<p>Hey guys, im a 15 year old guy who's, aspiring to be a mechanical engineer. i've heard that this is a particularly hard career, and it involves alot of math. Me, im decent at math, and i know that i will have to step up my game in math to even be able to be considered in this major. are there any tips that you guys can give on how i should start studying in Mec. engineering, math.... Etc?</p>
<p>Take challenging math and science courses - what your school offers take advantage of it but don’t do what you can’t handle. And do some math/science related activities too, in both the school year and in the summer. UPenn’s SAAST isn’t a bad summer program.</p>
<p>Here’s the secret they never tell you in school: you don’t have to be exceptionally bright to do well in math and science classes, you just need to have a reasonable amount of intelligence and be willing to do the work it takes to really understand and be able to apply the concepts. </p>
<p>Some kids make the mistake of just practicing problems. Practicing problems is a good step, but not if you’re doing it so that you can solve similar problems on a test instead of trying to understand the concept underneath them. That’s why so many people struggle with word problems, IMHO; its easy to twist the same basic principle a dozen ways so that it doesn’t resemble anything you’ve seen before and yet once seen in the light of the underlying principle it is easily solved.</p>
<p>There are 2 articles about studying for technical classes I recommend you read carefully.<br>
[On</a> Becoming a Math Whiz: My Advice to a New MIT Student](<a href=“http://calnewport.com/blog/2011/04/28/on-becoming-a-math-whiz-my-advice-to-a-new-mit-student/]On”>On Becoming a Math Whiz: My Advice to a New MIT Student - Cal Newport)
[How</a> to Ace Calculus: The Art of Doing Well in Technical Courses](<a href=“http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/11/14/how-to-ace-calculus-the-art-of-doing-well-in-technical-courses/]How”>How to Ace Calculus: The Art of Doing Well in Technical Courses - Cal Newport)</p>