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[Epic Thread] What to do about future college terms?

TridenT

TridenT

Lifer
Let's set the stage

I have about 25-30 transferable quarter credits after being up here for about a year and a half. Anyway, that doesn't really matter I guess as long as I have over 40 credits by the end of Fall 2010. I'll have over 40 transferable credits after this term ends(Spring 2010).

Anyway, my first term(Fall 2008) I failed an engineering course(Intro to Engineering!) because of some controls that were totally out of my hand.(Although some of my fault too though) Only 3 people in my group, 1 dropped the class without telling, and the other was a huge slacker... and this project required at least 3 very-driven people to complete... Anyway, I took an incomplete... I tried to finish the project over Winter 2009 and failed that because it was impossible to do.(I would have gotten a 70% at best) So I got the option to retake the class free of charge for Spring 2009... I was there for maybe two weeks and then just quit going because I was really stressed.. Blahblahblah, now I have an F.

Anyway, I haven't taken a single math class since I've been up here because of unusual circumstances(classes full and then lost motivation...). So, now I am thinking of trying to retake this engineering class during Fall 2010 because I need to have it be an A for when I send in my transcripts to colleges... Now here's the thing.. I've been out of the math circle for about 2 years now. I'm kinda math-retarded at this point. I figured, "hrmm, this class is heavy on the trig IIRC.... Let's take trig over the summer to get a better understanding and to get our math skills back at least somewhat." Well, I thought that would be a good idea because I have to go summer 2010 term anyway. (I don't have health insurance if I don't go) But, now I don't think I'll get credit for the class because I read in a little university I want to go to's little pdf that it says I can't take a lower level class after I've taken a higher level one. (I've already taken Calc II) So, now this would be for personal enrichment only really. :\

Should I just take trig anyway and then go into the engineering class as planned or should I not take trig and take something else instead of it in its place? :hmm: I'm all down for being prepared so I don't fail the class(Since I will probably have no confidence when I enter the class)... Also, maybe this taking of trig will spark my calc I and calc II memory so I can take calc III for fall term as well? 😵 If it doesn't then I'll probably have to retake Calc I and Calc II... Sigh. (Which I guess is fine since I really need that shit nailed in for my future major: Comp Sci...)

Suggestions, ATOT? I'm afraid of the bad teaching at my college with the math department though. What if I fail trig?! That would really suck! I don't like the idea of that happening. X_X
 
How do you fail an intro to engineering class?
Though I guess to be fair I got a C in one because the professor hated my group...
I mean stormed out of the class once like a few minutes in since my group hadn't done something he never told us to do. Only the two groups he told to do it, did it (since they were actually told). So he had the rest check in after class which left every other group there working on it for about oh a minute(he had already left the room)... while we lost our chance. He was even threatenings to fail us because of that.
Bunch of BS.
 
I absolutely would not retake trig. 95% of the trig you need to know for engineering is covered by SOHCAHTOA and cos^2(x)+sin^2(x)=1. Professors won't expect you to know every identity, and for when you need specific ones you'll be aware of which ones before the exam.

If you take trig you might find yourself saying "oh, i forget that, nice" every once in awhile, but I guarantee overall it's going to be a waste. If you're really going to retake something, retake CalcII, I guarantee you will remember most of CalcI and probably the majority of CalcII. It's pretty hard to forget math, it comes back quickly. And do you really need CalcIII? I don't even think that was a requirement for me, just linear algebra and DiffyQ. [edit: nevermind, just checked, I took multivariate calculus which I think is III]

And finally...suck it up about the math profs. Yes, math profs suck at every single university. No matter where you go (no offense to anyone) they're going to be 99% Asian or Indian with an accent that you're going to struggle to comprehend. It's just the way it is.
 
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Last class I have to do is a math course that covers calc & trig. Despite taking the class 5 times I still haven't learned anything from it, and finding a tutor that is willing and available when I am has been the most difficult part of it.
 
Calc 3 is going to required for just about any engineering program. as well as differential equations as well. Linear algebra would be a good Idea to(maybe or may not be required), but most of what you would need from that they will teach you in the classes that use that stuff.
99% is two high I only had 1 Asian math professor who was from Korea. Though I did have a Croatian one. The rest were well from the US.
And not all of them suck.
 
Well obviously I was exaggerating and I'm sure it varies place to place, but it doesn't change the fact that he's just going to have to accept it and learn to work with it.
 
Yeah, the ones he will have real issues understanding are the engineering professors, even if they were born here. 😛
That or maybe I just don't like my controls class. 🙁
 
rcpratt said:
I absolutely would not retake trig. 95% of the trig you need to know for engineering is covered by SOHCAHTOA and cos^2(x)+sin^2(x)=1. Professors won't expect you to know every identity, and for when you need specific ones you'll be aware of which ones before the exam.

If you take trig you might find yourself saying "oh, i forget that, nice" every once in awhile, but I guarantee overall it's going to be a waste. If you're really going to retake something, retake CalcII, I guarantee you will remember most of CalcI and probably the majority of CalcII. It's pretty hard to forget math, it comes back quickly. And do you really need CalcIII? I don't even think that was a requirement for me, just linear algebra and DiffyQ. [edit: nevermind, just checked, I took multivariate calculus which I think is III]

And finally...suck it up about the math profs. Yes, math profs suck at every single university. No matter where you go (no offense to anyone) they're going to be 99% Asian or Indian with an accent that you're going to struggle to comprehend. It's just the way it is.
Click to expand...

My calc professor in college was a white laguna beach MILF in her mid 40's
 
When I go back to sign up for this math class I'm going to ask for the attractive math teacher so I can get tutoring and do "extra credit".
 
TridenT said:
So I got the option to retake the class free of charge for Spring 2009... I was there for maybe two weeks and then just quit going because I was really stressed.. Blahblahblah, now I have an F.

Anyway, I haven't taken a single math class since I've been up here because of unusual circumstances(classes full and then lost motivation...).
Click to expand...

If you were stressed because of intro to engineering and you didn't have motivation to take the required math classes you're not going to make it in any engineering program that's worth a darn.
 
PhoKingGuy said:
My calc professor in college was a white laguna beach MILF in her mid 40's
Click to expand...

damn! i've only had old men. the only bad ones i had were a vietnamese guy for matrix/lineaer alg, and chinese guy for calc ii (which i withdrew and got a badass german teacher next time)

the vietmanese guy was too bad, but the chinese guy was terrible.
 
Bignate603 said:
If you were stressed because of intro to engineering and you didn't have motivation to take the required math classes you're not going to make it in any engineering program that's worth a darn.
Click to expand...

Eh those intro classes still have all the people that fail once in real classes brining down the whole group with them. On group projects that might take 10-20 hours if the whole group works on it.. having a few doing nothing really hurts.
 
Matthiasa said:
Eh those intro classes still have all the people that fail once in real classes brining down the whole group with them. On group projects that might take 10-20 hours if the whole group works on it.. having a few doing nothing really hurts.
Click to expand...


This...
 
lol? if you are failing intro to engineering, even with slacker groupmates, you should reconsider your major.
 
Those intro classes still have 40-80 man hour projects though.
That is a lot for any one person to do, given the normal time to do them.
 
Taejin said:
lol? if you are failing intro to engineering, even with slacker groupmates, you should reconsider your major.
Click to expand...

This kinda

I remember my roomate said his intro to MechE and intro to EE (he doubled) were so easy that he took both the finals hungover and still managed to get an A in both classes. The guy was bright but not "a genius" by a long shot.
 
Those are not massive group project classes though, for the most part anyways. And yeah they were easy... In fact just about the only easy EE class there is. If you have a pulse you can do that stuff. 😛
Though what is included would depend heavily on the college or university.
 
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