I'm a pretty inteligent guy, I would think, and have done all my own builds and configurations myself, but I was wondering if there's a program or community college type thing, maybe on the internet to learn the ins and outs of the science and technology behind all the bells and whistles. And where did you vets get the knowledge?
most of us have asked questions and just done it for a while. you could look into getting your mscp or what ever the abbreviation is for it. its a cert for installing car audio.
Installer Institute. There are a couple of Institutions who train installers, and prepare them for MECP certifications at various levels. Other alternative is to get a degree in Electrical Engineering and/or Audio Engineering.