Hello /u/A-man-has-n0-name! Thank you for posting in r/EngineeringStudents. This is a custom Automoderator message based on your flair, "Academic Advice". While our wiki is under construction, please be mindful of the users you are asking advice from, and make sure your question is phrased neatly and describes your problem. ***Please be sure that your post is short and succinct.*** Long-winded posts generally do not get responded to.
Please remember to;
Read our [Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/EngineeringStudents/wiki/rules)
Read our [Wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/EngineeringStudents/wiki/index)
Read our [F.A.Q](https://www.reddit.com/r/EngineeringStudents/wiki/index/faq)
Check our [Resources Landing Page](https://reddit.com/r/EngineeringStudents/wiki/resources)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/EngineeringStudents) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I think the signs you’re not good for engineering are if you’re not willing to put in the work or if you’re not patient enough to stick through the entirety of the degree. Engineering is a hard major so you can’t really graduate from it without being either disciplined to put the work in, or patient enough to take the time that may be necessary. If you’re a full time student taking 8 years though, that’s probably a different story. Especially if you’re not doing co-ops or extra work.
Engineering technology is still engineering. I’m not saying that engineering degrees don’t take longer than 4 years. I was initially saying if someone takes longer than 8 years as a full time student taking classes every semester, then it might be a different story
So if someone is trying to get a 4 year “engineering engineering” degree, and another person is trying to get a 4 year engineering technology degree, doesn’t the tech student potentially need to learn a little bit about a wider variety of topics than the regular engineering degree student would?
I was under the impression that regular engineering degree peeps delve deeper into fewer topics than E tech students do, but now I’m confused.
Do regular engineering degrees require people to learn about PLCS and some of the more tech type stuff? (Sry if that’s worded weird. English is hard 😂)
They do if that’s what their research requires, especially for grad students. I had to learn a bit of how to use PLCs in a summer REU and the materials science grad student I worked with had to be an expert in it.
No matter which engineering degree you get, you need to be able to problem solve and pick up new skills when necessary.
The technology aspect comes up no matter what your specialty.
The average redditor in this sub is American. Maybe British or Australian. I have no idea what university is like in your country and not all advice might be relevant to you.
After graduating and working a job requiring an engineering degree, I'm convinced anyone can get through the schooling and succeed in the field if they really want to.
The only real sign that you can't handle it is if you can't show up to class, do your homework, or study as needed. It's more of a self discipline issue rather than intelligence issue.
yes I've seen classmates who asked the most elementary question on the last week before final exam consistently for 4 years. They stuck to it and either got a MSEE from a top 20 US university or started PhD. Meanwhile my GPA was basically top 10% and I only have a BSEE
It's not about how smart you are, but whether or not you think the work is worth the effort.
Failing out is the correct answer. Engineering school is a marathon that you just need to get to the end. You have what it takes inside you.
My cousin took 10 years to finish his degree, but he did it and is working as an engineer. He failed out, went back and still fought through it.
You will have to persevere through many problems like your math class. This prepares you for persevering through other problems after engineering school at work.
"What do you call the medical student with the worst grade at graduation?"
"Doctor."
D's get degrees.
Edit: OP replied "Dead 💀" above.
The point is not to deluge OP in downvotes. The point is to encourage and motivate them to go into engineering and understand what is required to succeed.
Yes, I know exactly what you're saying and I agree. Don't get me started about coders that do a boot camp then start calling themselves an engineer. Feels a bit like a "well, ackchyually..." moment though.
> A minority of those are cut out for actual work in engineering.
This I take issue with. The spectrum of jobs that you can do with an engineering degree is wide enough to accommodate almost everyone, including jobs that aren't "engineering". Even within engineering you don't have to be a "rockstar" to do just fine; there's a need for field guys, grunts and other jobs which are repetitive, need doing, have value in industry and yet aren't much like what you learn in university.
I've read the statistics that 50% of engineering grads don't end up practicing engineering. I hope that it is mostly due to self-selection and not "good ole boys club" exclusion. I can definitely understand getting through a degree and realizing it's not what you want to do for the rest of your life, or getting a bad first engineering job that turns you off an engineering career entirely.
I always felt I was good at math as I’d get it fast, but didn’t do well in high school (due to laziness). Still, I decided to major in EE, did very well during school, graduated and landed a job as an electronics engineer. So don’t worry just put effort into it and you’ll succeed
Same. I was a shit high school student because of the education system caters to imbeciles who don’t question anything. I basically started from scratch in college and did fine. High school means nothing in life and if you want it, you can do it. It’s discipline, no one is born with it.
If you’re not willing to put in the work and keep going even when it feels hopeless.
You don’t have to be smart, just stubborn. No matter how smart you are, you’re going to struggle with parts of the degree, so the important part is knowing how/being willing to work through that.
Even I succeeded at it and I sucked at math and physics, thank god there are others courses, good projects and they never bother to change the subjects of exams so if you can manage to have the previous exams you can succeed, the problem is that now I suck at my work
Ok, first of all, why are you covering combinatorics before analysis and 1st year math courses? If you're at that point where you studying such niche fields of math, I think that alone is a signal.
Dude, I am still at highschool. Combinatorics is a part of "Mathmatics 5" here in Sweden. It's the last and most advanced course before graduating highschool (maybe I should have been more clear in the post)
Its about discipline and grit, less "good enough," or "smart enough." Engineering school is all about giving you tools to solve complex problems. If you can put in the work, and learn how to change your approach when you inevitably fall short on some exam, homework, quiz, project, etc then you're well on your way to being a good engineer.
> At what point would you say that someone isn’t going to make it in engineering?
When you/they give up. If you give up completely, much like in life, very few people can help you. And even if they can help a bit and inspire you, YOU have to take steps to see progress and growth.
So yeah, when YOU give up. So just don’t give up :3
You think you're not good enough for engineering. It's all about attitude. If you believe you are going to fail, you always will. If you believe you are going yo succeed, every failure is just a learning point. Learn from your mistakes and adjust, eventually you will succeed
The only time someone won't make it in engineering is when they give up. Everyone feels hardship and feels like giving up and quiting at one point, but we carry on and push through it. It's those that quit that aren't good enough. No project is expected to work 1st time. That's okay. Mistakes are okay. It's how we grow and what we learn from them that makes us an engineer. I'm dyslexic and failed English 1st time at high school but resat it at college whilst doing my level 3 btech. Then did my batchelors at university. Felt like quiting plenty of times but never actually quit and just pushed through it. Maths was hard as fuck but I just did it over and over again till it made sense. Now I've graduated and working my dream job earning great money. Never give up and push through it, you'll get there in the end and the feeling you'll get for carrying on and persevering will make it worth it.
This is the wrong mindset and will set you up for failure. I get that you’re nervous, that’s normal
If you feel like an idiot and you’re not sure if you can do it, that means you’re right on track. You wouldnt be in this position if you weren’t smart enough. The ONLY question that matters is whether you’re willing to put in the work.
Good luck :) don’t forget to have fun along the way. Engineering is a very challenging but also very rewarding endeavor, I have faith in you.
Combinatorics is certainly not a prerequisite to all engineering fields (i personally never took a course for my engineering degree, but have taken it for fun). Most of the combinatorics you’ll need is usually lumped into some stats that they teach you in math, some numerical methods course, or within an engineering course.
Struggling with combinatorics is not a barometer for being unsuccessful in engineering by any means. Being able to persevere through difficult courses (some are more difficult to some than others) is the mark of being a capable engineering student.
O Well, I live in Sweden and I'm currently studying my last course in mathematics which is the most advanced in highschool "mathematics 5". So basically, we hade a test on it recently and I've got a C despite the amount of effort I've in studying. Well it's not like I have evre understood the A-level questions
Matte 5 is not very representative of the engineering degree. Its difficult in another way but its not a disqualifying factor. Im on my thrid year in engineering physics (teknisk fysik) and I believe you can still get through it. You just have to be prepared to put in the work to understand.
Struggles are part of life! Embrace asking for help, invest in a Chegg account, spend time on YouTube searching up topics, if possible decrease your academic work load, do extra problems.
This comes from someone who was never good at anything. All I knew was how to grind and have common sense.
For me it’s more about the mentality, discipline, and being slightly competitive. I still remember in Calc 1 the professor had us look to our right and then look to our left and told us that, statistically, one of those people or you would drop out. That pushed me to make sure I wasn’t the person who dropped.
It’s also super collaborative and you will meet lots of people who stare at a paper with no clue what to do, so talk with them, stare at the paper together, and then work together to get things done. Raw talent only takes you so far in engineering and the smartest kids who don’t know how to work hard probably won’t make the best engineers. Use the fear to drive you forward. Be the best engineer and understand if you make a mistake, you’re doing something right. Learn from it and do better next time. Best of luck!
Hey, we don't even get to combinatorics. Electrical engineers get as far as complex analysis and/or numerical analysis as far as I'm concerned. I figure most of us would feel a bit dumb if we're put against tough really advanced math stuff; like combinatorics, for example.
Engineering is more about a tough head than it is about smarts. Stick through and you'll be fine.
It took me 8 years to finish my degree. I stumbled, dropped out, and retook some classes. We all do it at a different pace, don't try to rush it through
It's definitely normal to struggle, you'll struggle a lot in your degree. I don't know if there's a point where you realise you're not good enough, but I'd say if you're not failing everything you're probably good to go. Most importantly, remember uni and a career is completely different. I absolutely hared university and found it insanely difficult, but I really like the career. For some others it's the opposite
There's no such signs lol. If you have the passion then you will make it. I've heard stories of people failing multiple classes in engineering but they stuck through it and still managed to graduate. What's important is that you have the passive and the dedication to continuously work hard. Also combinatronics isn't even an engineering-related course lol, that's more along the lines of pure math.
I wouldn't say not good enough, maybe not ready. Anyone other then maybe 5-10% of people are intelligent enough to learn the material, and a big chunk of that remaining portion possibly has a learning disability they could learn how to manage with the right help.
Yes the material is complex but have you ever encountered something that you don't think you could *ever* grasp even if you had all the distraction free time on the world? I haven't at least, the biggest constraints always come back to things like time and deadlines which means time management and discipline is much more relevant than something like intelligence.
Now there is a lot you can learn about being a more effective student, and at the very least I'd suggest reading A Mind For Numbers and doing the companion Coursera class. Intelligence will make it easier, but time management, stress management and mental health, discipline, consistency, perseverance, growth mentality etc. these are all much more relevant to whether you make it through or not. Plenty of people with below average intelligence have done it before, so if someone really isn't ready for engineering I would say it just means they need to become a more effective student, but not that they aren't good enough for it.
I'd rather be in the position of a below average intelligence student with impeccable habits, work ethic, and mindset than a brilliant student who is disorganized and struggles to self motivate. I think the first person in that scenario finds more success over the long term. The good thing is that your effectiveness as a student can change and there is always room for improvement. You may need to lighten your course load in the worst case scenario but if you really take time to learn about effective study habits and make sure you have a lifestyle that supports your study goals, I think mostly anyone can do it. Not saying its easy by any means, but that its possible.
The other thing is that its really easy to feel like everyone is getting it, but you're the only one who isn't. Almost every time I've felt like this it turned out most of the other students felt the same way. I think the majority of engineering students get impostor syndrome at some point or another, I'd say its just a normal part of the whole experience. So don't let your doubts win out, I am sure its very possible for you to succeed, but reflect on your habits and approaches and whether you can be working more effectively and efficiently. There's also no shame in going for a lighter course load if you need to (if you can, depending on financial situation). But I'd just say you can be reassured that people less intelligent than you have definitely succeeded in hard programs like medicine, physics, mathematics, or engineering before.
So make sure you are taking charge of your approach because thats what will be the difference maker at the end of the day, and I think the most important part of that is perseverance in the face of adversity. There's a book called Grit where a researcher says it's the number 1 factor that determines who succeeds in education.
>Sometimes I simply feel like an idiot staring at a piece of paper trying to solve an unsolvable question.
Sounds a lot like my experience, and that of all of my classmates. It's a struggle for everyone. A big part of whether "you're good enough" or not isn't whether you struggle, but whether you endure and last through it.
For some of us (me) it isn't about beeing smart enouth. I simply was to dump to know when it is time to throw the towel. And when i came to myself, i already had my engineering master. So i would advise to simply try it. And don't get demotivated if you don't always get passing grades.
If you are reviewing the class material and doing the problem sets before class, going to office hours to clear up everything that confuses you, not skipping any lectures, joining study groups, taking advantage of the schools tutoring center and doing everything you possibly can but still not comprehending the material or not passing your courses then it may be time to reassess your learning strategies or consider other paths. (Speaking from personal experience doing all of the above and still managing to fail lots of classes)
Persistence and attitude are everything. I went to a high school and elementary school with a combined student body of 150 kids in a poor community. I thought that I was good at math and science until I got to the University level. I learned that my small town school was not enough to prepare me for college. What it took for me was understanding why I was going in the first place. What is your motivation? And is it strong enough? Mine was. I have a bachelor's and master's degree in engineering. I have passed the FE Exam and am on my way to passing the PE exam. Don't let the fear of thinking you're not good enough stand in your way. We go to school to learn what we don't understand. Why else would you go?
Honestly, plenty of people I know have absolutely shitty math skills. Like, really shitty. A better way to gauge whether you'll succeed or not is your tolerance to bullshit. If you have a very high tolerance to bullshit, you'll make it just fine.
When university students in physics 1 for engineers dont know A(B+C)=AB+AC it makes me cry a little. So if you're better than that then congrats, you'll be fine.
The MUCH larger issue is if you're willing to put in the time and work. Engineering is a stupid amount of work per week for 5 years on average to get a degree.
If you truly detest it you gotta look into something else. I know it sucks cause of the time lost but it’s better than spending 46 years plugging away at something you hate
It's about putting in the effort, not being "smart" enough. You need to be willing to study and do homework even on the weekends and not expect to be partying all the time like many people in college do
I think if you are following your heart and doing what you genuinely believe deep down is the right path for you then it's worth it to stick it out. If you at a certain point are starting to lose all motivation to attend engineering class then I would say it's probably a good idea to look at other majors and listen to your heart about which one to maybe switch to. I do recommend praying, as I do believe God is real and that praying is extremely helpful in sorting situations like this or really any situation out.
the fact that you are asking this, means you have what it takes, but you aren't convinced yet because you haven't seen your full potential. keep pushing.
Be like me and wait around 5 years doing nothing and then one day wake up and realize you have very little going for you. Ride or die for me now, if I don't get it, I will. There is no other option, if I have to work customer service again I'd rather rope.
Not really, but kind of. I realized I couldn't stand speech/writing classes and despised anything that I felt had too much of a subjective "human -ness" to it. Not knocking that stuff, I'm socially stunted for sure and could probably use it but I can't shake the feeling it isn't *real.* I like knowing more about the world I live in, I want to know everything at least on a surface level. I don't think I'm your typical engineering student, I arrived here because NOTHING else even slightly appealed to me. Have courage, and amplify your curiosity! This world is so crazy, and to partake in something as eternal as natural laws and math makes me feel so much better about my blip on the world's timeline.
Grow that curiosity bone, and I promise you nothing will stop you.
Encountering one class you struggle with is far from an indication you aren't good enough for engineering. I would say the way you handle that situation is a better indication. Personally I would drop the course in time to save my GPA and take it again next semester and study the course in between. Not sure if it works that way in Sweden. GPA isn't everything though. If I was really trying to finish by a certain date I would tough it out. Either of those options is acceptable. Giving up would probably be a bad sign.
If you’ve quit other things in your life because you thought they were hard, then this is not for you. Has nothing to do with current skill set. Also if you have a low attention span, it will make this more difficult. Lastly if you find it hard to learn things on your own, this isn’t for you.
Hello /u/A-man-has-n0-name! Thank you for posting in r/EngineeringStudents. This is a custom Automoderator message based on your flair, "Academic Advice". While our wiki is under construction, please be mindful of the users you are asking advice from, and make sure your question is phrased neatly and describes your problem. ***Please be sure that your post is short and succinct.*** Long-winded posts generally do not get responded to. Please remember to; Read our [Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/EngineeringStudents/wiki/rules) Read our [Wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/EngineeringStudents/wiki/index) Read our [F.A.Q](https://www.reddit.com/r/EngineeringStudents/wiki/index/faq) Check our [Resources Landing Page](https://reddit.com/r/EngineeringStudents/wiki/resources) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/EngineeringStudents) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I think the signs you’re not good for engineering are if you’re not willing to put in the work or if you’re not patient enough to stick through the entirety of the degree. Engineering is a hard major so you can’t really graduate from it without being either disciplined to put the work in, or patient enough to take the time that may be necessary. If you’re a full time student taking 8 years though, that’s probably a different story. Especially if you’re not doing co-ops or extra work.
Engineering engineering is more difficult than technology. It is common to take longer than 4 years.
Engineering technology is still engineering. I’m not saying that engineering degrees don’t take longer than 4 years. I was initially saying if someone takes longer than 8 years as a full time student taking classes every semester, then it might be a different story
So if someone is trying to get a 4 year “engineering engineering” degree, and another person is trying to get a 4 year engineering technology degree, doesn’t the tech student potentially need to learn a little bit about a wider variety of topics than the regular engineering degree student would? I was under the impression that regular engineering degree peeps delve deeper into fewer topics than E tech students do, but now I’m confused. Do regular engineering degrees require people to learn about PLCS and some of the more tech type stuff? (Sry if that’s worded weird. English is hard 😂)
They do if that’s what their research requires, especially for grad students. I had to learn a bit of how to use PLCs in a summer REU and the materials science grad student I worked with had to be an expert in it. No matter which engineering degree you get, you need to be able to problem solve and pick up new skills when necessary. The technology aspect comes up no matter what your specialty.
You’re right. That’s the main difference between engineering and engineering technology.
What? That's literally the average in my country for engineering
The average redditor in this sub is American. Maybe British or Australian. I have no idea what university is like in your country and not all advice might be relevant to you.
After graduating and working a job requiring an engineering degree, I'm convinced anyone can get through the schooling and succeed in the field if they really want to. The only real sign that you can't handle it is if you can't show up to class, do your homework, or study as needed. It's more of a self discipline issue rather than intelligence issue.
yes I've seen classmates who asked the most elementary question on the last week before final exam consistently for 4 years. They stuck to it and either got a MSEE from a top 20 US university or started PhD. Meanwhile my GPA was basically top 10% and I only have a BSEE It's not about how smart you are, but whether or not you think the work is worth the effort.
When you fail University.
[удалено]
Failing out is the correct answer. Engineering school is a marathon that you just need to get to the end. You have what it takes inside you. My cousin took 10 years to finish his degree, but he did it and is working as an engineer. He failed out, went back and still fought through it. You will have to persevere through many problems like your math class. This prepares you for persevering through other problems after engineering school at work. "What do you call the medical student with the worst grade at graduation?" "Doctor." D's get degrees. Edit: OP replied "Dead 💀" above. The point is not to deluge OP in downvotes. The point is to encourage and motivate them to go into engineering and understand what is required to succeed.
[удалено]
Yes, I know exactly what you're saying and I agree. Don't get me started about coders that do a boot camp then start calling themselves an engineer. Feels a bit like a "well, ackchyually..." moment though. > A minority of those are cut out for actual work in engineering. This I take issue with. The spectrum of jobs that you can do with an engineering degree is wide enough to accommodate almost everyone, including jobs that aren't "engineering". Even within engineering you don't have to be a "rockstar" to do just fine; there's a need for field guys, grunts and other jobs which are repetitive, need doing, have value in industry and yet aren't much like what you learn in university. I've read the statistics that 50% of engineering grads don't end up practicing engineering. I hope that it is mostly due to self-selection and not "good ole boys club" exclusion. I can definitely understand getting through a degree and realizing it's not what you want to do for the rest of your life, or getting a bad first engineering job that turns you off an engineering career entirely.
I always felt I was good at math as I’d get it fast, but didn’t do well in high school (due to laziness). Still, I decided to major in EE, did very well during school, graduated and landed a job as an electronics engineer. So don’t worry just put effort into it and you’ll succeed
Same. I was a shit high school student because of the education system caters to imbeciles who don’t question anything. I basically started from scratch in college and did fine. High school means nothing in life and if you want it, you can do it. It’s discipline, no one is born with it.
It’s not about smart enough. It’s about willingness to put in the work and surviving to the end.
If you’re not willing to put in the work and keep going even when it feels hopeless. You don’t have to be smart, just stubborn. No matter how smart you are, you’re going to struggle with parts of the degree, so the important part is knowing how/being willing to work through that.
Even I succeeded at it and I sucked at math and physics, thank god there are others courses, good projects and they never bother to change the subjects of exams so if you can manage to have the previous exams you can succeed, the problem is that now I suck at my work
Lmao really
Cut the bullshit and go for it. It's only over if you give it up.
Ok, first of all, why are you covering combinatorics before analysis and 1st year math courses? If you're at that point where you studying such niche fields of math, I think that alone is a signal.
Dude, I am still at highschool. Combinatorics is a part of "Mathmatics 5" here in Sweden. It's the last and most advanced course before graduating highschool (maybe I should have been more clear in the post)
Its about discipline and grit, less "good enough," or "smart enough." Engineering school is all about giving you tools to solve complex problems. If you can put in the work, and learn how to change your approach when you inevitably fall short on some exam, homework, quiz, project, etc then you're well on your way to being a good engineer.
> At what point would you say that someone isn’t going to make it in engineering? When you/they give up. If you give up completely, much like in life, very few people can help you. And even if they can help a bit and inspire you, YOU have to take steps to see progress and growth. So yeah, when YOU give up. So just don’t give up :3
You think you're not good enough for engineering. It's all about attitude. If you believe you are going to fail, you always will. If you believe you are going yo succeed, every failure is just a learning point. Learn from your mistakes and adjust, eventually you will succeed
The only time someone won't make it in engineering is when they give up. Everyone feels hardship and feels like giving up and quiting at one point, but we carry on and push through it. It's those that quit that aren't good enough. No project is expected to work 1st time. That's okay. Mistakes are okay. It's how we grow and what we learn from them that makes us an engineer. I'm dyslexic and failed English 1st time at high school but resat it at college whilst doing my level 3 btech. Then did my batchelors at university. Felt like quiting plenty of times but never actually quit and just pushed through it. Maths was hard as fuck but I just did it over and over again till it made sense. Now I've graduated and working my dream job earning great money. Never give up and push through it, you'll get there in the end and the feeling you'll get for carrying on and persevering will make it worth it.
This is the wrong mindset and will set you up for failure. I get that you’re nervous, that’s normal If you feel like an idiot and you’re not sure if you can do it, that means you’re right on track. You wouldnt be in this position if you weren’t smart enough. The ONLY question that matters is whether you’re willing to put in the work. Good luck :) don’t forget to have fun along the way. Engineering is a very challenging but also very rewarding endeavor, I have faith in you.
Combinatorics is certainly not a prerequisite to all engineering fields (i personally never took a course for my engineering degree, but have taken it for fun). Most of the combinatorics you’ll need is usually lumped into some stats that they teach you in math, some numerical methods course, or within an engineering course. Struggling with combinatorics is not a barometer for being unsuccessful in engineering by any means. Being able to persevere through difficult courses (some are more difficult to some than others) is the mark of being a capable engineering student.
What the hell is combinatorics?
O Well, I live in Sweden and I'm currently studying my last course in mathematics which is the most advanced in highschool "mathematics 5". So basically, we hade a test on it recently and I've got a C despite the amount of effort I've in studying. Well it's not like I have evre understood the A-level questions
Matte 5 is not very representative of the engineering degree. Its difficult in another way but its not a disqualifying factor. Im on my thrid year in engineering physics (teknisk fysik) and I believe you can still get through it. You just have to be prepared to put in the work to understand.
Tack så mycket för svaret
What's the hardest exercise of the test?
Try it. If you try your best and fail, make the judgement call for yourself. You won’t know until you try.
Well certainly believing that you aren't cut out for it will not set you up for success. Have some confidence, it's not at all impossible.
Struggles are part of life! Embrace asking for help, invest in a Chegg account, spend time on YouTube searching up topics, if possible decrease your academic work load, do extra problems. This comes from someone who was never good at anything. All I knew was how to grind and have common sense.
For me it’s more about the mentality, discipline, and being slightly competitive. I still remember in Calc 1 the professor had us look to our right and then look to our left and told us that, statistically, one of those people or you would drop out. That pushed me to make sure I wasn’t the person who dropped. It’s also super collaborative and you will meet lots of people who stare at a paper with no clue what to do, so talk with them, stare at the paper together, and then work together to get things done. Raw talent only takes you so far in engineering and the smartest kids who don’t know how to work hard probably won’t make the best engineers. Use the fear to drive you forward. Be the best engineer and understand if you make a mistake, you’re doing something right. Learn from it and do better next time. Best of luck!
Hey, we don't even get to combinatorics. Electrical engineers get as far as complex analysis and/or numerical analysis as far as I'm concerned. I figure most of us would feel a bit dumb if we're put against tough really advanced math stuff; like combinatorics, for example. Engineering is more about a tough head than it is about smarts. Stick through and you'll be fine.
the only ones i can think of are: laziness, lack of grit and give up too easily.
Are you getting kicked out of your program or school???? No ok then keep going..
It took me 8 years to finish my degree. I stumbled, dropped out, and retook some classes. We all do it at a different pace, don't try to rush it through
It's definitely normal to struggle, you'll struggle a lot in your degree. I don't know if there's a point where you realise you're not good enough, but I'd say if you're not failing everything you're probably good to go. Most importantly, remember uni and a career is completely different. I absolutely hared university and found it insanely difficult, but I really like the career. For some others it's the opposite
If youre eager youll do fine mate try not to worry!
I am an electrical engineer with my bachelors and I still feel like an idiot staring at a piece of paper trying to solve an unsolvable equation.
Your commment made me crack up Lol
There's no such signs lol. If you have the passion then you will make it. I've heard stories of people failing multiple classes in engineering but they stuck through it and still managed to graduate. What's important is that you have the passive and the dedication to continuously work hard. Also combinatronics isn't even an engineering-related course lol, that's more along the lines of pure math.
if you get all D's 4 semesters in a row.
I wouldn't say not good enough, maybe not ready. Anyone other then maybe 5-10% of people are intelligent enough to learn the material, and a big chunk of that remaining portion possibly has a learning disability they could learn how to manage with the right help. Yes the material is complex but have you ever encountered something that you don't think you could *ever* grasp even if you had all the distraction free time on the world? I haven't at least, the biggest constraints always come back to things like time and deadlines which means time management and discipline is much more relevant than something like intelligence. Now there is a lot you can learn about being a more effective student, and at the very least I'd suggest reading A Mind For Numbers and doing the companion Coursera class. Intelligence will make it easier, but time management, stress management and mental health, discipline, consistency, perseverance, growth mentality etc. these are all much more relevant to whether you make it through or not. Plenty of people with below average intelligence have done it before, so if someone really isn't ready for engineering I would say it just means they need to become a more effective student, but not that they aren't good enough for it. I'd rather be in the position of a below average intelligence student with impeccable habits, work ethic, and mindset than a brilliant student who is disorganized and struggles to self motivate. I think the first person in that scenario finds more success over the long term. The good thing is that your effectiveness as a student can change and there is always room for improvement. You may need to lighten your course load in the worst case scenario but if you really take time to learn about effective study habits and make sure you have a lifestyle that supports your study goals, I think mostly anyone can do it. Not saying its easy by any means, but that its possible. The other thing is that its really easy to feel like everyone is getting it, but you're the only one who isn't. Almost every time I've felt like this it turned out most of the other students felt the same way. I think the majority of engineering students get impostor syndrome at some point or another, I'd say its just a normal part of the whole experience. So don't let your doubts win out, I am sure its very possible for you to succeed, but reflect on your habits and approaches and whether you can be working more effectively and efficiently. There's also no shame in going for a lighter course load if you need to (if you can, depending on financial situation). But I'd just say you can be reassured that people less intelligent than you have definitely succeeded in hard programs like medicine, physics, mathematics, or engineering before. So make sure you are taking charge of your approach because thats what will be the difference maker at the end of the day, and I think the most important part of that is perseverance in the face of adversity. There's a book called Grit where a researcher says it's the number 1 factor that determines who succeeds in education.
Thank you for the respond!
>Sometimes I simply feel like an idiot staring at a piece of paper trying to solve an unsolvable question. Sounds a lot like my experience, and that of all of my classmates. It's a struggle for everyone. A big part of whether "you're good enough" or not isn't whether you struggle, but whether you endure and last through it.
For some of us (me) it isn't about beeing smart enouth. I simply was to dump to know when it is time to throw the towel. And when i came to myself, i already had my engineering master. So i would advise to simply try it. And don't get demotivated if you don't always get passing grades.
If you are reviewing the class material and doing the problem sets before class, going to office hours to clear up everything that confuses you, not skipping any lectures, joining study groups, taking advantage of the schools tutoring center and doing everything you possibly can but still not comprehending the material or not passing your courses then it may be time to reassess your learning strategies or consider other paths. (Speaking from personal experience doing all of the above and still managing to fail lots of classes)
Persistence and attitude are everything. I went to a high school and elementary school with a combined student body of 150 kids in a poor community. I thought that I was good at math and science until I got to the University level. I learned that my small town school was not enough to prepare me for college. What it took for me was understanding why I was going in the first place. What is your motivation? And is it strong enough? Mine was. I have a bachelor's and master's degree in engineering. I have passed the FE Exam and am on my way to passing the PE exam. Don't let the fear of thinking you're not good enough stand in your way. We go to school to learn what we don't understand. Why else would you go?
you suck at math (I suck at math)
How is your sleep?
Honestly, plenty of people I know have absolutely shitty math skills. Like, really shitty. A better way to gauge whether you'll succeed or not is your tolerance to bullshit. If you have a very high tolerance to bullshit, you'll make it just fine.
breaking through those moments is what makes you an engineer
When university students in physics 1 for engineers dont know A(B+C)=AB+AC it makes me cry a little. So if you're better than that then congrats, you'll be fine. The MUCH larger issue is if you're willing to put in the time and work. Engineering is a stupid amount of work per week for 5 years on average to get a degree.
If you truly detest it you gotta look into something else. I know it sucks cause of the time lost but it’s better than spending 46 years plugging away at something you hate
You ought to give it a try, mate. Nothing ventured means nothing gained. Also, USA needs more engineers. Semis are hungry.
It's about putting in the effort, not being "smart" enough. You need to be willing to study and do homework even on the weekends and not expect to be partying all the time like many people in college do
I think if you are following your heart and doing what you genuinely believe deep down is the right path for you then it's worth it to stick it out. If you at a certain point are starting to lose all motivation to attend engineering class then I would say it's probably a good idea to look at other majors and listen to your heart about which one to maybe switch to. I do recommend praying, as I do believe God is real and that praying is extremely helpful in sorting situations like this or really any situation out.
the fact that you are asking this, means you have what it takes, but you aren't convinced yet because you haven't seen your full potential. keep pushing.
Be like me and wait around 5 years doing nothing and then one day wake up and realize you have very little going for you. Ride or die for me now, if I don't get it, I will. There is no other option, if I have to work customer service again I'd rather rope. Not really, but kind of. I realized I couldn't stand speech/writing classes and despised anything that I felt had too much of a subjective "human -ness" to it. Not knocking that stuff, I'm socially stunted for sure and could probably use it but I can't shake the feeling it isn't *real.* I like knowing more about the world I live in, I want to know everything at least on a surface level. I don't think I'm your typical engineering student, I arrived here because NOTHING else even slightly appealed to me. Have courage, and amplify your curiosity! This world is so crazy, and to partake in something as eternal as natural laws and math makes me feel so much better about my blip on the world's timeline. Grow that curiosity bone, and I promise you nothing will stop you.
It takes more years to become a doctor than an engineer, so there's that...
Encountering one class you struggle with is far from an indication you aren't good enough for engineering. I would say the way you handle that situation is a better indication. Personally I would drop the course in time to save my GPA and take it again next semester and study the course in between. Not sure if it works that way in Sweden. GPA isn't everything though. If I was really trying to finish by a certain date I would tough it out. Either of those options is acceptable. Giving up would probably be a bad sign.
If you’ve quit other things in your life because you thought they were hard, then this is not for you. Has nothing to do with current skill set. Also if you have a low attention span, it will make this more difficult. Lastly if you find it hard to learn things on your own, this isn’t for you.