Are My Struggles in Calculus I a Sign I'm Not Cut Out for Engineering?

[lesoir]

Hi, I am currently a freshman majoring in Mechanical Engineering in the nuclear track. I really like math, but I've been having a hard time with Calculus I this semester. My teacher isn't great, but I'm just worried I'm not cut out for engineering if I'm already having trouble with Calc I. I'm not failing, but I'm holding a C grade presently which I have struggled to get. Please, is there anyone who can share their experience getting their Mechanical Engineering degree? Did you struggle at first? Am I in over my head?

Any feedback would be appreciated !

 

[AerospaceEng]

If your teacher isn't great then that makes all the difference, sit in on another class see if that prof is better. they must have some sort of help centre use that. Everyone has weak points and it doesn't mean you should give up on being an engineer it just means you have to work extra hard to earn the same grade in this class as you would for any other class.

 

[Ryker]

I agree, don't let this one experience make you doubt yourself. It's good you're thinking about this stuff and not bask in blissful ignorance as to your capabilities or interests, but the professors really can make a huge difference. So wait it out a bit, see how you do in the coming semesters, and only then, if things do not go the way you want them to, think about things. Even then, as long as you enjoy the process and are getting by, I think you are cut out to be < insert whatever you're aiming to be >. I know having this mentality is easier said than done, so I hope you get some additional anectodal evidence of people doing "bad" in some of their courses, but later having a great (university) career, as I know hearing of such experiences helps a lot in not going into panic mode

 

[Dembadon]

Hi, I am currently a freshman majoring in Mechanical Engineering in the nuclear track. I really like math, but I've been having a hard time with Calculus I this semester. My teacher isn't great, but I'm just worried I'm not cut out for engineering if I'm already having trouble with Calc I. I'm not failing, but I'm holding a C grade presently which I have struggled to get. Please, is there anyone who can share their experience getting their Mechanical Engineering degree? Did you struggle at first? Am I in over my head?

Any feedback would be appreciated !

I'm a physics major, but I can say that you're certainly not disqualified from engineering with your current situation. Keep your head up and know that a C in Calc I isn't the end of the world.

My Calc I professor was difficult to learn from. I worked every singe practice problem at the end of the sections to build my computational skills, and used the internet to supplement the lectures. I work full-time, and his regular office hours were during times when it was simply impossible for me to leave work. Needless to say, I worked my butt off for every mark. My professor was a brilliant man, but his teaching methods made learning the material quite difficult and time-consuming.

I ended up getting an B+ in the class, which is the lowest grade I've ever received in a math course, and I worked very hard for that B+. I am highly critical of myself and was very upset with my performance on the final (which nobody in the class even came close to finishing). I had to come to the realization that it would probably not be my last B, and I could very well end up with a C at some point. How am I going to respond to that?

Work with classmates, get tutoring, and go to office hours! The greatest influence upon your success will be your work ethic and attitude. Keep those in check, and you'll do just fine.

 

[lesoir]

Wow, thank you guys for lifting my spirit. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who has struggled! Thanks so much !

 

[Rebooter]

It depends on what college you're attending.

If it's a CUNY or a mid-level state school, you probably won't actually land a job worth landing and shouldn't be an engineer by any objective metric.

If it's Caltech, MIT, Duke, Stanford etc, you're probably going to be an excellent engineer... even if you're only average at these places (from first hand experience, math classes are set up to fail huge numbers there, or at least have a 50%/40% C/B ratio)

You need to acquire more data, by taking classes from other profs.

 

[lesoir]

It depends on what college you're attending.

If it's a CUNY or a mid-level state school, you probably won't actually land a job worth landing and shouldn't be an engineer by any objective metric.

If it's Caltech, MIT, Duke, Stanford etc, you're probably going to be an excellent engineer... even if you're only average at these places (from first hand experience, math classes are set up to fail huge numbers there, or at least have a 50%/40% C/B ratio)

You need to acquire more data, by taking classes from other profs.

Are you saying I won't land a job because I don't attend a respected university + my average grades or simply because I do not attend one of these respected universities?

 

[Rebooter]

Are you saying I won't land a job because I don't attend a respected university + my average grades or simply because I do not attend one of these respected universities?

The former.

 

[lisab]

The former.

If you're saying people with average grades don't land jobs, please post a link that supports that claim.

 

[Rebooter]

If you're saying people with average grades don't land jobs, please post a link that supports that claim.

you probably won't actually land a job worth landing

research assistant, java programmer, IT support or something are not what I would consider jobs you'd need to go to college for in the first place.

 

[fss]

you probably won't actually land a job worth landing

Based on what statistics? Last I checked there were plenty of good engineers just in the United States. If you want to defend that they all came from the Ivies, at least provide some data to support your claim.

I know plenty of engineers that didn't go to a "big name" school that make plenty of money and are very happy in their licensed engineering positions.

 

[nocturne-e]

That's BS. My dad's petrochem company hires their engineers from a variety of schools - most of which are not Ivies. As long as you can survive to graduate with a engr. degree, hold a pretty good GPA and have some work experience (co op, etc.), you're very likely to get a really good job. I'm going to Texas A&M - which is well respected though definitely not MIT - and I know for a fact people who graduate from TAMU aren't 'reduced' to such as you have mentioned.

Also, studies have shown that it's not the name of the school - it's the individual - that determines whether or not one is successful in the job market. Someone who makes it into, say, MIT but goes to a respectable state school statistically does statically just as well as the one who blows $50,000 a year for an Ivy. I don't have time to find it right now but I'm sure you could find it with a google search.

you probably won't actually land a job worth landing

research assistant, java programmer, IT support or something are not what I would consider jobs you'd need to go to college for in the first place.

 

[Pilgrimman]

A "C" in calculus is not a huge issue. Just practice practice practice and you will eventually get good at calculus problems. Calculus is quite a departure from other types of math so it's understandable to have some issues in a calculus I class.

 

[Sankaku]

To the OP - take your time. Work hard. If you don't have access to other profs or assistance at your school, watch these videos and do lots of practice questions. Your future success at university will be directly proportional to the amount of practice you put in.

http://press.princeton.edu/video/banner/

...shouldn't be an engineer by any objective metric.

Dude, if you are just here to stomp all over people, I think we can do with less of your remarks.

 

[spartanaudio]

I too am having a good bit of trouble with Calculus, mostly because I thought it would be like algebra and I could coast through it. Boy was I wrong.

Anyways, I've found that http://www.khanacademy.org/ has some VERY good short lectures on the principles behind the ideas of calculus and more advanced subjects. They even have an application that produces questions for you to work in the "do exercises" area. Unfortunately it only goes up to the chain rule right now, but considering the funding they've received, I'm almost positive we'll see linear algebra, physics, etc. in the exercise section.

 

[tyler1215]

I can tell you whether or not you're cut out to be an engineer, that's for you to decide based off of your dedication to the field. I can however offer you the same advice my father offered me when I had a similar delima.

"Engineering isn't easy. If it was easy then everybody would be an engineer. Just remember that people drop out of engineering to become business majors; they aren't dropping out of business school to become engineers."

I remember these words everytime I have difficulty in a class.

P.S.
I also remember that if I flunk out of engineering, I can also go to med/law school and be top of the class instantly.

 

[Ryker]

P.S.
I also remember that if I flunk out of engineering, I can also go to med/law school and be top of the class instantly.

Or a professional comedian, which is also a nice and exciting career.

 

[janrs]

I really like math, but I've been having a hard time with Calculus I this semester. My teacher isn't great, but I'm just worried I'm not cut out for engineering if I'm already having trouble with Calc I. I'm not failing, but I'm holding a C grade presently which I have struggled to get.

There's a really interesting article in ASME's MEMagazine about how the best engineering students are often REALLY bad at "real world" engineering skills, like listening to people. Here's the link:

http://memagazine.asme.org/Articles/2011/March/Hiring_Newly_Minted.cfm"

Joining study groups can help you do a lot better in your classes, as well as make friends and learn how to work with PEOPLE, which is a skill that will help you a lot in your life, not just in engineering.