<p>Without getting into too much detail, my plan is since I cant afford to attend college yet that I will go through all the courses that offer pertaining to the major that Im interested in. What I mean by going through all the courses is I will go through all the textbooks that are associated with the course that is being taught. </p>
<p>This is the basic plan behind my approach. What do you all think? Great idea, terrible idea, suggestions, advice, guidance, tips, tricks, or whatever else you can think of that is useful. </p>
<p>I understand that I will face problems in certain areas:
Obtaining the textbooks (possible solutions - internet, library of Congress, buy them, any other suggestions?? )
Who will I ask questions to when I encounter points that I am confused about? (possible solutions - internet forums, find students, in my city of residence, who are actually majoring in the specific major that I’m studying, anything else you all can think of??) </p>
<p>I am trying to locate the first text that I’ll be working on which is “How to Build a Habitable Planet” by Broecker. Thoughts everyone??</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Gigapedia.com - You have to sign up but it’s 100% free. It has a lot of textbooks.</p></li>
<li><p>Ask professors or GSIs who teach the subject. Many students here go to universities. If you can find out the professor teaching the subject, you can ask people here to look up the email addresses. A professor might respond, or might not, but you lose nothing in sending an email. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>You could try as well, if you live in a town with a University, just sit in classes there without being enrolled. If you’re really interested you can probably also work with other students, even while not being in the class. </p>
<p>Do keep in mind though, you won’t be getting a degree, just some knowledge.</p>
It won’t be just ‘some’ knowledge, it will be a TON of ‘knowledge’! I can’t wait to start gaining knowledge! There will probably be some content areas where I will not be able to gain access to simply because I’m not a paying student but that’s alright. I’ll make due with what I have.<br>
Yes, I just found out about this a couple of days ago. I never knew that I could sit in on classes without being a student. Just plain ignorance, I guess. I always thought that I would get arrested or something like that. I don’t know WHY I thought that, but I just have always figured so.<br>
As long as I have the SAME knowledge that the uni grads will have, that’s all that matters. If a student that is majoring in mechanical engineering in Michigan (and maybe other states as well) follows my plan posted above then after they finish all the textbooks and have a good understanding of it all then they can take the FE exam (engineer’s exam) and actually pass it! This is all without a uni degree! I found this information out from a mechanical engineering student in her senior year of college in Flint, Michigan last year. She said that one’s own motivation, focus, and determination are the only limiting factors. College is basically having access to teachers (supposedly experts) who can guide and answer questions for students. She assured me 100% that I can learn everything she learned in her four year undergraduate mechanical engineering program in 14-15 months by following my outlined plan. Actually this whole thing was her suggestion to begin with; what a honest student she is! She admitted that she isn’t that focused and even if she could do it again, she would elect to attend college rather than learn everything autodidactically. That’s not me though! I am a 100% autodidact to the bone! Please keep the advice coming! I am still trying to track the first two books that I require for the first course on my list.</p>
<p>I don’t think passing the FE exam is equivalent to having a degree when looking for employment, but you could try asking on the engineering subforum here, as they’ll be better able to give you advice on that, if you plan on perusing engineering. </p>
<p>Good luck with it as well, I hope it works out well for you.</p>
You’re right. It’s not the same. Passing the FE exam and getting licensed is ALL that matters NOT having a degree. The degree simply prepares students to be able to handle the rigors of being an engineer which entails passing the FE exam. Pass the FE exam and try to get a job without a degree = success. Graduate with a degree and then fail the FE exam = fail. As long as you can do the work, that’s all that matters. That is why my plan is the way to go. Again, this is coming directly from the horse’s mouth. A graduating mechanical engineering student getting ready to work for Ford informed me of this.</p>
<p>For textbooks, I get earlier editions at betterworld.com–very, very cheap–and get solution manuals also for the same edition book that you purchased.</p>
<p>I find it hard to believe that ANY state’s professional licensing board would permit someone to sit for a professional engineering (PE) exam without having an engineering degree from an accredited school. Typically the PE requires two exams - one called the FE (formerly EIT) which is taken while in school (or very shortly after graduation) which qualifies one as an “Engineer in Training” and the second exam is taken after a certain amount of time spent in the practice of engineering. Passing the second exam qualifies one to use the title of a PE.</p>
<p>From the following link:
<a href=“Fundamentals of Engineering[/url] | encyclopedia article by TheFreeDictionary”>Fundamentals of Engineering</a> | encyclopedia article by TheFreeDictionary;
In the United States, the Fundamentals of Engineering exam (also known as the FE exam) is the first of two examinations engineers must pass in order to be certified as a Professional Engineer. Other short terms for the exam include EIT, which comes from the former official name for the exam, Engineer In Training, and EI, which comes from Engineer Intern, another former name used in some states. It is open to anyone who has a degree in engineering or a related field, or is in their last year of an ABET-accredited engineering degree program. Some state licensure boards permit students to take it prior to their final year, and numerous states allow those who have never attended an approved program to take the exam if they have a state-determined number of years of work experience in engineering. Michigan allows anyone in the last years of an ABET accredited Engineering program to take the exam, according to ELSES - Michigan Exam Registration.</p>
<p>What community college options are available in your area?
You seem very motivated to learn, but also in need of some academic advising before you waste a lot of time.</p>
<p>You’ll have to ask the university about auditing a course before you just go and sit in. There may be a cost for doing so. If you just went, you would technically be trespassing, though in an enormous lecture course it’s unlikely that anyone might notice.</p>
<p>Also, bear in mind that different faculty members use different texts, and change those texts from time to time. There’s no guarantee that the text you use now would be the one you’d use when you actually go to college.</p>
<p>And are you actually sure that you can’t afford to go to college? If what you mean is that you have personal or family expenses that are a higher priority right now, then that’s something that only you could decide. But there are a lot of options out there to attempt to ensure that any American who wants a higher education is not precluded from doing so for economic reasons.</p>
<p>Yeah, passing the FE exam doesn’t mean much. I remember putting all “Cs” as answers for electrical questions, and I still passed it! I knew only one person who didn’t pass the first time. No one would hire someone as an engineer who didn’t have a degree. You might get hired as a designer, but that job doesn’t pay as well and you wouldn’t become an engineer. To take the PE, you have to have several years of experience working under a PE.</p>
<p>What you’re planning to do won’t work. Self study won’t be acknowledged by employers and licensing agencies the way that a college degree and college courses would be.</p>
<p>Unless you live in a very remote area in the U.S., you should be able to go to community college, part time if you can’t afford to go full time. You also may be able to go to college part time by taking on-line courses through your in-state public 4-year or community college.</p>
<p>@siliconvalleymom - I have tried to speak with advisers at the university of Hawaii here but to avail. Everyone seems to be too busy to take time out of their day for a non-paying student. I dont blame them I guess. Im on my own in this regard. Well, I have you all. :D</p>
<p>@Northstarmom - Im not doing it to get acknowledged by employers/licensing agencies per say. I would like to get credit/licensed for what Im doing but, in the end, if that portion of my plan doesnt work, then so be it. I wont lose any sleep over it. I just want to be able to do the work and understand the material.</p>
<p>Then look for financial assistance from the FinAid office. Loans. Grants. Whatever. A work study job on campus. There are financial assistance out there.</p>
<p>Seriously, just buck up, work to get the money, pay for the course, and take the class, and work towards a degree.</p>
<p>Like everyone else.</p>
<p>Part of the “experience” is gaining hands-on experience in classes/labs. Just by reading books, you’re not exactly getting the same kind of experience and learning as if you were actually working as a team to build a project.</p>
<p>@ticklemepink - Sorry, I’ll never follow the crowd and just “get a degree”. But that is getting way off topic so I’ll leave it at that. My purpose in this thread is not to debate the autodidact method of study vs the traditional method. The purpose is to get advice on how to go about achieving my ultimate goal. Nevertheless, your input is noted and appreciated. Keep 'em coming!</p>
<p>You are asking this question at the perfect time!
The next semester for the University of Hawaii community colleges starts in two weeks and orientation is next week.
There are four community colleges on Oahu…Honolulu, Kapi’olani, Leeward and Windward.
There is financial aid available.</p>
<p>Kman quote:
“The purpose is to get advice on how to go about achieving my ultimate goal.”</p>
<p>What is your ultimate goal? If it’s to gain knowledge for the sake of gaining knowledge - that’s great and more power to you. </p>
<p>BUT if it is to ultimately make a living as an “engineer,” sorry, but that will NOT happen without a degree. You will not be hired as an “engineer” without a degree (whether you have passed the FE exam or not) and you cannot legally sell your engineering knowledge to the public without being licensed as a Professional Engineer. Your statement of “Pass the FE exam and try to get a job without a degree = success” is absoulutely incorrect. The field you have selected to “autodidact,” engineering, just happens to be one of the most highly regulated professions.</p>
Yeah, you’re right. I should have been a bit more clear. I was just trying to indicate that a college degree isn’t absolutely mandatory. And it isn’t. If I remember correctly, per the NCEES.org site, in some states, it is possible to sit the PE exam without a degree BUT the applicant will need to have already completed a number of years working under a Professional Engineer. I think that number is 13 years in Michigan. With a degree that time is shorten but even with a degree there is still a time period that one has to work under a Professional Engineer. So, like I said, a degree isn’t absolutely necessary. It just speeds certain processes up.</p>
Keep 'em coming!</p>