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I am going to college (community college for the US), taking an engineering program, but my motivation is lacking. My average so far is ~75%, this being my second semester. I am doing ok at the moment, except for bombing my physics midterm on the basic nuances of electricity.
I thought I would love engineering, and I still do love the idea of it, but I really have no interest in physics or chemistry. Doing homework on this stuff is unbelievably slow; I can understand it, and that it is fairly basic stuff, but I simply do not have the passion to absorb the information long term and to practice it at home.
I know I have huge potential, and in my mind I get super pumped to succeed, but this is past just forcing myself to do work. I dream that I can improve myself in ways that I love, with subjects I can absorb without feeling forced.
I am not sure what other career choice I would choose. Relative to my friends, I was much more smart, but surrounded by other smart people, I realize that intelligence isn't much benefit in the situation I am in. I was somewhat stereotyped into being a smart person, and that made me think I should chose a career choice like engineering.
I have some interests that could potentially lead into a career path. I, of course, am infatuated with teamliquid and Esports, but that can't really be of help. I have spent some time learning a programming language in school called Pascel, which I enjoyed. Math is a subject which I find I can study very easily, too. I am sure many people on TL have the same ideals in a career as I would. Anyone have any advice?
Keep in mind that I do have my first year of engineering paid for, and that it would be great if anyone help me reach a goal that uses my past training. My parents think I am enjoying what I'm doing, and are playing for it.
I'd also like to ask two questions to other people have perused this field of study:
Did you like college and are you happy now? Did you find a way to effectively force yourself to study?
How did you keep yourself from making math mistakes? I always miss a negative here and there, and can't bring myself to iron that out of my habits.
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I'm in my last semester of engineering. The thing about this program is that you need to understand the fundamentals well before you can do anything substantial or interesting, and being engineering, there's a lot of fundamentals. The first two-two and a half years are incredibly boring math grinds, but from third year onwards is mostly projects, despite being a lot of work, it's easy to motivate myself for them because they're really fun and challenging.
As for math mistakes, when you see a problem, make sure you have a vague idea of what the answer will look like before you start. For example, if you're doing an integration problem, do a rough trace of the graph. If your answer doesn't line up with what you expected, give it a quick check over for silly mistakes. If you can't take a good guess at the answer of a problem at first glance, keep practicing until you can.
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Russian Federation3631 Posts
Did you like college and are you happy now? Did you find a way to effectively force yourself to study?
If you truly love the subject then I guarantee you will have no problem studying/working towards your goals in the area.
However, the caveat is that you have to love the subject more than your social life. (Not the easiest trade-off)
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17067 Posts
I know I have huge potential, and in my mind I get super pumped to succeed, but this is past just forcing myself to do work.
Potential means nothing unless you're willing to back it up with work.
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Yeah I was going to say what Empyrean said. You might as well have nothing if your thought process is, "I know I'm awesome, but I don't have any motivation" while still performing sub-par. Pick another career, or realize life isn't all easy. You motivate yourself, not the other way around.
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I totally agree with you Empyrean, but I'd also like to learn from other people's experience with this. It is easy to say "work hard" but, for me at least, actually doing that is difficult. It is almost like ADD, but I really don't think I have it.
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On February 18 2011 11:07 Empyrean wrote:Show nested quote +I know I have huge potential, and in my mind I get super pumped to succeed, but this is past just forcing myself to do work. Potential means nothing unless you're willing to back it up with work.
^ This. We all have a lot of potential. Work is ultimately more important.
About math mistakes, I still make a lot(tho I'm only in my first year for engineering though). I am like you though in that in past semesters I haven't been as motivated as I should be. Lately I have been and discovered that I make those little mistakes because I'm out of practice. If you are doing all your homework and studying an adequate amount those will be minimized over time.
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Hi!
I don't study en engineering, but I study AI at the IT university of Copenhagen Denmark.
Our days are long, as in - 80 hours a week, I'm not kidding. The only thing that gets you through a hard education is passion and love for what you are doing. How do you get passionated by something? I can't tell you... it's such an individual thing. Get friends within the community and hype yourself up together - challenge each other to find a better solution than your mate.
Each semester we have some sort of artificial intelligence, and we each try to beat each other - sharing ideas and take pride in seeing our little intelligence out play another. "Kill your love ones" they told us, when we started, and it's true.. If you want to succeed you need to stop partying, stop going out much and hit the head in the book. If you need to go out and party, do it at some bar with some of your follow students and discuss with them - usually it brings up some very controversial ideas once the alcohol flows. I claimed I wanted to solve Othello to some fellow students, and 1 of them went home to calculate how big a server I would need.... It was something like 800 million terabyte harddisc space. :D
Anyway - I'm rambling, find a way for yourself to enjoy your education! Studying is actually very fun - and I'm hating that I'm ending my education in 6 months  . I'll enjoy the 8,000$ a month a guess...
Oh and NEVER be afraid to say "I don't understand a fucking thing in this topic".. cos if you don't, most of your fellow students doesn't either. And it's easy to figure it out together.
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I'm not studying to be an Engineer, but I was pretty much in the same situation as you last semester. I was studying for a Chemistry degree and had pretty shit grades. I wasn't interested in it at all, so I just switched to something I was interested in, but never pursued because my parents didn't want me to. My average this semester is a a 95 so far. Switch majors while you can now and not later. If you aren't interested in the stuff you're doing now, it'll just get worse down the line.
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It seems like you also are interested in computer programming, at least from your initial experiences. Maybe you should try out computer science. I personally find computer science very interesting so it keeps me motivated to keep moving forwards with my projects. But since this is only your second semester, you still have some time to choose what area you really want to study.
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If you aren't interested in math, physics or chemistry, perhaps engineering isn't the right career path.
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On February 18 2011 12:20 Joementum wrote:
I'm not studying to be an Engineer, but I was pretty much in the same situation as you last semester. I was studying for a Chemistry degree and had pretty shit grades. I wasn't interested in it at all, so I just switched to something I was interested in, but never pursued because my parents didn't want me to. My average this semester is a a 95 so far. Switch majors while you can now and not later. If you aren't interested in the stuff you're doing now, it'll just get worse down the line.
Same story with me man, I switched majors a few times until I found something I really liked now working for good grades is a fun challenge instead of something tedious and soul destroying. Don't make yourself suffer through something just because you're told that's what you should do or you like the prospects of the job you might get or something, do what you like and work harrrrd at it.
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Did you like college and are you happy now?
I can't say I hate it but I have to stay in the middle with this one. No I'm not happy lol. It's alot of work and it sucks when u make bad grades and one fuked up test can make ur whole semester miserable and stressful.
Did you find a way to effectively force yourself to study?
Yes. What you do is this. Go to class ready to work. Have ur calculator out and be ready to work along with the professor as they workout problems in class. Good professors will do an example for you to get the general concept then will give u a problem to do that is similar to the one you just did. Make sure you do it or at the very least get the example problems+question+picture copied down to work later. Don't copy down useless defintions of key terms or concepts that u can read out of the book and just copy down the problems. At home, make sure you're doing all ur homewok and look at ur class notes for assistance. I've never seen anyone suggest this next part but if u can, try to get a hold of the solutions manual and AFTER YOUR TRIED IT URSELF FIRST, use it to check ur answer. Alot of books have answers to odd numbered problems but why the solutions manual is helpful is if u don't get the answer correct, u can see the workout done on the solutions manual and see where u messed up so u can correct the mistake ur making. You also have to go to tutoring if you're completely lost even if you have to pay.
Oh fuk..i jsut re-read ur question and I misunderstood lol. The only way I "forced" myself to study was after I did really bad on the first test and was forced to study or fail the class lol.
How did you keep yourself from making math mistakes? I always miss a negative here and there, and can't bring myself to iron that out of my habits.
Even till calc 3 I still made stupid-azz algebra mistakes that costed me at least 10 points in total in just algebra mistakes alone in a test and even now i still make them lol(note: this is why i suggested a solutions manual to see which step u messed up ur algebra on so u can correct it duuring the homework instead of screwing up bad on an exam and it's really hard to catch algebra mistakes). If it's doing a test I suggest u go slow and carefully but not too slow..go at a steady pace. If I do all this espcially the slow and steady part I normally don't mistakes but occassionally you'll still make silly mistakes. Even prof's make silly algebra mistakes too. I seriously think u have to be completely focused and work slowly and not rush and work a ton of problems if u want it perfect. It's really hard for me to answer this question becuz even ppl I consider realy smart still make algebra mistakes but as long as it's occasionally u should be fine. And each time u make a algebra mistake u become more alert the next time around. But yea.. think u just gotta practice a ton of problems but liek i said dude i still make algebra mistakes too occassionally it sucks :/
p.s. I spent like 30 minutes typing this up. Don't spent too much time on teamliquid either lol! if u are, then just lurk, don't get into a huge argument or disucssion lol. See like me i spent like 30 min typing this up when i should be studying for my exam on monday t.t
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On February 18 2011 12:31 ProTech_MediC wrote:
If you aren't interested in math, physics or chemistry, perhaps engineering isn't the right career path.
This isn't entirely true. I'm doing industrial engineering and the only chemistry that I ever have to take(that I'm aware of)was general chem 1 and 2 and thermodynamics is as far as I have to go. But for the math and physics part i agree with. For chemical engineers, yes u have to be intereseted in chem but outside of chem engr not so much i don't think cuz my friend that's a chem engr has to take o-chem on top of the chem I wsa taking.
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Did you like college and are you happy now?
no, comp eng
Did you find a way to effectively force yourself to study?
Study with others
How did you keep yourself from making math mistakes? I always miss a negative here and there, and can't bring myself to iron that out of my habits.
Be careful. Honestly, I don't think minus signs are a big deal. My school already has enough understanding marks to take from us to even care about those.
Don't drink too much energy drink right before an exam.
Calm down and take a 20 min "nap".
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I kind of had this happen to me. I took a bunch of programming classes in high school, preparing to major in Computer Science. I love working with computers and writing code, especially for games. I thought it would be a really cool career and I would enjoy it a ton.
When I got to university, that really wasn't the case. The programming classes were okay, but I realized I'd have to take a bunch of science classes and go up to Calculus III to complete my degree, and my math skills are horrible. I did okay for a year, but absolutely hated it and had to force myself to study way more than I was comfortable with. I never had to study in high school, I was always just one of those naturally gifted students who read the textbook 20 minutes before class and then get an A on the test. Couldn't come close to doing that with shit like Calculus II.
In a really difficult decision for me, I switched majors to History. I'd always had a passion for that (and philosophy), and it suited my natural strengths better than pursuing something that I'd have to practically kill myself and my social life for.
I got my bachelors in history and am now in my second year of grad school going for my masters degree. I'm much more successful in my classes and I feel better about myself and more confident in my subjects. It was really the best move I could have made. So if you have something that you're more passionate about - that you find you're not really that much a fan of engineering...I'd suggest that you change majors to something that you love to do. I mean, you'll be doing it the rest of your life. You don't want to be stuck with a career you completely hate or find boring.
That'd be the real tragedy. Do what you love, and what compliments your strengths as a person.
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On February 18 2011 10:12 DeltruS wrote:
I know I have huge potential...
How do you know? What have you actually accomplished to merit this?
You're never going to be successful if you ride on the notion that you're "smart". Engineering is a nightmare if you don't enjoy it. It's relatively easy if you have a passion for it.
You're lazy and you don't like what you're studying. Find another major.
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I'm a JF engineer aswell. Literally the OP is EXACTLY what I'm feeling/thinking. I want to do good, i sometimes get these waves of motivation, but I'm having doubts that it's the course for me. I didn't study physics in secondary school and I found it really difficult, I don't thinik I'm gonna pass the exam either. There was one or two classes, mechanics and experimental methods which I had zero interest in and never went and now I'm paying for it big time. I never went because I wasn't interested, I can't be arsed studying it because I'm not interested in it, so odds are pointing that I'm gonna fail. Don't get me wrong though. I like studying physics and solving problems, it's stimulating and I get a great self of accomplishment from doing it, but i've got so much stuff to do that I can't spend the time I want studying the stuff properly. I can do repeats, but tbh I don't think that I'm going to want to stay in this course if I fail the first year, the way I see it if I don't get it the first time then I guess I wasn't motivated enough to do it and it isn't the career path for me.
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On February 18 2011 10:12 DeltruS wrote:
How did you keep yourself from making math mistakes? I always miss a negative here and there, and can't bring myself to iron that out of my habits.
Just focus, make sure you are wide awake, and write EVERYTHING out. For me what affects my grade most in any math related class isn't whether or not I studied. I've aced tests I haven't cracked a book for and bombed tests I have studied hard for. When I'm sick or my mind is elsewhere I'll just miss stupid things, even when I double or triple check everything. Its bound to happen, so just roll with the punches and don't let little mistakes on tests bother you too much.
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Yeah. Finishing up my Engineering degree now - going to grad school after.
If you don't do the work you're not going to succeed in Engineering. This is not grade school anymore. You have to do things you don't want to do if you want to succeed long term.
I know what it's like to be smart in High school. You can learn what is interesting to you, and just skate by the other classes. You can't do that in university. University is like the real world, in that you need to do things you don't want to do. If you can't do that, you're probably not going to be successful.
As to your questions OP:
I am happy. I did force myself to study, and it was from brute force. Eventually you move into work that requires you to know what you learned before and use it. That's interesting - but at the same time, if you didn't get it down well the first time you'll be weaker later on. Everything they tell you about building a foundation is 100% true. I do know some engineers that say they've never used anything they've learned in class. I can tell you that those engineers typically bring up the bottom of their classes and frankly don't offer significant benefits to their employers. You need to look for opportunities to use what you've learned. YOU have to do the learning, don't expect it to be taught. Professors are not there to hold your hand through the material. The way I see it is this: A textbook is huge. Maybe 40% of the material is regularly used. A prof can tell you what that 40% is so that you can learn it and not waste time on the other 60%. A prof can also help clairfy confusion for you. A prof is a resource.
As for math problems:
Don't make excuses. When you make a mistake on a problem like missing a negative sign, you fucked up. Don't say to yourself "oh it's a small problem, I know the concept". Your solution is worthless, and it will continue to be worthless when you enter the real world and you make those mistakes. Think about what you get paid and then think about how much you would get paid if you subtracted from your salary the wages of someone else to check your work.
That is the most important part. If you realize it is your fault, and it is serious, you will get better. There are a few other tips I can give you though, (but these are not nearly as important as the first one)
-Know the material well enough so you have extra time at the end of the exam to check your work
-Think very carefully about the problem and what you expect the answer to be like, and see if yours is similar. This requires knowing the material well enough.
-Fully rest yourself before exams - that means knowing the material well enough so you don't have to cram the night before.
Yes, as you can see, all of these things require you to know the material better. You may think you are smart, but if you are making small errors this is a mental deficiency. You are not as smart as someone who can get the answers but not make those mistakes naturally. You have to realize this. Making small errors is something that can handicap you when you're doing real work, either by preventing you from getting the answer or by forcing you to work longer than other people and get less work done in total.
I am not sorry if this is harsh - it's harsh because it has to be. College still gives you a chance to skate by while making mistakes - but you will find yourself going nowhere after you graduate if you don't learn how to be motivated and fix your limitations while still in college.
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EPT
