I started in July 2018 and finished in September 2019
I took…read moreHVAC/R, It's 11 months
Pros
-Teachers are entertaining, keep the lesson interesting, and help you understand what they are teaching. You have the option to stay after for help and practice.
-Hands on- in class, you will learn how to wire, charge a system, pull a vacuum, braze and solder, ductwork, inspect, diagnose, clean (Coils, equipment, etc.), and maintenance.
-If deemed a good student, depending on what teacher you have, you can have jobs offered to you. This is great because you will see what you will actually encounter when you begin to work.
Note: You have to prove to the teacher that you are a good student and this is not guaranteed. If you have the proper GPA and attendance, you can apply to become an elite student and be offered jobs with a teacher. Payment is not guaranteed and is up to the customer to give, they have no obligation to give anything to you or the teacher.
-Career services will help getting you a job. While it will take a while for them to find you a job, and you're better off looking for one yourself, they will help with anything along the lines of employment.
-You will receive tools that you will need in class and when you begin to work. These tools include: A ratcheting screw driver, a multimeter with a thermometer, a pressure gauge, an extendable mirror, a service wrench and allen key, safety goggles and glasses, 2 tubing cutters (One big, one small), a tape measure, and a dozen more.
Note: You will not receive a vacuum pump or recovery machine, but you will have the opportunity to use both in multiple classes.
-Before you finish your last class, depending on your performance in class, you will have the chance to speak with administration about your opinion for teachers, classes, and equipment.
Cons
-Pot heads. When you go outside, follow the parking lot close to the baseball field, you will see the dozens of HVAC, automotive, and EEST students just wasting their time and money getting stoned during lunch, breaks, and during class. You will walk into class with a couple guys, mostly in the back, stinking like pot.
-Short classes. Each class is only 20 days, which at first seems like a fair amount, but you'll realize after your first few classes how rushed everything is and how teachers admit that they could teach a lot more.
-Some students are just assholes. You got good ones, and you got bad ones. The good ones are assholes during breaks, lunch, before class starts, and after class ends. The bad ones, are assholes during class who interrupt the lesson. There were a few times where teachers wasted valuable time in class to argue and kick out assholes who decide to interrupt their lessons. As said before, 20 days is not enough to learn and understand everything we're supposed to. Each time someone argues and complains during a lesson, it interrupts the class and makes us all learn less than we should.
Also, some students are thieves. I've had a tool stolen and so have many others. So if you're going to be a student, put your name and sharpie and etch in your initials if possible. I was lucky enough to have my pipe cutter stolen. I've met people who have had their multimeter stolen, pressure gauge, both pipe cutters, wire stripper, safety glasses, and even tools brought from home. So, please, write your name multiple times in sharpie and etch your name in the tool just incase.
Overall, the school is not bad. It's not great, but it is one of the better options. If you go to the school, you will see an example of success in multiple teachers who started off going to that very same Lincoln tech. Each teacher will tell you that going there will give you a basic understanding in every part of the trade and that you will really begin to learn when you start working. As an elite student who has graduated, I can verify that you can get the opportunity to work with teachers in real places such as homes, pop eyes, and a national guard armory. I have done installations, service, wiring, and cleanings on ice makers, ice cream machines, air conditioners (Condenser and evaporator), and furnaces (Oil and gas). If you decide to go to Lincoln tech, do the best you can to learn and participate in all activities and lessons. Make sure you get there early to get good parking spots (I usually got there a little after 6:30), ask for help and admit to mistakes you made in the classroom. Sure the teacher will get slightly annoyed, but he will tell you, "That's why you're here," and you will not only learn how to fix the problem you caused, but also how to avoid the problem. Only you will decide whether this school will be a waste of money or not. I decided to make it worth every penny I spent.
Quick side note: One of the other reviews complains about convicts. It is true that there are former convicts who attend the school, but most of them (at least the ones who admit to being convicts) are the hardest working and smartest.
