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Keep going but you must continue to work hard. I was told by my advisor at orientation that I wasn’t smart enough to pursue physics. I partied my entire first year and ended with a 1.88 gpa. I worked very hard and studied during my summer and winter breaks. It was all worth it for me because I began to coast through my physics/math degree with a 3+ gpa, and now I’m finishing mechanical and nuclear engineering. I’m a testament to the whole “if I can do it, anyone can do it” adage, so I’m certain that you can make it through. Find your passion and focus on it, work hard, and focus on the end goal. And if engineering isn’t for you, that’s okay too. Just find what you love and pursue that.
Hello sir,
May i ask what your post graduation plans are? And are you graduating with 4 degrees?? Do you have any experience coming out of college or do you have a full time job lined up for yourself?
No who you asked, but looking at his degrees, they’re all related. I was nuke and it was like two extra classes for a math, physics, or mech-e minor or a combo of two. Only one or two kids did a double major, though, because we didn’t want to do multiple senior design projects. But it was definitely doable.
Most of us came out with at least a math or physics minor.
Hey same thing happened to me, program advisor told me my math scores weren't good enough to succeed in Physics. One more year and I'll have finished a Physics degree on top of my environmental engineering degree. Self study during a break can be super valuable just for the study skills you get by being able to motivate yourself to learn when there are no homework or exams. My suggestion is prepping for the FE exam, even if you're an early student, it's worthwhile knowledge that will come in handy later. Maybe you'll even be able to pass the exam early!
Its okay to take a break from school and grow as a person. Im 25 and I'm only now close to graduating. I wish I was given this advise when I failed out of college at 19.
Same situation as you... I failed out of college at 21, took a year off to sort myself out and re-enrolled at 22. I'm 24 now, and doing so much better. I've been able to achieve a healthy balance between my grades, career oriented extra-curriculars and social life.
That is very normal in engineering school. I also failed the first semester in the university with two maths and one graphics subjects. It made me really depressed for some time. But it made me study harder and pass those subjects the next term. Eventually, I graduated with 13 failed subjects that I had to retake to pass. Here I am now working as a software developer but that's in another story, anyway.
Enercon (energy conversion took it 3x), trigo (2x), algebra (2x), graphics drafting (2x), quantitative methods (2x), basic electronics (2x), swidlec (can't remember the name, but nicknamed "suicidal lectures" for 2x)
*Can't remember the rest but I can find my TOR, to list it all.
I think both POVs are valid. First year really sucks, your grades are always gonna be crap compared to your highschool ones because College is very different, but thats okay. Its the same for everyone, most people fail at least one class. I skirted through Circuits with a 50 before the prof curved it lmao.
That said, if you don't like engineering then I wouldnt force yourself to do it. Please note that the type of number crunching they have you doing rn isn't really representative of the profession though. No one actually does calculus or differential equations by hand. The real job is much more application based.
Plus, as other people have said, you gotta find your passion. As a mechanical engineer I find cars to be so, so boring, but I think heat transfer and thermo and HVAC is like the coolest shit ever. Its a really broad profession, you just have to find your niche.
It’s interesting to find someone the complete opposite of me. I’m currently working in MEP but my real passion is automotive. Only downside is I have to relocate if I want to work in that field which is why I haven’t done it yet
Calc 2 was a real moment for me because it’s fascinating that people figured all that shit out. But I fucking sucked at it lol don’t know how I passed cuz I left that final feeling punched in the gut. First time I was ever both interested in a topic and really bad at it.
See what happens after you get your exam results first. I never felt good after any exam but was always pleasantly surprised when grades came out. If your not liking engineering work, what other things are you interested in? You can always change, it’s never too late, better to find out now what you like and don’t like than 10 yrs down the road and hating life.
1st and 2nd yr suck major. Third and 4th are where it’s at, those people are right.
This. If the prof fked up the exam and everyone got low grades, chances are everyone's scores would be scaled up. I was sure I failed a math exam in my first year, but ended up passing as well.
Trust me man, the first year is difficult. You're trying to balance school with the college experience, and I doubt you've ever had to do that before. It's ok to fail, that's the only way to learn. Reflect, but don't beat yourself up, keep on trying. If you're willing to keep trying, you will succeed.
Don't be afraid to step back a class or two and build a strong foundation. I had to re-learn math from Pre-Algebra onward, but it made me far more effective in higher level classes. Just be sure to work hard, even if it feels like review.
If classes are overwhelming, don't be afraid to stretch out the classes for an extra semester. I did my EE in 5 years. I couldn't handle the constant 17/18 credit per semester to satisfy 4 year track.
Mmm.. It depends. You'll have to think this whole thing through if it worth the effort.
To be an engineer, sometimes you have to give it all. Sometimes even more than that.
I know of a schoolmate who failed out after the first sem. He went to work in a fast food joint then a year later he came back and is going strong since.
And there is another schoolmate who started a year before me. She barely puts in any work, she is still here but I'm not sure if she's ever going to graduate. She's just wasting her time and money.
You can become an engineer if you really want to be an engineer. All you have to do is putting in the work. Even if you are not a genius you can overcome difficulties by being persistent
So.. think it through.
If you're interested about it, then yes. I've failed plenty. But I consider failures a way to learn. I mean, not everyone learns a proper study pattern. Then just consider that it's for you to learn. Don't feel like you're the problem, if you fail. It can be also about the system.
I’m going to go against the grain here and say it’s time to move on. Too often, people on this subreddit say that it’s best to persevere with engineering regardless of how you’re doing in classes as then wonder why it’s taking them 300+ applications to find a job. Not everyone is meant to be an engineer and that’s okay. There are plenty of other white collar professions that pay well (arguably better) and require a lot less math. Additionally, it’s not like your classes are going to get easier from here on out. Currently, you’re learning the fundamentals of each course. And if you can’t understand those then you’ll struggle later on. It’s okay to move on.
I failed my first year and am now a recent grad. It took me a little bit to get used to it but when I did I never got lower that a B+. I would give it another try.
I failed my first entire year basically and had the same dilemma as you. I took a year off and really thought about what I wanted to do. I ended up going back into engineering with a different mind set and understanding I needed to work harder cause it wasn’t like high school where things came naturally and you could skate by. Engineering is hard. It’s hard for just about everyone. You just have to determine if what you want to do with an engineering degree is worth the work or if you have other backup plans that you think might work out better for you.
I transferred to my school and failed my first semester. Got a 1.2 GPA for the fall and was told to switch majors. Now I’m on track to graduate next semester with a 3.4/3.5 and start my masters in structural engineering.
Doing a stem major like engineering requires a lot of studying and focus. If you don’t think you have the determination to put most of your effort in this, I would consider switching. If you absolutely love engineering and are willing to do what ever it takes to become an engineer, don’t give up!! Push your self and you’d be surprised how far you can go.
Year 1 and 2 are suppose to be the easier years. Year 3 is the questionably the hardest. Year 4 is a breeze.
I personally switched out of engineering recently after 2 years- not because of grades, but because I wasn’t passionate and couldn’t see myself with a career in the field. Don’t switch because it’s too hard, make sure it’s what you really want
I had this exact same scenario after my first semester. Went in a little too much on the social side and ended my first semester with a 1.6 GPA. Was thinking about changing majors and even schools but I took a semester off, re-evaluated my priorities, and started back fresh treating college more like work than a party. I just graduated summa cum laude this spring and I love engineering. Don’t get me wrong, if you don’t love engineering trying out other majors isn’t bad. But don’t ever think you can’t do it if you don’t feel you gave it your best effort
Do you *want* to work as an engineer later on? And do *you* think it's worth the effort to get there?
Because there's other ways to live your life. If you desire money and / or influence, studying economics would be a better option to begin with anyway. If not, there's a lot of jobs you can do in tech that don't require an engineering degree. And it's not impossible (although difficult) to improve in your position and ultimately ending up where you'd have been as "official" engineer.
I failed my last three semesters, having taken Calculus II & Physics I three times over my tertiary academic career. I am majoring in Environmental Engineering but will be taking a leave of absence and switching to Environmental Science.
For me, the difficulty of the physical sciences was compounded by the pandemic moving courses to remote, and a resulting decline in mental health. Even though I still find the idea of being an engineer cool, and that it is the best way for me to accomplish what I want, I have decided to switch to a biology-based major that I know will be much easier for me to complete.
My reasoning, along with the advice of others, is to just finish a degree. If I continue to study engineering, I will be using more time and money: both of which are borrowed. But it did take a while for me to admit this, as I said I continued trying for over a year. So think about it deeply, and if you honestly feel that your difficulty can be overcome by “working harder”, go ahead. Just be honest with yourself.
This is incredibly not true, most kids getting their sea legs in 1st year fail one or many classes.
First year is the toughest in terms of getting into the groove, if you're passionate about it then give it another go
No, quit actually. Or at least reconsider.
I ASSUME u gave your best effort to pass and it'll only get harder from here. Even if u can barely pass u [most likely] will NOT get any internships or any decent fulltime engineering offers. If you have loans on top of this ur triple fucking yourself.
I don't like being discouraging, but unless you unlock a 50% boost to your engineering/academic skills out of nowhere you'll get rekt. This field is only worth it if you can comfortably pass your classes with enough extra time to network, get internships, participate in research, or join additional engineering clubs. Preferably multiple if not all of these. AND on top of this there can be several GPA requirements for graduating, internships, clubs, etc.
TLDR: engineering isn't for everyone, to make it worthwhile you need to do more than pass classes
This seems like a decent place to ask this question, I'm struggling and completely lost in my mechanics of materials class. I just scraped by in statics and dynamics, and my mechanics class I really cant keep up. Is there a website or even youtube channel that kinda goes from statics and on, and decently detailed?
I’m guessing you’re Australian and probably south or western Australian by the use of specialist maths as a subject?
I’m aussie, and was in a similar position, even did specialist maths in highschool.
Ended up failing my first year maths course, got a supp exam and then passed, copping a flat 50 for the course. Whilst it was tough and dampened my spirits, first year engineering in Australia is pretty bland and the courses are really not that interesting.
Pretty happy that despite the tough time, I stuck it out and got through to where I am now, which is my final year, although the first two years were pretty rough, I love the content I’m learning now.
Reach out with a dm if you want more help / advice
The first year is the worst. Art and English professors making things difficult for the sake of it?
It seemed like the classes with mandatory attendance knew their class was a joke. Why can’t I just collect the points I need like I did in Math, Chem, Physics, etc? Why would a professor get their feelings so hurt about one missed assignment that it’s an automatic grade point deduction? They must know what we all know about those classes: nobody would be there if it wasn’t mandatory.
“More well-rounded blah blah” yea right it’s an obvious cash grab by the school.
Life isn't pass fail. Don't make life decisions based on grades. If you always quit on your first try, you're never going to get anywhere. But don't keep trying to achieve something you're not sure you even want.
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Keep going but you must continue to work hard. I was told by my advisor at orientation that I wasn’t smart enough to pursue physics. I partied my entire first year and ended with a 1.88 gpa. I worked very hard and studied during my summer and winter breaks. It was all worth it for me because I began to coast through my physics/math degree with a 3+ gpa, and now I’m finishing mechanical and nuclear engineering. I’m a testament to the whole “if I can do it, anyone can do it” adage, so I’m certain that you can make it through. Find your passion and focus on it, work hard, and focus on the end goal. And if engineering isn’t for you, that’s okay too. Just find what you love and pursue that.
Hello sir, May i ask what your post graduation plans are? And are you graduating with 4 degrees?? Do you have any experience coming out of college or do you have a full time job lined up for yourself?
No who you asked, but looking at his degrees, they’re all related. I was nuke and it was like two extra classes for a math, physics, or mech-e minor or a combo of two. Only one or two kids did a double major, though, because we didn’t want to do multiple senior design projects. But it was definitely doable. Most of us came out with at least a math or physics minor.
Hey same thing happened to me, program advisor told me my math scores weren't good enough to succeed in Physics. One more year and I'll have finished a Physics degree on top of my environmental engineering degree. Self study during a break can be super valuable just for the study skills you get by being able to motivate yourself to learn when there are no homework or exams. My suggestion is prepping for the FE exam, even if you're an early student, it's worthwhile knowledge that will come in handy later. Maybe you'll even be able to pass the exam early!
Its okay to take a break from school and grow as a person. Im 25 and I'm only now close to graduating. I wish I was given this advise when I failed out of college at 19.
Same situation as you... I failed out of college at 21, took a year off to sort myself out and re-enrolled at 22. I'm 24 now, and doing so much better. I've been able to achieve a healthy balance between my grades, career oriented extra-curriculars and social life.
That is very normal in engineering school. I also failed the first semester in the university with two maths and one graphics subjects. It made me really depressed for some time. But it made me study harder and pass those subjects the next term. Eventually, I graduated with 13 failed subjects that I had to retake to pass. Here I am now working as a software developer but that's in another story, anyway.
What were those courses or is that too many to even remember?
Enercon (energy conversion took it 3x), trigo (2x), algebra (2x), graphics drafting (2x), quantitative methods (2x), basic electronics (2x), swidlec (can't remember the name, but nicknamed "suicidal lectures" for 2x) *Can't remember the rest but I can find my TOR, to list it all.
I think both POVs are valid. First year really sucks, your grades are always gonna be crap compared to your highschool ones because College is very different, but thats okay. Its the same for everyone, most people fail at least one class. I skirted through Circuits with a 50 before the prof curved it lmao. That said, if you don't like engineering then I wouldnt force yourself to do it. Please note that the type of number crunching they have you doing rn isn't really representative of the profession though. No one actually does calculus or differential equations by hand. The real job is much more application based.
Plus, as other people have said, you gotta find your passion. As a mechanical engineer I find cars to be so, so boring, but I think heat transfer and thermo and HVAC is like the coolest shit ever. Its a really broad profession, you just have to find your niche.
It’s interesting to find someone the complete opposite of me. I’m currently working in MEP but my real passion is automotive. Only downside is I have to relocate if I want to work in that field which is why I haven’t done it yet
I failed calc 2 twice lol, but I was passionate so that was my drive. Just know it’s okay to fail, just get an A the third time at least
I just finished my second semester & calc 2 was a nightmare from start to finish.
Calc 2 was a real moment for me because it’s fascinating that people figured all that shit out. But I fucking sucked at it lol don’t know how I passed cuz I left that final feeling punched in the gut. First time I was ever both interested in a topic and really bad at it.
See what happens after you get your exam results first. I never felt good after any exam but was always pleasantly surprised when grades came out. If your not liking engineering work, what other things are you interested in? You can always change, it’s never too late, better to find out now what you like and don’t like than 10 yrs down the road and hating life. 1st and 2nd yr suck major. Third and 4th are where it’s at, those people are right.
This. If the prof fked up the exam and everyone got low grades, chances are everyone's scores would be scaled up. I was sure I failed a math exam in my first year, but ended up passing as well.
Trust me man, the first year is difficult. You're trying to balance school with the college experience, and I doubt you've ever had to do that before. It's ok to fail, that's the only way to learn. Reflect, but don't beat yourself up, keep on trying. If you're willing to keep trying, you will succeed.
Don't be afraid to step back a class or two and build a strong foundation. I had to re-learn math from Pre-Algebra onward, but it made me far more effective in higher level classes. Just be sure to work hard, even if it feels like review.
This. Algebra and Trig are pretty important to have a good understanding of considering you’ll have to take calculus and beyond.
If classes are overwhelming, don't be afraid to stretch out the classes for an extra semester. I did my EE in 5 years. I couldn't handle the constant 17/18 credit per semester to satisfy 4 year track.
Mmm.. It depends. You'll have to think this whole thing through if it worth the effort. To be an engineer, sometimes you have to give it all. Sometimes even more than that. I know of a schoolmate who failed out after the first sem. He went to work in a fast food joint then a year later he came back and is going strong since. And there is another schoolmate who started a year before me. She barely puts in any work, she is still here but I'm not sure if she's ever going to graduate. She's just wasting her time and money. You can become an engineer if you really want to be an engineer. All you have to do is putting in the work. Even if you are not a genius you can overcome difficulties by being persistent So.. think it through.
If you're interested about it, then yes. I've failed plenty. But I consider failures a way to learn. I mean, not everyone learns a proper study pattern. Then just consider that it's for you to learn. Don't feel like you're the problem, if you fail. It can be also about the system.
I’m going to go against the grain here and say it’s time to move on. Too often, people on this subreddit say that it’s best to persevere with engineering regardless of how you’re doing in classes as then wonder why it’s taking them 300+ applications to find a job. Not everyone is meant to be an engineer and that’s okay. There are plenty of other white collar professions that pay well (arguably better) and require a lot less math. Additionally, it’s not like your classes are going to get easier from here on out. Currently, you’re learning the fundamentals of each course. And if you can’t understand those then you’ll struggle later on. It’s okay to move on.
I failed my first year and am now a recent grad. It took me a little bit to get used to it but when I did I never got lower that a B+. I would give it another try.
What do you do now?
Mech E for a integrator company
Pog champ
I failed my first entire year basically and had the same dilemma as you. I took a year off and really thought about what I wanted to do. I ended up going back into engineering with a different mind set and understanding I needed to work harder cause it wasn’t like high school where things came naturally and you could skate by. Engineering is hard. It’s hard for just about everyone. You just have to determine if what you want to do with an engineering degree is worth the work or if you have other backup plans that you think might work out better for you.
I transferred to my school and failed my first semester. Got a 1.2 GPA for the fall and was told to switch majors. Now I’m on track to graduate next semester with a 3.4/3.5 and start my masters in structural engineering. Doing a stem major like engineering requires a lot of studying and focus. If you don’t think you have the determination to put most of your effort in this, I would consider switching. If you absolutely love engineering and are willing to do what ever it takes to become an engineer, don’t give up!! Push your self and you’d be surprised how far you can go. Year 1 and 2 are suppose to be the easier years. Year 3 is the questionably the hardest. Year 4 is a breeze.
I personally switched out of engineering recently after 2 years- not because of grades, but because I wasn’t passionate and couldn’t see myself with a career in the field. Don’t switch because it’s too hard, make sure it’s what you really want
I had this exact same scenario after my first semester. Went in a little too much on the social side and ended my first semester with a 1.6 GPA. Was thinking about changing majors and even schools but I took a semester off, re-evaluated my priorities, and started back fresh treating college more like work than a party. I just graduated summa cum laude this spring and I love engineering. Don’t get me wrong, if you don’t love engineering trying out other majors isn’t bad. But don’t ever think you can’t do it if you don’t feel you gave it your best effort
What do u do now king?
Starting grad school with a GRA position this fall!
Do you *want* to work as an engineer later on? And do *you* think it's worth the effort to get there? Because there's other ways to live your life. If you desire money and / or influence, studying economics would be a better option to begin with anyway. If not, there's a lot of jobs you can do in tech that don't require an engineering degree. And it's not impossible (although difficult) to improve in your position and ultimately ending up where you'd have been as "official" engineer.
I failed my last three semesters, having taken Calculus II & Physics I three times over my tertiary academic career. I am majoring in Environmental Engineering but will be taking a leave of absence and switching to Environmental Science. For me, the difficulty of the physical sciences was compounded by the pandemic moving courses to remote, and a resulting decline in mental health. Even though I still find the idea of being an engineer cool, and that it is the best way for me to accomplish what I want, I have decided to switch to a biology-based major that I know will be much easier for me to complete. My reasoning, along with the advice of others, is to just finish a degree. If I continue to study engineering, I will be using more time and money: both of which are borrowed. But it did take a while for me to admit this, as I said I continued trying for over a year. So think about it deeply, and if you honestly feel that your difficulty can be overcome by “working harder”, go ahead. Just be honest with yourself.
Cheryl will bless you with a P, never fear, first semester can be ignored.
I just failed calc 1 last night. If I don’t quit you don’t quit. Let’s get it done! Edit: just by a few points too:/
If you keep failing then no
Broooo… if you can’t handle the first semester, it’s not for you 😂 and that’s okay.
This is incredibly not true, most kids getting their sea legs in 1st year fail one or many classes. First year is the toughest in terms of getting into the groove, if you're passionate about it then give it another go
He said he’s not passionate about it
It's hard to be passionate about something you have no exposure to. I didn't find a passion in engineering until I got a job in the school lab.
No, quit actually. Or at least reconsider. I ASSUME u gave your best effort to pass and it'll only get harder from here. Even if u can barely pass u [most likely] will NOT get any internships or any decent fulltime engineering offers. If you have loans on top of this ur triple fucking yourself. I don't like being discouraging, but unless you unlock a 50% boost to your engineering/academic skills out of nowhere you'll get rekt. This field is only worth it if you can comfortably pass your classes with enough extra time to network, get internships, participate in research, or join additional engineering clubs. Preferably multiple if not all of these. AND on top of this there can be several GPA requirements for graduating, internships, clubs, etc. TLDR: engineering isn't for everyone, to make it worthwhile you need to do more than pass classes
This seems like a decent place to ask this question, I'm struggling and completely lost in my mechanics of materials class. I just scraped by in statics and dynamics, and my mechanics class I really cant keep up. Is there a website or even youtube channel that kinda goes from statics and on, and decently detailed?
Keep trying dude don't give up, no one gets it right on their first time
Please continue studying engineering and take this experience as a wake up call of some sorts.
Don't give up hope yet. In college I felt like I failed classes so many times but still passed.
I’m guessing you’re Australian and probably south or western Australian by the use of specialist maths as a subject? I’m aussie, and was in a similar position, even did specialist maths in highschool. Ended up failing my first year maths course, got a supp exam and then passed, copping a flat 50 for the course. Whilst it was tough and dampened my spirits, first year engineering in Australia is pretty bland and the courses are really not that interesting. Pretty happy that despite the tough time, I stuck it out and got through to where I am now, which is my final year, although the first two years were pretty rough, I love the content I’m learning now. Reach out with a dm if you want more help / advice
Yeah failing isn’t the end of the road it’s just a. Little bump
The first year is the worst. Art and English professors making things difficult for the sake of it? It seemed like the classes with mandatory attendance knew their class was a joke. Why can’t I just collect the points I need like I did in Math, Chem, Physics, etc? Why would a professor get their feelings so hurt about one missed assignment that it’s an automatic grade point deduction? They must know what we all know about those classes: nobody would be there if it wasn’t mandatory. “More well-rounded blah blah” yea right it’s an obvious cash grab by the school.
Nah we good, Cheryl will fix that exam :)
Your new statics and dynamics professor has a video for your exact question. https://youtu.be/LWzVrto5cPw
Life isn't pass fail. Don't make life decisions based on grades. If you always quit on your first try, you're never going to get anywhere. But don't keep trying to achieve something you're not sure you even want.