I feel really bad for getting mostly C's in physics and engineering classes

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around a junior mechanical engineering student's feelings of inadequacy due to receiving mostly C grades in their engineering classes. Participants explore the implications of these grades on the student's confidence and future career prospects, while also discussing workload management and personal interests in relation to academic performance.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses self-doubt about their capability to become an engineer due to their grades, questioning how this will affect their job prospects.
  • Another participant suggests that being accepted into the program indicates capability and encourages the student to focus on studying to improve their grades and confidence.
  • Concerns are raised about the student's course load, with a suggestion to consider adjusting it if overwhelmed, and to reflect on performance in other subjects.
  • The student acknowledges taking 19 units last quarter and expresses a desire to improve their GPA this quarter with a lighter course load.
  • A participant shares a similar experience, noting better performance in physics courses compared to mathematics, and discusses balancing work and studies, suggesting that external responsibilities may impact academic performance.
  • Another participant recounts personal challenges, including illness and a difficult professor, while emphasizing a focus on moving forward and improving GPA without dwelling on past performance.
  • One participant raises the idea that grades may not accurately reflect understanding or intelligence, suggesting that if the student comprehends the material, they should not overly stress about grades.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the significance of grades, with some emphasizing the importance of understanding the material over numerical performance, while others focus on the implications of grades for future opportunities. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best approach to managing academic performance and personal confidence.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention varying academic systems and personal circumstances that may affect their perspectives on workload and grading, indicating a lack of consensus on optimal strategies for academic success.

jubeininja69
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I'm a junior as a mech engineer and i just feel so bad getting C's in my engineering classes so far. I mean do i deserve to become an engineer if all I can do is get C's? How will this impact me when i do get a job? I lost all confidence in myself right now and i don't know if i can concentrate in my classes this quarter.
 
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Well in all honesty, if you got accepted into the program you're likely capable of attaining the marks. Rather than asking questions on physicsforums.com, you should be studying. Study, raise the marks by even 1%, and confidence levels will rise.
 
Are you overloaded with more courses than you can handle well? Maybe you need to adjust your courseload for all of the next semesters. Are there other subject areas or subject areas within Mathematics-Engineering-Science for which your grades have been B or A? If yes, then maybe consider changing major field of study. Also, are you interested in a subject area outside of Math-Sci-Engineering? Maybe you have been neglecting a true interest too long.
 
i did take 19 units last quarter and no i will not change my course of study. i did do better in the thermo sciences but I'm struggling in dynamics mostly.
 
I don't know how your system works but 19 is quite a bit. Where I'm at 16 is the maximum. Perhaps the extra class(es) was a bit too much?
 
yeah 19 units is the max. i guess i was being overconfident. i thought i could handle 4 engineer classes in a quarter but i was wrong. I'm taking 3 eng classes and 1 free elective this quarter so i hope my GPA picks up this time around.
 
I'm in a similar situation, as a math major, I generally get Cs or B-s in my mathematics courses, but in my physics courses (my minor) I generally get As or Bs. I also tend to get As and Bs in my non-major courses (arts/humanities electives since I'm in the school of arts and sciences, rather than the school of engineering). I've considered changing majors, but I've found that I really only enjoy the math part of physics.

A question to consider is this: are you doing anything aside from schoolwork with your time, such as work or an excess of extracurricular responsibilities? I ask because that's sort of the case with me, I work 25 hours a week to pay bills and I work 2-3 nights a week as a professional musician to supplement my income.

If you feel that poor performance in previous courses is contributing to a poor performance currently because of the effect on your attitude, consider talking to your advisor or a counselor if your school offers that. It may help more than you'd expect.
 
i hate making excuses but last quarter i got sick twice and unfortunately it was near midterm and finals. plus i also had a bad professor and the work load was too much. i remember almost fainting from a final because it was almost too long. but enough of that. i didn't fail any classes otherwise that would've been a disaster and I'm just moving on and concentrating on this quarter. I'm not going to sulk over my grades on physics forums. what's done is done. i don't plan on going to grad school so all I'm really aiming for is padding my GPA in case something happens so i can graduate next year. I'm going to work harder and leave it as that.
 
If you are working really hard and not getting the material, then maybe the field isn't for you. If you aren't working that hard... then you probably don't care that much about it either...

Or, if you are working, and feel like you are understanding the material but doing poorly on tests (but you are actually getting it) then who cares? Grades are not honestly a representation of intelligence or understanding of a subject. Some brilliant people still manage to get bad grades for a variety of reasons while people with really superficial understanding get As.

It all depends on if you feel you are getting the material. If you understand what you are doing (and your grades aren't so bad they'll impact you getting a job), then stick with it and don't stress. Really smart people don't put as much weight on grades as you'd think.
 

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