Question about classes at 2 year college vs. university level courses

[land_of_ice]

How much more rigorous are the science and math courses at a university compared to science and math courses at a 2 year college.

On this website called assist.org , it shows you all of the classes you would need to take at a particular 2 year college to get to transfer to a 4 year college (university)
well for example it would look something like this, question is, how much different is say the physics class at the 2 year college from say a physics class at a 4 year college, say for example one at Berkely, or any non competitive university.

But this is what it says here on this link at assist.org , This is if you want to get a B.S. in Electrical engineering at the University of Santa Barbara .

http://www.assist.org/web-assist/re...=MOORPARK&oia=UCSB&aay=09-10&ay=09-10&dora=EE

Admission selection criteria for the major:
Applicants to the Electrical Engineering major must complete the equivalent of
the following required UCSB base preparation courses. Strongly recommended UCSB
advanced courses are also listed below. Courses for the major taken prior to
admission must be completed with no less than a "C" grade.

Required base preparation courses:
-Math 3A, 3B, 3C, 5A
-Physics 1, 2
-Electrical and Computer Engineering 2A
-Engineering 3
-Computer Science 16

Strongly recommended advanced preparation courses:
-Computer Science 24
-Electrical and Computer Engineering 2B, 2C, 15A
-Math 5B, 5C
-Physics 3, 3L
-Chemistry 1A, 1AL, 1B, 1BL

You may attend more than one California community college to earn credit for the
required major preparation courses if the courses are not offered or if your
schedule constrains you from completing them at your own campus.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHYS 1 Basic Physics (4)|PHYS M20A & Mechanics of Solids (4)
| and Fluids
|PHYS M20AL Mechanics of Solids (1)
| and Fluids
| Laboratory
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHYS 2 Basic Physics (4)|PHYS M20A & Mechanics of Solids (4)
| and Fluids
|PHYS M20AL & Mechanics of Solids (1)
| and Fluids
| Laboratory
|PHYS M20C & Wave Motion, Optics (4)
| and Modern Physics
|PHYS M20CL Wave Motion, Optics (1)
| and Modern Physics
| Laboratory
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHYS 3 & Basic Physics (3)|PHYS M20B & Thermodynamics, (4)
PHYS 3L Physics Laboratory (1)| Electricity and
| Magnetism
|PHYS M20BL Thermodynamics, (1)
| Electricity and
| Magnetism Laboratory
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHYS 4 & Basic Physics (3)|PHYS M20B & Thermodynamics, (4)
PHYS 4L Physics Laboratory (1)| Electricity and
| Magnetism
|PHYS M20BL & Thermodynamics, (1)
| Electricity and
| Magnetism Laboratory
|PHYS M20C & Wave Motion, Optics (4)
| and Modern Physics
|PHYS M20CL Wave Motion, Optics (1)
| and Modern Physics
| Laboratory
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHYS 5 & Basic Physics (3)|PHYS M20C & Wave Motion, Optics (4)
PHYS 5L Physics Laboratory (1)| and Modern Physics
|PHYS M20CL Wave Motion, Optics (1)
| and Modern Physics
| Laboratory
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHEM 1A & General Chemistry (3)|CHEM M1A & General Chemistry I (6)
CHEM 1AL & General Chemistry (2)|CHEM M1B General Chemistry II (6)
Laboratory |
CHEM 1B & General Chemistry (3)|
CHEM 1BL General Chemistry (2)|
Laboratory |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CMPSC 16 Problem Solving with (4)|CS M1 & Introduction to (4)
Computer I | Computer Science
|CS M10A Introduction to (4)
| Computer Programming
| Using Structured C++
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CMPSC 24 Problem Solving with (4)|CS M10B & Object-Oriented (4)
Computers II | Programming Using C++
|CS M20 Object-Oriented Data (4)
| Structures and
| Algorithm Design
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MATH 3A Calculus with (4)|MATH M25A Calculus with (5)
Applications, First Course | Analytic Geometry I
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MATH 3B Calculus with (4)|MATH M25B Calculus with (5)
Applications, Second | Analytic Geometry II
Course |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MATH 3C Differential Equations and (4)|MATH M31 & Introduction to Linear (3)
Linear Algebra, First | Algebra
Course |MATH M35 Applied Differential (3)
| Equations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MATH 5A Differential Equations and (4)|MATH M31 & Introduction to Linear (3)
Linear Algebra, Second | Algebra
Course |MATH M35 Applied Differential (3)
| Equations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MATH 5B Vector Calculus with (4)|MATH M25C Calculus and Analytic (5)
Applications, First Course | Geometry III
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MATH 5C Vector Calculus with (4)|MATH M25C Calculus and Analytic (5)
Applications, Second | Geometry III
Course |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ENGR 3 Introduction to Programming (3)|No course articulated
for Engineers |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ECE 2A Circuits, Devices, and (5)|ENGR M20 & Electrical (3)
Systems | Engineering
| Fundamentals
|ENGR M20L Electrical (1)
| Engineering
| Fundamentals
| Laboratory
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ECE 2B Circuits, Devices, and (5)|No course articulated
Systems |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ECE 2C Circuits, Devices, and (5)|No course articulated
Systems |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ECE 15A Fundamentals of Logic (3)|CS M30 Introduction to Computer (4)
Design | Systems
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Education Information:
It is recommended that students focus on completing major preparation
requirements. If time permits, students may also take courses to fulfill either
UCSB General Education requirements or IGETC (Intersegmental General Education
Transfer Curriculum). Students who will not complete IGETC prior to transfer
should refer to the College of Engineering General Education articulation
agreement at www.assist.org. UCSB's General Education requirements do not have
to be completed prior to transfer. However, students who choose to follow
College of Engineering General Education should complete two to three General
Education courses prior to transfer. For more information concerning
satisfaction of UCSB General Education requirements, students may also refer to
the College of Engineering General University and General Education Program
Requirements handbook at
www.engineering.ucsb.edu/current_undergraduates/pdf/coegebook.pdf[/URL].
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
END OF MAJOR

 

[Jack21222]

I'm not sure the 2 year university stuff I'm learning is less "rigorous" than taught in the 4 year university, but in my experience, it's slower.

I'm not yet enrolled at a 4 year school, but I've spoken to plenty of people that are. For example, as I mentioned in another thread, we didn't learn simple harmonic motion in Physics 1, while all the 4 year university people I've spoken to did learn it. In my calc sequence, we've covered basically every chapter in the Larson calc book, but the introduction to differential equations was kinda glossed over. The rationale I heard was they'd save a lot of that for an actual DiffEq course later on, so only one class was spent on it.

On the other hand, plenty of people make the jump from 2 year universities to 4 year, and if the universities on the receiving end are willing to accept the transfer credits, they must feel it's "close enough" to count, even if it isn't perfect.

 

[turin]

How much more rigorous are the science and math courses at a university compared to science and math courses at a 2 year college.

From my experience, the coverage and rigor in 2-year college courses is simply less predictible than the 4-year college "equivalent". I had some slow 2-yr courses, but also some very difficult ones, and some very useful ones. I even had to retake Calculus 2, because I did very poorly in it at the 2-yr college. The instructor was great; the material was just more advanced than I was used to from high school; it was a rude awakening. (AP Calculus 1 in high school does NOT prepare you for college level Calculus 2.)

I acquired about 40 hours of 2-yr courses during my undergrad education, and if I were to do it over again, I would take more 2-yr courses.

 

[Prologue]

In my neck of the woods you will learn MORE at a 2 year college, at least for the first 1.5-2 years courses. That is because practically every professor is a native english speaker and they have time for students if you need help. It is not a hassle to find your professor during office hours when needed at a community college, they have nothing else to do, no research or anything.

I am a senior at a university now and have had plenty of classes at both. My estimate is that you have a higher chance of getting a brilliant professor at university, but also a higher chance of getting a barely english speaking visiting professor. It is all a wash in the end because some classes you learn te material really well and others it is horrible. Also, a lot more of the bad professors teach the beginning stuff at my school too.

The really good part is that community college is much much much cheaper. If you go half cc and the rest university you will make out like a bandit compared to others. Also, don't bother getting an associates from a community college if you are going to get the 4 year degree, it is a waste of time.