Can I be a successful engineer even if I struggle with math?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concerns of a participant who is pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering but struggles with math, particularly at the precalculus level. Participants share their experiences and perspectives on the role of math in engineering, the potential for improvement, and alternative career paths within engineering that may require less mathematical proficiency.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a strong desire to become an engineer despite struggling with math, questioning whether their efforts are in vain.
  • Another participant suggests that if the non-mathematical aspects of engineering come easily, it may be worth continuing to pursue math to catch up.
  • A participant shares their own experience of struggling with math but emphasizes that substantial improvement is possible over time.
  • Some participants note that the amount of math required in engineering varies by job type and level, with many roles relying on established formulas and codes.
  • Alternative career paths such as patent law or project management are mentioned as options for those who may not excel in math but still hold an engineering degree.
  • It is suggested that struggling with precalculus does not necessarily predict future performance in higher-level math courses.
  • Several participants agree that being competent in math is sufficient for success in engineering, rather than being exceptionally skilled.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that it is possible to succeed in engineering with a moderate level of math competency, but there are multiple views on the necessity and extent of math in different engineering roles. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the specific impact of math struggles on long-term success in engineering.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the variability in math requirements across different engineering fields and roles, indicating that individual experiences may differ significantly based on career paths chosen.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for students considering engineering degrees, particularly those who are concerned about their math skills and are seeking reassurance or alternative career options within the field.

BlackBarbie
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I, unlike most people here, grew up not knowing much about math or science. Within the last two years I've started to become more interested in engineering, and am now working towards a degree in mechanical engineering. The thing is I really, really want to become an engineer but the math is not coming as easily to me as I would like. What makes it really worse is the fact that I'm only in Precalculus! I am willing to study and work hard but do you guys think this is all in vain? Should I quit now? Also for anyone who is a ME how much math do you use on a everyday basis?

Thanks for any replies
 
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...working towards a degree in mechanical engineering...

So how are you getting on with the non mathematical aspects?

If you find that these are coming easily ie you have an aptitude or 'feel' for mechanical matters then press on and pursue the maths to catch up.
You will certainly need maths to pass exams, but how much is needed after that depends upon the area of engineering you enter and at what level you operate. Much engineering is concerned with following codes that are already worked out. However you would need to be able to understand and apply the formulae they contain.
 
BlackBarbie said:
I, unlike most people here, grew up not knowing much about math or science. Within the last two years I've started to become more interested in engineering, and am now working towards a degree in mechanical engineering. The thing is I really, really want to become an engineer but the math is not coming as easily to me as I would like. What makes it really worse is the fact that I'm only in Precalculus! I am willing to study and work hard but do you guys think this is all in vain? Should I quit now? Also for anyone who is a ME how much math do you use on a everyday basis?

Thanks for any replies

The bolded section in the above quote is the most important part and will be a significant factor in your success. Keep up that attitude and you'll be fine. :smile:
 
Math is never easy. I'm entering my junior year of aerospace engineering. Three years ago I was learning algebra that high school freshman learned. I struggled with it then, I struggle with it now. But though I struggle with things like vector calculus now, I no longer struggle with basic algebra or calculus. That's the beauty of math. You CAN make substantial improvement in it without even realizing it. If you're competent in it, you can succeed as an engineer. It's better to understand why the math works the way it does. If you can do that, well, there are computers for the computation stuff.
 
You should be fine if you work hard. Some mechanical engineering jobs will require more math than others. It all depends on what you get into. When I worked at SAIC building equipment, we mostly used simple formulas and testing to back up our design decisions.

Also, check out this video, http://youtu.be/cQB03yOa6so
 
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allaboutmech said:
You should be fine if you work hard. Some mechanical engineering jobs will require more math than others. It all depends on what you get into. When I worked at SAIC building equipment, we mostly used simple formulas and testing to back up our design decisions.

Also, check out this video, http://youtu.be/cQB03yOa6so

This is a great reply. If you're strong in math you will gravitate into design positions. If you're stronger in other aspects there are still a lot of roles you can play from applications, to test, to support and sales.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks Carlgrace. You're exactly right. There are many opportunities with an ME degree besides the classic design positions.

BlackBarbie,

If you really hate math you could be a patent agent or be on your way to becoming a patent lawyer with a mechanical engineering degree. I don't recommend it unless you really like to read.

Also, you could become a project manager if you went on to earn an MBA. They're concerned mostly with budgets, timelines and deliverables (managing a project).

Bottom-line, Don't give up! :)
 
You are in precalculus which introduces many new concepts such as functions and logarithms. The fact that you are struggling with precalculus now doesn't mean much. It may just mean that you are encountering a lot of new concepts. It is quite possible that by the time you get to calculus or linear algebra, you will feel much more confident about math and your math skills will improve. However even if math is never your strong point, you can still be a good engineer. Angry Citizen has it right. You do not need to be great at math to be a good engineer, you just need to be competent in it.
 

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