Should I keep going? Should I leave? If I stay, what do?

[Skrew]

my question is, does this make me less of an Engineer not being able to handle 15+ credits a term?

So you would rather fail 4 courses instead of taking 3? That doesn't make any sense.

If you don't like what you're doing quit, if you do like it stop wallowing in self pity and take heed of our suggestions.

 

[sweetpotato]

my question is, does this make me less of an Engineer not being able to handle 15+ credits a term?

No, it does not. I don't know about your school, but at my school plenty of students stay for over 4 years and/or take summer classes to finish their engineering degrees. This is because taking 15+ credits a semester is not manageable for some students.

You could argue that the best students can handle 15+ credits, but hey, the best students can also get all As (and Bs) in their classes. If you have to choose between taking 5 classes and getting Cs, Ds, and Fs, or taking 3 or 4 classes and getting, say, Bs, and Cs, choose the latter.

 

[DBTS]

Five hours of sleep a night is somewhat good. I would say exercise, eat a good breakfast in the morning, and take an hour or two to just relax so that you ease your mind. I know how you feel, bad semesters suck, but what is done is done, focus on the next semester and do not keep dwelling over horrible semesters.

Eating a balanced morning meal will aid you throughout the day, taking in your daily vitamins will help, and exercise will surely help. I know it helps me throughout the day which is why I am suggesting it.

I take 16+ credits every semester and while I did poorly a few semesters, I turned around and focused on different types of material. What your instructor gives you in an exam is sometimes taken out of the lectures, so I would try and record them if I were you. I record all of my lectures and play them back whilst studying, then go over basic concepts within the chapters outlined for the week, and then go over details within those chapters that pertained to the lecture. So far, it has worked for me as the professors tend to create their tests on what they have outlined in the lecture more-so than not. Some material is on the book, but the bulk of it is on the lectures for the few of the hardest professors I have taken.

I never stay up late, it only deteriorates my work, but not only because of that, but I have ROTC as well.

In short, your brain needs essential foods or else it does not perform optimally, your brain also needs rest as well as your body, daily exercise helps clear the mind, create a strategy, learn how the professor assigns a test/quiz and change your study habits in accordance to your professor.