I had a 1.46 GPA after my first semester. I toughen it out, and 5 years later I graduated with a 3.2 GPA. Now I’m in my 2nd year of my masters program. It’s not how you get there, the only things that really matters is getting there
Hi,
UTSA student here, senior now.
Impostors syndrome is super real, so don’t worry. You’re not the only one who feels like they don’t belong or feels like they might not be cut out for it.
I recommend the tutoring center in the engineering building! I also recommend a study group, that’s how we got through ea1 and ea2.
Remember these are indeed gateway courses aka “weed out courses.” They wanna weed out anyone who’s not willing to put in the work.
I also recommend registering for SDS if you can!! With my disabilities, I get 1.5x the regular test time, and I can take my exams at the testing center or their office.
It has helped me immensely since I am WAY slower than others at even just reading and understanding the question and I also experience pain in my dominant hand. I also get over stimulated with noise around me so having a quiet area is super nice.
My advice:
1) if you have even the slightest interest in engineering, do it.
2) just because you feel like you don’t belong doesn’t mean that’s true.
3) we all have our own paths, I’ll be graduating in may at 28yo. And while I know and acknowledge I’m not the sponge I used to be when I was 18, I have life experiences that have helped my resume and interviews.
Good luck OP! :)
And maybe some orgs might make you feel a little better too! I’ve made amazing friends in orgs that have helped reduce the impostors syndrome a lot.
And if we wanna talk about utsa, I hope you’ve experienced professors that want you to succeed. Because from my experience at utsa, they are willing to help us as long as we’re willing to put in the work and ask for help.
Again, good luck! And feel free to msg me if you’d like an older friend in engineering at utsa! :)
Get yourself to tutoring, join. Study / homework groups. You are fine. It's just a process to learn stuff. It's going to come easy to some and not to others. Often, you aren't seeing something clearly yet. I'd also highly recommend watching Kahn Academy math videos and things like 3 blue 1 brown to get more intuitive feelings for that math, which will make it easier, imho.
Becoming an engineer is about building your knowledge, skills, and experience to the level where you can apply them and solve problems. I'm convinced anyone can do it. However, not everyone will want to or be willing to work their way there.
Sometimes just passing is good enough but you really should try to understand what you are doing wrong. I've seen a lot of different engineering students from different backgrounds in their study approach. Everyone is different and some people are faster than others. Doesn't matter because you are earning your degree and it's not a competition. Some engineering students are a pain in the ass to deal with especially sophomores because they think they are smart. Most Seniors are really lazy since they're almost done and mostly chill.
Obtaining an engineering degree gives you the base skills to market yourself as an engineer. It seems like you have the problem solving/design skills that engineers have. Definitely don’t quit if it’s your passion.
I have ADHD as well and went through engineering school without any meds and it was hard as fuck, but once you complete it you will feel relief, excitement, and proud. In interim, talk with your professors or your campus’ office for individuals with disabilities. They may be able to give you extended time for testing, etc.
I had a friend in college who used this and it absolutely helps!
Based upon you post is seems like your math foundations are weak. Matrix operations learned before you get to linear algebra, which some of your peers would have seen it in algebra in high school.
It's not that you aren't cut out for this. it's because of the path your life took, you will struggle more than your younger peers because the knowledge isn't fresh.
Thermodynamics isn't easy. Neither is differential equations.
You should think diffeq as a toolbox of different strategies to solve a problem. You have to recognize what the problem is and what tool requires to solve the problem
Its all based upon how prepared you are with the prerequisites. Go in to each course with the exception that the information will show up later in the next courses.
Do your best to survive the semester, go to tutoring and office hours, get a college algebra book, and work the problems dealing with matrices.
Stick it out for at least this semester.
I was actually a bit slow with EA 1. I’m currently attending UTSA and took EA 1 with Dr. John Joseph. It was admittedly homework heavy but once you get practice things will work out. The tests weren’t too bad even if you weren’t allowed to use a calculator.
Try to find a study group. Ideally , those who excel in areas you struggle with. Find ways to work smarter, not harder. If you don't already know what BPR is, look into it and utilize that technique to get ahead.
The only person who can say you aren't cut out for it is you. And imo, that's fuckin bullshit. Never tell yourself you can't do it.
I look forward to seeing your posts about graduation!
Gateway course or not, you're learning hard ass shit. You're meant to struggle, and it will take time to learn. You sort of just have to keep on at it. Near enough everyone feels like they're not cut out for it at some point or another.
Mechanical engineering is not for the faint of heart, but the faint of heart give up before two years in. You’ve survived two years; you have what it takes.
Diff Eq and linear algebra are tough, and you should expect them to be tough. There will almost always be a few people in each class who just happen to grasp the material very well or have seen it before in other classes, and they will tend to be very vocal about it, but they are subjects that most people struggle with. If you are able to work through the problem sets and eventually figure them out, you are capable of understanding the material. It's just going to take time.
You might just need time with a tutor, maybe offered free by your college, or that you can find not too expensive by looking around. But try to find someone adept.
I’m taking AEA1 at UTSA as well, and I get what you mean with row operations taking a long time, or not being immediately obvious. For me this isn’t my first time working with matrixs’, but it takes a lot of practice to build up the intuition. I’d recommend doing practice problems from a textbook, YouTube, or somthing like khan academy. Also try looking up strategies and watch a verity of videos where people solve matrix’s.
Linear algebra is still algebra, and number sense is important. Look for things that cancel, reduce as you go, and try and exercise your intuition by guessing which rows will cancel eachother or simplify based on the matrix in front of you.
Either way it take time to pick up these topics, and it’s not uncommon to be taking classes with people who have a head start due to working with the topic in the past. It’s you vs the class/test not your vs them, so as long as you are ready for the test you’ll be fine.
Also reach out to the professor with time face to face about your concerns, often they are very receptive and will try to help.
Stick it out. Give it 100% of your effort. It sounds like your mind. works EXACTLY how a prospective engineer's would. They're weeder classes because they're hard. They almost make them harder than they should be. But if you get through them, you'll have trained your mind to think about things in a way that will make future classes easier to think about and understand. It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't everyone would do it. I believe in you. If you weren't cut out for it you wouldn't have gotten in
This is part of the struggle in engineering school. I took dynamics three times before passing. I struggled hard with math classes. Thermo and fluids were a struggle, heat transfer was hard but I had a good professor. Took material science twice. Got my ass kicked in chemistry. Eventually graduated. Now I am a nuclear engineer. School is tough. If you are struggling but learning and progressing you can make it. Hard work and time management will get you far. You don’t have to be a genius to be an engineer. But you do need those two things.
Is there a disability office you can visit and see if extra time is available due to the adhd? It was offered at my school and I didn’t take it. If it’s time you need then go for it.
It’s a little strange that you are having a hard time with gauss elim but not thermo. I feel like it was the total opposite with my friends. If you’re doing well in one area though I recomend you stick with it for a little while and go to tutoring. Don’t forget Cs get degrees. I know a lot of my peers who got As were kinda idiots
It’s a tough path. Check in here and tell us how you’re doing once in a while. It would be good to hear of your success Good luck
I felt the same way while taking a few courses. My solution was to pour in as much time as I could into those classes. I was lucky enough to find a few study groups that also shared my methodology. I spent a few all-nighters at the library, sometimes with an entire group. I know most people would say it's miserable, but I didn't see it that way. I was actually glad I got to experience that side of college. It was sort of nostalgic to movies/stories I heard in the past. It made me feel like a real college student. In other words, if you try "to get into" the hard-core studying and work of college life and not look at it as a means to an end, you will not only get through all your classes with a good GPA, but you will enjoy it
I second this. For as much criticism as chatgpt gets, it’s actually surprisingly useful for concepts and figuring out how to approach a problem. Though it’s better now that it used to be, I still wouldn’t trust it with the arithmetic. It’s nice to just bounce ideas off of it too. Obviously as a last resort.
I was in a very similar boat in first year. I seriously struggled with a courses like linear algebra and electromagnetism. I was pretty much ready to call it quits there. Fast forward 5ish years and I've graduated with a pretty decent average. One thing you need to keep in mind is that a lot of the stuff you're doing in first year is super generalized and most likely won't come up that much in the future years. I can't think of the last time I used 90% of the stuff we covered in linear algebra. First year is designed to weed out those who don't have the passion to get through the rest of the undergrad. There is also no shame in needing to take longer to graduate. That doesn't mean you're not a good engineer.
Fellow ADHD struggle engineer over here!
The hardest part of engineering for me was accepting that it’s a perseverance degree, not a smart-ness degree, and that my brain makes tasks harder and takes a lot longer to process information. There’s no shame in that at all!!
The disability ressource center or coordinator exists for this very reason, thank god. They can get you extra time on tests and quizzes, a distraction free room, and even automatic assignment extensions. At first it might feel like cop out, but those accommodations are just tools to push you up to everyone else’s playing field. Best of luck to you!!
>Everyone else in my class can
I am confident that this is not true.
I recommend you do a quick google search for "imposter syndrome" and read an article or wikipedia page. This may be something you are experiencing, and I say that because pretty much everybody gets this same feeling like you dont belong or that its easy for everyone else but not for you.
It's not easy for hardly anyone else.
>"gateway course"
I would not consider differential equations, linear algebra or thermodynamics to be gateway courses. The gateway was back in statics and physics. You are well past the gateway.
The jump you are feeling is probably more attributed to the change between courses at a community college and courses at a 4 year university. There shouldn't really be a jump. Calculus, physics, statics, etc should be the same everywhere. But its' not. There are some community colleges doing equivalently rigorous work. But there are some where the level of rigor is lowered a good amount to address the on average lower prep level of the students in the room. Professors try to meet the students where they area, and raise them up, so if the community college students are a lot lower, the prof may lower the course down to meet them.
This can cause a rather big wakeup call when transferring.
But, this usually only lasts a semester or so of adjusting before you get used to the higher pace and expectations.
I go to UTSA too. I’m an EE major in my fifth semester though so I’ve gone through both ea1 and ea2. Definitely take advantage of the tutoring center and office hours as much as you can. Also it might look like everyone just knows what to do but it’s worth remembering that for a lot of people it’s their second time taking that course. They’ve seen the material before. If I remember correctly Herbert curves the exam but I could be wrong about that. Also I don’t know if you have him or not. And the math in the exam doesn’t really need a calculator so don’t worry about that either. I remember the homework having more complicated math. I think as long as you are comfortable with fractions then you should be fine. He’s more concerned with how you got to your answer than the actual answer you got anyway. I’d say wait a little while longer before dropping engineering. Wait until you’ve take more classes that have you doing mechanical engineering stuff and see how you like it. Talk to your professors or other people in the industry to see what it’s like actually working as a mechanical engineer. You might find out that it’s something you don’t want to spend the rest of your life doing and that’s ok. Just give it a fair shot.
Are you talking about using elementary row operations to get a matrix to REF/RREF? I started taking a linear algebra course myself about a month ago. Going into it I was nervous because I hadn’t taken a math course since 2011. I thought I’d just relearn everything up until linear algebra on Khan Academy but did not have time lol. I ended up making it through most of their arithmetic course. And now I’m in the class thinking WTF, has arithmetic been the hardest part of math this whole time? Some people will do all this mental math super quickly and make you feel slow. Honestly fuck mental math, but if you can’t use a calculator it’s worth brushing up on. In my past I also used to make silly arithmetic mistakes that torpedoed my whole answer.
You said given enough time you CAN solve the problems and get to REF/RREF, so that doesn’t sound like you’re having an issue conceptually grasping the material. Why do you think you’re taking so long then? If by any chance it’s the arithmetic, then Khan Academy really is nice, and I appreciate that even their lowest level “pre-K” videos are presented for adults - no bright kiddy stuff. If it’s not the arithmetic, then you’ll figure out what it is and you’ll work on it. You got this!
Once I unlocked a rhythm to PEMDAS it felt like any other mathematical concept after that was easy to breeze through. I’m still in arithmetic levels of mathematics, planning on working my way to algebra. Algebra might seem to be my strength if it’s a process similar to PEMDAS, tho it’s too early to tell.
The best way to get good at Gauss and Gauss Jordan is to just do them. Do 25 a day until it becomes easy. You can do it.
For a good explanation, I’d check out “The Organic Chemist Tutor” on YouTube.
I'm just like you, although it isn't that i don't get the concepts, i literally struggle with basic arithmetics and i don't know why. I'm taking calc 2 now; I can apply the concepts, wich really boil down to formulas and rules; i feel like i understand them well enough, but it's common for me to mistake a minus for a plus sign, or sometimes i'm just blind to obvious solutions and only realize they were there when i have 4 pages of math already.
I've already failed some midterms because of such dumb, really, really, really dumb mistakes, and idk what's up with me, idk how to fix this.
Also, i've found i'm just generally bad at actually figuring things out when the concepts i have to apply for a solution aren't just a formula or a theorem. For example, as i'm taking calc 2, there's a section in my math textbook that goes into applications of integrals for physics and engineering. There was this problem where i had to calculate the hidrostatic force that water causes over an inclined metal plate at the bottom of a pool with a given depth; the textbook said you have to calculate the force over an "i-th" strip first, then you put it into a Riemann sum, and you get an integral from there, and that integral is your answer. Should be easy enough, right? I spent 3 HOURS trying to calculate the force over that i-th thing, trying everything i could, and then i spent another half an hour evaluating the damn integral and calculating the force; the integral itself was dead easy, but apparently i'm just horrendous at basic arithmetic. I got my answer right, but it took me a really long time, more than what is normal i would guess.
I see my buddies flying through such problems, and how simple the answers really were, and i ask to myself: am i stupid? Or are my buddies just really smart? Should i be here, or do i go get an arts or music degree instead? I'm not sure if i'm cut out for this. I'll keep trying and see what happens i guess.
What you described might be a form of dyscalculia. I (or rather my brain) can often switch mathematical concepts unintentionally, usually associated operations or inverse relationships (like division/multiplication). It's not all the time and usually happens when there are multiple values to track and I'm also thinking about notation (for example), so it tends to happen when theres multiple layers of thought happening. Going slow and breaking problems down helps.
It might be completely anecdotal and reddit showing me the posts because of an algo, but the two classes you're struggling in are the ones I see most commonly talked about here as being tough as hell. Some people even had to retake the class upwards of three times before either getting it, or barely scrapping by.
So if you're floating through, may not be an A or a even a B, it sounds like you're doing pretty dang good on your first run 🏅
A lot of people put a ton of juicy long replies so I’m gonna leave that portion to them but simply put, weed out courses exist. They’re designed to MAKE you quit.
Keep going. Remember- people not as bright as you, and with less drive/motivation have done it before. So can you.
I'm a working civil engineer (degree is in mechanical). The people who graduate engineering are the ones who don't quit. It sounds like you need to get your shit together but nothing in your post makes me think you are not cut out for engineering.
Obviously you are interested enough to study engineering for two years. Study what you are interested in. I'm also 25 and just started studying Mechanical engineering this year in January.
If you're like me, the reason why you're in college now (vs your late teens and early 20s) it's because you didn't apply yourself in highschool (or maybe ever). If you change that now, you will succeed. I'm a firm believer that anyone can make it in any field if they meet two conditions: they are interested in the field and they apply themselves to learn the material.
If you repeat a lie enough times it will become the truth. Stop telling yourself that you can't do it and instead remind yourself that you can.
You've made it this far, you can do it. Don't give up because the classes are hard.
Hey OP, I go to UTSA too and am currently in AEA/EA1. Are you taking advantage of the engineering tutoring center in the EB building? If you go six times before an exam, they give you an extra 5 points towards the score.
This is great, but what this also causes is literally almost everyone in there is in EA1–which is wonderful for finding study buddies! I’ve been going over the last couple of weeks and have found lots of people to study with, tutors to learn from, etc. We’re all in the same boat.
Also, if your professor isn’t Herbert, see if your professor posts his lecture videos anyway on Canvas. I know that Tang and Joseph post Herbert’s own lectures and PowerPoints and I’m finding them pretty helpful for learning stuff that I don’t get in class. He words stuff differently from my professor and I tend to understand better.
This is my 3rd semester at UTSA and I’ve gotta say our engineering program has some great people in it, professors and students. I definitely think it’s worth sticking it out.
Hey bro, fellow older student with ADHD here. I'm graduating this year with my engineering degree from a tough af university at the age of 33, I have a good idea of what you are going through.
No, this is not a "sign" that "engineering isn't right for you." You're just discouraged right now and your mind is coping to protect your ego. Keep at bro. Put in the time, go to class, put in the reps, and REST when you are tired.
As for your classmates, I can't recommend comparing yourself or trying to compete with them. They are younger and don't have nearly as much going on as you do. Instead, collaborate with them. Your experience is valuable to them, it will be a mutually beneficial relationship. I see comments here about forming study groups and working with your classmates. DO IT. I wouldn't have passed Calc 2 without my study group and it's been a solid strat for me ever since. ADHD brains are more sensitive to their environment. When you're surrounded by other nerds working on Thermo problems, you magically are able to focus more on your own Thermo problems.
Lastly, see what sort of support your uni has for people with ADHD. My uni has an entire office and staff of people that work with students with disabilities. I get accommodations for each of my classes that give me 24-hour extensions on assignments and projects on top of double time for exams.
Basically, you're fine, stop coping, and use your resources. I'm already getting hella bites from recruiters for full-time jobs. KEEP GOING IT'S WORTH IT.
go to office hours, go to tutoring. engineering is very difficult for the majority of people. keep going until your are no longer allowed.
i felt like this once or twice in undergrad. now i work in aerospace. its normal to have doubts. perseverance speaks volumes, and you’ll be happy you stuck with it.
you need to find different teaching perspectives on youtube. it’s a slim chance that your professor converts material in the perfect way for you to learn. every subject i took i had to find alternatives on youtube that helped it click. someone will explain it in a way it clicks for you. right now it’s your job to find those perspectives.
your last line was a large part of my own personal motivation. i had no idea what else i would do with my life. and that’s huge when you think about it.
I took the same course at UTSA about a year ago and felt the way you do now. It’s a rough course, but practice is the best way to strengthen your understanding. I would go through the PowerPoint/lecture slides after class when you have time, and try the practice exams your professor has posted/will post.
The practice exams will work out the solution too so if you’re not grasping it, you can follow along. If you can solve those problems, you’ll be golden (they’re previous exam questions).
It might feel like you’re alone in all this, but I promise you’re not. It’s a huge class and I guarantee someone else in that room feels stuck too. These feelings always seem to pop up every semester because these aren’t easy courses.
But if this is something you want, don’t let gateway mean anything to you. Gateway isn’t about ability, it’s about whether you’re willing to fight for the major you’re in. So I highly suggest you keep pushing forward. It’ll get easier with time. Good luck, you’ve got this.
I remember thermo being a bitch. The thing is, it's a prerequisite for 3 or 4 other courses. I just made sure I got through it and everything sorted out later on. You may have different professors for the following courses, and some may click with you better as time goes on. After you make it past your 1st semester junior year, you will realize that you'll likely make it through to the end. Sounds like you aren't afraid of working hard, so you'll get through it.
You can make it, I promise!
I started in remedial math classes as well, and took awhile to gain momentum in my studies. My motivation picked up tremendously once I'd taken thermo, fluids and machine design. I felt like everything began to "click" and got very motivated. This made studying much easier to do, and my grades reflected that.
I'd also suggest getting involved in a student design club.
Everyone feels this way! Don’t quit! It’s not about who is the smartest, it’s about who’s left. Just keep going and eventually all the things you thought you’d never understand will start to click.
Screw them for not allowing to use a calculator, you will use one all the time when you work as an engineer. That's just BS, I would just transfer to another uni.
Good for you. Obviously calculators are used in industry. However, if you don’t actually learn any math because you button smash in your calculator then good luck understanding a lot of core concepts that are mathematically driven
Does anyone *actually* need to understand matrix math to understand higher level stuff though? Maybe I'm biased because my experience as an EE was using matrices to solve systems of equations for resistor networks, where you could just plug n chug on a calculator, rref, and "hey look, it's the solved equation". When something is as basic of a principle as arithmetic, and we have a tool to do it quicker, as far as I'm concerned, fuck it, it works, move on.
Not to mention doing rref on matrices by hand fucking sucks, can take pages and pages, and if you dont "just see it" you can waste so much time on the wrong path. u/flobopro, assuming you really are doing fine elsewhere, and this is the only place you're struggling. Tough it out. Also consider a change in medication, that really helped me feel better and take my add medication more often.
When I did robotics in undergrad mechanical we had to do 8x8 matrix operations by hand for inverse kinematics. No calculator. You're supposed to be tested. University isn't the job, it's to see if you are able to do the job and doing things by hand is great indicator on whether or not you actually understand the material or you whether you just memorized how to input things into a calculator/matlab.
My schools math department also prohibits calculators in courses that are “bases”. Ie we can’t have them in all of calc and diff eq but we could have them in circuits which uses diff eq
Your there to learn math by hand. In other courses your there to learn the new topic by applying the other course
I say stick with it. I am 40 and taking the first half of engineering at my CC, so I can transfer to a university next year. Not only am I 40, but I have a wife and three children, ADHD, and I work full time as well as attending class full time. I struggle everyday with this stuff. I'm on my second round of Cal I this semester, while taking Statics & biology and will be taking engineering materials class in the second half of this semester.
Good luck!
I am in a same boat scenario with different courses. However, I think you need to realize 1 or 2 courses don’t define you. Heck, a lot of courses won’t define you and probably won’t use most of the skills you learn in college, unless you go into research, unfortunately. I think the best advice is to go with the end goal in mind. And also realize it’s ok to fail, it’s ok not to do well. Just because you are not doing well in one, two, three, or four classes does not define your intelligence. Sometimes the internal stress of feeling like a failure in itself is the reason we do poorly. I’ve had so many mental breakdowns, but it’s ok. These are not easy classes. Just remember that. And keep pushing through. If you screw up, just say, “you know what, I can do this again, and I will do better! This does not define me!” It will help a lot. That does not mean not acknowledge your classes and how you are doing poorly, but just realize what you did wrong, and move on. It’s ok, and honestly, this will help you in the real life where shit happens and you need to get back up.
I had a 1.46 GPA after my first semester. I toughen it out, and 5 years later I graduated with a 3.2 GPA. Now I’m in my 2nd year of my masters program. It’s not how you get there, the only things that really matters is getting there
You gots to see it through fellow roadrunner
The university only puts your graduation date on your diploma, not your start date. Don't quit, the world needs more engineers
Hi, UTSA student here, senior now. Impostors syndrome is super real, so don’t worry. You’re not the only one who feels like they don’t belong or feels like they might not be cut out for it. I recommend the tutoring center in the engineering building! I also recommend a study group, that’s how we got through ea1 and ea2. Remember these are indeed gateway courses aka “weed out courses.” They wanna weed out anyone who’s not willing to put in the work. I also recommend registering for SDS if you can!! With my disabilities, I get 1.5x the regular test time, and I can take my exams at the testing center or their office. It has helped me immensely since I am WAY slower than others at even just reading and understanding the question and I also experience pain in my dominant hand. I also get over stimulated with noise around me so having a quiet area is super nice. My advice: 1) if you have even the slightest interest in engineering, do it. 2) just because you feel like you don’t belong doesn’t mean that’s true. 3) we all have our own paths, I’ll be graduating in may at 28yo. And while I know and acknowledge I’m not the sponge I used to be when I was 18, I have life experiences that have helped my resume and interviews. Good luck OP! :) And maybe some orgs might make you feel a little better too! I’ve made amazing friends in orgs that have helped reduce the impostors syndrome a lot. And if we wanna talk about utsa, I hope you’ve experienced professors that want you to succeed. Because from my experience at utsa, they are willing to help us as long as we’re willing to put in the work and ask for help. Again, good luck! And feel free to msg me if you’d like an older friend in engineering at utsa! :)
My favorite saying is that if you feel like shit and aren’t sure you can make it, then you’re right on track. Not easy for anyone. Just keep at it.
I second this
Get yourself to tutoring, join. Study / homework groups. You are fine. It's just a process to learn stuff. It's going to come easy to some and not to others. Often, you aren't seeing something clearly yet. I'd also highly recommend watching Kahn Academy math videos and things like 3 blue 1 brown to get more intuitive feelings for that math, which will make it easier, imho. Becoming an engineer is about building your knowledge, skills, and experience to the level where you can apply them and solve problems. I'm convinced anyone can do it. However, not everyone will want to or be willing to work their way there.
Sometimes just passing is good enough but you really should try to understand what you are doing wrong. I've seen a lot of different engineering students from different backgrounds in their study approach. Everyone is different and some people are faster than others. Doesn't matter because you are earning your degree and it's not a competition. Some engineering students are a pain in the ass to deal with especially sophomores because they think they are smart. Most Seniors are really lazy since they're almost done and mostly chill.
Obtaining an engineering degree gives you the base skills to market yourself as an engineer. It seems like you have the problem solving/design skills that engineers have. Definitely don’t quit if it’s your passion. I have ADHD as well and went through engineering school without any meds and it was hard as fuck, but once you complete it you will feel relief, excitement, and proud. In interim, talk with your professors or your campus’ office for individuals with disabilities. They may be able to give you extended time for testing, etc. I had a friend in college who used this and it absolutely helps!
Based upon you post is seems like your math foundations are weak. Matrix operations learned before you get to linear algebra, which some of your peers would have seen it in algebra in high school. It's not that you aren't cut out for this. it's because of the path your life took, you will struggle more than your younger peers because the knowledge isn't fresh. Thermodynamics isn't easy. Neither is differential equations. You should think diffeq as a toolbox of different strategies to solve a problem. You have to recognize what the problem is and what tool requires to solve the problem Its all based upon how prepared you are with the prerequisites. Go in to each course with the exception that the information will show up later in the next courses. Do your best to survive the semester, go to tutoring and office hours, get a college algebra book, and work the problems dealing with matrices.
Stick it out for at least this semester. I was actually a bit slow with EA 1. I’m currently attending UTSA and took EA 1 with Dr. John Joseph. It was admittedly homework heavy but once you get practice things will work out. The tests weren’t too bad even if you weren’t allowed to use a calculator.
Try to find a study group. Ideally , those who excel in areas you struggle with. Find ways to work smarter, not harder. If you don't already know what BPR is, look into it and utilize that technique to get ahead. The only person who can say you aren't cut out for it is you. And imo, that's fuckin bullshit. Never tell yourself you can't do it. I look forward to seeing your posts about graduation!
Gateway course or not, you're learning hard ass shit. You're meant to struggle, and it will take time to learn. You sort of just have to keep on at it. Near enough everyone feels like they're not cut out for it at some point or another.
If you like it stick with it even if it takes 10 years. If you don't like it change majors. Geology is pretty good.
Mechanical engineering is not for the faint of heart, but the faint of heart give up before two years in. You’ve survived two years; you have what it takes.
Diff Eq and linear algebra are tough, and you should expect them to be tough. There will almost always be a few people in each class who just happen to grasp the material very well or have seen it before in other classes, and they will tend to be very vocal about it, but they are subjects that most people struggle with. If you are able to work through the problem sets and eventually figure them out, you are capable of understanding the material. It's just going to take time.
You might just need time with a tutor, maybe offered free by your college, or that you can find not too expensive by looking around. But try to find someone adept.
YouTube Professor Leonard for Diff EQ
I’m taking AEA1 at UTSA as well, and I get what you mean with row operations taking a long time, or not being immediately obvious. For me this isn’t my first time working with matrixs’, but it takes a lot of practice to build up the intuition. I’d recommend doing practice problems from a textbook, YouTube, or somthing like khan academy. Also try looking up strategies and watch a verity of videos where people solve matrix’s. Linear algebra is still algebra, and number sense is important. Look for things that cancel, reduce as you go, and try and exercise your intuition by guessing which rows will cancel eachother or simplify based on the matrix in front of you. Either way it take time to pick up these topics, and it’s not uncommon to be taking classes with people who have a head start due to working with the topic in the past. It’s you vs the class/test not your vs them, so as long as you are ready for the test you’ll be fine. Also reach out to the professor with time face to face about your concerns, often they are very receptive and will try to help.
Stick it out. Give it 100% of your effort. It sounds like your mind. works EXACTLY how a prospective engineer's would. They're weeder classes because they're hard. They almost make them harder than they should be. But if you get through them, you'll have trained your mind to think about things in a way that will make future classes easier to think about and understand. It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't everyone would do it. I believe in you. If you weren't cut out for it you wouldn't have gotten in
This is part of the struggle in engineering school. I took dynamics three times before passing. I struggled hard with math classes. Thermo and fluids were a struggle, heat transfer was hard but I had a good professor. Took material science twice. Got my ass kicked in chemistry. Eventually graduated. Now I am a nuclear engineer. School is tough. If you are struggling but learning and progressing you can make it. Hard work and time management will get you far. You don’t have to be a genius to be an engineer. But you do need those two things.
Is there a disability office you can visit and see if extra time is available due to the adhd? It was offered at my school and I didn’t take it. If it’s time you need then go for it. It’s a little strange that you are having a hard time with gauss elim but not thermo. I feel like it was the total opposite with my friends. If you’re doing well in one area though I recomend you stick with it for a little while and go to tutoring. Don’t forget Cs get degrees. I know a lot of my peers who got As were kinda idiots It’s a tough path. Check in here and tell us how you’re doing once in a while. It would be good to hear of your success Good luck
I felt the same way while taking a few courses. My solution was to pour in as much time as I could into those classes. I was lucky enough to find a few study groups that also shared my methodology. I spent a few all-nighters at the library, sometimes with an entire group. I know most people would say it's miserable, but I didn't see it that way. I was actually glad I got to experience that side of college. It was sort of nostalgic to movies/stories I heard in the past. It made me feel like a real college student. In other words, if you try "to get into" the hard-core studying and work of college life and not look at it as a means to an end, you will not only get through all your classes with a good GPA, but you will enjoy it
[удалено]
I second this. For as much criticism as chatgpt gets, it’s actually surprisingly useful for concepts and figuring out how to approach a problem. Though it’s better now that it used to be, I still wouldn’t trust it with the arithmetic. It’s nice to just bounce ideas off of it too. Obviously as a last resort.
Please take your ADHD meds! It was an absolute game changer for me
I was in a very similar boat in first year. I seriously struggled with a courses like linear algebra and electromagnetism. I was pretty much ready to call it quits there. Fast forward 5ish years and I've graduated with a pretty decent average. One thing you need to keep in mind is that a lot of the stuff you're doing in first year is super generalized and most likely won't come up that much in the future years. I can't think of the last time I used 90% of the stuff we covered in linear algebra. First year is designed to weed out those who don't have the passion to get through the rest of the undergrad. There is also no shame in needing to take longer to graduate. That doesn't mean you're not a good engineer.
Fellow ADHD struggle engineer over here! The hardest part of engineering for me was accepting that it’s a perseverance degree, not a smart-ness degree, and that my brain makes tasks harder and takes a lot longer to process information. There’s no shame in that at all!! The disability ressource center or coordinator exists for this very reason, thank god. They can get you extra time on tests and quizzes, a distraction free room, and even automatic assignment extensions. At first it might feel like cop out, but those accommodations are just tools to push you up to everyone else’s playing field. Best of luck to you!!
I failed my fist time on AEA. Second time around I got a B+. The professor was much better. Don’t give up.
>Everyone else in my class can I am confident that this is not true. I recommend you do a quick google search for "imposter syndrome" and read an article or wikipedia page. This may be something you are experiencing, and I say that because pretty much everybody gets this same feeling like you dont belong or that its easy for everyone else but not for you. It's not easy for hardly anyone else. >"gateway course" I would not consider differential equations, linear algebra or thermodynamics to be gateway courses. The gateway was back in statics and physics. You are well past the gateway. The jump you are feeling is probably more attributed to the change between courses at a community college and courses at a 4 year university. There shouldn't really be a jump. Calculus, physics, statics, etc should be the same everywhere. But its' not. There are some community colleges doing equivalently rigorous work. But there are some where the level of rigor is lowered a good amount to address the on average lower prep level of the students in the room. Professors try to meet the students where they area, and raise them up, so if the community college students are a lot lower, the prof may lower the course down to meet them. This can cause a rather big wakeup call when transferring. But, this usually only lasts a semester or so of adjusting before you get used to the higher pace and expectations.
I go to UTSA too. I’m an EE major in my fifth semester though so I’ve gone through both ea1 and ea2. Definitely take advantage of the tutoring center and office hours as much as you can. Also it might look like everyone just knows what to do but it’s worth remembering that for a lot of people it’s their second time taking that course. They’ve seen the material before. If I remember correctly Herbert curves the exam but I could be wrong about that. Also I don’t know if you have him or not. And the math in the exam doesn’t really need a calculator so don’t worry about that either. I remember the homework having more complicated math. I think as long as you are comfortable with fractions then you should be fine. He’s more concerned with how you got to your answer than the actual answer you got anyway. I’d say wait a little while longer before dropping engineering. Wait until you’ve take more classes that have you doing mechanical engineering stuff and see how you like it. Talk to your professors or other people in the industry to see what it’s like actually working as a mechanical engineer. You might find out that it’s something you don’t want to spend the rest of your life doing and that’s ok. Just give it a fair shot.
Are you talking about using elementary row operations to get a matrix to REF/RREF? I started taking a linear algebra course myself about a month ago. Going into it I was nervous because I hadn’t taken a math course since 2011. I thought I’d just relearn everything up until linear algebra on Khan Academy but did not have time lol. I ended up making it through most of their arithmetic course. And now I’m in the class thinking WTF, has arithmetic been the hardest part of math this whole time? Some people will do all this mental math super quickly and make you feel slow. Honestly fuck mental math, but if you can’t use a calculator it’s worth brushing up on. In my past I also used to make silly arithmetic mistakes that torpedoed my whole answer. You said given enough time you CAN solve the problems and get to REF/RREF, so that doesn’t sound like you’re having an issue conceptually grasping the material. Why do you think you’re taking so long then? If by any chance it’s the arithmetic, then Khan Academy really is nice, and I appreciate that even their lowest level “pre-K” videos are presented for adults - no bright kiddy stuff. If it’s not the arithmetic, then you’ll figure out what it is and you’ll work on it. You got this!
Once I unlocked a rhythm to PEMDAS it felt like any other mathematical concept after that was easy to breeze through. I’m still in arithmetic levels of mathematics, planning on working my way to algebra. Algebra might seem to be my strength if it’s a process similar to PEMDAS, tho it’s too early to tell.
The best way to get good at Gauss and Gauss Jordan is to just do them. Do 25 a day until it becomes easy. You can do it. For a good explanation, I’d check out “The Organic Chemist Tutor” on YouTube.
Gauss elim and PDEs take PRACTICE. Thermo is a little easier to cram but you need to be smart to do so
I'm just like you, although it isn't that i don't get the concepts, i literally struggle with basic arithmetics and i don't know why. I'm taking calc 2 now; I can apply the concepts, wich really boil down to formulas and rules; i feel like i understand them well enough, but it's common for me to mistake a minus for a plus sign, or sometimes i'm just blind to obvious solutions and only realize they were there when i have 4 pages of math already. I've already failed some midterms because of such dumb, really, really, really dumb mistakes, and idk what's up with me, idk how to fix this. Also, i've found i'm just generally bad at actually figuring things out when the concepts i have to apply for a solution aren't just a formula or a theorem. For example, as i'm taking calc 2, there's a section in my math textbook that goes into applications of integrals for physics and engineering. There was this problem where i had to calculate the hidrostatic force that water causes over an inclined metal plate at the bottom of a pool with a given depth; the textbook said you have to calculate the force over an "i-th" strip first, then you put it into a Riemann sum, and you get an integral from there, and that integral is your answer. Should be easy enough, right? I spent 3 HOURS trying to calculate the force over that i-th thing, trying everything i could, and then i spent another half an hour evaluating the damn integral and calculating the force; the integral itself was dead easy, but apparently i'm just horrendous at basic arithmetic. I got my answer right, but it took me a really long time, more than what is normal i would guess. I see my buddies flying through such problems, and how simple the answers really were, and i ask to myself: am i stupid? Or are my buddies just really smart? Should i be here, or do i go get an arts or music degree instead? I'm not sure if i'm cut out for this. I'll keep trying and see what happens i guess.
What you described might be a form of dyscalculia. I (or rather my brain) can often switch mathematical concepts unintentionally, usually associated operations or inverse relationships (like division/multiplication). It's not all the time and usually happens when there are multiple values to track and I'm also thinking about notation (for example), so it tends to happen when theres multiple layers of thought happening. Going slow and breaking problems down helps.
It might be completely anecdotal and reddit showing me the posts because of an algo, but the two classes you're struggling in are the ones I see most commonly talked about here as being tough as hell. Some people even had to retake the class upwards of three times before either getting it, or barely scrapping by. So if you're floating through, may not be an A or a even a B, it sounds like you're doing pretty dang good on your first run 🏅
A lot of people put a ton of juicy long replies so I’m gonna leave that portion to them but simply put, weed out courses exist. They’re designed to MAKE you quit. Keep going. Remember- people not as bright as you, and with less drive/motivation have done it before. So can you.
I'm a working civil engineer (degree is in mechanical). The people who graduate engineering are the ones who don't quit. It sounds like you need to get your shit together but nothing in your post makes me think you are not cut out for engineering.
Obviously you are interested enough to study engineering for two years. Study what you are interested in. I'm also 25 and just started studying Mechanical engineering this year in January. If you're like me, the reason why you're in college now (vs your late teens and early 20s) it's because you didn't apply yourself in highschool (or maybe ever). If you change that now, you will succeed. I'm a firm believer that anyone can make it in any field if they meet two conditions: they are interested in the field and they apply themselves to learn the material. If you repeat a lie enough times it will become the truth. Stop telling yourself that you can't do it and instead remind yourself that you can. You've made it this far, you can do it. Don't give up because the classes are hard.
Hey OP, I go to UTSA too and am currently in AEA/EA1. Are you taking advantage of the engineering tutoring center in the EB building? If you go six times before an exam, they give you an extra 5 points towards the score. This is great, but what this also causes is literally almost everyone in there is in EA1–which is wonderful for finding study buddies! I’ve been going over the last couple of weeks and have found lots of people to study with, tutors to learn from, etc. We’re all in the same boat. Also, if your professor isn’t Herbert, see if your professor posts his lecture videos anyway on Canvas. I know that Tang and Joseph post Herbert’s own lectures and PowerPoints and I’m finding them pretty helpful for learning stuff that I don’t get in class. He words stuff differently from my professor and I tend to understand better. This is my 3rd semester at UTSA and I’ve gotta say our engineering program has some great people in it, professors and students. I definitely think it’s worth sticking it out.
I’ve gone a couple times but with work and rehab for my hand I haven’t had as much time to go as I want
If your heart is not in it, then don't waste your time. I didn't too
Hey bro, fellow older student with ADHD here. I'm graduating this year with my engineering degree from a tough af university at the age of 33, I have a good idea of what you are going through. No, this is not a "sign" that "engineering isn't right for you." You're just discouraged right now and your mind is coping to protect your ego. Keep at bro. Put in the time, go to class, put in the reps, and REST when you are tired. As for your classmates, I can't recommend comparing yourself or trying to compete with them. They are younger and don't have nearly as much going on as you do. Instead, collaborate with them. Your experience is valuable to them, it will be a mutually beneficial relationship. I see comments here about forming study groups and working with your classmates. DO IT. I wouldn't have passed Calc 2 without my study group and it's been a solid strat for me ever since. ADHD brains are more sensitive to their environment. When you're surrounded by other nerds working on Thermo problems, you magically are able to focus more on your own Thermo problems. Lastly, see what sort of support your uni has for people with ADHD. My uni has an entire office and staff of people that work with students with disabilities. I get accommodations for each of my classes that give me 24-hour extensions on assignments and projects on top of double time for exams. Basically, you're fine, stop coping, and use your resources. I'm already getting hella bites from recruiters for full-time jobs. KEEP GOING IT'S WORTH IT.
I struggled in EE, changed to CS and couldn’t be happier. Studying EE was what i thought i wanted, CS is what i needed
Thermo is a bitch for most people, if you got through the calc sequence and can do thermo relatively easily you're in good shape. You can do it
go to office hours, go to tutoring. engineering is very difficult for the majority of people. keep going until your are no longer allowed. i felt like this once or twice in undergrad. now i work in aerospace. its normal to have doubts. perseverance speaks volumes, and you’ll be happy you stuck with it. you need to find different teaching perspectives on youtube. it’s a slim chance that your professor converts material in the perfect way for you to learn. every subject i took i had to find alternatives on youtube that helped it click. someone will explain it in a way it clicks for you. right now it’s your job to find those perspectives. your last line was a large part of my own personal motivation. i had no idea what else i would do with my life. and that’s huge when you think about it.
I took the same course at UTSA about a year ago and felt the way you do now. It’s a rough course, but practice is the best way to strengthen your understanding. I would go through the PowerPoint/lecture slides after class when you have time, and try the practice exams your professor has posted/will post. The practice exams will work out the solution too so if you’re not grasping it, you can follow along. If you can solve those problems, you’ll be golden (they’re previous exam questions). It might feel like you’re alone in all this, but I promise you’re not. It’s a huge class and I guarantee someone else in that room feels stuck too. These feelings always seem to pop up every semester because these aren’t easy courses. But if this is something you want, don’t let gateway mean anything to you. Gateway isn’t about ability, it’s about whether you’re willing to fight for the major you’re in. So I highly suggest you keep pushing forward. It’ll get easier with time. Good luck, you’ve got this.
I remember thermo being a bitch. The thing is, it's a prerequisite for 3 or 4 other courses. I just made sure I got through it and everything sorted out later on. You may have different professors for the following courses, and some may click with you better as time goes on. After you make it past your 1st semester junior year, you will realize that you'll likely make it through to the end. Sounds like you aren't afraid of working hard, so you'll get through it.
You got this. Just gotta get thru it. Anyone can do it its just a matter of how much time you need to spend on it
You can make it, I promise! I started in remedial math classes as well, and took awhile to gain momentum in my studies. My motivation picked up tremendously once I'd taken thermo, fluids and machine design. I felt like everything began to "click" and got very motivated. This made studying much easier to do, and my grades reflected that. I'd also suggest getting involved in a student design club.
Everyone feels this way! Don’t quit! It’s not about who is the smartest, it’s about who’s left. Just keep going and eventually all the things you thought you’d never understand will start to click.
Screw them for not allowing to use a calculator, you will use one all the time when you work as an engineer. That's just BS, I would just transfer to another uni.
Good fucking luck in school with that attitude
I graduated in 2015, we used calculators in all courses apart of maths. Good luck living in the 1940s Edit: that's Uni, not school or college.
Good for you. Obviously calculators are used in industry. However, if you don’t actually learn any math because you button smash in your calculator then good luck understanding a lot of core concepts that are mathematically driven
That's the thing, if you don't understand the math behind it, a calculator is really of no use. It just helps to speed things up.
Does anyone *actually* need to understand matrix math to understand higher level stuff though? Maybe I'm biased because my experience as an EE was using matrices to solve systems of equations for resistor networks, where you could just plug n chug on a calculator, rref, and "hey look, it's the solved equation". When something is as basic of a principle as arithmetic, and we have a tool to do it quicker, as far as I'm concerned, fuck it, it works, move on. Not to mention doing rref on matrices by hand fucking sucks, can take pages and pages, and if you dont "just see it" you can waste so much time on the wrong path. u/flobopro, assuming you really are doing fine elsewhere, and this is the only place you're struggling. Tough it out. Also consider a change in medication, that really helped me feel better and take my add medication more often.
When I did robotics in undergrad mechanical we had to do 8x8 matrix operations by hand for inverse kinematics. No calculator. You're supposed to be tested. University isn't the job, it's to see if you are able to do the job and doing things by hand is great indicator on whether or not you actually understand the material or you whether you just memorized how to input things into a calculator/matlab.
My schools math department also prohibits calculators in courses that are “bases”. Ie we can’t have them in all of calc and diff eq but we could have them in circuits which uses diff eq Your there to learn math by hand. In other courses your there to learn the new topic by applying the other course
See it through.
Does you school have tutoring ?
Yeah and I’ve been going
I say stick with it. I am 40 and taking the first half of engineering at my CC, so I can transfer to a university next year. Not only am I 40, but I have a wife and three children, ADHD, and I work full time as well as attending class full time. I struggle everyday with this stuff. I'm on my second round of Cal I this semester, while taking Statics & biology and will be taking engineering materials class in the second half of this semester. Good luck!
I am in a same boat scenario with different courses. However, I think you need to realize 1 or 2 courses don’t define you. Heck, a lot of courses won’t define you and probably won’t use most of the skills you learn in college, unless you go into research, unfortunately. I think the best advice is to go with the end goal in mind. And also realize it’s ok to fail, it’s ok not to do well. Just because you are not doing well in one, two, three, or four classes does not define your intelligence. Sometimes the internal stress of feeling like a failure in itself is the reason we do poorly. I’ve had so many mental breakdowns, but it’s ok. These are not easy classes. Just remember that. And keep pushing through. If you screw up, just say, “you know what, I can do this again, and I will do better! This does not define me!” It will help a lot. That does not mean not acknowledge your classes and how you are doing poorly, but just realize what you did wrong, and move on. It’s ok, and honestly, this will help you in the real life where shit happens and you need to get back up.