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Posted: 1/7/2014 6:00:58 PM EDT
[#1]
Try prayer, nothing helps with Calc.
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Posted: 1/7/2014 6:49:40 PM EDT
[#2]
After being out for 4 years, it's unlikely you'll want to jump right in to calc 1.
The school you start at (whether it be community college or a university) will have a math placement test. They may not require you to take it, if you give them high school transcripts and an ACT / SAT score. Even if it is not required, TAKE IT. Your skills HAVE diminished since high school. That test will place you in the proper class. Good luck to ya, mechanical is the way to go 
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Posted: 1/7/2014 10:34:15 PM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
After being out for 4 years, it's unlikely you'll want to jump right in to calc 1. The school you start at (whether it be community college or a university) will have a math placement test. They may not require you to take it, if you give them high school transcripts and an ACT / SAT score. Even if it is not required, TAKE IT. Your skills HAVE diminished since high school. That test will place you in the proper class. Good luck to ya, mechanical is the way to go This man speaks the truth. I was a whiz at math in HS and went straight to calculus in college and it was tough. My daughter was a math whiz in HS, but her school required a math placement test. She was borderline trig/pre cal as a starting point. I told her you can't get enough trig, so start there. 
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Posted: 1/8/2014 12:08:37 AM EDT
[#4]
I am a couple years of ahead of you, doing the same thing. Start at the bottom, you'll be glad you did later on.
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Posted: 1/8/2014 1:11:08 AM EDT
[#5]
Trying to skip ahead in math will do way more harm than good. When your entire degree is centered around mathematical concepts, it is crucial that you understand math as well as possible, even if it means you start with a class that might be basic for you.
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Posted: 1/9/2014 12:20:30 AM EDT
[#6]
PreCal was 9 weeks of Algebra review and a VERY short review of Trig, where I was weakest.
As a result, I failed Cal1 three times. I never got my CSEG degree. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Posted: 1/9/2014 12:33:17 AM EDT
[#7]
I'm going to be in this same boat in a year or two. Thanks for the advice guys. As an offshoot, do any of you have experience with mechatronics or systems engineering? These two things interest me greatly.
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Posted: 1/9/2014 12:38:15 AM EDT
[#8]
I scored a 6/6 on my math placement test, was thrown right into the deep end with calculus.
Physics, geometry, trig and all that just made sense to me, Calc 1 killed me and I retook it the following semester, got a B, followed by two more B's and an A on the next three semesters of calc. As has been suggested, take the intro classes before jumping into calc if nothing else. ME here too, btw. |
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Posted: 1/9/2014 1:19:45 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
This man speaks the truth. I was a whiz at math in HS and went straight to calculus in college and it was tough. My daughter was a math whiz in HS, but her school required a math placement test. She was borderline trig/pre cal as a starting point. I told her you can't get enough trig, so start there.
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
After being out for 4 years, it's unlikely you'll want to jump right in to calc 1. The school you start at (whether it be community college or a university) will have a math placement test. They may not require you to take it, if you give them high school transcripts and an ACT / SAT score. Even if it is not required, TAKE IT. Your skills HAVE diminished since high school. That test will place you in the proper class. Good luck to ya, mechanical is the way to go This man speaks the truth. I was a whiz at math in HS and went straight to calculus in college and it was tough. My daughter was a math whiz in HS, but her school required a math placement test. She was borderline trig/pre cal as a starting point. I told her you can't get enough trig, so start there.
This above...just wrapped up Cal 1 squeaked out an A via 89.5 overall and Trig was the difficult end for me learn those trig identities and set to heart. Build a strong algebra-trig foundation and do not fear the fractions embrace them. Study hard and get ready for the ride, ChemE minor PE |
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Posted: 1/9/2014 10:09:55 PM EDT
[#10]
When I was still in high school I was in Calc 1 for half a semester before I had to drop it because I was taking AP Calc, AP Stats, and AP Physics at once. Overloaded myself. Too much homework for classes everyday. On my ACT I got a 30 composite score with a 27/36 in Math. Subsections Algebra was 17/18, Geometry 16/18, and trig 12/18.. And the schools I have been looking at all require Calc 1 and 2 freshman year.
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Posted: 1/9/2014 10:13:25 PM EDT
[#11]
This is exactly what I'm worried about. I'll probably be going back to engineering school in three years, and I forget nearly all the math I ever learned.
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Posted: 1/9/2014 10:47:22 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
When I was still in high school I was in Calc 1 for half a semester before I had to drop it because I was taking AP Calc, AP Stats, and AP Physics at once. Overloaded myself. Too much homework for classes everyday. On my ACT I got a 30 composite score with a 27/36 in Math. Subsections Algebra was 17/18, Geometry 16/18, and trig 12/18.. And the schools I have been looking at all require Calc 1 and 2 freshman year. This is why you'll be tempted to jump in to calc 1. Don't. College math moves at double the speed of high school math. (1 semester per class vs. 1 year). Every engineering curriculum will have calc 1 listed in their course catalog as a first semester freshman course, however I cannot imagine a school REQUIRING that you be in calc 1. When I went, 45% of the incoming freshman went to calc 1. 45% to precalc, and about 10%, includmyself, to remedial algebra. Even if you MUST graduate in 4 years, there is still a bit of a buffer built in to those schedules, so that students taking precalc will not be held up by prereqs. For example, need to have completed calc for a class? You won't see it until 3rd semester, so the precalc kids can catch up. 3 AP classes is an easy gravy train compared to trying to complete an ME degree in 8 semesters  . Take that math placement test. If you don't use math for 4 years, you DO lose it. Consider your high school scores irrelevant to where you are today.
Note: this has been my experience. I took AP calc in high school for the challenge. After high school, I decided I wanted to do anything but more school. Went to work for 5 years. Decided I wanted to be an engineer. I excelled at math in HS, and had excellent ACT scores. I tested in to remedial algebra, and even then, stuff didn't come back like I thought it would 
My roommate got in a class that was over his head. Simultaneously scarred his GPA and wasted a whole semester, since he needed to be in the class below that. That situation messed with his schedule. He had no classes to take, since he didn't have the prereqs... Getting in over your head is the worst thing you can do to yourself... Avoid it. |
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Posted: 1/10/2014 2:46:53 PM EDT
[#13]
Okay. Thanks Chapman I will keep that in mind. I find that experience is the best way to learn and if you lived it I'll take your word for it.
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Posted: 1/10/2014 4:03:47 PM EDT
[#14]
One more question. The school I am looking into offers concentrations in Motorsports and Energy. Would it benefit me to concentrate in one of those areas or would it narrow my job search to those areas in the future?
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Posted: 1/10/2014 4:58:14 PM EDT
[#15]
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One more question. The school I am looking into offers concentrations in Motorsports and Energy. Would it benefit me to concentrate in one of those areas or would it narrow my job search to those areas in the future? Where do you live or plan to live afterwards? That will make a big difference in your job search. Clemson finally got their ICar campus up and running about the time I was graduating, but nothing interesting was going on at the time. |
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Posted: 1/10/2014 6:57:05 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Okay. Thanks Chapman I will keep that in mind. I find that experience is the best way to learn and if you lived it I'll take your word for it. All I ask is you take that math test . It couldn't hurt ya. Being placed in a really low math class is far better than trying to do an upper level, failing, and then moving to the lower class the next semester. Your confidence, GPA, and schedule will all thank you
As far as the concentrations, it depends. Do you plan on using your degree to get in to the energy sector, for instance? Most, "concentrations," within ME are just pre-selected electives. It is normally left up to the student which classes you want to take for your electives. There's a few take-whatever-you-want free electives, and some pick-from-this-list electives. There was a manufacturing emphasis at the school I went to, and the only real difference was that you took the specific set of electives laid out for you, and you got your, "emphasis." It wasn't any more or less work than the standard route. I chose not to do it. As far as limiting your job prospects, I'm now getting a little out of my expertise, as I don't hire people or work closely with those that do, but I don't think it would at all. Those concentration and emphasis areas are, like I said before, just a selected set of electives. Your core knowledge base will be the same as every other ME, just fine tuned for a specific industry. Unless that employer is looking to hire ONLY engineers with an emphasis in THAT particular industry, you'll be fine. That is, assuming they know an emphasis isn't vastly different from the regular degree. HR people don't always know things like this 
The good news is you'll have some time to figure it out. Most of the electives will be in the second half of your schooling. You'll have time to consult with advisers, instructors, and potential employers about what you should do. |
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Posted: 1/10/2014 8:01:55 PM EDT
[#17]
I'm looking at going to University of North Carolina at Charlotte. No real goals for where I want to end up working.
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Posted: 1/10/2014 8:11:34 PM EDT
[#18]
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I'm looking at going to University of North Carolina at Charlotte. No real goals for where I want to end up working. Charlotte = Nascar and other motorsports pursuits.
Get on their Formula SAE team if you want to actually enjoy your time there and build things that go fast. FSAE is where I picked up welding, machining, etc. Now I've got an old FSAE car, a mill, lathe and welder... |
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Posted: 1/10/2014 9:15:46 PM EDT
[#19]
Charlotte = Nascar and other motorsports pursuits.
Get on their Formula SAE team if you want to actually enjoy your time there and build things that go fast. FSAE is where I picked up welding, machining, etc. Now I've got an old FSAE car, a mill, lathe and welder... Yes it does mean motorsports. They have some sort of program where they get to use the race track I think. They also hhave the 5th largest water tunnel in the states. If I were to do the FSAE I wouldnt need to do the concentration in Motorsports would I? |
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Posted: 1/10/2014 9:27:41 PM EDT
[#20]
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Yes it does mean motorsports. They have some sort of program where they get to use the race track I think. They also hhave the 5th largest water tunnel in the states. If I were to do the FSAE I wouldnt need to do the concentration in Motorsports would I? Quote HistoryQuoted:
Charlotte = Nascar and other motorsports pursuits.
Get on their Formula SAE team if you want to actually enjoy your time there and build things that go fast. FSAE is where I picked up welding, machining, etc. Now I've got an old FSAE car, a mill, lathe and welder... Yes it does mean motorsports. They have some sort of program where they get to use the race track I think. They also hhave the 5th largest water tunnel in the states. If I were to do the FSAE I wouldnt need to do the concentration in Motorsports would I? Just having FSAE on your resume will open a lot of doors, especially if you're actually active and know your stuff. We had people go to Nascar, Formula 1, etc. Old GF was an old team leader, she's a tire test engineer for Michelin, and works race support for ALMS. My timing sucks, they weren't looking when I graduated
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Posted: 1/14/2014 2:08:33 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Yes it does mean motorsports. They have some sort of program where they get to use the race track I think. They also hhave the 5th largest water tunnel in the states. If I were to do the FSAE I wouldnt need to do the concentration in Motorsports would I? Quote HistoryQuoted:
Charlotte = Nascar and other motorsports pursuits.
Get on their Formula SAE team if you want to actually enjoy your time there and build things that go fast. FSAE is where I picked up welding, machining, etc. Now I've got an old FSAE car, a mill, lathe and welder... Yes it does mean motorsports. They have some sort of program where they get to use the race track I think. They also hhave the 5th largest water tunnel in the states. If I were to do the FSAE I wouldnt need to do the concentration in Motorsports would I? I was on LSU's FSAE team. First off, I'm sure each university does things differently. FSAE isn't very established at LSU compared to many universities, so we never had classes or anything that taught us about the application of engineering to motorsports. Our FSAE team was our Mechanical Engineering (as well as a couple Electrical Engineering) senior design project for everyone on the team. However, the actual car/project was owned by our SAE club. So while you'll learn a great deal just by being on the FSAE team and contributing, actually getting a concentration in motorsports would ultimately make you a more attractive candidate in that field. In true Arfcom fashion, get both. You may also want to strongly consider the Energy concentration. Motorsports will be a rough, competitive world and fairly localized to a few areas. *Everyone* needs energy. |
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Posted: 1/17/2014 8:49:17 PM EDT
[#22]
For math, I guess the one thing that wasn't mentioned is that most schools will have free tutoring programs. Mine had a nightly tutoring lab and 1 on 1 tutoring free to anyone. If you run into trouble, track down how to get tutoring they should be able to help you at most math up to at least calc 1.
Finding a tutor proficient in ME specific classes like statics and dynamics will be more difficult, so I recommend you make friends with people in the class and possibly live on campus for your first year. |
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Posted: 1/22/2014 6:23:53 AM EDT
[#23]
I would recommend taking an algebra based course and a trig class before you dive into calculus. Also I would recommend that you go to a community college since its cheaper so you can brush up the necessary skills. Check the requirements for your school as well to see if it needs a foreign language and take it at the community college level. My University required 2 years of a language and kill any writing intensive classes at community college. Personally I would pay community college out of pocket rather than using the GI bill since you will need it at the 4 year. I did 5 years in the army and i'm an applied mathematician at Baylor University.
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Posted: 1/22/2014 12:04:38 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I would recommend taking an algebra based course and a trig class before you dive into calculus. Also I would recommend that you go to a community college since its cheaper so you can brush up the necessary skills. Check the requirements for your school as well to see if it needs a foreign language and take it at the community college level. My University required 2 years of a language and kill any writing intensive classes at community college. Personally I would pay community college out of pocket rather than using the GI bill since you will need it at the 4 year. I did 5 years in the army and i'm an applied mathematician at Baylor University. I was looking at going to community college for my first two years and paying it out of pocket. Figured it would be better to pay for two years of community college and then try and use the GI Bill to cover a Masters program. |
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Posted: 1/24/2014 12:12:55 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I was looking at going to community college for my first two years and paying it out of pocket. Figured it would be better to pay for two years of community college and then try and use the GI Bill to cover a Masters program. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
I would recommend taking an algebra based course and a trig class before you dive into calculus. Also I would recommend that you go to a community college since its cheaper so you can brush up the necessary skills. Check the requirements for your school as well to see if it needs a foreign language and take it at the community college level. My University required 2 years of a language and kill any writing intensive classes at community college. Personally I would pay community college out of pocket rather than using the GI bill since you will need it at the 4 year. I did 5 years in the army and i'm an applied mathematician at Baylor University. I was looking at going to community college for my first two years and paying it out of pocket. Figured it would be better to pay for two years of community college and then try and use the GI Bill to cover a Masters program. OP I am no genius, but was able to teach myself Pre Calc out of a textbook the summer before I took Calc 1 in college. I was 3 years out of HS and took Pre Calc as my highest math course. Kept me on the schedule and saved me some money, but YMMV since you have the GI bill. ( I got an A or B on it, don't remember) Good luck, you're going to need it.
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Posted: 1/31/2014 10:32:59 PM EDT
[#26]
Yeah I was thinking about doing community college to brush up on algebra and trig before I started Penn state. Now the GI bill will run out in my fifth year and I will be paying out of pocket. But as long as I get the Petro Engineering degree I'm chasing I will be fine with it. Forgot everything I knew from hs, that's for sure. Happy I'm taking the base classes again so I will stand a chance in calc lol. Only hard work and time will tell... Because I'm struggling more in algebra then I thought I would lol. Back up plan is logistics management if I can't cut it in the harder math classes. I will be a lot more confident once I do well in the first calc class.
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Posted: 1/31/2014 10:52:54 PM EDT
[#27]
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Yeah I was thinking about doing community college to brush up on algebra and trig before I started Penn state. Now the GI bill will run out in my fifth year and I will be paying out of pocket. But as long as I get the Petro Engineering degree I'm chasing I will be fine with it. Forgot everything I knew from hs, that's for sure. Happy I'm taking the base classes again so I will stand a chance in calc lol. Only hard work and time will tell... Because I'm struggling more in algebra then I thought I would lol. Back up plan is logistics management if I can't cut it in the harder math classes. I will be a lot more confident once I do well in the first calc class. Don't get too confident. I thought Calc 1 was pretty easy. Calc 2, not so much. |
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Posted: 2/1/2014 2:20:12 PM EDT
[#28]
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Don't get too confident. I thought Calc 1 was pretty easy. Calc 2, not so much. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Yeah I was thinking about doing community college to brush up on algebra and trig before I started Penn state. Now the GI bill will run out in my fifth year and I will be paying out of pocket. But as long as I get the Petro Engineering degree I'm chasing I will be fine with it. Forgot everything I knew from hs, that's for sure. Happy I'm taking the base classes again so I will stand a chance in calc lol. Only hard work and time will tell... Because I'm struggling more in algebra then I thought I would lol. Back up plan is logistics management if I can't cut it in the harder math classes. I will be a lot more confident once I do well in the first calc class. Don't get too confident. I thought Calc 1 was pretty easy. Calc 2, not so much. Spend enough time on it, and use all the resources available (like khan academy), and they're very passable classes. Most of the people that I noticed were dropping those classes were the ones that didn't put in the time. |
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Posted: 2/1/2014 6:03:27 PM EDT
[#29]
Thanks, yeah I found out about khan academy a little bit ago it is really useful. I'm planning on using it a lot over my summer break to keep from brain dumping and get a head start on calc. I don't have a problem putting the hours in on studying its the mental retention I'm worried about lol. But that is different for everyone.
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Posted: 2/1/2014 11:20:49 PM EDT
[#30]
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Spend enough time on it, and use all the resources available (like khan academy), and they're very passable classes. Most of the people that I noticed were dropping those classes were the ones that didn't put in the time. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Yeah I was thinking about doing community college to brush up on algebra and trig before I started Penn state. Now the GI bill will run out in my fifth year and I will be paying out of pocket. But as long as I get the Petro Engineering degree I'm chasing I will be fine with it. Forgot everything I knew from hs, that's for sure. Happy I'm taking the base classes again so I will stand a chance in calc lol. Only hard work and time will tell... Because I'm struggling more in algebra then I thought I would lol. Back up plan is logistics management if I can't cut it in the harder math classes. I will be a lot more confident once I do well in the first calc class. Don't get too confident. I thought Calc 1 was pretty easy. Calc 2, not so much. Spend enough time on it, and use all the resources available (like khan academy), and they're very passable classes. Most of the people that I noticed were dropping those classes were the ones that didn't put in the time. What is Khan Academy??? |
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Posted: 2/2/2014 12:00:36 PM EDT
[#31]
Khan Academy is a web site that will likely save your bacon several times throughout your engineering education. Make note of it, and just bookmark it now. Seriously, browse khanacademy.com, especially through their math section, and watch some videos.
If you didn't understand a topic in math class, you can watch a khan academy video about it. They will explain it a little differently, and you can go through it slowly, back up, and replay certain parts. It's an amazing resource, free too. |
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Posted: 2/2/2014 1:08:16 PM EDT
[#32]
Awesome. Will do. Thanks
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Posted: 2/4/2014 7:59:05 PM EDT
[#33]
You'll want to have the biggest "math guns" you can...it will make learning the actual engineering concepts so much easier. Super strong calculus foundation will be crucial.
I speak from experience, my Bachelors and Masters degree are both in mechanical engineering....you'll have no problems finding a good job when done. |
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Posted: 2/9/2014 8:49:26 PM EDT
[#34]
When I started back to college after a very long hiatus, I placed into College Algebra. However, I knew that I wasn't ready for that course. I went to the college library and looked through the math books to see which ones I could easily go through without study. I decided to start with Introductory Algebra.
I checked out that textbook numerous times, working every odd-numbered problem in the book. Then I did the same with an Intermediate Algebra textbook. Then, I registered for College Algebra. I made an A, but it wasn't an easy A. I would have been in serious trouble if I hadn't spent so much time reviewing prior to taking the course. I then took Precalc (another not-easy A, since my trig was extremely rusty), and this semester I'm taking Calc I. I really should be studying now; the first test is Friday. |
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Posted: 5/3/2014 4:52:09 PM EDT
[#35]
Okay so I bought myself a precalculus workbook and have been working my way through it. The algebra based parts I do increbidly well with but i will admit that I am constantly learning little bits I didnt realize i didnt understand. Alot of the trig parts I can also understand; however I am having trouble memorizing all the identities, theorems, rules( such as measurements on the unit circle, double angle indentities, pythagorean identities, sum difference identities, etc..). On most problems I can work my way through the problem and know which theorem or identity to use for each situation but find myself having to look back in the book for the exact formula for each situation. For calculus should I have all these things memorized or is having to look at a reference paper for formulas exceptable?
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Posted: 5/3/2014 5:10:01 PM EDT
[#36]
Most of the points I miss on my Calc exams are from screwing up on the algebra. Point being, make sure you have a strong foundation in algebra. It is also important to know your trig, but the main thing would be to know the trig functions, SOHCAHTOA, the unit circle, and special angles. You will also need this stuff for your physics classes. You will use the Pythagorean, sum and difference identities for integration when you get to calc 2, but I think your instructor will understand that the students will have taken trig a few semesters back and thus either provide the formulas on exams or teach a refresher when covering the relevant material. My professor wouldn't let us use the cheat chart for integrating trig functions on our mid terms but the department allowed it on the final.
Have you taken a math placement yet? |
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Posted: 5/3/2014 5:38:33 PM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Most of the points I miss on my Calc exams are from screwing up on the algebra. Point being, make sure you have a strong foundation in algebra. It is also important to know your trig, but the main thing would be to know the trig functions, SOHCAHTOA, the unit circle, and special angles. You will also need this stuff for your physics classes. You will use the Pythagorean, sum and difference identities for integration when you get to calc 2, but I think your instructor will understand that the students will have taken trig a few semesters back and thus either provide the formulas on exams or teach a refresher when covering the relevant material. My professor wouldn't let us use the cheat chart for integrating trig functions on our mid terms but the department allowed it on the final. Have you taken a math placement yet? So what your saying is keep working but just because i dont have everything memorized doesnt mean I wont do okay? And no i haven't yet. I have been busy with work but I am supposed to have wednesday off and was planning on taking it then. |
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Posted: 5/3/2014 5:52:14 PM EDT
[#38]
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I was looking at going to community college for my first two years and paying it out of pocket. Figured it would be better to pay for two years of community college and then try and use the GI Bill to cover a Masters program. This is a fantastic idea. 36 months of benefits will not pay for a 4-year degree (or 5-year, in this case). While I am not going for any STEM degrees, I figured out a way to pay for the entirety of my BS, my MA (currently underway), and the majority of another Masters program using my GI Bill. Pre-plan and utilize the benefits you have earned to their utmost potential. I have no advice as to your original questions. Best of luck to you. |
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Posted: 5/3/2014 6:08:51 PM EDT
[#39]
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36 months of benefits will not pay for a 4-year degree (or 5-year, in this case). Quote HistoryQuoted:
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I was looking at going to community college for my first two years and paying it out of pocket. Figured it would be better to pay for two years of community college and then try and use the GI Bill to cover a Masters program. 36 months of benefits will not pay for a 4-year degree (or 5-year, in this case). 36 Months does cover a 4 year degree. Your summer and winter breaks are not paid for by the GI Bill giving you a total of 9 Months for each school year. Which makes 4 years of college add up to 36 months. |
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Posted: 5/3/2014 6:28:34 PM EDT
[#40]
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36 Months does cover a 4 year degree. Your summer and winter breaks are not paid for by the GI Bill giving you a total of 9 Months for each school year. Which makes 4 years of college add up to 36 months. From what I have witnessed with friends utilizing their GI Bill going to state schools full-time, their benefits expired late in their junior year or early in their senior year. Hopefully your experience will be different. 
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Posted: 5/4/2014 12:26:09 AM EDT
[#41]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
From what I have witnessed with friends utilizing their GI Bill going to state schools full-time, their benefits expired late in their junior year or early in their senior year. Hopefully your experience will be different. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
36 Months does cover a 4 year degree. Your summer and winter breaks are not paid for by the GI Bill giving you a total of 9 Months for each school year. Which makes 4 years of college add up to 36 months. From what I have witnessed with friends utilizing their GI Bill going to state schools full-time, their benefits expired late in their junior year or early in their senior year. Hopefully your experience will be different. Either they had to repeat classes, took too few classes per semester, or took too many credits that didn't apply to their degree. The Post 9/11 GI Bill basically covers 9 semesters if you attend only spring and fall semesters. That's one more than necessary for a four year degree if you follow the degree program to the letter. That said, in my case I will probably end up paying for a semester out of pocket, but that's my own damn fault for being such a lazy student (it didn't help that I started at the lowest remedial math level my school offers). |
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Posted: 8/28/2014 2:41:06 PM EDT
[#42]
A word of caution to anyone thinking about going to community college to save money. Your GPA will not transfer over to the university you go to for your engineering degree. You are going to take all of your easy classes at community college and probably finish there with a high GPA. Then start your last two years taking all core engineering classes that are incredibly difficult. It may be hard for you to maintain the necessary GPA to stay in school if you run into problems. Your classmates who started at university will have an additional two years of easy classes to average into their GPA.
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Posted: 8/28/2014 3:28:34 PM EDT
[#43]
Good point. Another point to consider: Not all classes taken at a university will necessarily apply to your advanced standing GPA. At my school, the advanced standing GPA is calculated using core prerequisite classes like calculus and physics but not gen ed's like psychology and econ. It also doesn't include classes like college algebra and trig because you are expected to already know that material before entering the engineering college. You need to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or the university will put you on notice but you need to maintain an advanced standing GPA of 2.5 to stay in the engineering college. Drop below a 2.5 advanced standing GPA and the engineering college will give you the boot and you won't be able to take any of the 300 or higher level classes. If you need to take stuff like remedial algebra, college algebra, trig, or pre-calc, those won't apply to your advanced standing GPA so best not to waste your GI Bill on them. Needless to say, the advanced standing GPA is the harder one to maintain because it is calculated from the harder classes.
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Posted: 8/28/2014 6:41:15 PM EDT
[#44]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
A word of caution to anyone thinking about going to community college to save money. Your GPA will not transfer over to the university you go to for your engineering degree. You are going to take all of your easy classes at community college and probably finish there with a high GPA. Then start your last two years taking all core engineering classes that are incredibly difficult. It may be hard for you to maintain the necessary GPA to stay in school if you run into problems. Your classmates who started at university will have an additional two years of easy classes to average into their GPA. Not quite. This is something for OP to look in to, as what I highlighted is not always the case. My university transferred GPA along with credits from CC. Also, you should only do 1 year, max, at CC. The engineering curriculum is not 2 years of history, writing, literature, etc, then 2 years of engineering classes... It's math, physics, mechanics, materials, metallurgy, etc, THEN two years of focused classes. Most community colleges won't have the classes you need after your first year. Materials, metallurgy, and statics and dynamics were not available at the local CC when I looked in to it. That's 2nd year stuff. You can usually get away with calc 1, chem 1, physics 1, and a lit or history required elective. After that, you're stretching the limits of what CC's offer (at least in the chem and physics departments). As for the first two years of classes being easy in engineering, I thought those were the hardest two years... Once you've got the math down (in the first two years), the rest is just applications of that math. YMMV. |
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Posted: 9/19/2014 1:02:33 AM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Don't get too confident. I thought Calc 1 was pretty easy. Calc 2, not so much. This. Especially when it's Calc II w/linear algebra from what I hear. Luckily the school I was attending at the time separated them. Linear algebra still kicked my ass. BTW, I'm an EE, but we all still have to take the same math classes. |
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Posted: 10/3/2014 9:24:11 AM EDT
[#46]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I'm looking at going to University of North Carolina at Charlotte. No real goals for where I want to end up working. I graduated before they had a concentration in energy, but work in the power industry currently. For me personally, I would do energy over motorsports. Everyone needs energy, there will always be demand for it, and the industry is growing. The power industry can have a promising career if you are into it and work hard. As far as math and calc, I would make sure you know your algebra and trig like the back of your hand. A lot of people in calc mess up on the algebra part.
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Posted: 3/17/2015 10:20:00 PM EDT
[#47]
Take couple intro courses in Tech math in the Technology Section of your campus if you have it.
GTC-107 and 108(at my school) are Technical Mathematics 1 and 2 respectively. They start you at "This is a number" and take you well into Algebra as used in technology. The nice thing about them is that they use real world technical problems for you to related to. It gets you back into the "math groove" without having to freak out so much over "theory", per se. |
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Posted: 4/9/2015 10:44:27 PM EDT
[#48]
I am working towards my ME degree as well. For Calculus, the BEST thing you can do is get good at Trig & Algebra. The Calculus part is not that difficult, its mostly the BS in-between like Trig and Algebra.
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Posted: 7/6/2015 6:58:39 PM EDT
[#49]
I think I was fortunate that calculus never really posed much of a problem for me. Nor did organic chemistry.... but get me in a humanities or creative writing course and I'll face desk at least twice a class.
My advice to get on track as fast as possible? Hit those Algebra books hard, then work on your trig skills. Khan Academy might be a good free source to hit those basics. Find as many questions as you can from other sources, and keep practicing over and over. Ingrain everything you can, because it's not uncommon to start forgetting the basics later on. SAT/ACT/GRE books are a good investment. Also don't be afraid to get a nice TI-89 calculator and learn how to use the advanced functions to check your work in future math courses. It WILL be a lifesaver that most professors can overlook. |
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Posted: 7/7/2015 10:17:29 PM EDT
[#50]
Since you are just starting to go back to school...don't worry about Calc right now....get back in the swing of math by taking a couple of tech math courses like Tech Math I and II ( at my school that is GTC-107 and 108 ). These will give you a great, reality found re-introduction to math on a practical level. It's not so much deep math theory as it is practical, technical math. It's a good, comfortable re-introduction to mathematics.....they were two of my favorite courses and they've helped me handle everything in my ELE and Engineering programs so far.
I really DO need to get back and take serious, true math...but the tech math has been GREAT so far. |
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