Am I Going in the Right Direction?

Undefined abbreviations:

• G.P.A
• ASU
• M.I.T

Ban abbreviations ASAP.

Give up on this one, you need to be American to understand the system, but I am sure the OP would appreciate any words of wisdom on the general direction he is taking.

<...need to be American to understand the system...>

Oh, surely not!

GPA Grade point average

ASU and MIT are Institutes of higher learning Arizona State University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Thanks for that.

If any American wants to know what UMIST stands for, it's the University of Manchester Institute for Science and Technology; one doesn't need to be a British Citizen to understand it.

Ban abbreviations ASAP!

Have you heard of the SouthHampton Institute of Technology?

It's a great place to major in rocking!

Dunno, but it's good to hear your enthusiasm, and that you are doing the hands on stuff.

It probably doesn't matter a jot what order you do stuff in, as your career path will unfold before you if you persue your aims with vigour.
Some of us stopped to have kids half way through our education and still survived.
Mrs Cat used to teach 'special needs' junior kids and to quote one of them who was asked to plan someing out 'Planing is gay' .
DO STUFF seize the day...My Big Brother, left school with 1 'O' level, but still ended up with a degree, a family and grand children... not sure he ever 'planned ' anything...he left teaching 'cos they wanted to do 'lesson plans' ...utter rubbish, he could hold a class in his thrall.
Sorry, I'm rambling

Del

Ok, you want to go to MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and you are asking us if they will take your credits? Why aren't you inquiring at MIT?

Having said that community college credit will often (but not always) transfer to a state university. This is particularly true in Texas where my kids did all their pre reqs at a community college (at a third the price) and then transferred them to university. Sounds like this is only provisionally the case for ASU (I assume Arizona State University based on your location).

I personally suspect that MIT will not accept any of what you are doing in community college for credit there. Which is not to say you are wasting your time. If you are learning, and getting practice at being a college student it is better to pay community college price for a D in English rather than pay MIT prices for the same D.

Your GPA (grade point average) at community college may help with overcoming entrance requirements at MIT though.

Personally I would skip MIT and focus on ASU. Arizona State has a fine engineering program that is more than sufficient for a good job and a good future.

i only proffer this:

no matter what career path you choose, make sure you want to do it.

for the love of it.

no education institute can instill passion for your field. sure , a single instructor may help inspire you, but the passion is innate, sometime just needs that push for us to realize it.

hope this helps good luck..

Normally there is no "correct" answer. Collect info (especially from schools you are interested in), talk to people, listen to what they have to say, then sit down in peace and quite and make the best decision you can.

In addition to the "will the credits transfer" issue there is at least one more thing to think about. When you look at your desires, finances, need to graduate quickly, etc. is it likely that you will want to work part time in the field before you graduate? Working either "official co-op" or "just part time" can be very educational and help you pick a desired path. But, it also delays graduation and you are working for less than engineering wages.

To confuse you in the other direction I'll add one more comment. When I was in school most of the school officials encouraged everyone to "keep on a direct course toward graduation". Their reason was that the more delays you have the less the chance that you will graduate. Dropping out could be due to the loss of income from parents that divorce or develop health problems. There are also people who drop out of school due to unplanned children interrupting their single student lifestyle (Engineers tend to have less of this since Engineering is a good form of contraception.) You also find that as you get older and your friends get jobs, houses, cars, boats, etc. it becomes harder and harder to live the dorm room lifestyle.

Asking for advise is good. In the end there is no "correct" answer. YOU must make a good choice and YOU must make it work out.

What is your goal? Do you want to design digital circuits, for example, or belong to a good alumi club?

There are hundreds of good engineering schools that are not in the "top 20", and some of those will be easier to transfer to. Go to your community college advisor and ask which schools they have articulation agreements with.

If you get a degree from an ABET accredited university, and you want to actually do hands-on work rather than be a professor of EE, then the choice of school will not matter worth a tinker's dam within 5 years of graduation.

Milo has presented the best argument yet.

Jepo,

I eventually earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering after 15 years of on and off, few credit hours at-a-time, study. I too did not fare well in some courses not directly related to my major course of study, and although English Literature was one of the courses that "kicked my butt," so to speak, it wasn't that literature was difficult, it was my lack of diligence that resulted in poor grades. I would not make that mistake again.

I did not strictly follow recommended curricular sequence, as I took all pure math courses in sequence even though some were intended to be taught during the same semesters in which I would have taken math courses taught in the college of engineering that were similar in content. I found that applied engineering math courses were easier than they would have been had I not previously (instead of concurrently) had similar courses in the math department. There was one instance in which I signed up for an advanced calculus course for engineering students taught in the math department by a professor who knew quite a bit about engineering that I could not follow because I knew very little about engineering at the time, so I dropped it with the intention of taking it at a later date. Unfortunately, the prof had a severe stroke and could no longer teach, and the course was dropped from the curriculum, because no one else knew enough about it to teach it properly.

Please also be advised that unless you follow a curriculum designed for engineering instead of engineering technology (a feeble attempt to separate the two into two different categories where "engineering" means just that, and "engineering technology" means that you don't take some of the higher math courses, e. g. no calculus, and you don't get as in-depth in electrical theory, physics, etc., at least in this part of the USA), high-ranked universities may not accept you into their engineering programs.

Likewise, good overall grade point averages/ratios are important. There are about three times as many students who do not get accepted here at the university for which I work as there are who do get accepted, so don't relegate non-major courses to the unimportant pile. One thing which impresses me when I interview engineers for employment is whether or not they can speak and write about technical subjects using correct grammar with few to no spelling errors, so learn how to write well. (By the way, I am not a professor, even though I work at a university. I am a registered professional engineer working as such.)

Contact any university you may wish to attend and ask whether or not they accept transfers from your community college, and if so, will they accept credits for courses you have or plan to take. I can tell you that few universities will accept anything less than a "C," and many will not accept any credits earned less than a "B."

Good luck!

Thank you for the advice. I will stay vigilant (even at English), use protection (if you know what I mean), and continue to abbreviate ( but only when the British are near ).

Great reply. we welcome your sense of humor.

milo

oh yeah.

Outstanding!

milo

Great Answer!

Hands-on is the way to go. I studied a total of 7 years (while teaching the last 2) at Cal Poly SLO. I have to agree with your inclusion of it as a GREAT Engineering school. I started out in electronic engineering. They required me to take metalworking: THAT gave me the flexibility to do real hands-on stuff. Since then I only went job hunting once - the jobs found me. I'm now doing aerospace engineering R&D, and don't expect (want) to retire 'till I'm 75, or maybe 'till I die!

To me, that is the definition of a great job - one you want to keep doing!

To the OP: Learn how to DO, and how to enjoy learning - You'll be doing both for most of your life. Surely you've heard that most of the jobs that you will do when you become an engineer, don't exist yet! If you learn to solve problems (fix things), you will always be in demand!

Nope. You need to be in a college or university which teaches their circuits, physics courses etc. as Calculus based instead of algebra based. Sorry, that is just the way it is. Sometimes life sucks. The first thing you need to do is stay there in your community college and get your math up to speed take the algebra again, then trig, then Calculus. Many Universities will transfer the calculus from community colleges. I used to teach at a community clooege and about the only things that would transfer to the big school down the road was calculus and english (You probably want to take that again to get the grade up to at least a B because many colleges will not transfer anything less.

Well I have thought about all of that. I am taking trig next semester, then calculus. I don't even mind taking the circuit analysis courses again, they are fun. My community college even offers a couple of calculus based electronics courses but by then I will probably be ready to transfer to an engineering school anyway.

...... life only sucks for those who let it.

Re: "I used to teach at a community clooege..."

Yer givvin us guests a bad name, u dimnit!

Apologees, everwun, he ment "colage"...

I have done what you are doing now. It is possible. Let me provide some thoughts.

(1). Speak with the academic counseling services at the college you currently attend. Specifically, you would be better off with one who can address transfer tracks; specific programs/courses within your college which can be potentially transferred. Many community/junior colleges offer plotted and designed course paths which are created to assist students in transferring to senior institutions. Often, these services also have lists of specific courses that will transfer to specific senior institutions.

(2) Contact both the admissions department AND the specific academic departments at the institutions that you would like to attend. These often can provide lists of courses that they will accept, as well as advice as to coursework you should complete before you transfer. I mention both, because they may have different information or ideas about transfer credit.

(3) If you have course credits that may not be listed as transferable, you may be able to provide both a college catalog and a recent syllabus to the institution you are applying to; at times, with this information and some investigation senior universities may accept this coursework.

(4) Take that composition class again and raise that grade! Odds are you'll need a "C" or better to transfer, as well as perhaps literature, social sciences, and humanities courses. Many senior institutions also require cultural awareness and social impact coursework, as well as other specialized courses outside of the traditional engineering and sciences courses.

Good luck with your efforts!

Hello Jepo,

You sound pretty enthused on what you are doing, though whether your enthusiasm will wilt somewhat on going to MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) remains to be seen. However it does seem to be the right choice, if you can make that choice and be accepted by the President Dr Susan Hockfield, (or which ever Faculty head you should write to) I wish you luck and hope you achieve an Honors Degree!

At any University you will have a whole lot of written work to contend with so you better learn to like it and do it well or you may not be able to do what you have planned for you life's work, IE: Electronics and Applied Science and Engineering. (Or something along those lines)

Written work is an art in itself and can be looked upon as 'proof' you understand what you have and, are learning. You can also be proud of it later in life, perhaps using it as part of your Curriculum Vitæ

You are on your second year at College, I do not know how old that makes you but, you may have a while to choose a University or not, depends on how long you will be at College? But, I would choose MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), which is a private non profit making Institution It may pay you to write a letter of introduction and include your plans and ideas, and send the Letter to the current President Dr Susan Hockfield

The Address is:

Office of the President Room 3-208

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

77 Massachusetts Avenue

Cambridge, MA 02139-4307

(617)253-0148 phone

(617)253-3124 fax

The President Dr Hockfield specializes in the neuroscience of the developing brain.

Dr. Susan Hockfield is the first life scientist to lead MIT and holds a faculty appointment as professor of neuroscience in the Institute's Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences.

Susan Hockfield's WEB Adress is:

http://web.mit.edu/hockfield/biography.html

Your Computer language studies will come in handy for sure! I would imagine you would have quite a lot of 'flow charts' and other kinds of illustrative plans etc.

Take care and good luck!

bb

Hello Jepo,

Welcome to Engineering!

The web page below will provide lots of info'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_Institute_of_Technology#cite_note-34

bb

Hail and well met Jepo! I agree with everyone else! But I would like to add this...

See if you can get in contact with a student at M.I.T. and see what it took to get into that school... I would think that it took not only great grades/GPA, it took a lot more.

I would also like to add that financing will definitely become a concern at some point; so see what can be done. In my case, it wasn't a problem until my mom became ill.

Also, look at the different paths you can take and don't get set on one; with the below as an exception! I found myself just about to graduate with an AAS in Digital Computer Electronics and going to transfer to a university whom had a transfer program... To only find that the transfer program had been cut.

If you can get into M.I.T. - Get in as soon as you can! That means calculus is a must, so is English, etc.

I am extremely sensitive to your sort of question.

You clearly stated that you wanted to go to the best school possible.

If MIT is the best school possible for what you have a passion for, and what you are calling a "Transfer Degree" is what you have to pursue to get there, do that.

Schools are sort of like motorcycles, get the best one you can get, that fits you.

Yes, live with passion.

Less passion-try another school.

Let me throw my two cents in. And mind you...I earned BOTH of them!

First, if your looking for an advanced degree from a traditional institution of higher learning. You should stop all your electronics courses at the CC and work on getting your generals done.

Most colleges/university will accept general education credits with little or no arguments. Especially if it's in Degree form not a transcript. (A AS in General Studies)

But! The Field of study credits are another matter. Most will be flat our ignored. The one's you do get will have to have to approved and that takes time and luck.

I should also add if you ultimate goal is to be an Engineer, make dam sure your Associate of Science is actually a AS degree and NOT a AAS. Has I can almost promise you that it will NOT transfer to any school.

Also stay away from places like Devry and ITT for your electronics education. They are great places to learn to be a Technician. But trust me people will laugh at you (Like they do me) when you apply for Engineering positions.

I have made many mistakes in my life. My education has and will continue to be my biggest nemesis.

Take the high road, always persevere! and remember Bill's rule to college/university success! "You only get out of school what you put in" (Garbage in, Garbage out...Old Engineering adage)

Good luck!

bill12780

Thinking of ITT... My daughters boyfriend just got a degree in networking through them. He went to their job placement department looking for a job. Their reply was "We don't have any jobs, but we have a few places where you can work for free to gain experience". Also, a friend of mine taught there for a while. He left because they wouldn't allow him to teach. So long as they have warm bodies they can take money from, they don't need to teach. MAKE SURE ANY SCHOOL YOU GO TO IS ACCREDITED!

Bill

My experience with this dates back to the 80's, when an AAS EET degree was a ticket to a good electronics technician. Technology has changed a lot and those jobs are a lot scarcer and don't pay as well. I got my AAS in EET, then transferred to a 4 year state college program, also in EET, which took all my credits. I've been working as a electrical & controls engineer ever since for all kind of companies.

The problem is if you want to get an advanced degree. When I investigated that, I found I could not have gotten into a Master's program without taking about 15 credits of additional chemistry, calc, physics, etc., I took all those subjects, just not as many semesters as a traditional engineering program. GPA was not the issue.

If you are in it for more than just the "fun" of electronics, what school you go to does matter. At the big pharma company I worked for, the state college grads like me were staffers "in the back", but the Harvard and Wharton grads, with no skills or experience got a front office job.

Oh, and there were plenty of girls at my school, which was mostly liberal arts, but they didn't want to have anything to do with the Engineering majors! YMMV

Before going much further, you really need to talk to the MIT people about transfer. That is not something that happens easily, and you need to begin preparing for the process now. Their transfer acceptance rate is lower than their freshman acceptance rate. So, find out what you have to do now.

And, again, I would ask you what your long term goals are.

There is some good advice out ther for you from other bloggers, mine is just the other options you have if MIT, is not in your cards now.

By all means I am not perfect and probably not the right person to give advice but here is a bit of advice anyway.

seek internships with known companies where you can gain actual work experience, although internships do not necessarily get you started directly in your field, sometimes any and all experience you can gain while there is usefull and in some way related with your field if you pick the right company. there is also many small electronic shops out there that would gladly put your skills to use during summer & part time, Hand on experience is the best especially when persuing Engineering degree.

If you can get the Best education now then do it.(but get some hands on to enhance that degree) but do not under estimate your capabilities to sell your self even without that super expensive degree that usually means nothing without true hands on,

the fact that you are questioning this shows you have a passion for Electronic, in all cases that is 90% of what you need to succeed. Love what you do and be persistent.

The Most Expensive is not always the Best and not always looked at in a positive way, Your determination and persistance is the determining factor in forming your future.

Best of luck.