Engineering major?

[Arclite]

Any engineers out there?

What high school classes did you take?

What was the highest math class?

Trig? Cal AB? BC?

Hopefully I can take Algebra 2 over summer, so I can hit trig/pre cal junior year.

[Gecko]

xxguitarist is an engineer:eek:

[Neil Gendzwill]

I went through engineering school a million years ago. Take all the math and science you can schedule. You can skip the biology if you like unless you're thinking of one of those new fangled bio-engineering programs.

[Miltie]

Arclite, What Neil said. Take as much math as possible. I took the highest level AP classes in high school and it was a major bonus. That was over 25 years ago so most of the classes have probably changed by now though. I had a real doozer of a professor for Engineering 101 my Freshman year and he used to weed out students with surprise tests. All that I learned about related rates saved my ass. Also, once you take differential equations at college it will all make sense. Would recommend you also try to take as much scince as possible. Good luck and study hard! Take care, Tom

[Wun]

if you want to be proactive, and you're planning on going to a JC before a four-year college, www.assist.org will be your friend in course planning (for people in california).

i guess, you'll want to look at the courses at colleges you're planning to apply to. i got kind of screwed over, though there wasn't really anything i could have done, 'cause i took precalculus while trig wasn't offered at my high school. they pretty much put all the trig in algebra 2 and precal. at my JC, instead of letting me go on to calc1, they made me take trig and then precal again before i could go on to calculus.

as for "what is the highest math class at your high school", which is how i interpreted your Q.. just depends on your individual school, man. not sure what you're trying to get out of asking something like that, it can't have much bearing on what your school would be likely to have. unless.. you're just trying to survey?

lots have calc AB and BC. maybe some schools will even have an honors calculus class. waste of resources for a highschool to have anything beyond that; some may think the same about AB and BC depending on averages within the school. you're quite likely to be able to take classes beyond that at your local JC if you were really that set on getting ahead. personally, i wouldn't really trip about not getting through AB and BC before graduation, but that's just me.

good stuff, though. scientists are cool, artists suck:lol:

[pebu]

I didn't actually graduate as an engineer... Mechanical engineering technology for me, but I've been an engineer by title since I graduated. My senior year in HS I was taking physics, chem2, and dual enrolling in our community college taking calc 1 then calc 2. In college I took calc 1 and 2 again. Basically in our MET program calc 3 and dif-eq were grouped into one class, so that's as high as I went. Didn't need to take organic chem, though I would have if I had the time. Organic is supposed to be super hard, but we covered a bit of it in chem 2 in hs and I never had any troubles with it.

I DID have troubles with all the retarded "humanities" classes (as they called them at my school). I had a short philosophy class. That blew monkey chunks. I think the only thing that saved me is that I wouldn't back down from my political beliefs to appease the prof. Everybody else would just drink his kool-aid and I was the only one that told him he was wrong. He liked my conviction.

[skatha]

I didn't actually graduate as an engineer... Mechanical engineering technology for me, but I've been an engineer by title since I graduated. My senior year in HS I was taking physics, chem2, and dual enrolling in our community college taking calc 1 then calc 2. In college I took calc 1 and 2 again. Basically in our MET program calc 3 and dif-eq were grouped into one class, so that's as high as I went. Didn't need to take organic chem, though I would have if I had the time. Organic is supposed to be super hard, but we covered a bit of it in chem 2 in hs and I never had any troubles with it.

I DID have troubles with all the retarded "humanities" classes (as they called them at my school). I had a short philosophy class. That blew monkey chunks. I think the only thing that saved me is that I wouldn't back down from my political beliefs to appease the prof. Everybody else would just drink his kool-aid and I was the only one that told him he was wrong. He liked my conviction.

My dad is an aerospace engineer. I second taking as much math as you can. I made the mistake of asking my dad to help me with algebra when I was in 8th grade. I knew I was in trouble when his first statement was-"you really need a third variable in here" This was for a simple "FOIL" equation.

As for "retarded humanities" classes, schools add those so you can get a well rounded education and not be such a dweeb around non-engineers throughout the course of your life. Any 20 year old in this world hasn't had enough life experiences to be firm in their convictions-if you don't understand that statement now, you will when you're 70.

My email signature on my yahoo account is "Haikus are easy, but sometimes they don't make sense, refrigerator. "

My 72 year old dad called me to ask what that meant. Don't be my dad-take some humanities classes

[Corey]

The more math you can take now the better. I came from a small town where the math education was lacking. The first year of university was a pretty serious crisis for me while it was simply a review and a GPA booster for many of my classmates that graduated from better high schools.

The field of engineering is incredibly diverse so you can tailor your education somewhat to design, production/maintenance, project management, etc. after you choose your path of electrical, mechanical, civil, etc.

I also feel that there is not enough emphasis placed on public speaking and interaction with other humans; many engineers are poorly lacking in that regard even though a good portion of their working days will be spent explaining complicated concepts to non-technical people. Lead as many group projects as you can in school - even if it's outside your comfort zone and is more work. Scrap that; lead projects ESPECIALLY if it's outside your comfort zone. That experience, while painful for the first few times, will pay off hugely in almost any working environment you'll find.

Old joke: How do you know when you've met an outgoing engineer? He looks at YOUR shoes when he's talking instead of his own. :p

[Neil Gendzwill]

The more math you can take now the better. I came from a small town where the math education was lacking. The first year of university was a pretty serious crisis for me while it was simply a review and a GPA booster for many of my classmates that graduated from better high schools.

If you're not math-oriented, engineering is not for you. Maybe math programs have improved in high school since the stone age when I did this, but I was pretty much out of high school math 6 weeks in. I took calculus in high school, but it was just enough to make me too cocky. First-year engineering math is what we used to call a "weed-out" class.

After 20-odd years of being a code geek rather than an engineer, I'd be lucky to recognize a differential equation much less solve one...

[Arclite]

if you want to be proactive, and you're planning on going to a JC before a four-year college, www.assist.org will be your friend in course planning (for people in california).

i guess, you'll want to look at the courses at colleges you're planning to apply to. i got kind of screwed over, though there wasn't really anything i could have done, 'cause i took precalculus while trig wasn't offered at my high school. they pretty much put all the trig in algebra 2 and precal. at my JC, instead of letting me go on to calc1, they made me take trig and then precal again before i could go on to calculus.

as for "what is the highest math class at your high school", which is how i interpreted your Q.. just depends on your individual school, man. not sure what you're trying to get out of asking something like that, it can't have much bearing on what your school would be likely to have. unless.. you're just trying to survey?

lots have calc AB and BC. maybe some schools will even have an honors calculus class. waste of resources for a highschool to have anything beyond that; some may think the same about AB and BC depending on averages within the school. you're quite likely to be able to take classes beyond that at your local JC if you were really that set on getting ahead. personally, i wouldn't really trip about not getting through AB and BC before graduation, but that's just me.

good stuff, though. scientists are cool, artists suck:lol:

I'm planning on going to MI (musicians institute) for 4 years, along with a CC for 4.

Once thats done, transfer to UCLA.

hopefully

;)

[emorris]

I am not an engineer. But I had wanted to take Mechanical Engineering in College. My math background from high school was terrible. And when my then fiancee told me that she would not marry me if I did not have a college degree, I thought, "What can I take that has little math"?. I ended up with a degree in Psychology focusing on Human Factors.

Fast forward 20 years. I own a business, and work with engineers and designers and architects. What I have found is that I sometimes wish that my math were better and that I had my engineering degree. But I love designing. I have Solidworks running on my laptop almost all the time. But the most important skill I have is communication. Being able to communicate whet I have in my head and to be able to understand what someone else sees is what makes it all work. I have an "engineer" who works for me who by training is just a "draftsman" but he has been working for 60 years plus (he is over 80 years old). His knowledge base is incredible. But its not the actual formulas that he keeps in his head. He just knows where to look for the formulas he needs. Its a pleasure and an honor to work with him.

For me college was learning several things; how to research information, how to interpret information and how to communicate that information. I am sure that had I gotten my degree in Mechanical Engineering, I might be better able to understand Poisson's Ratio for metallurgical properties. But today I can have the software do that for me. I think that the odds of my learning the specific book knowledge that I would use 20 years later were pretty slim.

I'm not saying don't bother with math or any course work. Just that I could not tell where the future would take me or what would interest me 20 years on. I only discovered my love for and ability to design when I was 38 years old. In my opinion, get as well rounded an education as possible and be open to the opportunities presented to you.

[Neil Gendzwill]

His knowledge base is incredible. But its not the actual formulas that he keeps in his head. He just knows where to look for the formulas he needs.

Most engineering exams are open book, or were when I was in school. The most important thing school teaches you is how to think like an engineer, how to be a problem-solver. This is also the single most annoying thing about engineers to women, so choose wisely.

[pebu]

This is also the single most annoying thing about engineers to women, so choose wisely.

Agreed.

[Loc]

Does software engineering count? lol. Take a lot of math and physics. I got away with taking no physics classes in college but the Man still got me by making me take even more math classes. I hate math!

In high school the highest math you can get to is still AP Calc AB right? Take that. Take AP physics too. Maybe AP Comp Sci to mix it up. You can take the first semester of Calculus at a JC in the summer so you can breeze through the AP class. It will count for unit credits too.

[lowrider]

You can Graduate in civil engineering and never take a module on concrete. You can get a degree in mechanical engineering and never know how the difference between brazing and mig welding. You better get pretty specific about what field you are interested in before the train leaves the station.I once demoed a hydraulic water pumping set up to a bunch of mechanical engineers and after explaining the water hammer principal and fall to lift ratios one piped up and asked where the motor was. Engineering ???? ok! bola your turn with the speak up on failed engineers. Which by the way i don't buy. Society and universities graduate engineers but if you aren't one to start with you never will be. Have fun!!

[eajracing]

Calc, geometry & physics. (mech/materials eng)

I took the time to make calc my best friend and it got me through more exams than i can remember. physics helps with the approach to solve the problems.

Inevitably you will get the prof who puts out more papers than students and enjoys esoteric exam questions. It was dynamics II and fluids II for me. Start with the physics - state assumptions, assess the problem, remember Min-Mdelta=Msys and start throwing calc at it. I got a 52% on fluids II exam using this approach. By the time the faculty stepped in due to this nut failing the damn-near the entire program, the bell-curved marked worked out to something in the high 90's.

the mech route is based on it - thermo, fluids, dynamics etc - all need a sound calc background. finite & stats if you're going manufacturing.

remember - you know you're an engineer when you have no friends and can prove it mathematically.

[gmarsden]

I am surprised by the number of fellow engineers posting here, I wonder if there is something about carving that attracts us to it?

- Greg

[thebionicman]

I am surprised by the number of fellow engineers posting here, I wonder if there is something about carving that attracts us to it?

- Greg

I think there is.

@Arclite

I recommend all the math you can get. I took calc in high school, made the first two calc classes in college a breeze.

[Jack M]

Physics and AP Calculus.

[Arclite]

Does software engineering count? lol. Take a lot of math and physics. I got away with taking no physics classes in college but the Man still got me by making me take even more math classes. I hate math!

In high school the highest math you can get to is still AP Calc AB right? Take that. Take AP physics too. Maybe AP Comp Sci to mix it up. You can take the first semester of Calculus at a JC in the summer so you can breeze through the AP class. It will count for unit credits too.

I love math!

Highest I can go is AP Calc BC.

sciences for me - Biology/Biology - Genetics/Zoology - Chemistry/Chemisty - Physiology/Anatomy (i think?)

I think thats right...

The one problem for me is that, for me to get into Calc BC, I need to take Alg 2 over summer this year, and Calc AB over summer next year.

With budget cuts, thats practically impossible.

Over here, summer school is now pretty much ONLY remedial.

[cail]

you don't need calc bc. just get the calc ab. it will cover calc I and most of calc 2 in college. ap phys (and ap chem if you can fit it.. but dont sweat it if you cant).

i second what emorris said, the best post on this thread so far.

dont fret so much about the science and math. those are mostly about doing problem sets and understanding principles. they're important so study the material to build a mental framework in which you can work and think in scientific terms, but try to be as well rounded as possible. that's the biggest benefit you can get from an undergraduate education. learn new things, learn how to learn, fit in as many of the humanities things as you can. open your mind to more than just math and science. not a lot of people take advantage of that. you'll be better off for it.

don't forget that just knowing the math and science isn't everything. effective communication is key. get good at writing and public presentation. but for now, get that basic introduction to calculus and physics in the ap courses. and if you end up not liking it then there's always other rewarding careers. ultimately, it's really about finding what you're good at and what you enjoy.

[Gtanner]

This is also the single most annoying thing about engineers to women, so choose wisely.

I'm also an engineer (chemical/process) working in the Oil Sands in Canada. My wife is also an engineer which makes this issue less of a concern. :)

To the question at hand. Pre-calculus will help with the first term. Like someone else said, Calculus and Physics in first year engineering are the weed-out classes, so take as much as you can (even a night class or some extra tutoring with a teacher at your school). It may seem silly at the time and your friends may make fun of you, but you'll be thanking your lucky stars come mid-terms in the fall.

In our first Physics class, we were told to look to our left and right...and say good bye since they won't make it out of the first term. Usual engineering drop-out rate in Canada is ~50% in the first term, another 10-20 leave after the end of the first year due to the high workload. I'm not trying to scare you here. People have trouble with dealing with the highschool to university gap the first term. After that, it's a matter of handling the workload. Most engineers manage to fit some fun in aswell. My personal though was that I could go on a tear one night a week...not four.

Would I do it again, absolutely. Was it tough, for sure. Do I enjoy what I do YES. And I even managed to find my future wife...

[emorris]

My wife had an excellent Calc professor in her first year of college. He taught how and why to derive all the equations rather than just memorizing them. But I guess that is just another example of depth and breadth of knowledge.

[mtm]

My wife had an excellent Calc professor in her first year of college. He taught how and why to derive all the equations rather than just memorizing them. But I guess that is just another example of depth and breadth of knowledge.

If that's the kind of thing he's looking for, then I'd suggest getting a hold of a copy of Spivak and stepping up into the realm of us pure mathematicians .

EDIT: On a more serious note, I think these books:

http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Books/AoPS_B_Texts_FAQ.php

specifically the intro./intermediate algebra and the precalculus offerings

would be better preparation for a first year engineering class than AP calculus could ever be (that being said, they'd require a ton more work and discipline to get through)

[ShortcutToMoncton]

I went into engineering.

Hated it. Dropped out. Not really one of those nerdy "math people" you guys keep mentioning in here.... :D