I’m not doubting what you guys are saying, but I haven’t seen an engineering track that puts all those courses together at once (?). My son is planning to do CS, but at several schools the CS students basically take those early engineering courses. I have looked at the tracks at FAU, UF, UA, UAH, FSU, VT. Perhaps I am mis-remembering (?) and if so I am now nervous for my son. Two heavy duty lab courses combined with Calc 3 seems like alot.
I was a liberal arts major so I’m not the expert, though I have looked at this issue extensively when it comes to scheduling for DS.
ChemE recommended academic plan at my school at the time of Calc 3 (third semester) includes DiffEq, Calc 3, physics 2, and Orgo 1.
First semester Calc 1 and Chem 1; second semester Calc 2, Chem 2, and Physics. Someone with AP credit may be taking more of the later courses earlier on.
(Only referencing ChemE because that’s what I’m taking)
^^that’s what I think OP did (went to Calc 3 due to AP?).
OP, back to your original question - you have had great suggestions. I would also suggest looking into tutoring, as early and as much as possible.
My son went to many of the SI sessions for Chem 1. And tutoring. As someone mentioned up-thread, you have to treat your academics like a job, especially in a tough major.
From my observation with engineering D your class schedule was pretty typical with the exception of Calc3. As of others have mentioned you need to consider your study habits. Not only are you taking courses that are harder than any you’ve had in HS, your student peers are most likely smarter than you had in HS. You will need to retake your physics and chem courses before moving on physics and chem 2. I would be asking questions of the math professor to determine how well prepared you are for differential equations and probably linear algebra. Our D reads the material before the lectures and takes notes while she reads then takes notes at the lectures and then combines the notes. There is the homework, projects, and if she still doesn’t understand there are recitations and professors office hours. It’s a good 50 -60 hour week for her. She is a junior carrying a 3.82 so far and I’m sure it’s not because she necessarily the brightest in her classes. Good luck.
It calls for Chem I, Calc I, and possibly ECE 101 all in the first semester, with the rest as non-technical courses. The schedule gets heavier (more credits) AND more technical with each year, but they recommend starting off slowly. I would say that OP went a bit harder by jumping into Calc 3 but her load was not outside the normal range for ECE freshmen, as they tend to be ambitious here.
Being a freshman anywhere is hard, especially at UIUC for ECE. Calc 3 is hard even if you have the previous classes in college (I agree that AP Calc is often inadequate for engineers, it was for me!). It sounds like OP scheduled poorly and didn’t manage her time well, which is a complaint I have heard from UIUC ECE freshman, masters candidates, and PhD candidates.
OP: You can bounce back from this, I certainly did but I know others who did not. I would say that you are not ready for a harder semester yet, and taking harder classes at this stage could really torpedo you. It’s like saying that you struggled to ride a bicycle in a parking lot but you are going to go and try mountain biking next week - you are just asking for more pain. Take next semester a little more tentatively.
I would not worry too much about Physics 211 and Chem 102 - they are not likely to be hugely important in your ECE plans (depending on your intended specialty, of course). I would worry about Calc 3, and would highly recommend retaking it - a LOT of ECE is dependent on multi-variable calc, and a failure to really grasp that material is going to make a bunch of subsequent classes very difficult. You know that you need to address your study habits, and I would start by first looking at how you were spending your NON-study time, as that usually is where the big problem is. There are lots of people who have “bad study habits” but spend a lot of time watching daytime television or playing computer games or otherwise just mindlessly killing time.
Anyway, I am at UIUC for at least a couple of months still if you want to PM me with any more school-specific questions. I didn’t do my undergrad here but I have TA’d here and am certainly familiar with the study of electrical engineering!
Both of those UF course plans (for chemical and electrical engineering) have the student taking two lab courses in the second semester. Note also that those UF course plans also require more than 8 semesters to graduate.
It is common for the engineering course plans to start with the following, so UF is not too unusual here:
Semester 1: calculus 1, chemistry 1, other courses
Semester 2: calculus 2, physics 1, chemistry 2 (if required for major), other course(s)
Students who start in a math course more advanced than calculus 1 using AP credit (which is common at more selective schools or more selective engineering divisions) have the option of starting the physics sequence in semester 1 instead of semester 2. This is often advantageous from the point of view of clearing prerequisites earlier to give more schedule flexibility later, but it means having two lab courses instead of one in the first semester (when the student is adjusting to college from high school), so it has a somewhat higher ramp up in workload and time management to handle. Of course, if the student who is advanced in math is allowed to skip chemistry 1 using AP credit, or can safely delay it until later for his/her major, then it may be advantageous to start the physics sequence in the first semester instead of taking chemistry 1 then.
Of course, the general recommendation when considering skipping a course using AP credit, where the course is an important prerequisite to later courses (generally applicable to calculus for all engineering majors, but not always applicable to chemistry), is to try the old final exams of the courses that you are allowed to skip to check your knowledge before making the placement decision.
@SouthFloridaMom9, I’m not saying it’s easy, just that it’s not that atypical. My son took Honors Calc III, Physics II, Intro to ME, Manufacturing Processes and one other class, either Psych or Tech Writing as a first quarter freshman. I think that students who test into higher level classes don’t verify that they are ready and may have just brute forced their way through HS with their smarts. A good example was my son’s honors Multivariable class. It was invite only with a 5 on the Calc BC test. Quite a few students scored in the 30s on their first exam. Gulp!
Specifically, PHYS 212 and ECE 329 among the required courses for the UIUC ECE major will use multivariable calculus. Some other in-major courses will also need it.
@ucbalumnus On UF, the state of Florida has a summer requirement (must take 9+ credits over the summer, with some exceptions, like internships/co-ops), so this is reflected in UF’s (and at any other Florida public university) recommend semester plan. So, instead of 15 credits (the standard) being recommended each semester, it’s usually somewhere from 12 to 14 credits (with the difference being made up over the summer term). Of course you can take more credit hours than the recommended amount.
Both semester plans do not include the “CHM 2046L General Chemistry 2 Laboratory” in the second semester. So, no 2nd lab in the 2nd semester. However, I think it’s not atypical for an EE curriculum to not include a 2nd semester of chemistry (and lab).
The op needs to deal with his/her poor study habits issue. Building good habits take time (multiple semesters), so I recommend they work with an advisor at school for this semester’s plan. The advisor is likely to recommend a reduced load (12 to 14 hours), and to re-take classes were needed. But the real focus needs to be on building much better study habits.
If you want to be an engineer, you will need to step it up because if your GPA is less than a 3.0 by the time you graduate, you will get shut out of most engineering job opportunities (i.e., hiring managers can throw out your resume without looking further if your GPA is less than a 3.0 or you refuse to put it on there). A sub-3.0 GPA in engineering will not help you have a better chance at finding a well paid job than somebody who got a liberal arts degree. At umich, the average engineering student graduates with between a 2.8 and 2.9, with the freshman average being roughly 2.7. Many engineering students get weeded out after the first year. Therefore, merely being an average student will make it very difficult to get an engineering job.
Your engineering classes are only going to get harder. If you can’t do well in the core classes required for all engineering students (e.g., math, physics), that is a sign that you do not have the ability to succeed in any engineering major. If you make it past that level, they will start weeding you out of each individual engineering major, and then out of specialties within engineering majors. The weeding process doesn’t end until you are taking graduate level engineering classes.
If you don’t have the potential to become an engineer, better to find out freshman year rather than later.
If a UF student wants to graduate in 8 semesters + 0 summers of school, is s/he allowed to do that (by averaging a larger number of credits per semester)? Or does the requirement really mean that s/he is not allowed to graduate in just 8 semesters + 0 summers of school? (What about really advanced students who may graduate in 7 or fewer semesters?)
@umcoe16, I think the OP pretty much figured that out and isn’t looking to be smacked across the face by captain obvious. They’re posting here for help, not for further degradation. I think they probably self punished enough and are looking for ways to improve.
It’s also flat out ridiculous to act like engineering departments/colleges intentionally weed out students throughout the entire length of the program.
@SouthFloridaMom I hear what you’re saying, and it can be the right way to go for some students. (I’m an aero engineering major in my first year.) I am doing that - trying to say spread out my Gen eds so that I can take several “roughs” (aka the engineering/science courses) and at least one “fluff” (a Gen ed course.) Writing comes pretty easily to me, so those kind of courses are easy. I also came in with dual enrollment credits, including the 2nd semester of English, so that softens the blow as well. It depends on the person on what they can handle - some of my friends took chemisty and physics their first semester, some just took chemistry and are taking physics next semester (like me.)
You can do it, OP. Organize your schedule better, don’t overload yourself, and try again. Best of luck to you.
@Neurogirl07 Looking at your posting history, you were looking to transfer 5 minutes after you accepted your university. You were also going to double major in CS and Engineering all while doing a pre-med track. What gives? Obviously, you need to focus on taking 4 or 5 courses MAX and studying for them, not making excuses.
@ucbalumnus A student can graduate in less than 8 semesters, but they still have to meet the summer requirement (or gain a waiver).
To clarify, all students entering a university in the Florida State University System(SUS), with fewer than 60 credits hours, is required to earn at least 9 credit hours, prior to graduation, in one or two summer sessions. A few exceptions and waivers are available, including financial hardship. Waivers are also given to those that complete a substantial summer internship or comparable professional development training during the summer. It’s not uncommon for students to use travel/study abroad experiences to meet the summer requirements.
I know the engineering advisors at UF, recommend a student take a light first semester (13-15 credits) and avoid taking 16 or more credit hours as a freshman, but they do let the student decide on the load. They also recommend spreading out the Gen Eds, but that’s really the only way to handle Gen Ed’s when following an engineering curriculum, otherwise you’re going to get behind in engineering.
As a former engineering student who got his butt handed to him his first semester of college, I can empathize.
I can recommend that you… slow down a little, take less ambitious classes, and go to every office hour that is offered.
It sucks, to get mediocre grades, but from someone who has been in your shoes… hard work can get you out of the hole you’re in.
OP, please sit down with your adviser/department chair/trusted professor and make an evaluation of where you are and what you need to to do improve. I know some schools won’t accept credits earned in high school (through AP or other means) towards classes in the major, and for good reason - to ensure every student has the foundation needed for higher level courses. You say you mostly self-studied Calc I and II. While Calc III is a different beast, you might not have all the fundamentals down that you need to succeed in higher-level courses that build on Calculus. Retaking some courses might be a sound idea, or maybe taking a course or two over the summer - even if you can’t get credit for it - might help as you advance in your studies.
Also, seek out your school’s counseling center. I was also one of those students who did did great in high school, only to get a huge slap in the face when I reached college and discovered I had coasted through high school without ever developing good study habits. I was lucky enough to find a peer group that met regularly for study session. If you don’t have that, look to the counseling center to see what they offer as far as assistance with study habits, time management, and so on.
It’s hard to go from being a star in high school to being lower in the pack once you get to college. But look at this as a challenge, and seek out the assistance you need to be successful.
Hmmm, that means that the stated 4-year graduation rates (e.g. 67% at UF) are deceptive, since the student and parents need to plan for more than 8 semesters of college costs due to the required summer session. Note that the required summer session also reduces the potential for earning money during the summer to pay for school, unless one gets a job that counts as a summer internship that waives the summer session requirement.
Since the student and parents must plan for 8 semesters + 1 summer of costs, and have one fewer summer of work earnings to help pay for school, how much financial hardship must one be in to waive the requirement for the summer session?