept those hours, in writing.
You will for the early calculas classes get a better education at your community college than at UNT,
If you are serious, you should consider UTD

chuck

chuck said:

I did find that UNT was very unfriendly when it came to transferring credits, Myy Godd, they would'nt take anything from UNI or UTD, they accepted my math and my science, no history, english, computer classes, nothing.

So, make sure before going to any community college that UNT will accept those hours, in writing.
You will for the early calculas classes get a better education at your community college than at UNT,
If you are serious, you should consider UTD

chuck

Click to expand...

Yes, before you consider pursuing the basics at a community college, specifically look for a transfer agreement to the University of your choosing. Transfer agreements greatly ease out the transferring process and you less risk needing to retake the same classes at the University.

All these guys are super smart. I am not and I chose Electrical Engineering and I could not hack it. I went to one of the top engineering schools in the country and I got my a** kicked and changed schools. I failed electricity magnetism course. Honestly, the thing to do right now is learn a trade. Everyone is going to college. You will be just another guy in a sea full of people with bachelor degrees. Go learn a trade like electrician or welding or auto mechanics. Something really useful. I think college usually a sucker's bet these days unless you are super smart or have some specific idea in mind. I guess engineering would be fine until you are 35 yrs old and the boss decides to kick you out because you are just too expensive for them. That's how it works in engineering. They employ you from age 24 yrs old to 35 yrs old and they use you and then they toss you out for a younger applicant because they can pay younger applicants less money.

Do you like doing things like determining how much water has escaped from a bucket using the size of the hole and velocity of the water shooting out? Even though you may major in EE, you might still have those kinds of problems. Or doing things in a laboratory setting like taking data and then using all these crazy formulas to make conclusions. I just didn't like it. I found out later that I should have just been a computer science major.

auraslip said:

I live 5 miles from the university of north texas, and since I am 25 years old and still working crap jobs I'd like to pursue my interest in electrical vehicles for a career.

I've never applied to a real school, and have only a done a few semesters at community colleges. What can I expect when I apply? I did poorly at math in high school because I found it boring, but In real world applications I am quite good at it. Should I refresh my math @ community college before I try at a university?

Click to expand...

I did one year of electronics engineering at university, I was very good at practical work and digital electronics but quite poor at the analog side of things, like op amps and real/imaginery currents/voltages. Ironically after doing a chemisty degree/post grad and moving into mechanical engineering, I am doing quite a lot of electronics too at the moment.

I'd say it is certainly worthwhile to brush up on your math skills, there is lots of information online. I like to think of math as a language, if you don't speak the language you don't get very far.

good luck.

In high school, I took this test to determine what I should do with my life. It came out that I should be a truck driver. Years later, it was pretty much right. I should have been a truck driver.

morph999 said:

I think college usually a sucker's bet these days unless you are super smart or have some specific idea in mind. I guess engineering would be fine until you are 35 yrs old and the boss decides to kick you out because you are just too expensive for them. That's how it works in engineering. They employ you from age 24 yrs old to 35 yrs old and they use you and then they toss you out for a younger applicant because they can pay younger applicants less money.

Click to expand...

Sorry, not true..you do need experience to get a really good engineering job and you have to work hard but they are there. I got a new job in october last year in the middle of a recession, big pay increase, great benefits and my old company still wants me to consult for them on the side (non competing industries), the company I worked at two jobs before that also told me if I ever wanted to come back I can work there. My future is very bright and I probably make more money than 90% of the people on this forum (not bragging, just pointing out engineering is well paid if you work at it).

The motto is, you have to work at a job, not just get a piece of paper and expect a big salary. This goes for any job.

One more thing -- this web site is a great resource for helping you learn (or re-learn) algebra, trig, calculus, physics...:
http://www.khanacademy.org

I got a c and then a d in high school algebra. A few years later I ended up in a community college with an electronic tech program. Had an instructor that had light bulbs going off over my head.
I found out I actually had a talent for trig and geometry.
I can do the math but reading standard trig books still leaves me confused by the wording of the problems.
You might have better luck with a community college with a electronic tech program to get your core classes out of the way.

hey,

That is something to consider also, in Dallas county county community college in Richardson has a 2 year degree in electronics, I know it includes cad training with a very good placement program, mostly taught by engineers from the area

Chuck

morph999 said:

I guess engineering would be fine until you are 35 yrs old and the boss decides to kick you out because you are just too expensive for them. That's how it works in engineering. They employ you from age 24 yrs old to 35 yrs old and they use you and then they toss you out for a younger applicant because they can pay younger applicants less money.

Click to expand...

That is true to a certain extent. I experienced it first hand. I am a controls engineer and had my own business for many years. When general motors went bankrupt I was pretty much put out of business. Lots of the jobs I looked for didn't want to pay much and weren't interested in a almost 50 year old over qualified engineer. But there are jobs out there that require the knowledge, focus, maturity, and stability of an experienced engineer. I finally found my dream job in southern California.

chuck had good advice.

just keep taking the hardest courses you can find along the direction of your interests. no reason you can't get the circuits textbook and get started in advance too. you won't understand transforms yet, so to build the circuit equations for the amplifier circuit that you use the transforms, you will have to learn some new stuff, but that should only take week or two if you study hard.

I love being an EE and find it very rewarding. It's a tough course of study, but having an interest and passion in the subject is a very good start.

I highly suggest looking at the co-op/internship programs that UNT or any other school you consider offers. Both involve multiple work experiences before you graduate. The only difference is that co-op programs usually have you take some time off to work, say summer+fall semester or spring+summer (usually twice during your undergrad). That makes most co-op programs 5 years instead of 4, but you're working (making money, gaining experience) for the extra year. And I'm not talking about unpaid internships here. You can earn pretty decent money as an engineering intern.

Work experience is key. Not only does it look fantastic to employers when you get done, but it'll also help you figure out what you want to do with your degree. I was able to work in 3 different places over 3 summers and get 3 different experiences.

Thanks for the advice guys. I know it took me awhile to reply. I guess I wanted to think on it for awhile. And to be honest, I still had all my core credits out of the way. This is the first semester I move on to more challenging stuff; trig, chemistry, and fundamentals of programming 2 (1 was python basics - 2 is c++ basics)

I'll be done with my associates in the spring and hopefully transfer to unt the following fall. To be perfectly honest, I'm a bit freaked out by the amount of studying I'll have to do. Even with my toughest class so far (algebra because I hadn't taken math in 8 years) I only needed to study 4 hours a week to get a B. I can't imagine having to study 4-8 hours a day! Not that I'm opposed to it, but I've never done anything like that. All my friends in liberal arts programs study like.... a few days before the exams. And I'm used to the level of free time that affords them. It'll be hard to put aside chatting on the forum, playing in my band, running my lawn care business, and selling ebike stuff on the forum.

Still, I can't really think of anything else I'd rather go to school for. And I do have a year to prepare before stuff gets really difficult.

Honestly, more than anything, I want the fundamental knowledge - not necessarily the in depth stuff. I want to be able to plan and execute builds perfectly. I want to be able to order samples from China, dissect them and see how they work and the quality of the product. I firmly believe, after watching it happen to my parents, that being reliant on large multi-national corporations for my whole life might not be the best idea. After 40 years with a company, they are making less money than 20 years ago, with less benefits, more hours, and very little job security. Granted, their area of work isn't very specialized, nor requires specific skill sets or degrees, but even with an in demand and technical degree like EE there is nothing to stop some one in China or India from doing my job.

So I'm torn between learning enough to start my own business, being some sort of manager (god we all hate those in technical fields don't we?), or specializing in one thing that is very employable at this moment.

I was in a similar situation as you at age 25. I practically flunked high school and had to retake algebra, trig, and pre-cal at community college. After that I kept taking part-time classes at night and just kept going at a slow pace while working as an electronics tech for the Air Force. Slowly, I clicked off Calculus 1, 2, 3, Physics 1 and 2, Chem 1 and 2, etc. Going part time like that made it easier to let it all sink in and I got all A's. I was 31 by then and applied to Univ. of AZ, Tucson and got accepted right away because of the 4.0 GPA. Because I had electronics tech experience, I found some professors who needed help in the lab buiding instruments and through them I was able to get written into grants that paid 100% of my tuition plus $10/hr working in the lab! I just treated university like a full time job: show up at the campus at 8am whether I had class or not, and don't leave until at least 5pm. When not in class or helping in the lab, I would study at the library. There were times when I had to study late or on weekends during exams and such, but for the most part, it was a 40-hour week. The hardest part of college is making it past the first 2 years and having done all those classes part time, made it a lot easier. I graduated top of my class at age 35, so it was a long haul.

I agree with the community college/on-line options to get your feet wet. And don't forget-student loans follow you to the grave. You can be a 70 year old cripple-they still want their money. And bankruptcy doesn't clear it!

All the best.

Like others mentioned you could take engineering at the community college then transfer to a university. Even if you don't finish everything I don't think it ever goes to waste. At least that's what happened with me. I got a AA degree in engineering and transferred to a university but, instead of engineering I switched to computer science (which I didn't finish). It turns out that the building maintenance job I had to get me through college kept getting more and more interesting as I kept climbing through the ranks. When I made Stationary Engineer I decided to quit computer science and go back to the community college and take air conditioning and refrigeration. Can you imagine the advantage I had after all the calculus, physics, and college level chemistry? I found the refrigeration cycle most interesting and I had an almost unfair advantage over most other students. Today I'm treated as an engineer in both pay and responsibility and I love my work anyway and the respect it brings so I would say go for it! I don't think you could go wrong.

ps: They're right about the homework. I've had some busy semesters where I was doing homework 7 days a week from sun up to sun down some weeks and on the computer science side I would spend days and days in the computer lab doing programming at least until I finally got a pc at home.

I'm also an EE, I studied analog circuit design for implementation on IC's. For work I make things like
ADC's for radio signals or DAC's with integrated amplifier for headphones. I like to think I'm very good
at my job, I'm the top engineer at my site of work, I presented papers at international conferences
(the ISSCC for one) etc etc.

I would not chose this field of work if I were young again (I'm 39 now) for the simple reason that
in essence it's a sit-behind-the-computer job which can be done from anywhere in the world. Because
of this there is always the risk that I'll be replaced by a cheaper guy in India or China. Zero job security.

Be smart, chose a direction of work where you cannot be replaced by a guy working in a low wage country.
For things like circuit design I think this is impossible, only hands-on practical type stuff cannot be
done remotely via computer.

Plus, if you take your hobby of circuit design and make it your profession, it's not a fun hobby anymore...
For me e-bikes is fun 'cause power electronics and PIC-processor assembler programming is totally different
from what I do for a living.

Go for your dream, but for sure, get more math before you even try for the colledge of engineering. No matter what, you will fail if you never try.

The worst thing that can happen is you find out where your true niche is. I tried for a BS in biology, and the first few semesters were easy. Then the crowd got thinned to the real colledge material people, and I simply had to transfer to the Ag dept, or take low C's.

No matter what, getting some real, 3rd and 4th year colledge courses will serve you well for life. It's not so much the information you learn, but the training you get in a sceince colledge in how to think. They will teach you to see, where others merely look. They will teach you to solve problems, and how to attack new information quickly.

Though I ended up with a BS in horticulture, it was still science. That training made me the big dog on every construction site I ever worked on. Bosses quickly saw I could tackle any task no matter how unfamiliar it was to me. I could read plans easily, and make it happen exactly like the picture on the blue print.

So take some more math, then go for the EE, and if it kicks your ass you will still benefit from it. You may end up working on wind turbines or something, rather than designing them. But the training you get in colledge will still be priceless. My degree never made me a ton of money working in construction, but I very often had to promise the boss not to tell the rest of the boys on the crew what he paid me. It was not unusual for me to make more than the foreman, till I took his place eventually. Now I do finally work with horticulture again. The NM state ag extension agent call my workplace the best maintained landscape in the county. 8) Took 25 years, but the colledge helped all along the way, even in the blue collar workplace.