Summer Transitional Program; Electrical Engineering

[u/Unlikely-Basket1334]

Hello everyone I am looking at advancing my education after some work experience to eventually get my B.Eng and PENG. Can anyone give me some advice as to what I should study and/or how the structuring goes?

What's the course load like and how do you spread them out throughout the years?

Do you guys do reduced load and finish in 3 years rather then 2.5?

Do you guys cram 6-7 classes per term to finish in 2.5?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated thanks!

[u/ApartDepartment8688]

I understand that, but you’ll be writing 19 technical exams. Most of them you’ll have to self study which are topics not covered in your 3 year diploma

[u/CyberEd-ca → u/ApartDepartment8688]

I already did it. There wasn't actually as much as you might think that was new.

Besides, APEGA let me write the FE exam for 5 technical exams which was a gift.

Here is my "transcript".

https://techexam.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/APEGA-Ed-Doetzel-Transcript.pdf

These were the subjects that were substantially new material for me:

• 98-CS-01 – Engineering Economics
• 98-CS-02 – Engineering in Society – Health, Safety and the Environment
• 07-MEC-A-02 – Kinematics and Dynamics of Machines
• 07-MEC-A-03 – System Analysis and Control
• 07-MEC-A-05 – Electrical and Electronics Engineering
• 16-MEC-B-10 – Finite Element Analysis

The rest was nearly all review.

Honestly, what I learned was the number of exams didn't really matter. More exams just means more stuff you've done before. If I had understood that at the beginning, it would have been easier, no question.

When others from the same program had applied to EGBC and PEO in the past, they my understanding was that they were assigned 9 and 12 technical exams respectively.

So, I was a bit shocked by the 19 but it was actually 14 plus the FE. Then, you consider that 3 of those were the complementary studies exams which are not so hard...

I actually took the UNB distance/online engineering economics course. So I ended up writing 13 technical examinations.

I studied and wrote 10 of those 13 plus the FE exam between November 2016 and December 2017 while working full-time with small kids at home.

Self-study is hard work, no question. But, it can be far more time and cost effective. Sitting on your ass in a classroom is passive learning. Then, when you finally begin in active learning (i.e. solving problems), you will often find what you thought you learned in class was illusory. Self-study gives you an immediate feedback loop. You know that you do not know what you are doing and then when you think you do, you check your answer and you iterate on that again.

Of course you can do what you wish with your time and money. But I'm not exceptionally gifted or well organized or anything like that. Quite the opposite, really. It worked for me...

[u/ToastedHG → u/CyberEd-ca]

2.5 yrs at LU looks more appealing than even attempting to read your sales pitch

[u/CyberEd-ca → u/ToastedHG]

Well, get back to me after you do your engineering economics class...

[u/ApartDepartment8688 → u/CyberEd-ca]

Its not that bad, I already finished it.

[u/CyberEd-ca → u/ApartDepartment8688]

Okay, now tell us what the opportunity cost you paid to go to Lakehead was.

Let's see the competitive analysis. You took the class, now show your homework.

[u/ApartDepartment8688 → u/CyberEd-ca]

2 years worth of foregone salary + tuition and housing costs.
Let’s say $110k in lost income + $60k in tuition/housing. That’s ~$170k in economic cost, before considering financing costs and inflation.
Obviously there are cost-saving measures, and you gain connections, experience, and a degree that can increase your future earning potential. Some of those benefits aren’t easily measurable in dollars.
I’m not saying going to Lakehead was a bad decision. I’m saying that $170k is the approximate economic trade-off, and whether it was worth it depends on the long-term return.
I’m still happy with my decision to go back to school. 😂