Uncertainty in pursuing Engineering

[seventyeight-hxr]

This is my second year in college, and I changed my major to electrical engineering at the start of my second year. I'm taking Calc 1, and I know that I'm going to fail the course. I think there are several reasons for this. I hadn't touched math in an entire year (finished pre-calc 2 in HS), and I heard Calc 1 was the easiest math course, so I decided that taking the class without outside help (tutors or office hours) was enough. I tried really hard and spent hours learning, studying, and teaching myself a lot of the material.

I suppose where I fell short was waiting until it was too late to get a tutor. I understood a lot, but I only tended to study the algebra stuff, not the trig stuff. When we had homework and study guides, I'd neglect to fully understand the trig parts. I'm so ashamed of myself for getting such a low grade in such a critical class. How can I expect to be an EE if I can't even pass the easiest course?

I truly, desperately, want to be an EE; I've never been this motivated towards any other goal. I read through these forums and see that engineers tend to just have a knack for maths and physics. I've always been average in the subjects. Is there any hope for someone seemingly average, but truly wanting to accomplish something this badly?

I've already started to prepare what I'm going to change for next semester: I plan to receive tutoring every day if possible, and I want to study and review my work during the winter vacation so that I can retain information, as well as gain more time to understand concepts. Does anyone have any relatable stories with good endings? I really want to pursue this, but I'm not sure I'm smart enough to do it. Any advice and tips are greatly appreciated. :)

 

[Choppy]

Well, it sounds like you've already started on some of the reflection regarding why you were not as successful as you would have like to have been.

It's not unreasonable to expect to get through a course successfully without a tutor. While it's important to state that there's no shame in asking for extra help if you need it, a tutor is not a magical solution. You still have to learn, understand, and develop skill in applying the concepts in the course.

It seems to me like the real issue is neglecting parts of the course. Looking back, is this because you found the trigonometry parts challenging? Is it because you thought you had a handle on it? Or were you burned out from other things when it came to that part of the course? Or is there another reason? Obviously, you're not going to be successful in your courses if you neglect parts of them. And that's a particular challenge in STEM classes where the material tends to be cumulative, where it's necessary to master the earlier aspects to be successful in the latter aspects.

Have you been successful in your other courses? Overall, one bad mark is not going to wash you out of a program. You can always take the course again, maybe with a different professor, and make sure you have that solid foundation in calculus that you'll need for the rest of your degree and career.

 

[phinds]

@seventyeight-hxr:

What is the difference between a paragraph and a wall of text?

Walls of text are long paragraphs that aren't written, edited, or formatted to be readable on the web. Mostly a mistake of formatting, like bricks packed closely together, the text forms an almost opaque wall that no one wants to read.

[Mentor Note: OP wall-of-text fixed now.]

 

[russ_watters]

This is my second year in college, and I changed my major to electrical engineering at the start of my second year. I'm taking Calc 1, and I know that I'm going to fail the course. I think there are several reasons for this. I hadn't touched math in an entire year (finished pre-calc 2 in HS), and I heard Calc 1 was the easiest math course...

Switched to EE from what? Given that you didn't take the foundational math courses in year 1, and if you fail calc 1 you'll be a year and a half behind, you'll be setting yourself up for a very tough and maybe impossible road.

[Moving thread to academic guidance.]

 

[symbolipoint]

This is my second year in college, and I changed my major to electrical engineering at the start of my second year. I'm taking Calc 1, and I know that I'm going to fail the course. I think there are several reasons for this. I hadn't touched math in an entire year (finished pre-calc 2 in HS), and I heard Calc 1 was the easiest math course, so I decided that taking the class without outside help (tutors or office hours) was enough. I tried really hard and spent hours learning, studying, and teaching myself a lot of the material.

How was results of your intake assessments? Did you skip courses which you in fact needed?

You were/are out of condition for handling Calculus 1. If this is an Algebra deficiency, assessment intake testing would have indicated. If you skipped "Pre-Calculus" from college or university, then such skip is a very possible reason for too much trouble in your Calc. 1. But no matter, if you are out-of-condition, then you are in effect not qualified for the current course. You know what to do.

 

[symbolipoint]

I now read more thoroughly your post #1.
A person may properly go through his college courses as enrolled, Intro Algebra, Intermed Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, then "Elementary Functions" (same as College Algebra And Trigonometry), and still do very badly in Calculus 1, Calculus 2, or both.

One needs to figure out if some review from earlier courses, or repetitions and review of current course is or are necessary.

One of the poorest of poor choices a student can make is, "I don't want to review that course; I already have earned credit for it."

 

[CrysPhys]

Switched to EE from what? Given that you didn't take the foundational math courses in year 1, and if you fail calc 1 you'll be a year and a half behind, you'll be setting yourself up for a very tough and maybe impossible road.

<<Emphasis added>> Yes, this is a key question for the OP to answer before we proceed.

OP: What triggerred this epiphany?

I truly, desperately, want to be an EE; I've never been this motivated towards any other goal.

 

[DaveE]

Sorry, I don't have great study advice.

But, these basic math subjects (Trig, Calculus) aren't just hurdles to overcome to get an EE degree. They are EE, at least in most subdisciplines. You will be using them very frequently IRL, when you need the answer and there's no instructor to correct you. When you need to remember and understand things like $v(t) = \frac {1}{C} \int_0^t i(t) \,dt$. I fear that if you don't like these subjects enough to focus and learn them, then you might not like being an EE.

There is a difference between wanting the prize, and wanting to work for the prize. In this case I think the prize is the work.

 

[seventyeight-hxr]

Well, it sounds like you've already started on some of the reflection regarding why you were not as successful as you would have like to have been.

It's not unreasonable to expect to get through a course successfully without a tutor. While it's important to state that there's no shame in asking for extra help if you need it, a tutor is not a magical solution. You still have to learn, understand, and develop skill in applying the concepts in the course.

It seems to me like the real issue is neglecting parts of the course. Looking back, is this because you found the trigonometry parts challenging? Is it because you thought you had a handle on it? Or were you burned out from other things when it came to that part of the course? Or is there another reason? Obviously, you're not going to be successful in your courses if you neglect parts of them. And that's a particular challenge in STEM classes where the material tends to be cumulative, where it's necessary to master the earlier aspects to be successful in the latter aspects.

Have you been successful in your other courses? Overall, one bad mark is not going to wash you out of a program. You can always take the course again, maybe with a different professor, and make sure you have that solid foundation in calculus that you'll need for the rest of your degree and career.

I plan on receiving tutoring because I really try to learn and understand the material. When I do visit current office hours, I ask a lot of questions and attempt to find the patterns within the problems. My instructor only has so much time, as well as other students asking questions at the same time.

I neglected the trig parts of the course because I didn't think I would need them. My instructor only threw in about one or two examples during notes, so I thought it probably wouldn't end up on the tests. Instead of learning my lesson the first time, I decided it was too late to review the trig sections and that I would be okay since there were only a couple trig problems every test.

Thanks for the insight! I'll be sure not to just overlook these things in the future!

 

[seventyeight-hxr]

@seventyeight-hxr:

What is the difference between a paragraph and a wall of text?

Walls of text are long paragraphs that aren't written, edited, or formatted to be readable on the web. Mostly a mistake of formatting, like bricks packed closely together, the text forms an almost opaque wall that no one wants to read.

[Mentor Note: OP wall-of-text fixed now.]

Apologies! It's my first time posting here. I'll be sure to remember this in the future. :)

 

[seventyeight-hxr]

Switched to EE from what? Given that you didn't take the foundational math courses in year 1, and if you fail calc 1 you'll be a year and a half behind, you'll be setting yourself up for a very tough and maybe impossible road.

[Moving thread to academic guidance.]

I went my first year as Registered Nursing. I chose this because of pressure from my family, as well as it being a safe option.

I took my foundational math courses in high school. When I changed majors, they told me I could start off at Calc 1 since I completed Pre-Calc 2 back in my senior year. It's just been so long since I took pre-calc that I sort of forgot a lot of the material.

 

[seventyeight-hxr]

How was results of your intake assessments? Did you skip courses which you in fact needed?

You were/are out of condition for handling Calculus 1. If this is an Algebra deficiency, assessment intake testing would have indicated. If you skipped "Pre-Calculus" from college or university, then such skip is a very possible reason for too much trouble in your Calc. 1. But no matter, if you are out-of-condition, then you are in effect not qualified for the current course. You know what to do.

I don't believe we took any intake assessments.

I didn't skip any courses (I don't think...). I completed up to Pre-Calc back in high school. I just haven't taken math since then, which was a year ago. When I changed majors, I was told to take Calc 1 since I already took pre-calc and passed it back then.