Reddit reviews The Maker's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse: Defend Your Base with Simple Circuits, Arduino, and Raspberry Pi

This is amazing:
https://www.amazon.com/Makers-Guide-Zombie-Apocalypse-Raspberry/dp/1593276672

Buy the Maker's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse and make some of the contraptions in it. They use RPis

Might want to check out Makers Guide to Zombie Apocalypse. It has lots of home defense things you can do with an arduino.

1st year EE student here.

For circuit analysis my biggest resources have been allaboutcircuits.com, and Jim Pytel's Youtube videos. I need to send that guy a dozen beers for getting me through my first two terms of circuits.

For the math: review algebra (exponents in particular), trigonometry, and, if your program will be using calculus review that too. When you get to studying AC, you'll get to use phasors, which makes for far less calculus and honestly makes more sense. Phasors were completely new for me, but were completely doable thanks to Jim Pytel's lecture. Honestly though, It's mostly algebra; Ohm's Law and KVL will get your far.

If/when you get interested digital circuit design check out Ben Eater. His explanations for what is going on in a circuit are far more clear than any other resource I've found so far.

Of course all that theory is pretty dry for a fun summer break. It might be best to bookmark those until classes actually start then use those resources to compliment your class. A more fun approach might be to get yourself a basic electronics kit, a breadboard, and a DMM (that's digital multimeter) and build some circuits out of a book like any of Forrest Mim's books, or a more modern "maker flavored" book. Then probe the circuits you make and ask yourself "What's going on here?"

Also, the sooner you can get your hands on a good oscilloscope, the better. It's the best tool for seeing what's going on in a circuit because it shows how voltage relates to time, unlike a DMM which shows an average. A DMM is indispensible (and affordable), so it will likely be the first major tool in your kit, but don't be shy of all the knobs on the fancy expensive box.

Assuming you’re a beginner, and are starting with little to no knowledge:

I bought the 3rd edition of the book called “Practical Electronics for Inventors” by Scherz and Monk it starts from the basics and you slowly build more and more complex and practical circuits.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1259587541/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_eTs2BbXN9S1DN

Another fun on by Monk is “The Maker's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse: Defend Your Base with Simple Circuits, Arduino, and Raspberry Pi”
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1593276672/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_XVs2BbYMVJT5N

If you are looking for something more theory based (I wouldn’t recommend initially unless you’re just curious) there’s a whole slew of texts books depending on what exactly you’re interested in you can pick up for cheap at a used book store or on amazon.

Remember build slowly in the beginning until you get a good grasp on the content and have fun. Diving in too deep to quickly can overwhelm and kill morale.

Happy learning!