<p>hey guys, this fall i will begin my freshman year at the University of Florida. I recently changed my major from architecture to aerospace engineering. I felt that architecture wouldn't be the kind of challenge i wanted and i'm excited for aerospace. But i took the placement tests today and i barely passed the calc readiness test and i failed the chem readiness test. I'm second guessing myself on whether or not i'll be able to handle a major in aerospace engineering....are there any aerospace majors out there that can tell me how difficult it is or if the major is next to impossible? any advice would be appreciated and thanks in advance</p>
<p>I am not an aerospace engineer but a good friend of mine is at the University of Maryland.</p>
<p>He told me that aerospace engineering is very difficult. It is very heavy in physics and mathematics. One of the toughest things is that aerospace has a lot of theoretical concepts that must be understood at the quantum level. Because of the difficulty of conceptualizing these complex concepts many students have a lot of trouble.</p>
<p>Aerospace engineering is no joke. It is tougher than most engineering disciplines.</p>
<p>That being said anybody can become an aerospace engineer. Even if your not good at calculus now you still can be through practice. It will take a lot of hard work and determination.
All you need to do is go for something you really want to become, set your heart/mind to it and just go for it. Study hard, focus, organization is key.</p>
<p>I was also not good at math in high school. I did not have a natural skill. I always had to work harder than most people to get a good grade in math/physics. But after some years I have developed math skills in college. It took a while but now math comes more naturally to me.</p>
<p>Don’t underestimate your mind. You can do anything your put your mind to.</p>
<p>Go with Aerospace (or related) engineering if that’s what you want to do. Switching to it just because you “wanted a challenge” isn’t that great of a reason if you think you would enjoy Architecture (or any other major) more.</p>
<p>I go with what ‘chem’ said.</p>
<p>Go with what you really want to do for most of your life. Its not to late to change.</p>
<p>Architecture is also a challenge. Just in a different way. Although job prospects and security are better for engineers than for architects on average. Pay is also better for engineers.</p>
<p>“aerospace has a lot of theoretical concepts that must be understood at the quantum level”</p>
<p>Really?</p>
<p>Math requires practice and hard work to become proficient at, just like anything else. There are very, VERY few people born with such extraordinary mathematical aptitude as to understand difficult mathematical concepts with little invested time. In fact, I’m sure the great mathematical geniuses of the ages devoted tons of hours to studying rather than just popping out of the womb and solving difficult topology problems.</p>
<p>no, i understand that both majors will be a challenge but architecture was not the type of challenge i am looking for. i enjoy solving math problems and drawing sketches based on numbers. architecture is more free lance creative thinking rather than crunching numbers. that is what my decision, along with many other factors, was based on.</p>
<p>alchemist007,</p>
<p>im pretty decent in math, i made it up to precalc in high school and made mostly A’s and a few B’s. these were also dual enrolled math courses so they were more challenging. the point of me saying that is i thought i would do better on the placement tests because i have been well prepared. but on the contrary, i did not do so well so that makes me second guess my ability to survive an actual math class there. i think i will stick to aerospace engineering though, i would really enjoy a career doing that.</p>
<p>jamesgold,</p>
<p>thank you, that’s encouraging. i do plan to devote most of my time to studying because that’s what i’m going for!</p>
<p>you can always do a bachealor in Mechanical enginneering and master in aerospace. Its alot easier to find a job with a mechanical degree. This is my path that I am going on. I know for a fact your first 2 years in your aerospace program will be the enginnering basics that Mechanical students take. Take a good deal of engineering classes so you can get a feel of it. Only class in that first 2 years of basic engineering that uses Cal alot would be engineering anaylsis II. So cal shouldn’t be to much of a problem.</p>
<p>I’d like to know what it is that must be understood at the “quantum level” because, a an aerospace engineering PhD student, I really haven’t run into anything like that.</p>
<p>@bonehead</p>
<p>That’s just how my friend described it. He wasprobably just trying to make aerospace engineering sound more difficult than it is by using such terminology. I apologize if what I wrote may not be correct. To tell you the truth what I know of aerospace is from what I have read and been told about. I don’t have experience. I didn’t know.</p>
<p>Btw my major is a very different discipline of Petroleum engineering.</p>
<p>Yeah I think out of all the aerospace schools Ive looked at, only 1 had quantum mechanics in the curriculum.</p>
<p>Understand that this is going to require commitment on your part to be successful. I’d suggest focusing on just a general MechE/AeroE program for the first two years. It will become clear if you are cut out for it or not, and you will always have the option of transferring to an “easier” major if things aren’t going well. Good luck…Aero or MechE is a great career choice if you’ve got what it takes!</p>
<p>Another option, assuming there was something in architecture that attracted you in the first place, would be architectural engineering.</p>
<p>i’ve looked at architectural engineering and that seems to be more of a made up career than a clearcut career choice.</p>
<p>also, at uf they are telling me that i have to take the basic engineering courses the first 2 years and that after i can specialize in aerospace, mechanical, or if i taake 3 extra classes both! but i am very determined to succeed in this major and earn both degrees</p>
<p>I am a senior in mechanical engineering at Iowa State University, however I originally started out in aerospace. After my first year and a half I realized that aerospace is more theory compared to the more practical mechanical engineering. I will agree with what the others have said about the first two years will be basic general engineering courses, however there might be some differences (ex. my freshman aero engineering course I learned Fortran 90 while the mech engineers learned Visual Basic) I will say that in order to be truly successful in aerospace you really need to have a passion for the industry. I love the aerospace field, however I was unsure of exactly what I wanted to do after graduation and I wanted to keep my options open. That is why I switched from aero to mechanical engineering. </p>
<p>If you are looking for a challenge any engineering major will give you that, not just aero</p>
<p>Make sure you choose and ABET accredited college and engineering field.</p>
<p>ISUCyclone i will definitely take that into consideration!</p>
<p>alchemist007 UF is ABET accredited :)</p>
<p>Don’t worry about those readiness exams! They just serve to place you into a certain level; they’re in no way any indication of how well/poorly you’ll do in that class. The first two years aren’t too bad, so I’m sure you’ll do fine 
Go gators!</p>