Electronic engineering - Part time study.

dave3

I'm looking to go back to college next year and the higher cert in electronic engineering caught my eye. I was looking for a cert/degree in computer science but the electronics course looks interesting. Can anyone answer the following questions.
Are there many students doing the part time course, whats the timetable like and roughly how long does it take to complete the course if studying part time.
Do the part time students study with the full time students. What age range would there be for the mature students. Any specific area they find difficult.
How much practical work is involved in the course overall. Is there any computer programming involved and what languages are used if any.
Are there any job oppurtunities out there for mature students if you do well in the course. I don't want to spend 3 or more years studying only to have employers ignore me.
Is there anything i should read or study between now and starting the course to help ease me into the subject.

Dave.

gnfnrhead

I'm doing the same course but full time so I can answer some of them. I've only started in September so thats why I can only answer some of them.

Part time courses seem to be twice the lenght of the full time, so you're looking at four years. One of my mates is doing a part time course in a different subject and does four hours, two nights a week, 4 pm to 8 pm.

Part time and full time dont have any classes together, at least they havent to date.

I'm 24 and am probably the youngest of the mature students doing the course. The others range my my age to probably early 40's at least. I havent asked them for ages so this is just an estimate on my part, could be older, could be younger.

I'm okay with it, but Maths seems to be the problem for others, mature and non-mature. Engineering Science would be next by my guess.

For full time, there are ten hours a week for practical, the rest is lectures (14 hours). I assume it will be a similar breakdown for part-time.

Thats as far as I can answer. There looks to be computer programming involved, but I dont know what yet.

Hope this was some help

dave3

Thanks for the quick reply.
I've never had a problem with maths so I'm not worried about that. Engineering could be another story though. Can you tell me if all the practicals you mentioned are for electronics or do the computers/engineering have practicals as well.

dave.

gnfnrhead

We have fundamentals, which is building circuits and looks like it's going to become more computer/circuit board focused soon. Plus a second class which 7 times out of 10 we'd use as a lecture class.

Electrical circuits, which as the name suggests, is building small circuits. Electronic workshop which is more circuit building but slightly different and finally a soldering class which is half practical and half lecture. It varies from week to week.