Savana, SC AddedMonday, March 2, 2015 at 9:53 PM Do I stand a chance when it comes to harder engineering classes? First time posting on here, and hopefully some of you will respond. Here is some back round: I just transferred into a top 25 public university from a technical college. I am currently enrolled in their general engineering program, and have had plans (up until now?) to major in ChemE. I transferred in with a near 3.9, having taken Calc 1-3, Chem 1 and 2, and some other gen eds. As far as the ChemE curriculum goes at my new school, I am a few engineering classes, and 2 physics classes short from officially declaring my major. This semester however, I have been STRUGGLING. I am ashamed to admit it, but I just bombed my first physics with cal 1 test (made a 69), and failed my engineering skills class (which is only a quarter class) with a 68. The engineering skills class is the one that I am most concerned about, as it is basically just dimensional analysis and unit conversions, yet somehow I managed to the butcher my grade. I have really enjoyed math and science subjects my whole life, but there seems to be a disconnect when it comes to application. Is this a bad sign of things to come? If I cant grasp the very basic fundamentals, do I stand a chance when it comes to the more rigorous materials like thermo? On the other hand, my current grades in both Ochem and Calc 4 are great, so its not that I cant do the harder stuff necessarily. I initially thought that I would be willing to retake as many classes as I need to in order to finish my degree, but now I am having doubts. Has anyone been through a similar situation? Some advise would be much MUCH appreciated! Related to Difficult Classes, Math & Science, Self Doubt, Unique Challenges Reset Sort By Default Christine Frazier-Hollins , Chevron Answered Monday, March 2, 2015 at 9:53 PM Dear Savana: In my experience Engineering school has been a test of perseverance. It is not a curriculum for the faint of heart, nor is it for those who cannot accept failure or learn from their mistakes. Being an Engineer is about solving problems – the ones we know about and more often solving the problems no one has thought of yet. When I was a freshman Chem E student I failed the first test of my Intro to Engineering class. Our professor asked those who made below a certain grade to stay after class. He told us that we needed to decide if we were going to become Engineers. He gave us 24 hours to retake the test or to drop the class and change our major. This was devastating for me, a girl who had a nearly perfect GPA through high school to be confronted with such a harsh reality. I recognized that my actions or inactions had contributed to my failing grade and that I needed to make a change in study habits if I was going to pass the class and continue in my chosen course of study. That pivotal moment was the first of many in the four years I was studying to be a ChemE - and through it all I learned to study with others, get help from my Professors, TA’s and others. In our first two years my class size was cut in half and by the time we graduated was maybe a fourth of what it had been when we entered four years prior. There were friends, who are practicing Engineers today, who graduated after I did because they stuck it out and retook classes in order to achieve their goal of becoming an Engineer. As I said before Engineering school is a test of perseverance and you are the only one who can decide if 1) it is the right fit for you and 2) if it is then are you willing to preserver through some tough times to earn the prize? Failing something for me was probably one of the most pivotal and valuable lessons I have had in my life. In your career as an Engineer there will be things you cannot solve on the first time, second time, or even hundredth time – but that does not mean you give up. It means you go back collect more data, examine your process, and try again until you are able to find a solution. I hope that these events will not deter you from engineering as a career and that you will give careful consideration to what you do next. I hope this helps you in your journey. Take care.