Posted: 1/4/2010 6:04:14 PM EDT
|
I'm 33 and have been working on a BSEE for a while now and I have to say that I'm growing thoroughly sick of Calculus. In every way, shape and form, I hate Calculus.
LOATHE it. So tell me, How much of it do I actually have to look forward to? As an EE is your day 8 hours of Calculus crunching or or is it essentially devoid of the devils mathematics? What DO you actually do all day? I truly LOVE problem solving, but can no longer stomach Calculus. Should I consider another path before It's too late? |
|
I'm 30. I've had my MSEE for about 10 years.
For the first four years or so I did some really cool stuff with a start-up company. The pay wasn't great but I used a lot of my math background. Knowing math really well helps you do much more than just EE stuff. I could take my diff. eq. knowledge and maxwell equation knowledge then apply that to Navier-Stokes equations for fluid analysis. This lead me into a great few years of aerodynamics works dealing with fluid measurements (air data) on aircraft. Now, I work in the space part of aerospace. It royally sucks. I would never recommend to anyone they should work on spacecraft stuff. I get told by a schedule jockey, who has no idea how to thread a nut onto a bolt, how to do my job. I've been looking for an aircraft engineering since I moved into the space field. Today, the engineering part of my job rarely goes beyond ohm's law and power calculations. The most difficult part of my job today is wrenching the requirements out of management because they don't know shit about engineering. After the requirements are acquired then it's a matter of parts selection via data sheet reading then hooking the components up according to reference designs or heritage work. My word of advice, don't work in the space industry. |
|
Quoted:
I'm 30. I've had my MSEE for about 10 years. For the first four years or so I did some really cool stuff with a start-up company. The pay wasn't great but I used a lot of my math background. Knowing math really well helps you do much more than just EE stuff. I could take my diff. eq. knowledge and maxwell equation knowledge then apply that to Navier-Stokes equations for fluid analysis. This lead me into a great few years of aerodynamics works dealing with fluid measurements (air data) on aircraft. Now, I work in the space part of aerospace. It royally sucks. I would never recommend to anyone they should work on spacecraft stuff. I get told by a schedule jockey, who has no idea how to thread a nut onto a bolt, how to do my job. I've been looking for an aircraft engineering since I moved into the space field. Today, the engineering part of my job rarely goes beyond ohm's law and power calculations. The most difficult part of my job today is wrenching the requirements out of management because they don't know shit about engineering. After the requirements are acquired then it's a matter of parts selection via data sheet reading then hooking the components up according to reference designs or heritage work. My word of advice, don't work in the space industry. That's actually pretty interesting and helpful.. You see, one of my main interests in life is aerospace, and my overall career plan is/was to do EE work for the aerospace industry. I always imagined that someday I'd be designing war-planes or missile components or satellite systems. If I sway away from my engineering plan, my 1st back-up choice as of now is aviation maintenance, because I also like getting my hands dirty and fixing things (right now I'm an AV repair tech for consumer electronics). |
|
Depends on what you go in to. If you want to do component design, you might need your math (circuits, etc). If you are going into system design, like designing power systems for industrial plants, you don't hardly need math. The national electric code takes care of most of it.
If you are struggling with calc, the high end EE jobs might not be for you. But there's a lot you can do with it. You could even go into controls, like PLC programming. |
|
Aviation engineering is great fun, especially if you get to ride along or fly the test flights.
I had a great time logging hundreds of hours in a lot of planes. I really miss that work. Space engineering, can't stand it. The reality about it is that you hardly ever see the work you build. You might touch the brass board (engineering unit) but the flight unit will probably be made without you ever knowing it went to production. I can remember being told one of my boards was being integrated in the flight box without even knowing it was built. This is really annoying when you want to fix the red lines; later you find out that the schedule jockey had someone else get your notes then incorporate some of the fixes. This is quite bothersome if you design the product then don't know the status of it while your name remains on the top level drawings. In a company that deals with the .gov (probably 99% of space flight) the engineer has very little decision making power and rarely is in the loop with respect to the totality of the project. |
|
Quoted:
Don;t know how far you are in your courses, but even if you follow an ee career path that does not need a lot of calc, you will still certainly be up to your ears in it before you graduate. What level of calc are you currently working on? This is very true. There is still diff. eq. probably 2 semesters of it and after your first two EE classes they should all be calc / diff. eq. based. This excludes the classes that should be in the comp. sci. department that somehow get incorporated into EE curriculum. |
|
I graduated in June and started working in the controls segment of an aerospace company. I have taken my understanding of differential equations and applied it to the navier-stokes equations in some after hours classes. It really is amazing how universal some of the concepts are. Anyways, in my day to day job I typically try to pick the hard math problems because the old guys are less likely to do so and I get lots of pats on the back for solving them. I also prefer working these kinds of problems to certifying something (oh the horror, the paperwork!).
Interestingly enough, I did several years of optics research and when I graduated I figured it was something I enjoyed in college but would never see again. SURPRISE! About a month ago everyone gets really energized about using optics and I'm suddenly some kind of expert. It's almost like I planned it that way. |
|
Quoted:
As an EE is your day 8 hours of Calculus crunching or or is it essentially devoid of the devils mathematics? On a day-to-day basis, nothing beyond algebra and the occasional basic trig function. Unless you're designing exotic antennas or stealthy aircraft surfaces, calculus isn't a big part of everyday EE life. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Don;t know how far you are in your courses, but even if you follow an ee career path that does not need a lot of calc, you will still certainly be up to your ears in it before you graduate. What level of calc are you currently working on? This is very true. There is still diff. eq. probably 2 semesters of it and after your first two EE classes they should all be calc / diff. eq. based. This excludes the classes that should be in the comp. sci. department that somehow get incorporated into EE curriculum. The only ACTUAL math class I have left is Calc 3. all of my other math req's are complete. My problem is that since I already have to work for a living I had to take the last 2 semesters off and I feel like I've already forgotten everything I know, mathwise. I really struggled with circuits because of Calc and neither Circuits 2 or Microcircuits look anymore fun. I've often been described as "gifted" and have a higher than average IQ, but I swear to God, Math is the death of me. |
|
Quoted: It's still kinda cool knowing that something that you designed is in orbit though.Aviation engineering is great fun, especially if you get to ride along or fly the test flights. I had a great time logging hundreds of hours in a lot of planes. I really miss that work. Space engineering, can't stand it. The reality about it is that you hardly ever see the work you build. You might touch the brass board (engineering unit) but the flight unit will probably be made without you ever knowing it went to production. I can remember being told one of my boards was being integrated in the flight box without even knowing it was built. This is really annoying when you want to fix the red lines; later you find out that the schedule jockey had someone else get your notes then incorporate some of the fixes. This is quite bothersome if you design the product then don't know the status of it while your name remains on the top level drawings. In a company that deals with the .gov (probably 99% of space flight) the engineer has very little decision making power and rarely is in the loop with respect to the totality of the project. |
|
Tough it out. Odds are you won't need it terribly often, but when you do, it will be extremely valuable (yeah, you might have to go back and crack the books, but knowing how to approach something is often half the battle)
Plus calc wizardry makes one a babe magnet. 
|
|
I agree that it'll really depends on what you want to do. I'm still trying to finish my PhD in EE, but have worked enough to know some of what is expected. IME, the more important thing to know is how and why the calculus is applicable, i.e. quickly figuring out approximately how this will work or not, rather than just how to solve the problems numerically or closed form.
I come from a computer engineering BS focusing on architectures, supercomputing, etc. and electrical engineering MS focused on digital systems design (hardware crypto, other fun stuff) background and am now working in EM theory. I'm good at working with EM/RF despite my disparate background because I understand how it works based on the math behind it. I've lost a lot of my raw calculus skills in the last few years, but have enough left that I can look at Maxwell's and form a mental image of how the fields are going to start forming around this or that structure. Engineering-sense, if you will, is more important than being good at solving closed-form solutions in the areas I'm interested in working in. I don't plan on writing simulation software to solve EM problems, so the math is less important in my case. TBS, I am going to be sitting in on a numerical methods course this semester just to refresh my brain while I can do so for free. Most of the BSEEs I know don't use calculus much. MSEEs use more of it, but it's few and far between. PhDEEs depend on what they are doing. The guys I know that work in research at national labs, Agilent, Tektronics, Intel, etc. use their math skills a lot more than the guys doing project management, design and buildouts, etc. Finding someone that does what you want to do and having a few talks over a period of time will help you clear up your decision. I keep checking in with some people that do stuff I want to be doing and getting their input on what tools I really need to take with me when I finally convince the University to let me go. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Don;t know how far you are in your courses, but even if you follow an ee career path that does not need a lot of calc, you will still certainly be up to your ears in it before you graduate. What level of calc are you currently working on? This is very true. There is still diff. eq. probably 2 semesters of it and after your first two EE classes they should all be calc / diff. eq. based. This excludes the classes that should be in the comp. sci. department that somehow get incorporated into EE curriculum. The only ACTUAL math class I have left is Calc 3. all of my other math req's are complete. My problem is that since I already have to work for a living I had to take the last 2 semesters off and I feel like I've already forgotten everything I know, mathwise. I really struggled with circuits because of Calc and neither Circuits 2 or Microcircuits look anymore fun. I've often been described as "gifted" and have a higher than average IQ, but I swear to God, Math is the death of me. You got through dif eq and freq domain analysis and discrete calc and linear algebra and you're having issues with Calc 3? |
|
Quoted:
<snip> Engineering-sense, if you will, is more important than being good at solving closed-form solutions in the areas I'm interested in working in. I don't plan on writing simulation software to solve EM problems, so the math is less important in my case. TBS, I am going to be sitting in on a numerical methods course this semester just to refresh my brain while I can do so for free. <snip> Finding someone that does what you want to do and having a few talks over a period of time will help you clear up your decision. I keep checking in with some people that do stuff I want to be doing and getting their input on what tools I really need to take with me when I finally convince the University to let me go. "Engineering sense" is me to a "t". I can find a solution to most any dilemna with a big-picture answer, but might not be able to finesse the method via mathematics.... ARFCOM is about my best resource for getting this info as I know no-one in the EE field personally. Hopefully I can shake out the details soon. Classes start back up in about a week. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Don;t know how far you are in your courses, but even if you follow an ee career path that does not need a lot of calc, you will still certainly be up to your ears in it before you graduate. What level of calc are you currently working on? This is very true. There is still diff. eq. probably 2 semesters of it and after your first two EE classes they should all be calc / diff. eq. based. This excludes the classes that should be in the comp. sci. department that somehow get incorporated into EE curriculum. The only ACTUAL math class I have left is Calc 3. all of my other math req's are complete. My problem is that since I already have to work for a living I had to take the last 2 semesters off and I feel like I've already forgotten everything I know, mathwise. I really struggled with circuits because of Calc and neither Circuits 2 or Microcircuits look anymore fun. I've often been described as "gifted" and have a higher than average IQ, but I swear to God, Math is the death of me. You got through dif eq and freq domain analysis and discrete calc and linear algebra and you're having issues with Calc 3? Indeed. I'd swear to god it goes in one ear and out the other. I just can't seem to retain it for any more than a week and it's killing me. I thought to myself, "YAY!! one more math class to go!", only to find out that my entire next semester was math in disguise! 
Robotics & Automation? Calculus. Circuits 2? Calculus 2 Microcircuits? MORE CALCULUS!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrggggggggggggggggggggHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!  
And this is why I need to know if the field holds the same for me. If so, it may not be for me after all. |
|
Quoted:
"Engineering sense" is me to a "t". I can find a solution to most any dilemna with a big-picture answer, but might not be able to finesse the method via mathematics.... ARFCOM is about my best resource for getting this info as I know no-one in the EE field personally. Hopefully I can shake out the details soon. Classes start back up in about a week. Talk to your major professor and tell him your interests and let him know you are really considering the directions you want to go, but want some feedback from graduates and those already out there. He may be able to give you some people to talk to in the field or direct you to another professor who can. This is how I know many PhDEEs, and a few MSEEs who have basically the same education I am getting. Hit the job fair, if your Uni supports one, and put your info out. Talk to the recruiters and tell them you are interested in what they do and would like to talk to some of their current engineers about their experience and advice about working for company X, or in that field. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Don;t know how far you are in your courses, but even if you follow an ee career path that does not need a lot of calc, you will still certainly be up to your ears in it before you graduate. What level of calc are you currently working on? This is very true. There is still diff. eq. probably 2 semesters of it and after your first two EE classes they should all be calc / diff. eq. based. This excludes the classes that should be in the comp. sci. department that somehow get incorporated into EE curriculum. The only ACTUAL math class I have left is Calc 3. all of my other math req's are complete. My problem is that since I already have to work for a living I had to take the last 2 semesters off and I feel like I've already forgotten everything I know, mathwise. I really struggled with circuits because of Calc and neither Circuits 2 or Microcircuits look anymore fun. I've often been described as "gifted" and have a higher than average IQ, but I swear to God, Math is the death of me. You got through dif eq and freq domain analysis and discrete calc and linear algebra and you're having issues with Calc 3? Indeed. I'd swear to god it goes in one ear and out the other. I just can't seem to retain it for any more than a week and it's killing me. I thought to myself, "YAY!! one more math class to go!", only to find out that my entire next semester was math in disguise!
Robotics & Automation? Calculus. Circuits 2? Calculus 2 Microcircuits? MORE CALCULUS!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrggggggggggggggggggggHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
And this is why I need to know if the field holds the same for me. If so, it may not be for me after all. If your goal was to wind up on the cold end of a soldering iron you chose poorly. I'd wager that compared to any math major I did an equal number of math hours in undergrad, but mine were all applied math instead of theoretical. When I got out I went straight into programming and have never used calc since then. Basic math all the time. Statistics and probabalistic mechanics frequently. Calc infrequently but I write business software. You get into things they don't teach you in school, like rounding error aggregation and compensating for user overrides and other nonlinear artifacts, transactions, etc. |
|
Hit the job fair, if your Uni supports one, and put your info out. Talk to the recruiters and tell them you are interested in what they do and would like to talk to some of their current engineers about their experience and advice about working for company X, or in that field.
That's a pretty good idea. I've also been toying with the idea of finding a local business that might employee EEs and see if they might put me in touch with one to speak with or even shadow for a day. |
|
I am a registered PE in Louisiana and have done electronics design, industrial power systems and controls (PLC, analog, and dedicated PC based systems). I am now a project manager in Center Ops at NASA Stennis Space Center, and here is my view on that subject.
I could have done 99% of all my engineering jobs without 1 hour of college. That 99% was covered by reading vendor data, and by listening to other engineers, electricians, and janitors (not joking). In power systems I worked out rules of thumb and memorized wire ampacities for common sizes, read vendor data on various power circuit breakers, ANSI relay devices, etc. I did occasionally use the square root of 3 in that line of work, and had that one memorized as well. About 20 years ago I told a newbie engineer that "If you can't solve it by adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing, you may have overcomplicated the problem". Most of the "Numbers" guys I know do their grunt work on spreadsheets. But you've got to get the piece of paper to get there - electromagnetics is basically applied multivariable calculus. Signals has calculus and statistical analysis. Calculus will be there to some degree until you graduate, afterwards is more your decision. Despite what you may get from my mini lecture, my recommendation is to learn it now. It takes work and repetition- one morning you will wake up and understand "Integration by Partial fraction decomposition". If not, you will have to learn calculus while trying to understand other subjects- it is the language of engineering professors and texts. Good Luck! |
|
As others said, your job will dictate the amount of math.
I had to take Calculus years ago for the degree, and by the 3rd semester my head was spinning. I ended up getting a technically intensive job, but basic Geometry is 99% of the math. About 1% of the time I have to do some Euler angle calcuations. No Calculus in 20 years of Engineering. I really look at Calculus as more of a "test" an employer looks at to see whether you can handle complicated thinking, though they may never ask you to do any calculus in your entire career with them. |
| Numerical methods, finite element approx. solutions, high speed / high memory computers have put a huge dent in the necessity for exact solutions by calculus in practically all engineering fields. However, it still helps to be able to model an analog system using limits, integrals and derivatives, then develop the numerical approx. solution. IMO, the problem with most calculus instruction / learning is the absense of a good teacher. |
|
I'm 46. I have a BS in physics and a MSEE.
The only time I needed calculus in work was when I was working as a TA. Too bad, I love calculus, quantum mechanics, etc. I have used my calculus and physics skills when discussing things with fellow EEs, but not in actual work. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
It's still kinda cool knowing that something that you designed is in orbit though.
Aviation engineering is great fun, especially if you get to ride along or fly the test flights. I had a great time logging hundreds of hours in a lot of planes. I really miss that work. Space engineering, can't stand it. The reality about it is that you hardly ever see the work you build. You might touch the brass board (engineering unit) but the flight unit will probably be made without you ever knowing it went to production. I can remember being told one of my boards was being integrated in the flight box without even knowing it was built. This is really annoying when you want to fix the red lines; later you find out that the schedule jockey had someone else get your notes then incorporate some of the fixes. This is quite bothersome if you design the product then don't know the status of it while your name remains on the top level drawings. In a company that deals with the .gov (probably 99% of space flight) the engineer has very little decision making power and rarely is in the loop with respect to the totality of the project. Gets old real fast. Pride doesn't put food on the table nor guns in the cabinet. |
|
Most of the folks in this thread have already pretty well covered things. I am an EE (specifically, A BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering), but never went into the field. I went into the IT world as a worker bee and now I am something along the lines of an IT Manager (I lead a System Architecture team for a large IT company) So I don't use calc at all. I do use my analytical skills quite a bit. I just want to reiterate what the other people are telling you and you seem to already know –– Advanced math is going to be under every stone and around every turn for pretty much the rest of your college career. I can think of very few EE specific courses where we did not use the Calculus in some way or another. It is a very versatile degree, if you are this far along and don't want to kill yourself I would suggest tutoring and extra curricular studies. At my college, the grad students all ran a regular "walk in" math room where they would help the undergrads with basically anything they needed. You strolled in and set down your book, said "I am stumped" and they would do what they could to help you learn. Ask around and see if there is anything like that. Also, professors keep office hours for a reason. Use them. Go as often as you need and explain what you are struggling with. |
| I'm 47. I've had my P.E. license since 1996. I have a degree in nuclear basketweaving - a BA in General Studes - Math, Physics, Engineering. My area of expertise is industrial controls. Highest math I've had to use since I got out of college was trigonometry. Highest math class I took in college was Differential Equations. I passed it, but I can't really say I understood it. |
|
Thank you, guys. It sounds like I'm still on the right path, ....just hitting some potholes.
The last semester (when I had to withdraw halfway through) was taking four classes and working full time. Due to the economy I'm pretty much unemployed now (working about 10 hrs /week) and I'm only gonna take 2 classes this semester (Calc 3 and Robotics). Hopefully this extra time is what I need to really shovel the difficulties under the rug. |
|
If you're not to far into the class you might try transferring to another section. I found that the instructor made a big difference in my success in any given class. Example: Analog circuits class, instructor was a card-carrying asshat. I was floundering. Changed to a different guy, BAM! instant improvement. As for day-to-day use, I use the principles on a semi-frequent basis. But I'd have to study to solve diff eq's or evaluate integrals. |
|
I use math all the time but I dont use all of the math I learned. Different skills are needed for different routes in EE. I probably use complex numbers, exponential and simple integration and differentiation a lot but nothing complex. Its not bad plus you will learn to use your technology to work for you. I tell the calculator to do this, tell the computer to do that. I supervise them and make sure they did what I wanted them to.
I will take an online class for money. I did it for a large number of the athletes that go to my school. Dont tell the NCAA but there are probably 5 athletes in the nation that could actually pass college algebra on their own. The rest either get their scores altered by the athletic department or someone else got paid to take the class for them. Most athletic departments get the grades from the profs and they do some ' magic ' and then the grades go to the main office. This is how Vince Young got through life. Just in case anyone was wandering. |
|
Quoted:
I just want to reiterate what the other people are telling you and you seem to already know –– Advanced math is going to be under every stone and around every turn for pretty much the rest of your college career. That would be a gross overstatement. At best, calculus is essential for several subsequent EE courses, handy for a couple others, and about as useful as tits on a boar hog for most EE jobs after college. |
|
Quoted: Quoted: I just want to reiterate what the other people are telling you and you seem to already know –– Advanced math is going to be under every stone and around every turn for pretty much the rest of your college career. That would be a gross overstatement. At best, calculus is essential for several subsequent EE courses, handy for a couple others, and about as useful as tits on a boar hog for most EE jobs after college. Geez, I remember three quarters of Systems and Signals, two quarters of semiconductor design (pretty much all diff eq), endless RC circuit designs, a quarter of transmission waves, Laplace, Laplace, Laplace... it goes on... |
|
Quoted:
I'm 33 and have been working on a BSEE for a while now and I have to say that I'm growing thoroughly sick of Calculus. In every way, shape and form, I hate Calculus. LOATHE it. So tell me, How much of it do I actually have to look forward to? As an EE is your day 8 hours of Calculus crunching or or is it essentially devoid of the devils mathematics? What DO you actually do all day? I truly LOVE problem solving, but can no longer stomach Calculus. Should I consider another path before It's too late? well I graduate in may with my EE degree, and start my job in Albany come June, so I cant tell ya about calculus in your career quite yet, I can tell ya that all of your 300 and 400 EE classes are loaded with Calc and if you are having a hard time with it now, then you may want to reconsider your degree. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Don;t know how far you are in your courses, but even if you follow an ee career path that does not need a lot of calc, you will still certainly be up to your ears in it before you graduate. What level of calc are you currently working on? This is very true. There is still diff. eq. probably 2 semesters of it and after your first two EE classes they should all be calc / diff. eq. based. This excludes the classes that should be in the comp. sci. department that somehow get incorporated into EE curriculum. The only ACTUAL math class I have left is Calc 3. all of my other math req's are complete. My problem is that since I already have to work for a living I had to take the last 2 semesters off and I feel like I've already forgotten everything I know, mathwise. I really struggled with circuits because of Calc and neither Circuits 2 or Microcircuits look anymore fun. I've often been described as "gifted" and have a higher than average IQ, but I swear to God, Math is the death of me. just curious, I noticed your from MI, what University do you go to? |
|
I know this isnt the same, but Im in a ME program. I just finished up calc 2 and this semester Im taking diffy q and physics. I might try and sneak a calc 3 in there but being 32, married with 2 kids, and having a full time career gets in the way of school. I actually like calc. I took calc 1 in 5 weeks. I was doing fine in calc 2 until the final which I got a 65% on. I had a B until the day of the final .
|
|
Honestly, it really depends on what kind of area you work in. For most jobs, you won't need any of the calculus stuff you learn. If you go into electromagnetics, you probably will.
Most, if not all companies that do design type work that involve heavy math use powerful simulation programs to do all of the hard work for you. My avatar is the logo for MATLAB, which is a very powerful engineering tool used for almost anything engineering/science related. I am studying electrical engineering at TCU and have gone through calc 1, 2, 3, differential equations and about to take engineering statistics. The math is the most unpleasent part, but stick it out and you will get through it. |
|
Quoted:
^ but as the old saying goes... "a fool with a tool"... It's dangerous, at least in my career field, programming away in matlab if you don't understand the underlying math. Calculus is one of the bedrocks of EE. That is true. With EE, calculus can be bypassed most of the time with algebra. However, algebra can get pretty nasty.. Edit: Typically if calculus is used, it isn't really difficult unless you're doing electromagnetics. Electromagnetics is terrible... |
|
Quoted:
its mental gymnastics, it teaches you to think, get it done and get your degree More like hurdles. If you can't jump the hurdles you can't finish the race. If you actually design circuits, you better have superior math skills. Most EEs, are hired into other areas since they have good hurdle skills, it is assumed they can be trained to most any technical job. edit: spelling |
| I have a PhD in signal processing and communications. If you work in academics or do much research you may be using it a lot. With most jobs in industry you certainly won't be doing it every day. In that case most of the theoretical work is fairly basic and you end up doing a lot of software or logic work. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Don;t know how far you are in your courses, but even if you follow an ee career path that does not need a lot of calc, you will still certainly be up to your ears in it before you graduate. What level of calc are you currently working on? This is very true. There is still diff. eq. probably 2 semesters of it and after your first two EE classes they should all be calc / diff. eq. based. This excludes the classes that should be in the comp. sci. department that somehow get incorporated into EE curriculum. The only ACTUAL math class I have left is Calc 3. all of my other math req's are complete. My problem is that since I already have to work for a living I had to take the last 2 semesters off and I feel like I've already forgotten everything I know, mathwise. I really struggled with circuits because of Calc and neither Circuits 2 or Microcircuits look anymore fun. I've often been described as "gifted" and have a higher than average IQ, but I swear to God, Math is the death of me. just curious, I noticed your from MI, what University do you go to? CMU. And you? |
|
Quoted: ThisDepends on what you go in to. If you want to do component design, you might need your math (circuits, etc). If you are going into system design, like designing power systems for industrial plants, you don't hardly need math. The national electric code takes care of most of it. If you are struggling with calc, the high end EE jobs might not be for you. But there's a lot you can do with it. You could even go into controls, like PLC programming. Quoted: And this.Quoted: As an EE is your day 8 hours of Calculus crunching or or is it essentially devoid of the devils mathematics? On a day-to-day basis, nothing beyond algebra and the occasional basic trig function. Unless you're designing exotic antennas or stealthy aircraft surfaces, calculus isn't a big part of everyday EE life. I work for an Electric Cooperative. Not a lot of calculus, unless you are bored and go looking for some and no one has time to do that! Power Enigneering is mostly done on computers anymore... Went to a staking class a while back and talked about stresses on a pole. That was probably the most mathematics I have seen in my 3+ years and I could see how a guy could get into Calc on that. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Don;t know how far you are in your courses, but even if you follow an ee career path that does not need a lot of calc, you will still certainly be up to your ears in it before you graduate. What level of calc are you currently working on? This is very true. There is still diff. eq. probably 2 semesters of it and after your first two EE classes they should all be calc / diff. eq. based. This excludes the classes that should be in the comp. sci. department that somehow get incorporated into EE curriculum. The only ACTUAL math class I have left is Calc 3. all of my other math req's are complete. My problem is that since I already have to work for a living I had to take the last 2 semesters off and I feel like I've already forgotten everything I know, mathwise. I really struggled with circuits because of Calc and neither Circuits 2 or Microcircuits look anymore fun. I've often been described as "gifted" and have a higher than average IQ, but I swear to God, Math is the death of me. Yeah, I'm the same way. Not sure why that happens. I have a 129IQ, but calc sucks. I'm good at trig, though. I feel like calc is backwards problem solving. |
| i have a BSME. my take on math is that it's the basis of many theories such as transfer functions and what not. from my lmiited experience, the folks with a strong understanding of math are scary smart and understand things on a completely different level than me. i just look up equations; they know how to derive the equation and the small details and correct and incorrect way to apply the theory. |
|
Quoted:
I have a PhD in signal processing and communications. If you work in academics or do much research you may be using it a lot. With most jobs in industry you certainly won't be doing it every day. In that case most of the theoretical work is fairly basic and you end up doing a lot of software or logic work. Signal processing is very difficult, but very interesting. I've had two courses in it so far. 
|
|
Quoted: My avatar is the logo for MATLAB, which is a very powerful engineering tool used for almost anything engineering/science related. I "inherited" a full registered copy of Matlab and have spent some time going through the tutorials. I have full documentation for it as well, and some toolkits as well. It is absolutely astounding what Matlab is capable of doing. I'm not even scratching the surface and I'm already in "Excuse, me, teacher, I have to go to the bathroom. My brain is full." status. But for me it's a solution in search of a problem. I have no application for it but I'm messing with it anyway because there's not one thing wrong with learning something new just because you want to. I may never NEED what Matlab can do, but I'm glad to have it...and maybe, just maybe, when the time comes that I ask a question that Matlab can answer, I'll know how to make Matlab answer it. CJ |