Thoughts On CCAC
CCAC is probably one of the most underrated assets in Allegheny County. Because
it is easy to get into and because it does not cost much, people tend to dismiss
it. However, they are missing some important facts.
CCAC offers classes that cover the same material as Universities such as Pitt,
CMU and Duquesne. However, it offers small class sizes and a faculty who are
primarily teachers not researchers.
A student who works hard can get a world class education at CCAC.
My own experience with CCAC is this: I started at CCAC as an adult. I decided
that I wanted to get a degree in Engineering.
Since I had had real world experience, I knew that without an education my job
options were limited to variations on toilet cleaning: I cleaned a LOT of
toilets. Not that there is anything wrong with that type of work, it is honest
and needs to be done - I just knew it was not for me.
Before I started College, I went out and researched how to study in College. I
found dozens of books on the subject in my local Carnegie Library. I took their
suggestions seriously.
I took many of the basic Engineering classes (Calculus 1 & 2, Calculus based
Physics and Chemistry) and many of the electives (English, etc) at CCAC. I
worked hard and learned a lot, but I thought I was missing something by being at
CCAC and not a "real" college.
Since Calculus is fundamental to engineering, I decided to take Calculus 3 at
Pitt - in case I was missing something by going to CCAC. I paid the extra
tuition and when I walked into my class at Pitt I was surprised to find that I
was in a auditorium with hundreds of people. By conversing with my fellow
students, I found that they were pre-meds, math majors, physicists and
engineers.
I worked very hard. I did all of the homework and did additional work such as
doing problems in Schaum's Outline series in calculus. This was the same
approach I had used at CCAC. At the end of the semester, there was one A+
awarded in that class: I got it.
I took Calculus 4 at Pitt with the same result.
My preparation for this success? CCAC.
When it was all over, I wished I had taken Calculus 3 and 4 at CCAC.
One of the bad things about the mis-perception of CCAC is that students tend to not fully appreciate
the opportunities that are being handed to them on a silver platter. A student
who works hard and takes his/her studies seriously can build a great foundation
for future success.
Kenneth Moore
Bachelor of Science Electrical Engineering: University Of Pittsburgh
Master of Science Electrical Engineering: University Of Pittsburgh
All But Dissertation PhD Electrical Engineering: University Of Pittsburgh