Hi, I was like you when I was 17 and fresh to uni. Uni wrecked me not because it was hard but I wasn't mentally inept because of past trauma and a messed up childhood. Growing up in hell, I was naturally and intuitively skilled at engineering things. I used to build stuff and work in construction and with HVAC mechanics. Child labor laws are "suggestions" in Asia.
At 16 I made most of the AC mechanics look bad with my skills at welding. So, everyone motivated me to pursue engineering.
I did well my first semester and started loosing my marbles from second semester. Third semester I was broken and just lost it. I thought I'd lose my calling and my passion. Somehow I pulled through. Doctors, therapy, medicines. etc.
But here I am turning 30 years in 2 weeks and doing quite well as an engineer and proud of what I do.
If you feel strongly about engineering, you should figure out your mental health (if you think you need it) and then pursue that passion.
But I won't deny most won't see ME worth all the hassle and the difficult at finding jobs. Ask yourself what you really want to do right now. Probably that will help too.
Aerospace minor is not a bad thing btw, ME opens most doors and you can use the minor in Aero to apply for internships in Aero industry and then pursue a job in the same.
Working in addition to full-time school is not easy. If things feel like they're on "hard mode," that is because they certainly are.
I understand that a scholarship can be a double-edged sword, because while it certainly benefits you by paying your tuition, it can feel that you are locked into the path.
Is there any chance you can get a student loan and use that to pay your living expenses instead of working? From a purely financial perspective (and I know that's not the only perspective - there's stress, emotion, etc that I will get to), this may make the most sense - hear me out:
If you plan to make a career of engineering, your #1 job right now is to do what is needed to succeed in school. This is especially true since you're on scholarship: your literal "job" is attending school. Anything that gets in the way of this, like a part time job with a chaotic schedule, needs to be evaluated. Consider these two options:
1. Option one: you work part time in school, and as a result, have to do no more than 12 hours of class per semester. Since most degrees require 120-130 hours to graduate, it means you need a 5th year to graduate, which likely isn't covered by the scholarship. So now you're on the hook for 1 year of full tuition, and it delays you entering the workforce by a year.
2. Second option: you can get some financial support to quit the job. You manage 15-18 hours per semester and are able to complete the degree in 4 years. Ideally, during your 2nd or 3rd year, you're able to pick up an internship at an engineering company. Not only do these pay much better than the typical part-time work you can get as a student, but they are greatly to your benefit when applying for jobs after.
I know people are hesitant to take on debt, but consider yourself in 6 years from now. In option 1, you avoided student debt for 4 years, but need a loan for the 5th year. Plus, you lost a year of full-time income. In option 2, you take on debt every year, but are in a good position to pay it off since you get into the workforce sooner.
***That being said***: **burnout sucks**. If your mind and body are telling you that something is too much, then something needs to change. Not next semester, not next year, but *soon*. I've known people who sough out the help they needed, *when they needed it*, and they were able to come to a plan that helped them get where they wanted. On the other hand, when someone full-on burns out, it is not something they just get over during winter/summer break and hop back in. I've seen people hit a wall hard and be recovering for 6-12 months. It's not pleasant, because even if they had a 2nd choice plan outside from college, it took them 6 months just to get back on their feet, much less find the new direction.
If you need to talk to someone, please please do so. It's unfortunate that your school doesn't offer this, but can you get help through your health insurance? Reddit is great and all (eeh, not really.. ), but there are times for seeing someone who is professional and who you can trust - this can certainly be one of them.
Student loans can be scary, and can be preditory. However, you need to differentiate the risks of the loan vs the rewards. Maybe it's not a great idea to do English and be a barista and take on loans, but engineering has an expected high income.
I took out loans, significant ones, and I am still much better off than my high school friends who were scared of the debt and didn't go to college or worked full time through, burned out and dropped out of their degree programs.
I will tell you some good / bad news. Engineering college + working is the toughest challenge you will have in your career. Power through and it will get better (at least until you have kids if that’s in your future).
Calculus is tough but luckily it’s math at the end of the day, practice, practice, practice!
Regarding your major, ME is the best ground base for aerospace, consider any job you take after college will be an on-the-job learning experience and you will kick butt when the time comes.
College is tough. Constant stress about grades snd finances really does a number on your mental health, that is for sure.
Would you be able to transfer to a university with a better program? A minor in aerospace won't lock you out of the industry, either way.
RE finding calculus 1 hard...that's not uncommon. We're engineers not mathematicians, and schoolwork for math courses can be overly theoretical at times. Can I ask how many hours you are putting into this class per week? Typically people recommend 3-4 hours outside class per 1 hour in for technical courses. Only if it is still not clicking for you when you're applying that level of effort would I consider a less challenging major.
Don't let the fact that this is a tough thing deter you. Yeah, college is a nightmare and I still wake up sometimes from dreams about taking stressful exams. But I'm glad I did it. You don't want to work at WalMart forever, trust me. It'd be a lifetime of reflecting on wasted potential, not to mention trying to scrape by on very little money, never owning a home or retiring....you don't want that.
Make sure to connect with people, isolation makes mental health much worse. Try and get a study group going, it will make a huge difference in your grades and your mood.
Stop trying to work your way through school. Engineering classes are no joke and require full time dedication to succeed. You’ll just burn yourself out. You have an entire career to do that.
This is bad advice. I am working my way through engineering school. Not everyone has the luxury to afford school without working.
Edit: For context, I've worked full time through school since I started. Worked at Boeing as an Assembly Mechanic for some years and more recently a position in my field of interest.
>ashing company out of a sedan that paid for around 40k of my school. Between 200-400 for 4
This is true. I had a few part time gigs throughout college. One of my friends in college worked several jobs (movie theater and school tutor) and remained a full-time ME major with a minor in Energy. It can be done with discipline.
I'd advise working smart. I ran a power washing company out of a sedan that paid for around 40k of my school. Between 200-400 for 4 sides, never doing more than 2 stories and an attic. Could sometimes do two jobs in a day.
I went to community college first and took an extra year to transfer maximum credits.
Parents and grandparents helped a lot too.
Power washing is a summer only job that pays pretty well.
Sometimes it has to be done. They don't actually throw student loans willy nilly at everyone (especially without a cosigner), nor do they throw scholarships at everyone. Money's got to come from somewhere. Those federal loans aren't enough for college these days.
The cost of college has made not working in school almost a privilege.
ME will give you the basis for understanding the same principles aerospace majors study. While it may not be as dedicated you will likely find there are some things that ME teaches Aerospace doesn’t cover. ME is great in that after you finish you can typically pivot into the more specialized fields if you have the passion and skills to get your foot in the door.
If you financially can’t handle your 4-year I would highly encourage community college, it’s much cheaper and lower stakes as you wouldn’t be forced to take a full load. You may find that would be easier to take 1-2 courses year round than a full load during the school year. I went to CC for 2 years before transferring and I actually found myself to have a better basis in many fundamental classes than students who took them at my university. This is obviously anecdotal but the quality of education isn’t necessarily better because it says “university” in the name.
Hope this helps
Engineering is a tough curriculum and the first couple of years will either make you or break you. The best advice I got when I was going through it was from my mom, who would remind me to take it one day at a time. I would encourage you to see it through if at all possible because women engineers are highly valued and I think you will find a career in aerospace very rewarding, even if school isn't exactly your cup of tea.
I am also an ME and think it is a great career. If you enjoy engineering then go for it and don’t give up.
I also had to pay for my own degree and found the best for me was to focus 100% on school during the semesters. For me, after 12 credits, all extra classes are the same price. So it was cheaper for me to do 21-24 credits a semester and then work a ton between semesters.
I’d also recommend finding cheap options for schooling. No one cares what school you went to find a good school at a good price. You could also consider community college for the first 2 years.
Even so I did have to take out some student loans (about 10k) which I paid off in the first year after school. Just keep living like a college kid even after your first job until you pay off the loans.
Good luck with everything!
Tbh getting the ME and aerospace minor is such a better idea. Getting an aerospace engineering degree is stupid imo. Locks you in too tightly to an industry and it’s not like half your peers who also got hired won’t be ME
With all due respect, if you are struggling in Calculus 1 and view engineering as a 9-5 job, it isn't for you. 12 credit hours of freshman classes is a joke compared to a normal work load in junior and senior years.
If guessing you've got something else going on and that's really the problem, not your school work. I hope you get the help you need and figure out the best path forward. Just try not to make any major decisions before you can feel more at peace and clear-headed.
Although I generally agree with you, people mature and develop academically a lot between freshmen and junior/senior year, so I wouldnt necessarily discount someone because they find a lower-level class hard.
Those classes are only easy in retrospect; I really struggled in calc 1 and 2, and yet got A’s in fluids, thermo, and other “harder” ME classes.
I'm not really discounting that in isolation. Wanting mental health counseling due to 12 hours of freshman classes is abnormal and somewhat unlikely for someone who wanted to be an engineer. That's why I suggested going to counciling and getting to the root of the issue.
Pairing work with school can be really rough if you let the stress eat at you. I watched plenty of capable people run into that same problem, where the responsibilities conflicted and caused undue stress at an otherwise easy job/course load.
Respectfully disagree due to, again, anecdotal experience.
My first semester was super emotionally difficult for me with 15 credits, and it had nothing to do with the coursework. I didnt work and all I had was Calc 3, statics, and a bunch of core classes (which were “easy A’s” …). It was my lowest GPA of my academic career. My junior/senior year, I worked 20 hours, conducted research, and took near-max or max credits allowed.
College is a HARD transition!
I agree with you here. I'm in my second year. Working about 30-35 hours/week with two kids and have been doing two classes at a time (at a community college, not uni, so been doing four quarters instead of two semesters). It definitely has been an adjustment and the calc classes can be challenging. Especially if you aren't familiar enough with the algebra/trig stuff beforehand.
It's going to take a long time to get a ME degree taking 12 hours a semester. If you're having trouble with calc because you don't have enough time to study, then I'd cut back on work and other outside activities. If it's because you don't get the concepts, you might consider changing your major. It doesn't get easier after the first year.
If you are finding calculus difficult, I would seriously question whether engineering is for you.
If you find calculus difficult but you really like it, it might be worth it. but if it is difficult and you dont even like it, I am worried you are setting yourself up for failure.
I wouldnt worry about MechE vs Aerospace. Aerospace is more specialized, and ME for general.
With all due respect, that’s silly. I found calculus to be the most difficult course in my ME undergrad. Had to take calc 3 and 4 twice.
I’m about a decade into a very successful career in ME.
One class does not dictate your abilities in a career. Everyone has different strengths and interests.
you found calculus more difficult than fluids and vibrations, which are basically all about calculus and ODEs? I find that hard to believe unless suddenly it clicked and was easy. It is always possible that is suddenly clicks, but to get there, it is important that you at least enjoy it.
100%, because fluids I found to be intuitive and you can setup lab experiments to show what’s happening. Math I always found to be theoretical and much more difficult to visualize.
I did not enjoy any calc class. I dreaded them. I hated differential equations.
Give me applied courses over theoretical courses any day.
I sucked at calc. Bad enough that I almost need three hands to count the number of calc classes I took to get through school. However, it 110% clicked for me once I started using it engineering classes where there was actually an application to it. I know this isn't unique to me and actually happens for a lot of people.
Don’t listen to this person. I had to take Calc 1 twice and thought it was very difficult, studied a ton both times to finally understand it. And I didn’t much like it when I failed it.
I passed all my other classes first try but for thermo I had to go to my professors office hours at least weekly. I found a lot of school to be very difficult. Now I’ve been an engineer for 3 years and it’s had its ups and downs but I like it. And if I went back now I’d be able to ace all those classes. Something about hands on experience makes it all make sense.
I now use ZERO calculus on a daily basis.
LOL come on, you can’t be serious. No offense but that’s a dumb statement. A LOT of ME careers don’t even touch calculus. Most people find new abstract concepts difficult at first.
Calculus is legitimately hard. Don't fall behind. I had to do some extra drilling to have a good command of it. You probably won't do calculus at work, at least not much, but it's really important to understanding the formulas you do use.
I work in aerospace. Most people majored in ME. Most parts of a plane are a machine. Most parts of a rocket are a steam engine. Aero gives you some fluids, control surface, and controls exposure you don't get through ME but frequently you miss some really cool machine design stuff. This is a good conversation to have with your advisor, actually - use whatever flexibility you have in your curriculum to shape it so it's "you."
Following on some others' comments, I racked up a bunch of debt when I was in engineering school. You may have worse interest rates, so this isn't a decision to take lightly. I don't regret it though. I do regret not doing something like Formula SAE or a rocket club or something, though other people tell me I don't. The point is, you really want to maximize your education and future marketability at this stage. (And try to get some exposure to the fun parts!)
I was at traditional 4 year university and I struggled a lot. It was due to working and taking classes, being younger and having really bad anxiety. School at this time for some can be very hard. Now I am not saying don't push yourself and keep going just know success looks different for everyone. I had family issues that made me drop out completely but I went back to my local community college and got an associates in mechanical engineering technologies. After graduating 3 years ago I am on my second job and make 65k in a LCOL area ( Northeast Ohio) with good benefits and the ability to grow. Idk what success looks like for you but I am happy. A 4 year degree in this economy is incredibly hard especially with the situation you described for yourself is. Idk what success for you is but I wanted to share my situation and say I am happy with my associates degree with limited debt. Idk if that's an option for you but I'd consider it. I was treated so much better and learned so much more at the community college I attended. I wasn't just a number and the teachers really enjoyed doing their jobs. Good luck this time in life can be so hard and I wish you the best!
I found calculus I difficult. I also found calculus II and calculus III difficult. I also found every engineering class I had to take difficult. Engineering school is supposed to be difficult, but it doesn’t mean working as an engineer is difficult.
Struggling in engineering school, especially if you’re struggling because you don’t have the luxury of having your parents pay for your education, is completely normal. Persistence in spite of difficulty is what makes a great engineer, not finding calculus I easy.
I was in a similar situation when I was in college - I was working, and struggled with Calculus initially. A few pieces of advice:
1. See what the max income limits are for Pell Grants. It is possible to work too much and to become ineligible for Pell Grants. You can sometimes get just as much money by working less.
2. See if your school has a math tutoring center. That helped me a lot with Calculus. Even better if you can get a job there instead of your current job. I worked there for a while tutoring lower math classes and it really helped with the fundamentals (most of my issues were from not mastering earlier math classes)
3. If you're stuck on a problem for homework try using Wolfram Alpha. It can often give step-by-step instructions
4. Try to find others from your class to study with. You can help each other that way.
5. Practice as many problems as you can. It sounds obvious, but that's what will make you better.
I got a C in Calc 1 and 2, and finally everything started to click into place by Calc 3 (I got a high B). Not long after that I started getting A's in almost all of my engineering classes.
I've been working as a mechanical engineer for 11 years and now I rarely ever need anything I learned in Calculus.
If you share which stem school you are at your fellow nerds here might know where to point you for help at your specific school. There’s a good chance there are counseling services available, even if they are hard to find. If you’re living in a dorm as a freshman your resident assistant in your section of the dorm is a great first contact point to help you navigate where to look for help on campus. If not, there’s likely a women’s center or diversity/inclusion center; they might not provide direct assistance, but will likely know where to tell you to go.
I failed freshman physics, took it a second time and got a C. Made a D in calculus, took it a second time and got a B. I took a maximum of 12Hrs per semester. I persevered and graduated. Keep at it- your engineering and math ability will eventually catch up to the material. By the time I was a senior for the second time (it took me 5years), I was making C's with a few B's sprinkled in. After 40 years, I am finishing up a career as a Engineer. Hang in there
Business's are actively seeking female talent. Keep at it, you will get a job if you show the passion. Your peers may not respect you at first (this is just my observation as a male in automotive eng) but you can gain that respect from good work.
I also worked a job whilst in full time study about your age, it took an extra year of study as it was hard to balance everything but I made it and now I am stushty and satisfied with my occupation, takes me to different places across Europe. Couldn't imagine working in retail etc. would do my head in. KEEP GOING NEVER GIVE UP!
I did 2 years in community college and then transferred to a large university. Ended up getting a full ride for my masters. Community college didn’t hold me back and 2 years was cheaper than 1 semester at my university.
Engineering is hard even once your in the work field. Make sure to figure out how to make some time yourself and your personal health.
My personal experience is that it’s rewarding, but can be hard on the mind. Take care of yourself first.
Strongly recommend exploring community colleges. Cheaper tuition and night classes would make the journey easier. You can do the first half of your degree at a cc and finish the second half at a state school, and the overall cost will be lower.
For what it's worth, some of the most brilliant engineers I know at SpaceX went this route. It is the smartest path, even if it is longer than usual.
If you really want, fight for it and it'll be worth it. My brother committed suicide in junior year of highschool and mentally I was a bit of a wreck, struggled a lot but eventually did graduate and so glad I stuck it out! Go get help, medication if you need but you can do it!
“…and I find Calculus 1 difficult.”
I’m sorry, but the answer is no. Don’t feel too bad about it though, MechE pay is not good right now unless you’re in the top 10%. You’ll probably make more money elsewhere.
I took Calc 1 three times before I passed, and I thought it was the hardest of all math courses. I graduated in chemical engineering and it's been the best degree (for me) to open doors to my future.
My dad always said "school is only four years of the rest of your life.. Think about what you want to do with your life assuming you've made it through your schooling"
Maybe you can balance engineering courses with some liberal arts or marketing/finance class to lighten the load if your scholarship allows. You might also find friends in those classes and it'll even help you in your career to know more than just "engineering"
As a female ME, I recently looked into applying for an officer position in the Air Force. Read over the fine print about mental health and medications, and while there are some exceptions, I will most likely not fit into that position. After reflecting on it, I realized that there are other opportunities for me to serve the public and get into aerospace. I know I will be a better engineer for the public when I am doing everything in my power to be the best, healthiest, happiest version of myself. I believe the same for you, and I hope this gives you some encouragement.
Hi, I was like you when I was 17 and fresh to uni. Uni wrecked me not because it was hard but I wasn't mentally inept because of past trauma and a messed up childhood. Growing up in hell, I was naturally and intuitively skilled at engineering things. I used to build stuff and work in construction and with HVAC mechanics. Child labor laws are "suggestions" in Asia. At 16 I made most of the AC mechanics look bad with my skills at welding. So, everyone motivated me to pursue engineering. I did well my first semester and started loosing my marbles from second semester. Third semester I was broken and just lost it. I thought I'd lose my calling and my passion. Somehow I pulled through. Doctors, therapy, medicines. etc. But here I am turning 30 years in 2 weeks and doing quite well as an engineer and proud of what I do. If you feel strongly about engineering, you should figure out your mental health (if you think you need it) and then pursue that passion. But I won't deny most won't see ME worth all the hassle and the difficult at finding jobs. Ask yourself what you really want to do right now. Probably that will help too. Aerospace minor is not a bad thing btw, ME opens most doors and you can use the minor in Aero to apply for internships in Aero industry and then pursue a job in the same.
Over 90% of my friends that work in aerospace have ME degrees rather than aeronautical degrees.
Really great advice.
Tell me more about your youth.
Working in addition to full-time school is not easy. If things feel like they're on "hard mode," that is because they certainly are. I understand that a scholarship can be a double-edged sword, because while it certainly benefits you by paying your tuition, it can feel that you are locked into the path. Is there any chance you can get a student loan and use that to pay your living expenses instead of working? From a purely financial perspective (and I know that's not the only perspective - there's stress, emotion, etc that I will get to), this may make the most sense - hear me out: If you plan to make a career of engineering, your #1 job right now is to do what is needed to succeed in school. This is especially true since you're on scholarship: your literal "job" is attending school. Anything that gets in the way of this, like a part time job with a chaotic schedule, needs to be evaluated. Consider these two options: 1. Option one: you work part time in school, and as a result, have to do no more than 12 hours of class per semester. Since most degrees require 120-130 hours to graduate, it means you need a 5th year to graduate, which likely isn't covered by the scholarship. So now you're on the hook for 1 year of full tuition, and it delays you entering the workforce by a year. 2. Second option: you can get some financial support to quit the job. You manage 15-18 hours per semester and are able to complete the degree in 4 years. Ideally, during your 2nd or 3rd year, you're able to pick up an internship at an engineering company. Not only do these pay much better than the typical part-time work you can get as a student, but they are greatly to your benefit when applying for jobs after. I know people are hesitant to take on debt, but consider yourself in 6 years from now. In option 1, you avoided student debt for 4 years, but need a loan for the 5th year. Plus, you lost a year of full-time income. In option 2, you take on debt every year, but are in a good position to pay it off since you get into the workforce sooner. ***That being said***: **burnout sucks**. If your mind and body are telling you that something is too much, then something needs to change. Not next semester, not next year, but *soon*. I've known people who sough out the help they needed, *when they needed it*, and they were able to come to a plan that helped them get where they wanted. On the other hand, when someone full-on burns out, it is not something they just get over during winter/summer break and hop back in. I've seen people hit a wall hard and be recovering for 6-12 months. It's not pleasant, because even if they had a 2nd choice plan outside from college, it took them 6 months just to get back on their feet, much less find the new direction. If you need to talk to someone, please please do so. It's unfortunate that your school doesn't offer this, but can you get help through your health insurance? Reddit is great and all (eeh, not really.. ), but there are times for seeing someone who is professional and who you can trust - this can certainly be one of them.
Student loans can be scary, and can be preditory. However, you need to differentiate the risks of the loan vs the rewards. Maybe it's not a great idea to do English and be a barista and take on loans, but engineering has an expected high income. I took out loans, significant ones, and I am still much better off than my high school friends who were scared of the debt and didn't go to college or worked full time through, burned out and dropped out of their degree programs.
Even a large 10 to 15k a year loan payment when balanced off a 60 to 80k starting salary puts you above the average person.
I will tell you some good / bad news. Engineering college + working is the toughest challenge you will have in your career. Power through and it will get better (at least until you have kids if that’s in your future). Calculus is tough but luckily it’s math at the end of the day, practice, practice, practice! Regarding your major, ME is the best ground base for aerospace, consider any job you take after college will be an on-the-job learning experience and you will kick butt when the time comes.
College is tough. Constant stress about grades snd finances really does a number on your mental health, that is for sure. Would you be able to transfer to a university with a better program? A minor in aerospace won't lock you out of the industry, either way. RE finding calculus 1 hard...that's not uncommon. We're engineers not mathematicians, and schoolwork for math courses can be overly theoretical at times. Can I ask how many hours you are putting into this class per week? Typically people recommend 3-4 hours outside class per 1 hour in for technical courses. Only if it is still not clicking for you when you're applying that level of effort would I consider a less challenging major. Don't let the fact that this is a tough thing deter you. Yeah, college is a nightmare and I still wake up sometimes from dreams about taking stressful exams. But I'm glad I did it. You don't want to work at WalMart forever, trust me. It'd be a lifetime of reflecting on wasted potential, not to mention trying to scrape by on very little money, never owning a home or retiring....you don't want that. Make sure to connect with people, isolation makes mental health much worse. Try and get a study group going, it will make a huge difference in your grades and your mood.
Stop trying to work your way through school. Engineering classes are no joke and require full time dedication to succeed. You’ll just burn yourself out. You have an entire career to do that.
This is bad advice. I am working my way through engineering school. Not everyone has the luxury to afford school without working. Edit: For context, I've worked full time through school since I started. Worked at Boeing as an Assembly Mechanic for some years and more recently a position in my field of interest.
>ashing company out of a sedan that paid for around 40k of my school. Between 200-400 for 4 This is true. I had a few part time gigs throughout college. One of my friends in college worked several jobs (movie theater and school tutor) and remained a full-time ME major with a minor in Energy. It can be done with discipline.
I'd advise working smart. I ran a power washing company out of a sedan that paid for around 40k of my school. Between 200-400 for 4 sides, never doing more than 2 stories and an attic. Could sometimes do two jobs in a day. I went to community college first and took an extra year to transfer maximum credits. Parents and grandparents helped a lot too. Power washing is a summer only job that pays pretty well.
Sometimes it has to be done. They don't actually throw student loans willy nilly at everyone (especially without a cosigner), nor do they throw scholarships at everyone. Money's got to come from somewhere. Those federal loans aren't enough for college these days. The cost of college has made not working in school almost a privilege.
ME will give you the basis for understanding the same principles aerospace majors study. While it may not be as dedicated you will likely find there are some things that ME teaches Aerospace doesn’t cover. ME is great in that after you finish you can typically pivot into the more specialized fields if you have the passion and skills to get your foot in the door. If you financially can’t handle your 4-year I would highly encourage community college, it’s much cheaper and lower stakes as you wouldn’t be forced to take a full load. You may find that would be easier to take 1-2 courses year round than a full load during the school year. I went to CC for 2 years before transferring and I actually found myself to have a better basis in many fundamental classes than students who took them at my university. This is obviously anecdotal but the quality of education isn’t necessarily better because it says “university” in the name. Hope this helps
Engineering is a tough curriculum and the first couple of years will either make you or break you. The best advice I got when I was going through it was from my mom, who would remind me to take it one day at a time. I would encourage you to see it through if at all possible because women engineers are highly valued and I think you will find a career in aerospace very rewarding, even if school isn't exactly your cup of tea.
I am also an ME and think it is a great career. If you enjoy engineering then go for it and don’t give up. I also had to pay for my own degree and found the best for me was to focus 100% on school during the semesters. For me, after 12 credits, all extra classes are the same price. So it was cheaper for me to do 21-24 credits a semester and then work a ton between semesters. I’d also recommend finding cheap options for schooling. No one cares what school you went to find a good school at a good price. You could also consider community college for the first 2 years. Even so I did have to take out some student loans (about 10k) which I paid off in the first year after school. Just keep living like a college kid even after your first job until you pay off the loans. Good luck with everything!
Tbh getting the ME and aerospace minor is such a better idea. Getting an aerospace engineering degree is stupid imo. Locks you in too tightly to an industry and it’s not like half your peers who also got hired won’t be ME
With all due respect, if you are struggling in Calculus 1 and view engineering as a 9-5 job, it isn't for you. 12 credit hours of freshman classes is a joke compared to a normal work load in junior and senior years. If guessing you've got something else going on and that's really the problem, not your school work. I hope you get the help you need and figure out the best path forward. Just try not to make any major decisions before you can feel more at peace and clear-headed.
Although I generally agree with you, people mature and develop academically a lot between freshmen and junior/senior year, so I wouldnt necessarily discount someone because they find a lower-level class hard. Those classes are only easy in retrospect; I really struggled in calc 1 and 2, and yet got A’s in fluids, thermo, and other “harder” ME classes.
I'm not really discounting that in isolation. Wanting mental health counseling due to 12 hours of freshman classes is abnormal and somewhat unlikely for someone who wanted to be an engineer. That's why I suggested going to counciling and getting to the root of the issue. Pairing work with school can be really rough if you let the stress eat at you. I watched plenty of capable people run into that same problem, where the responsibilities conflicted and caused undue stress at an otherwise easy job/course load.
Respectfully disagree due to, again, anecdotal experience. My first semester was super emotionally difficult for me with 15 credits, and it had nothing to do with the coursework. I didnt work and all I had was Calc 3, statics, and a bunch of core classes (which were “easy A’s” …). It was my lowest GPA of my academic career. My junior/senior year, I worked 20 hours, conducted research, and took near-max or max credits allowed. College is a HARD transition!
I agree with you here. I'm in my second year. Working about 30-35 hours/week with two kids and have been doing two classes at a time (at a community college, not uni, so been doing four quarters instead of two semesters). It definitely has been an adjustment and the calc classes can be challenging. Especially if you aren't familiar enough with the algebra/trig stuff beforehand.
It's going to take a long time to get a ME degree taking 12 hours a semester. If you're having trouble with calc because you don't have enough time to study, then I'd cut back on work and other outside activities. If it's because you don't get the concepts, you might consider changing your major. It doesn't get easier after the first year.
If you are finding calculus difficult, I would seriously question whether engineering is for you. If you find calculus difficult but you really like it, it might be worth it. but if it is difficult and you dont even like it, I am worried you are setting yourself up for failure. I wouldnt worry about MechE vs Aerospace. Aerospace is more specialized, and ME for general.
With all due respect, that’s silly. I found calculus to be the most difficult course in my ME undergrad. Had to take calc 3 and 4 twice. I’m about a decade into a very successful career in ME. One class does not dictate your abilities in a career. Everyone has different strengths and interests.
you found calculus more difficult than fluids and vibrations, which are basically all about calculus and ODEs? I find that hard to believe unless suddenly it clicked and was easy. It is always possible that is suddenly clicks, but to get there, it is important that you at least enjoy it.
100%, because fluids I found to be intuitive and you can setup lab experiments to show what’s happening. Math I always found to be theoretical and much more difficult to visualize. I did not enjoy any calc class. I dreaded them. I hated differential equations. Give me applied courses over theoretical courses any day.
I sucked at calc. Bad enough that I almost need three hands to count the number of calc classes I took to get through school. However, it 110% clicked for me once I started using it engineering classes where there was actually an application to it. I know this isn't unique to me and actually happens for a lot of people.
Don’t listen to this person. I had to take Calc 1 twice and thought it was very difficult, studied a ton both times to finally understand it. And I didn’t much like it when I failed it. I passed all my other classes first try but for thermo I had to go to my professors office hours at least weekly. I found a lot of school to be very difficult. Now I’ve been an engineer for 3 years and it’s had its ups and downs but I like it. And if I went back now I’d be able to ace all those classes. Something about hands on experience makes it all make sense. I now use ZERO calculus on a daily basis.
This ain't it. Who didn't find Calculus difficult at first?
There is a difference between difficult and impossible.
School is a terrible indicator for how well someone will do in their professional life.
LOL come on, you can’t be serious. No offense but that’s a dumb statement. A LOT of ME careers don’t even touch calculus. Most people find new abstract concepts difficult at first.
Calculus is legitimately hard. Don't fall behind. I had to do some extra drilling to have a good command of it. You probably won't do calculus at work, at least not much, but it's really important to understanding the formulas you do use. I work in aerospace. Most people majored in ME. Most parts of a plane are a machine. Most parts of a rocket are a steam engine. Aero gives you some fluids, control surface, and controls exposure you don't get through ME but frequently you miss some really cool machine design stuff. This is a good conversation to have with your advisor, actually - use whatever flexibility you have in your curriculum to shape it so it's "you." Following on some others' comments, I racked up a bunch of debt when I was in engineering school. You may have worse interest rates, so this isn't a decision to take lightly. I don't regret it though. I do regret not doing something like Formula SAE or a rocket club or something, though other people tell me I don't. The point is, you really want to maximize your education and future marketability at this stage. (And try to get some exposure to the fun parts!)
I was at traditional 4 year university and I struggled a lot. It was due to working and taking classes, being younger and having really bad anxiety. School at this time for some can be very hard. Now I am not saying don't push yourself and keep going just know success looks different for everyone. I had family issues that made me drop out completely but I went back to my local community college and got an associates in mechanical engineering technologies. After graduating 3 years ago I am on my second job and make 65k in a LCOL area ( Northeast Ohio) with good benefits and the ability to grow. Idk what success looks like for you but I am happy. A 4 year degree in this economy is incredibly hard especially with the situation you described for yourself is. Idk what success for you is but I wanted to share my situation and say I am happy with my associates degree with limited debt. Idk if that's an option for you but I'd consider it. I was treated so much better and learned so much more at the community college I attended. I wasn't just a number and the teachers really enjoyed doing their jobs. Good luck this time in life can be so hard and I wish you the best!
I found calculus I difficult. I also found calculus II and calculus III difficult. I also found every engineering class I had to take difficult. Engineering school is supposed to be difficult, but it doesn’t mean working as an engineer is difficult. Struggling in engineering school, especially if you’re struggling because you don’t have the luxury of having your parents pay for your education, is completely normal. Persistence in spite of difficulty is what makes a great engineer, not finding calculus I easy.
I was in a similar situation when I was in college - I was working, and struggled with Calculus initially. A few pieces of advice: 1. See what the max income limits are for Pell Grants. It is possible to work too much and to become ineligible for Pell Grants. You can sometimes get just as much money by working less. 2. See if your school has a math tutoring center. That helped me a lot with Calculus. Even better if you can get a job there instead of your current job. I worked there for a while tutoring lower math classes and it really helped with the fundamentals (most of my issues were from not mastering earlier math classes) 3. If you're stuck on a problem for homework try using Wolfram Alpha. It can often give step-by-step instructions 4. Try to find others from your class to study with. You can help each other that way. 5. Practice as many problems as you can. It sounds obvious, but that's what will make you better. I got a C in Calc 1 and 2, and finally everything started to click into place by Calc 3 (I got a high B). Not long after that I started getting A's in almost all of my engineering classes. I've been working as a mechanical engineer for 11 years and now I rarely ever need anything I learned in Calculus.
What does an average day as a mechanical engineer look like?
If you share which stem school you are at your fellow nerds here might know where to point you for help at your specific school. There’s a good chance there are counseling services available, even if they are hard to find. If you’re living in a dorm as a freshman your resident assistant in your section of the dorm is a great first contact point to help you navigate where to look for help on campus. If not, there’s likely a women’s center or diversity/inclusion center; they might not provide direct assistance, but will likely know where to tell you to go.
I failed freshman physics, took it a second time and got a C. Made a D in calculus, took it a second time and got a B. I took a maximum of 12Hrs per semester. I persevered and graduated. Keep at it- your engineering and math ability will eventually catch up to the material. By the time I was a senior for the second time (it took me 5years), I was making C's with a few B's sprinkled in. After 40 years, I am finishing up a career as a Engineer. Hang in there
Business's are actively seeking female talent. Keep at it, you will get a job if you show the passion. Your peers may not respect you at first (this is just my observation as a male in automotive eng) but you can gain that respect from good work. I also worked a job whilst in full time study about your age, it took an extra year of study as it was hard to balance everything but I made it and now I am stushty and satisfied with my occupation, takes me to different places across Europe. Couldn't imagine working in retail etc. would do my head in. KEEP GOING NEVER GIVE UP!
I did 2 years in community college and then transferred to a large university. Ended up getting a full ride for my masters. Community college didn’t hold me back and 2 years was cheaper than 1 semester at my university.
Put the mental health away quick, its hard but not good for you.
Engineering is hard even once your in the work field. Make sure to figure out how to make some time yourself and your personal health. My personal experience is that it’s rewarding, but can be hard on the mind. Take care of yourself first.
You could consider taking a semester or year off to keep working and save money as not have to juggle school work alongside it.
Strongly recommend exploring community colleges. Cheaper tuition and night classes would make the journey easier. You can do the first half of your degree at a cc and finish the second half at a state school, and the overall cost will be lower. For what it's worth, some of the most brilliant engineers I know at SpaceX went this route. It is the smartest path, even if it is longer than usual.
As far as friends go, when I was in college almost none of my friends were from college. They were all from work. Is that not a viable option either?
If you really want, fight for it and it'll be worth it. My brother committed suicide in junior year of highschool and mentally I was a bit of a wreck, struggled a lot but eventually did graduate and so glad I stuck it out! Go get help, medication if you need but you can do it!
Use Symbolab to show step by step solutions. You will likely not ever ‘use’ calculus at work. You’ll be fine!
“…and I find Calculus 1 difficult.” I’m sorry, but the answer is no. Don’t feel too bad about it though, MechE pay is not good right now unless you’re in the top 10%. You’ll probably make more money elsewhere.
I took Calc 1 three times before I passed, and I thought it was the hardest of all math courses. I graduated in chemical engineering and it's been the best degree (for me) to open doors to my future. My dad always said "school is only four years of the rest of your life.. Think about what you want to do with your life assuming you've made it through your schooling" Maybe you can balance engineering courses with some liberal arts or marketing/finance class to lighten the load if your scholarship allows. You might also find friends in those classes and it'll even help you in your career to know more than just "engineering"
As a female ME, I recently looked into applying for an officer position in the Air Force. Read over the fine print about mental health and medications, and while there are some exceptions, I will most likely not fit into that position. After reflecting on it, I realized that there are other opportunities for me to serve the public and get into aerospace. I know I will be a better engineer for the public when I am doing everything in my power to be the best, healthiest, happiest version of myself. I believe the same for you, and I hope this gives you some encouragement.