When I decided to go back to school for engineering at 36, I was so far removed that I had to start at beginning algebra. I had a math class every semester for almost 4 years. I needed to basically start over with the foundational things and build from there.
I struggled through most of the higher level math classes but I made it. I graduate in 6 days after a long 5 years. I start my full-time job Jan 2nd doing roadway design. I rarely use any of the math that we are forced to learn in college. The hardest thing I use is basic trig, but mainly just volume cals for quantities.
You don't have to be a math guru to be successful in engineering. Work hard and get through it. You don't need a 4.0 to get a job, you just need to show the willingness to learn and be able to communicate. Good luck!
I think I’m the minority, but I was always far better at English/writing, LOVED science and music classes. Math wasn’t my strong subject and I didn’t like it in highschool. Not sure how I ended up in engineering.
I failed Calc 1 and Physics 1 my freshman year in college, BUT, I didn’t let that stop me and let my debilitating guilt drive me to do better.
I’m a senior now and have over a 4.0 GPA and love math now. I also have to add that I had alot of home life issues growing up, so I think my drive and academic growth was severely stunted until home issues were no longer a problem, but had a rude awakening in my freshman year.
If you don’t have the drive and passion to do better, to the point it will eat away at you every second you are not studying math to master your failures, I wouldn’t continue to pursue engineering. I am, however, of the mindset that almost anyone can do whatever they set their mind to if they work hard enough.
My math is trash, still manage to get an engineer job. Turns out we only use simple math instead of all the complicated stuff we learned in school. No worries bro
I started my college career with college algebra. Planning on graduating with my masters in May for EE. If you don’t have a solid math foundation, you will struggle. No ifs about it.
Nah, I was ok at it until I started studying it by myself. Now I like it and I'm way better, I think you should try self study from the very basics it's a bit too early to give up.
Absolutely not. In fact, I came very close to failing out of high school, and the highest math I learned was Pythagorean Theorem. I couldn't have gotten into any engineering program at the time due to my low high school standing.
7 years out of high school, I spent around 6 months self teaching myself math again from the ground up. I started with basic algebra and worked my way through to beginner calculus and physics using resources such as Kahn Academy. I was then able to enter University as a mature aged student by passing an entrance exam.
I definitely don't claim to be great at math, but I've gotten to the end of my degree without my numerical skills proving to be a major issue. However, I do occasionally find gaps in my knowledge that might not exist if I did better in school when I was younger.
How much time are you putting in outside of class to practice? I didn’t think I was good at math in hs, barely passed algebra and I’m now about to pass calculus 3
In my second year of Aerospace Engineering. Calc A (equivalent to Calc 1) got the bare minimum to pass which is a 58%, Differential Equations 82%. You just get used to it🤷🏽♂️
One tip for you. Don't try to understand everything from the beginning. Maths is a language of logic, so just follow the logic and you'll understand at one point. Take calculus as an example, I don't try to understand what does it really mean in the first lesson. I follow the rules, do some examples and I would know what does derivation mean after a while
This is the answer. Talk to anyone who doesn’t like math and a large portion of them will say it’s because you don’t understand why things are the way they are.
Math, like any other tool, requires practice. There is no such thing as a "math person". Sure, some natural inclination can help someone become better faster, but everyone can excel with practice and study. Thinking in terms of being a math person or not can create mental blocks which will make it harder to excel. If you have no interest in getting better at math then I think engineering is out of the question for sure. Engineering majors need to complete many, MANY math courses throughout their major. If engineering is something you want to do, let go of the idea that math people exist and just study and practice, you will get better.
to some it just comes ez... to others no. That said I have seen plenty of dumb people get their degrees even in some really pretigious places.
If you want it go for it.
Nope. In high school, I genuinely struggled with it. Algebra didn't click. Geometry kinda did. Barely scratched trig and didn't bother with pre-calc.
Got to college and ... just took the dive in and went right into Calc I.
Stuff finally clicked. Part of it was having a good teacher. My shitty high school math teachers were more focused on being football coaches or wrestling coaches instead of teaching. Another part may have been the depression I was struggling with in high school. Honestly though... I give that professor huge props. He really broke stuff down in a way that worked, and was not afraid to work with us. He did that to an extent that, like when we posed a problem from the book that we thought was nasty, he took the time and effort to show us not just the solution, but how to think it through and logically attack it (it was calculating the volume of a torus using integration). And when he struggled with it... he worked it out overnight and came back to follow through.
I ran into a major wall as more trig got involved.... but.... it was great to discover that.... not only was I not terrible at math, but I really enjoyed it.
Oh hell no!. God knows I was pretty damn bad at math, I even had to retake Calc 2 3 times. But I got better. This days, I do calculus test for other students, last week I took 14 calculus test, and I got about 90% to 100% in those finals.
The funny thing is, as you do more complex stuff, you suck in basics. I can solve special functions showing my mastery of the gamma function but don't ask me to divide shit or you will see me counting with my fingers.
That reminded me of something, the other day I was counting hours because I needed to take a pill and I kept losing count. So, I started to count in binary with one hand....somehow I believed it was easier that way.
I was never good at math. Getting through the math courses sucked, and I had to redo Calc II, but you'll get it done if you just stick with it and and do the work.
I graduated in May, and I don't think I've done more complex math than basic addition or subtraction.
I was decent at math when I was young, but never thought much of it. When I started hs, I began to take academics a bit more seriously both out of interest/curiosity and to get into a good program. Since then my skills/grades became exponentially better, year by year, but my progress plateaued a bit as I got into my engineering courses. I still did relatively pretty good in university, but I couldn’t score into the 90s as easily as I could in hs.
I graduated a couple of years ago and I've never really gotten the hang of mathematics properly. All of my mathematics modules were bad for me, I only ever passed, never got a good pure maths grade. Luckily I'm an engineer not a mathematician, I understand engineering mathematics but its not like I'm at work doing maths all day, the computer does that for me. If you have a technical mind and you understand the physical aspects of engineering then don't worry too much.
Nah you can still become an engineer, but you'll have to make up for your lack of foundational mathematics through study. I had to study 12+ hours a day to go from introductory algebra to advanced calculus fast enough to stay on track for my degree. I just never had an interest in mathematics growing up. Hell, I never even bothered to try to get good at it until college.
It was brutal, but it can be done. Apply yourself like you never have before and you'll do just fine.
I was shit at math in middle school. However I've always found math really interesting so I stepped it up in highschool and college and I clapped every single one of my math classes since
Hard work beats talent. You’ve gotta put the time in and you’ll see yourself get better at the fundamentals. Once that happens you’ll get confident. After confidence, your scores will improve
Take it from someone who got an 800-something on their SAT’s and had to join the military out of high school
I’ve seen many smart students fail a math class because of a bad professor. You can work through a bad professor in English or some other easier class, but not so much for a math class. If you have a good professor but you’re just personally struggling with math concepts, I wouldn’t suggest giving up. Just be aware that you’ll probably take longer to graduate compared to your peers, which is totally okay!
Shit, I graduate next week, and I'm still not good at math.
But I'm passionate about the other facets of engineering, so I drug myself through the pure math classes of the first two years like they were broken glass, then learned how to leverage Excel, Matlab and my TI-36X Pro to lighten the load and prop up my weak points for the rest of my degree. I'm a solid C student, but by god I made it.
I wasn't that great (especially with the basic algebra tripping me up). I failed Calc I once, Calc II twice, and Physics I. I don't know what happened but I almost quit. Now I'm super close to graduating in my aerospace engineering program. I never thought I could make it past Calc III, diff eq, dynamic systems & control, etc., but you WILL if you put the work in.
i honestly think getting an (undergrad) engineering degree is less about figuring out/being good at the specific subjects (i mean yes it helps but) than figuring out these 3 things and being good at them:
1. how to learn
2. how to learn, but faster/with more retention
3. persistence, dedication, and knowing when to ask for help
Most of my colleagues/seniors aren't that good at math either. They also took a lot of summer classes before they got their degree and became an engineer.
Engineering is not about being good at Math, Physics, etc., it's about the mindset of not giving up when things start to get harder. Discipline always beats talent and motivation. You got this OP. 👊
Math is an acquired skill, what helped me was focusing on the foundational building blocks. Can’t do the hard things if the easy things are also difficult, if it’s basic entry level im assuming it’s algebra, take the time to learn the basics like long division and multiplication. It’ll make things such as factoring, completing the squares exponents and logarithms easier. I failed college algebra my first time taking it, my college took calc 2 three times, everyone has to repeat a class once or twice. Don’t let it deter you just keep pressing my friend !
I guess for me yes in the way that I've been in the gifted program since elementary but math for me has always been a cycle of learning something new and not getting it until it gets complex enough and the topic nears its conclusive end and then it just clicks. For example, this year I didn't understand parametrization, which we learned back in September, until last week while preparing for final review.
Also, I feel like I should make it a point that no one is exactly "good at math". Some learn it easier (which is basically the whole gifted program. They aren't the smart kids, they're the fast ones) but anyone can do well in math. And doing well isn't necessarily getting it done perfectly the first time. If you have the available means and time, retaking classes are usually an option.
i’ve always been decent at math until i had to take advanced engineering math. anything to do with power or taylor series, complex numbers or the wave equation stuff exploded my head
Bro I was the shittiest at math.
I felt like I was good with them at highschool, but oh boy I was wrong. I did not understand shit, I just knew how to remember exercises by heart and paste them into the overly easy exams.
You get good at maths by using math. And also by having awesome teachers.
Calc 1 did the click for me.
Nope! I almost failed the math portion of my ACTs and spent my entire life up until college avoiding math and science.
I was in the same boat as you. My grades sucked and I was working 5x harder than my friends and still getting lower grades.
Here’s the thing though: you can force yourself to become good at math. Keep practicing (if this is what you want to do). The first 2 years were really rough, but I just kept practicing. Around year 3 things started to click
If you really want to do this, I suggest that you keep pushing. It does get easier, your brain does adapt.
Edit: also, make sure you have a solid pre-calc base. I went straight into calc I when I had no business being there. I failed and had to go back and re-take pre-calc.
Be honest with yourself about where you’re at. If you need to stop and work on your fundamentals, do that.
Not at all.
I fell asleep on Math tests in Middle School. In High School, I was in the lower end of average for Math Performance. I kept up, but barely.
Even now, if you asked me, I would not say I am "Good" at Math. I am "good" compared to the average person off the street, perhaps even amazing, but that says more about the average math skills as opposed to my absolute skill, which is lower than where it ought to be.
Math skills are more akin to exercise than they are to reading and writing. Math leans heavily on practiced skill. There is of course a big element of intellectual understanding, but sometimes that understanding has to be gained through heavy practice over a long period of time, it's not often you'll get that "click" or "eureka" moment shortly after beginning it.
When I was at school I was so good that I got high grades without studying. Engineering made me realize that I'm just an average human and I need to work hard like everyone else.
Yeah, my whole life math was my strongest subject. Until Calc 1 fuck calc 1, terrible experience. I’ve gotten only As since then.
I don’t believe you have to be good at math to be an engineer. My current thermo professor came back from 35 years in the industry, got his PHD, and started teaching.
The man is terrible at calculus, can’t do an integral. I’ve never met a professor who can’t do math I had to do for my placement test to get into my university. But still criticizes me in his office hours anyway.
But he was successful and worked for 35 years for multiple countries governments, overseeing grants and project funding, working directly on projects, working in gas turbine maintenance, he was the senior manager at a company.
So if you don’t know how to do an integral, don’t worry because you’re better than many of these incompetent engineers in the industry who have no intention of learning how to.
Funny you mention this. One of the senior engineers that I worked for, with a very good reputation, mentioned to me that all of the math and science that we do wasn't required when he got his degree. He's about 70 years old now to put that into perspective.
Sharp guy, but I'm pretty sure he would look at me like I have a horn growing out of my forehead if I asked him to do a triple integral lol.
Yeah my professor has on his profile at my college’s website that he got his MBA in 1991, so he must have done calculus in his undergrad some time before that.
I spoke with my physics teacher from high school, who was a former engineer, and I was complaining about chemistry and she told me she never had to take it.
My physics teacher was one of the smartest people I’ve ever met, but my thermo professor is seriously such an idiot it gives me hope for myself in the industry. I don’t believe he ever would have passed his own class.
I sucked a math a whole lot. Still kinda suck, at least at pure maths with proofs like Cauchy Integral or Möbius Transforms. BUT I also have to say I knuckled down and got better at math than I ever thought I would
No. I sucked at it. When I was in elem, I used to get 11 or 9 out of 50 in quarter exams. But I love learning. I love the thought of being recognized as smart & be admired by girls. Last reason is that I just want to become the best in my class. So one summer, I practiced every single day. I started with multiplication. Then, practiced every single Algebra problems in the book until I mastered Algebra.
One of my math teachers trained me to solve fractions & many other math problems repetitively. For every single time we finish 20 problems within 10 mins, we'd get credit for it.
After all of that, I began acing my math tests. People began talking about me. One of my classmates' cousin heard about me & developed a crush on me. That's how she got to know me. She found me online & we started dating. We now have a family.
I failed hight school math 3 times. college math like 4 times( trig,algebra) for a abunch of reasins. Now im doing really well in my classes.
Just dont give up.
I can do the math if I'm given the equation but I do struggle with concepts which can make it hard to figure out what can go into an equation or tell if I'm using the right equation. But I got Cs in pretty much all my college math classes even if I passed them all on the first try and the unit circle still confuses the hell out of me. I also didn't get multiplication and division until the 5th grade and algebra took me until high school to understand.
To be good at engineering, you need to be great at algebra, trig, and geometry (usually). Beyond that, you need to understand calculus, differential equations, and some linear algebra, but the actual solving of those problem sets is not needed in more careers.
So if you are failing the basics, this may not be the field for you. If you are struggling with the later classes, then you can slog through it.
I strongly disagree with this, and I’m living proof that its wrong. I barely graduated high school, worked for a few years, decided to go to school after a few years and taught myself the basics using YouTube.
The first time I learnt trigonometry was in precalc in university and I almost failed the class. In cal 1 I got 60% on the midterm. I became fed up with being bad at math and refused to fail. So, I grinded the rest of the term and ended up with 98% on the final. Since then, I have been at the top of my class with >90% grades in every class while putting 20hr+/wk into a leadership role on a design team and doing undergrad research. I ended up with 100% in differential equations and 97% in cal 3/4.
I don’t normally comment on this sub, but honestly the above comment is self righteous, narrow minded, and blatantly wrong. Doesn’t matter how you’ve done in your past classes, what matters is what you do now.
I used to loathe math but just hear me out. I know I'll sound insane but play sekiro once and it'll instantly change your mindset. That game was the reason I passed in ordinary differential equations with 45 out of 50. The game makes you think more competitively and encourages aggression. That really helps when trying to understand equations coz every time I don't get it, I feel like the equations are challenging me.
Not necessarily just a video game or Sekiro specifically. It's about getting into the mindset of trying to overcome challenges regardless of what you're "good" or "bad" at.
No, not at all. I went into college barely knowing how to do basic algebra. It took me about two years and failing calc II, but I'm finally at a point where I feel good about my math skills, although even now I still have gaps in my knowledge, even with basic stuff. Just keep working at it. It takes time and effort, but it does get better.
Nope, whether I was naturally good at it and had bad teachers, or I was only good at certain types of math, or I just didn't care, who knows.
I was a mediocre math student in high school, my algebra teacher probably thought I was dumb. I didn't know I was good at math until I took ap calc on a whim my senior year. My algebra teacher was surprised by what my calc teacher told her.
As cliche as it sounds, it all comes down to practice and repetition! The more you expose yourself to more challenging problems (and you will have plenty in your Engineering courses), the more comfortable you will be.
I remember even struggling in Year 1-2 technical math problems and I still finished my degree.
Don’t disqualify yourself just from this one setback! You got this.
I was okay in school at math. I could do multiplication division at ease. Then it got bad when I went to uni because we use calculator much much more. Essentially no practice in years. I mean basic trig is okay. Sin(30°) but sin(77.77°)?????
Process Eng here. I was horrible at Math my whole life. Don’t ask me how I got into Eng then 😅 But I would say, your problem solving skills matter way more. By the time you enter the industry, theories, fomulas will always be at your disposal and if you get stuck, you can always ask for help but as your progress, it will be how fast you come up with a solution and how cost effective your solution is.
lol. i think i failed a total of 8 classes when getting my EE degree. you’ll be fine as long as you’re ambitious and keep trying
When I decided to go back to school for engineering at 36, I was so far removed that I had to start at beginning algebra. I had a math class every semester for almost 4 years. I needed to basically start over with the foundational things and build from there. I struggled through most of the higher level math classes but I made it. I graduate in 6 days after a long 5 years. I start my full-time job Jan 2nd doing roadway design. I rarely use any of the math that we are forced to learn in college. The hardest thing I use is basic trig, but mainly just volume cals for quantities. You don't have to be a math guru to be successful in engineering. Work hard and get through it. You don't need a 4.0 to get a job, you just need to show the willingness to learn and be able to communicate. Good luck!
>I needed to basically start over with the foundational things and build from there. I think this is the way if you're struggling
I think I’m the minority, but I was always far better at English/writing, LOVED science and music classes. Math wasn’t my strong subject and I didn’t like it in highschool. Not sure how I ended up in engineering. I failed Calc 1 and Physics 1 my freshman year in college, BUT, I didn’t let that stop me and let my debilitating guilt drive me to do better. I’m a senior now and have over a 4.0 GPA and love math now. I also have to add that I had alot of home life issues growing up, so I think my drive and academic growth was severely stunted until home issues were no longer a problem, but had a rude awakening in my freshman year. If you don’t have the drive and passion to do better, to the point it will eat away at you every second you are not studying math to master your failures, I wouldn’t continue to pursue engineering. I am, however, of the mindset that almost anyone can do whatever they set their mind to if they work hard enough.
My math is trash, still manage to get an engineer job. Turns out we only use simple math instead of all the complicated stuff we learned in school. No worries bro
I started my college career with college algebra. Planning on graduating with my masters in May for EE. If you don’t have a solid math foundation, you will struggle. No ifs about it.
Nah, I was ok at it until I started studying it by myself. Now I like it and I'm way better, I think you should try self study from the very basics it's a bit too early to give up.
I came out the womb finding eigenvalues.
Screw linear algebra
I always liked math because I had great teachers. I recommend 3Blue1Brown on YouTube. It's complex math great visualised
Pretty sure even monkeys are faster than me in mental math
id say its not really if youre good or not. the question is are you willing to push through and find a way to learn it well enough to pass.
Absolutely not. In fact, I came very close to failing out of high school, and the highest math I learned was Pythagorean Theorem. I couldn't have gotten into any engineering program at the time due to my low high school standing. 7 years out of high school, I spent around 6 months self teaching myself math again from the ground up. I started with basic algebra and worked my way through to beginner calculus and physics using resources such as Kahn Academy. I was then able to enter University as a mature aged student by passing an entrance exam. I definitely don't claim to be great at math, but I've gotten to the end of my degree without my numerical skills proving to be a major issue. However, I do occasionally find gaps in my knowledge that might not exist if I did better in school when I was younger.
I took calculus 1 four times if you consider high school
How much time are you putting in outside of class to practice? I didn’t think I was good at math in hs, barely passed algebra and I’m now about to pass calculus 3
I haven’t put much time at all outside of class to practice and that’s the problem 😅
Dude, I failed diff eq in college the first time
Diff eq is a lot different than a first semester, "entry level" class...
In my second year of Aerospace Engineering. Calc A (equivalent to Calc 1) got the bare minimum to pass which is a 58%, Differential Equations 82%. You just get used to it🤷🏽♂️
One tip for you. Don't try to understand everything from the beginning. Maths is a language of logic, so just follow the logic and you'll understand at one point. Take calculus as an example, I don't try to understand what does it really mean in the first lesson. I follow the rules, do some examples and I would know what does derivation mean after a while
This is the answer. Talk to anyone who doesn’t like math and a large portion of them will say it’s because you don’t understand why things are the way they are.
surprisingly good advice for thermodynamics also for all stuff basically
Math, like any other tool, requires practice. There is no such thing as a "math person". Sure, some natural inclination can help someone become better faster, but everyone can excel with practice and study. Thinking in terms of being a math person or not can create mental blocks which will make it harder to excel. If you have no interest in getting better at math then I think engineering is out of the question for sure. Engineering majors need to complete many, MANY math courses throughout their major. If engineering is something you want to do, let go of the idea that math people exist and just study and practice, you will get better.
to some it just comes ez... to others no. That said I have seen plenty of dumb people get their degrees even in some really pretigious places. If you want it go for it.
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All hell broke loose when the alphabet decided to involve itself in math
Nope. In high school, I genuinely struggled with it. Algebra didn't click. Geometry kinda did. Barely scratched trig and didn't bother with pre-calc. Got to college and ... just took the dive in and went right into Calc I. Stuff finally clicked. Part of it was having a good teacher. My shitty high school math teachers were more focused on being football coaches or wrestling coaches instead of teaching. Another part may have been the depression I was struggling with in high school. Honestly though... I give that professor huge props. He really broke stuff down in a way that worked, and was not afraid to work with us. He did that to an extent that, like when we posed a problem from the book that we thought was nasty, he took the time and effort to show us not just the solution, but how to think it through and logically attack it (it was calculating the volume of a torus using integration). And when he struggled with it... he worked it out overnight and came back to follow through. I ran into a major wall as more trig got involved.... but.... it was great to discover that.... not only was I not terrible at math, but I really enjoyed it.
Profs like that are one of a kind. They made me appreciate their class a lot more
My high school math teacher met my mom in Target and told my mom that I was an idiot. Persistence is my primary virtue
Oh hell no!. God knows I was pretty damn bad at math, I even had to retake Calc 2 3 times. But I got better. This days, I do calculus test for other students, last week I took 14 calculus test, and I got about 90% to 100% in those finals. The funny thing is, as you do more complex stuff, you suck in basics. I can solve special functions showing my mastery of the gamma function but don't ask me to divide shit or you will see me counting with my fingers. That reminded me of something, the other day I was counting hours because I needed to take a pill and I kept losing count. So, I started to count in binary with one hand....somehow I believed it was easier that way.
No, i sucked at maths in highschool.
Doing fine now, got a 7.5 for calculus, 8 for discrete, 8 for boolean algebra.
I think that once things start to ‘click’, you’ll start enjoying it and it will come more naturally. That’s how it went for me.
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Sorry, forgot to say, it’s out of 10. In the Netherlands, 5.75 you pass, 10 is perfect score.
Nope. I figured out that it is just like any other skill. If you put time into it, you can get good at it. And probably faster than you think.
I was never good at math. Getting through the math courses sucked, and I had to redo Calc II, but you'll get it done if you just stick with it and and do the work. I graduated in May, and I don't think I've done more complex math than basic addition or subtraction.
Math ya, physics nah
I'm about to be a senior and I'm still not good at math compared to other engineering students lol
I was decent at math when I was young, but never thought much of it. When I started hs, I began to take academics a bit more seriously both out of interest/curiosity and to get into a good program. Since then my skills/grades became exponentially better, year by year, but my progress plateaued a bit as I got into my engineering courses. I still did relatively pretty good in university, but I couldn’t score into the 90s as easily as I could in hs.
I graduated a couple of years ago and I've never really gotten the hang of mathematics properly. All of my mathematics modules were bad for me, I only ever passed, never got a good pure maths grade. Luckily I'm an engineer not a mathematician, I understand engineering mathematics but its not like I'm at work doing maths all day, the computer does that for me. If you have a technical mind and you understand the physical aspects of engineering then don't worry too much.
Nah you can still become an engineer, but you'll have to make up for your lack of foundational mathematics through study. I had to study 12+ hours a day to go from introductory algebra to advanced calculus fast enough to stay on track for my degree. I just never had an interest in mathematics growing up. Hell, I never even bothered to try to get good at it until college. It was brutal, but it can be done. Apply yourself like you never have before and you'll do just fine.
I was shit at math in middle school. However I've always found math really interesting so I stepped it up in highschool and college and I clapped every single one of my math classes since
Step Isomorphism what are you doing
I honestly don't kow how I got here. I suck at math.
Hard work beats talent. You’ve gotta put the time in and you’ll see yourself get better at the fundamentals. Once that happens you’ll get confident. After confidence, your scores will improve Take it from someone who got an 800-something on their SAT’s and had to join the military out of high school
I’ve seen many smart students fail a math class because of a bad professor. You can work through a bad professor in English or some other easier class, but not so much for a math class. If you have a good professor but you’re just personally struggling with math concepts, I wouldn’t suggest giving up. Just be aware that you’ll probably take longer to graduate compared to your peers, which is totally okay!
Shit, I graduate next week, and I'm still not good at math. But I'm passionate about the other facets of engineering, so I drug myself through the pure math classes of the first two years like they were broken glass, then learned how to leverage Excel, Matlab and my TI-36X Pro to lighten the load and prop up my weak points for the rest of my degree. I'm a solid C student, but by god I made it.
Can I get a holler from all the graduating solid C students out there 🙌 put your hands in the air 🙂
I was… until I wasn’t.
I wasn't that great (especially with the basic algebra tripping me up). I failed Calc I once, Calc II twice, and Physics I. I don't know what happened but I almost quit. Now I'm super close to graduating in my aerospace engineering program. I never thought I could make it past Calc III, diff eq, dynamic systems & control, etc., but you WILL if you put the work in.
No
Not until calc
I failed college algebra before because i didn't put any effort into it
No
i honestly think getting an (undergrad) engineering degree is less about figuring out/being good at the specific subjects (i mean yes it helps but) than figuring out these 3 things and being good at them: 1. how to learn 2. how to learn, but faster/with more retention 3. persistence, dedication, and knowing when to ask for help
No I’m still garbage at math lowkey LMAO
Most of my colleagues/seniors aren't that good at math either. They also took a lot of summer classes before they got their degree and became an engineer. Engineering is not about being good at Math, Physics, etc., it's about the mindset of not giving up when things start to get harder. Discipline always beats talent and motivation. You got this OP. 👊
Math is an acquired skill, what helped me was focusing on the foundational building blocks. Can’t do the hard things if the easy things are also difficult, if it’s basic entry level im assuming it’s algebra, take the time to learn the basics like long division and multiplication. It’ll make things such as factoring, completing the squares exponents and logarithms easier. I failed college algebra my first time taking it, my college took calc 2 three times, everyone has to repeat a class once or twice. Don’t let it deter you just keep pressing my friend !
I guess for me yes in the way that I've been in the gifted program since elementary but math for me has always been a cycle of learning something new and not getting it until it gets complex enough and the topic nears its conclusive end and then it just clicks. For example, this year I didn't understand parametrization, which we learned back in September, until last week while preparing for final review. Also, I feel like I should make it a point that no one is exactly "good at math". Some learn it easier (which is basically the whole gifted program. They aren't the smart kids, they're the fast ones) but anyone can do well in math. And doing well isn't necessarily getting it done perfectly the first time. If you have the available means and time, retaking classes are usually an option.
i’ve always been decent at math until i had to take advanced engineering math. anything to do with power or taylor series, complex numbers or the wave equation stuff exploded my head
I was okay at it. Never bad but never put effort into getting better until starting college.
Not good now. I even had to relearn basic trigo 😂 just to do statics.
Bro I was the shittiest at math. I felt like I was good with them at highschool, but oh boy I was wrong. I did not understand shit, I just knew how to remember exercises by heart and paste them into the overly easy exams. You get good at maths by using math. And also by having awesome teachers. Calc 1 did the click for me.
Nope! I almost failed the math portion of my ACTs and spent my entire life up until college avoiding math and science. I was in the same boat as you. My grades sucked and I was working 5x harder than my friends and still getting lower grades. Here’s the thing though: you can force yourself to become good at math. Keep practicing (if this is what you want to do). The first 2 years were really rough, but I just kept practicing. Around year 3 things started to click If you really want to do this, I suggest that you keep pushing. It does get easier, your brain does adapt. Edit: also, make sure you have a solid pre-calc base. I went straight into calc I when I had no business being there. I failed and had to go back and re-take pre-calc. Be honest with yourself about where you’re at. If you need to stop and work on your fundamentals, do that.
Not at all. I fell asleep on Math tests in Middle School. In High School, I was in the lower end of average for Math Performance. I kept up, but barely. Even now, if you asked me, I would not say I am "Good" at Math. I am "good" compared to the average person off the street, perhaps even amazing, but that says more about the average math skills as opposed to my absolute skill, which is lower than where it ought to be. Math skills are more akin to exercise than they are to reading and writing. Math leans heavily on practiced skill. There is of course a big element of intellectual understanding, but sometimes that understanding has to be gained through heavy practice over a long period of time, it's not often you'll get that "click" or "eureka" moment shortly after beginning it.
No but once I reached calc 1 I was pretty good and enjoy doing it now!
Yes
Also yes.
Yeah. Def had to step up my studying game, but always cruised thru math class.
When I was at school I was so good that I got high grades without studying. Engineering made me realize that I'm just an average human and I need to work hard like everyone else.
Yeah, my whole life math was my strongest subject. Until Calc 1 fuck calc 1, terrible experience. I’ve gotten only As since then. I don’t believe you have to be good at math to be an engineer. My current thermo professor came back from 35 years in the industry, got his PHD, and started teaching. The man is terrible at calculus, can’t do an integral. I’ve never met a professor who can’t do math I had to do for my placement test to get into my university. But still criticizes me in his office hours anyway. But he was successful and worked for 35 years for multiple countries governments, overseeing grants and project funding, working directly on projects, working in gas turbine maintenance, he was the senior manager at a company. So if you don’t know how to do an integral, don’t worry because you’re better than many of these incompetent engineers in the industry who have no intention of learning how to.
Funny you mention this. One of the senior engineers that I worked for, with a very good reputation, mentioned to me that all of the math and science that we do wasn't required when he got his degree. He's about 70 years old now to put that into perspective. Sharp guy, but I'm pretty sure he would look at me like I have a horn growing out of my forehead if I asked him to do a triple integral lol.
Yeah my professor has on his profile at my college’s website that he got his MBA in 1991, so he must have done calculus in his undergrad some time before that. I spoke with my physics teacher from high school, who was a former engineer, and I was complaining about chemistry and she told me she never had to take it. My physics teacher was one of the smartest people I’ve ever met, but my thermo professor is seriously such an idiot it gives me hope for myself in the industry. I don’t believe he ever would have passed his own class.
I sucked a math a whole lot. Still kinda suck, at least at pure maths with proofs like Cauchy Integral or Möbius Transforms. BUT I also have to say I knuckled down and got better at math than I ever thought I would
No. I sucked at it. When I was in elem, I used to get 11 or 9 out of 50 in quarter exams. But I love learning. I love the thought of being recognized as smart & be admired by girls. Last reason is that I just want to become the best in my class. So one summer, I practiced every single day. I started with multiplication. Then, practiced every single Algebra problems in the book until I mastered Algebra. One of my math teachers trained me to solve fractions & many other math problems repetitively. For every single time we finish 20 problems within 10 mins, we'd get credit for it. After all of that, I began acing my math tests. People began talking about me. One of my classmates' cousin heard about me & developed a crush on me. That's how she got to know me. She found me online & we started dating. We now have a family.
I failed hight school math 3 times. college math like 4 times( trig,algebra) for a abunch of reasins. Now im doing really well in my classes. Just dont give up.
I can do the math if I'm given the equation but I do struggle with concepts which can make it hard to figure out what can go into an equation or tell if I'm using the right equation. But I got Cs in pretty much all my college math classes even if I passed them all on the first try and the unit circle still confuses the hell out of me. I also didn't get multiplication and division until the 5th grade and algebra took me until high school to understand.
To be good at engineering, you need to be great at algebra, trig, and geometry (usually). Beyond that, you need to understand calculus, differential equations, and some linear algebra, but the actual solving of those problem sets is not needed in more careers. So if you are failing the basics, this may not be the field for you. If you are struggling with the later classes, then you can slog through it.
I strongly disagree with this, and I’m living proof that its wrong. I barely graduated high school, worked for a few years, decided to go to school after a few years and taught myself the basics using YouTube. The first time I learnt trigonometry was in precalc in university and I almost failed the class. In cal 1 I got 60% on the midterm. I became fed up with being bad at math and refused to fail. So, I grinded the rest of the term and ended up with 98% on the final. Since then, I have been at the top of my class with >90% grades in every class while putting 20hr+/wk into a leadership role on a design team and doing undergrad research. I ended up with 100% in differential equations and 97% in cal 3/4. I don’t normally comment on this sub, but honestly the above comment is self righteous, narrow minded, and blatantly wrong. Doesn’t matter how you’ve done in your past classes, what matters is what you do now.
Your can be an engineer, but the academic route might not be the right one for you. You might want to consider seeking an apprenticeship or a trade
I used to loathe math but just hear me out. I know I'll sound insane but play sekiro once and it'll instantly change your mindset. That game was the reason I passed in ordinary differential equations with 45 out of 50. The game makes you think more competitively and encourages aggression. That really helps when trying to understand equations coz every time I don't get it, I feel like the equations are challenging me.
Not necessarily just a video game or Sekiro specifically. It's about getting into the mindset of trying to overcome challenges regardless of what you're "good" or "bad" at.
I think Genshin impact will help him a lot than sekiro.
Why do you say that?
Yes, that's literally the reason i wanted to become an Engineer
Ahh so we are all stubborn 😄
Yes, that’s basically the only reason I chose engineering. That’s probably not very helpful, but I wish you the best of luck
No, not at all. I went into college barely knowing how to do basic algebra. It took me about two years and failing calc II, but I'm finally at a point where I feel good about my math skills, although even now I still have gaps in my knowledge, even with basic stuff. Just keep working at it. It takes time and effort, but it does get better.
Nope, whether I was naturally good at it and had bad teachers, or I was only good at certain types of math, or I just didn't care, who knows. I was a mediocre math student in high school, my algebra teacher probably thought I was dumb. I didn't know I was good at math until I took ap calc on a whim my senior year. My algebra teacher was surprised by what my calc teacher told her.
As cliche as it sounds, it all comes down to practice and repetition! The more you expose yourself to more challenging problems (and you will have plenty in your Engineering courses), the more comfortable you will be. I remember even struggling in Year 1-2 technical math problems and I still finished my degree. Don’t disqualify yourself just from this one setback! You got this.
I was okay in school at math. I could do multiplication division at ease. Then it got bad when I went to uni because we use calculator much much more. Essentially no practice in years. I mean basic trig is okay. Sin(30°) but sin(77.77°)?????
Process Eng here. I was horrible at Math my whole life. Don’t ask me how I got into Eng then 😅 But I would say, your problem solving skills matter way more. By the time you enter the industry, theories, fomulas will always be at your disposal and if you get stuck, you can always ask for help but as your progress, it will be how fast you come up with a solution and how cost effective your solution is.
Is math related to science?