How important is your first year of engineering/other degree?

[Fritz]

Someone said my first year doesn't even count towards my degree. Does this mean that I only have to pass this year (not with flying colours)?

[MiGUi]

I don't know how the university systems works there. But mine, the spanish one is public and the first degree is hard because there is when students really decide if they want to continue or not.

Here, the first year counts as the rest of the years, depending on how much credits (1 credit = 10 hours of class) duration has that concrect year.

I think you have to do the better you can in your first year.

[enigma]

You only have to pass any year... That is unless you feel like going on to grad school, doing research for a professor in your undergraduate years, or wowing the employers when you are looking for your first job.

Talk to your advisor to find out what's really going on with your questions. Each school is different, and people who say that "something doesn't count so don't bother" typically don't know what they're talking about.

[tribdog]

First year classes are so easy that if you are worried about getting good grades in them you probably won't be able to get good grades in the harder ones later, so passing is all that matters. If you can get good grades in the harder classes quit being lazy and get good grades in the easy ones too

[mathlete]

If anything, pay more attention in your first year. Stuff like science builds quite rapidly and if you don't know how to do a cross product or basic integral, you will be in a lot of trouble in a couple years.

[JasonRox]

If anything, pay more attention in your first year. Stuff like science builds quite rapidly and if you don't know how to do a cross product or basic integral, you will be in a lot of trouble in a couple years.

A lot of trouble?

If you managed to stay in for a couple years, I'm sure you can figure that out in a minute or two.

I do agree that the most important things are in the first year. Trying telling this to the eager high school students who are trying to jump on the university bus with no math tools.

[aeroegnr]

My first semester was a swift kick in the rear that made me get my head straight. High school really does not prepare you for college at all these days. My calculus 2 professor was particularly demanding, and from him I learned a great deal about my own mathematical skill. My other engineering related class was a drafting/autoCAD class, which required a high magnitude of constant work that challenged me.

If you go to college your first semester and you are not trying your hardest to better yourself, I consider it a waste of time. By doing more than the minimum required of me, I managed to have this entire semester (my fall junior year) filled with physics and an engineering class which I am not scheduled to take until next semester.

[Maxwell]

You should try and do your best every year in school.

My first year was plagued with a lof of problems, like going to the university with my gf from home - and fighting EVERY day, so I couldn't get my work done.

This killed me, and I finished my first year with a pretty low GPA, a 2.5. I know I am capable of much more, so this year I'm working towards it.

[Fritz]

I would recommend that you dump your girlfriend. Never let a girlfriend get in the way of something important like that.