Need input - feedback for decision of what degree-school, etc...

I just found this site yesterday and am happy that I did. It has answered alot of questions and caused me to think about several avenues of approach. As a side note, I am mindful of the proverb (from the Bible) that says "their is wisdom in a multitude of counselors".

Here is my question and a little background to help explain where I am. I am 42 yrs young. I have worked in electrical and mechanical service, assembly and field service work for about 7 years with just on-the-job experience and no solid education. As for what education I do have, I earned the Electrician Career Diploma from Education Direct, have Business Management Coursework from Community College where I live, paid through one of my employers, I was working through to a AS in Business Management degree. This was done all online too. So I am looking for either an AS or BS degree of some type in Electrical Technology, I say technology because I am not really interested in a traditional (although still online) degree where I have to pick and choose general elective courses like liberalism or basket weaving. I am paying to learn about electrons, not things that aren't pertinent to what my degree is. Also, I do very well with online classes as I am self-disciplined to study and achieve. Since being on this website and studying about the accreditation, etc. I don't feel my goal is for an ABET approved degree but if I am going to throw thousands of dollars at someone to make sure I have read the book and taken the tests, then I at least want a regionally accredited degree. Actually, Penn Foster is a good price, and from taking the career diploma courses I know they are within my reach to complete and pass. I am not so sure about my ability to pass the math courses in the RA degreed courses. Math isn't one of my best subject but I am willing to tackle it and get it done. So does anyone have any suggestions? I look at Weber, I like what they offer, I tried to open up some of the links and they didn't work, can we assume this website isn't a mill?

So where do I want to be in five years, I figure with my desire to be "hands-on" I am not interested in the engineering degree but the electrical engineering technology degree will suffice, would Penn Foster or CIE-World College be ok coupled with my work experience and age level? Or should I invest thousands in a RA engineering tech degree and where? I also figure once I complete my AS in Business Management online through my local community college I should have the credentials for becoming a "service manager" one day when I am between 45 yrs and 50 years old.

Ok, I have rambled on enough, let me hear your thoughts and ideas or what you would do in my situation.

Jeff

 

A brief review of the index of Bears' Guide and it looks like your options for the associate's degree include: Education Direct www.educationdirect.com (now known as Penn Foster College); Excelsior College www.excelsior.edu ; Grantham College of Engineering www.grantham.edu ; Thomas Edison State College www.tesc.edu ; and World College of the Cleveland Institute of Electronics www.cie-wc.edu .