Help with becoming a Mechanical engineer

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around Jonathon's interest in pursuing a career in mechanical engineering and his concerns about his mathematical abilities. Participants provide insights into the mathematical requirements of mechanical engineering programs and suggest strategies for improving math skills.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • Jonathon expresses a desire to become a mechanical engineer but feels he is "really bad at math."
  • Some participants highlight that mechanical engineering programs typically require a strong foundation in mathematics, including calculus and linear algebra.
  • One participant shares their personal experience of overcoming difficulties with math in high school and suggests that Jonathon work on improving his math skills.
  • Another participant mentions the hands-on aspects of mechanical engineering education, including potential projects like building a solar-powered car.
  • There are suggestions for joining a Math Club and seeking tutoring to enhance Jonathon's math understanding.
  • One participant emphasizes the importance of mastering basic math concepts and provides links to resources for self-learning.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that a solid understanding of math is crucial for success in mechanical engineering, but there are differing views on how Jonathon should approach improving his math skills and whether he should reconsider his career choice.

Contextual Notes

Some participants mention specific math courses and skills needed in mechanical engineering without detailing the exact curriculum or addressing potential variations across different institutions.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for high school students considering a career in mechanical engineering, particularly those who feel challenged by math and seek advice on improving their skills.

jonathon murphy
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hi I'm Jonathon and i would love to get some support from someone who has a mechanical engineer degree. I'm a junior in high school recently i have pinpointed down what i think i what to be career wise and a mechanical engineer is something that i would love to do. I'm a hands on person that's how i learn best. i am really really bad at math and i would love to get some feed back on the kind of math that i am going to be learning as a mechanical engineer i have a desire for taking things apart and trying to put them back together I'm the kind of kid that if something brakes i try and fix it. is this the degree that sounds best for me.
 
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"Really bad at math" isn't the first thing one thinks of when contemplating a mech eng. Here is U of Toronto's program.

https://www.mie.utoronto.ca/undergrad/mechanical/curriculum.php

First year you do calculus and linear algebra. Later years include a variety of quite mathematical things such as statistics, numerical methods, etc. And much of the design work of mech is heavily math oriented.

Maybe you want to be a technologist of some kind?
 
jonathon murphy said:
hi I'm Jonathon and i would love to get some support from someone who has a mechanical engineer degree. I'm a junior in high school recently i have pinpointed down what i think i what to be career wise and a mechanical engineer is something that i would love to do. I'm a hands on person that's how i learn best. i am really really bad at math and i would love to get some feed back on the kind of math that i am going to be learning as a mechanical engineer i have a desire for taking things apart and trying to put them back together I'm the kind of kid that if something brakes i try and fix it. is this the degree that sounds best for me.

Welcome to the PF, Jonathon.

Back in the beginning and middle of high school I didn't think I was very good with math either. But I knew I wanted to get into Engineering in college, and I knew there would be a lot of math involved, so I resolved to try to get better at math. By the time I got to my freshman year of college, I was pretty comfortable with math, and did just fine in my coursework.

So I'd recommend that you do some things to try to get better at math. Does your school have a Math Club? What math classes have you taken so far, and what classes are you planning on taking through the rest of your high school years? :smile:
 
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berkeman said:
Welcome to the PF, Jonathon.

Back in the beginning and middle of high school I didn't think I was very good with math either. But I knew I wanted to get into Engineering in college, and I knew there would be a lot of math involved, so I resolved to try to get better at math. By the time I got to my freshman year of college, I was pretty comfortable with math, and did just fine in my coursework.

So I'd recommend that you do some things to try to get better at math. Does your school have a Math Club? What math classes have you taken so far, and what classes are you planning on taking through the rest of your high school years? :smile:

well so i took algebra 1 freshman year, geometry sophomore year now that I'm a junior I'm taking algebra 2 i got like a c in geometry and a b in algebra 1 and does the degree involve any hands on work, what math do they start you off at as a freshman in collage.
 
jonathon murphy said:
does the degree involve any hands on work
Yes, there is plenty of hands-on work in ME schooling and in ME work. You may even get to build a solar-powered car or similar for your senior project. :smile:

jonathon murphy said:
what math do they start you off at as a freshman in collage
Typically you start with Calculus (differential and integral calc), and then add other classes like the Linear Algebra mentioned previously.

So like I said, it would be good to consider joining the Math Club if your school has one. Also, if your family can afford a little math tutoring for you, that could help. I've tutored friends and friends' kids (for free) in the past, and it's pretty amazing what a good tutor can do to help your visualization and understanding of math. The tricks and mental pictures that I use for myself doing math have helped those students to get past some mental roadblocks that they were stuck struggling with. The key is to find a good tutor who really "gets it" in terms on helping you to visualize what is going on. :smile:
 
Oh, and practice helps a lot. Try doing as many problems as you can when you are studying math. It takes extra time, but really pays off in helping you to be comfortable with solving problems. Your B grade in Algebra I is not bad -- keep building on that trend. Geometry can be a bit confusing at the high school level -- as you use it more as part of other math problems, it will become more familiar to you and easier to work with. :smile:
 
jonathon murphy said:
hi I'm Jonathon and i would love to get some support from someone who has a mechanical engineer degree. I'm a junior in high school recently i have pinpointed down what i think i what to be career wise and a mechanical engineer is something that i would love to do. I'm a hands on person that's how i learn best. i am really really bad at math and i would love to get some feed back on the kind of math that i am going to be learning as a mechanical engineer i have a desire for taking things apart and trying to put them back together I'm the kind of kid that if something brakes i try and fix it. is this the degree that sounds best for me.
If you are bad at math you need to attack your basics, forget about everything else.

I was really horrible at math. I was able to turn that around though through self learning:

http://mathcentre.ac.uk/students/topics/
http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/alevel/alevel.htm

<< Post edited by Moderator >>[/color]

First I would start with the basics, numbers fractions etc. Download the pdfs IN BOTH te links and practics and read all the questions.. You should aim to "understand" a concept and not just rote learn it..

You really can't afford to be "bad" at math if you want to go into any subject that is worth learning (at an advanced level at least). I am not too good at math still but it is what it is. If you are in the US then you should get the advance placement guides for maths and check the contents and learn them, will be your guide.

You should also use MINDMAPS and other learning techniques, check out a software called freemind. Start looking for alternative learnging techniques and better notemaking as these help and eveyrone does hem
 
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