<p>My daughter is a freshman engineering major. She already thinks she wants to change majors. She's asking what I think. On one hand, I think it's too early to make that decision. On the other hand, I see her point that she doesn't want to take a lot of classes that won't transfer to another major. </p>
<p>Did anyone on here think they wanted to change majors and then end up sticking with it?</p>
<p>Did she give you a reason why?</p>
<p>Also, unless she is already taking real engineering classes, engineering pre-reqs transfer to a lot of different majors (of course to your other sciences, but even to business).</p>
<p>She has had a rough quarter so far. She was placed in a third level honors calculus class. I thought it would be too much, but they wouldn't listen to me at orientation, and she thought she should do whatever they recommended. She had a hard time following this professor (no TA since it is an honors class, so there's only one person to get help from). Halfway through the quarter she finally got permission to move to another section. It's better, but she failed her midterm. She had another midterm today and said it was "rough."</p>
<p>She's getting a B in physics, but she's freaking out because she says she is working her butt off and a B is the best she can do. She said it's getting even harder, she doesn't think she will be able to maintain a B, and her physics class next quarter will be even harder (from what she has heard). She is getting an A in her engineering class. </p>
<p>I told her not to think about grades, scholarship money, etc. and asked if she is enjoying her classes. She looked at me and asked how she could enjoy her classes when she is struggling?! ( I guess I'm stupid-lol.) </p>
<p>I told her to talk to her advisor. She hasn't yet. My daughter said she thinks she should probably switch to business. I am just wondering if anyone out there struggled with classes at first--or is she maybe just being weeded out and should get out before she takes too many classes that won't transfer to another major? Maybe she just needs to work harder? I don't know what to tell her.</p>
<p>I'm in my first semester of college as well and I'm thinking that a lot of the difficulties may derive from the fact that college runs on a different pace and freshmen are just learning how to approach the classes. A lot of mistakes are being made at this time, which sets us up to learn from them and do better in the future. </p>
<p>That aside, did your daughter enjoy math and physics in high school? Did she spend hours doing the homework and never complained once? If so, then she should be able to hang in there. If she genuinely hates the classes and says that she never wants to continue with them, then engineering might not be for her.</p>
<p>The decision on a major depends on a couple of factors.<br>
- First, it depends on the pre-reqs that are important to the major. If you don't like those courses, then that may be an indicator of how you will feel working in the field. For example, if you hate math, then engineering is not the right choice. If you hate bio, then medicine is not the right choice.
- Second, it depends on interest/how hard you are willing to work. If you have, for example, a problem set due and you have to stay up all night to get it done, and you don't complain about it, then you have the will to go far in areas that involve problem solving. A major is right for you if you say that you are willing to go the distance no matter what.
- Third, it depends on your abilities and expertise. For example, if you tend to do well in history, then social sciences like criminal justice and political science may be good majors. If you do well in math, then either business or engineering would be good.
- Lastly, it depends on skills and preferences. You could ask, would I rather be writing papers, reading and memorizing things, or solve problems and work with numbers? I know that I would rather solve math problems than memorize crap and write papers.</p>
<p>Apart from the adjustments required by freshman towards college life other difficulties can arise from college in that the profs actually lecture, and don't really teach. It is the job of the student to learn what the prof is teaching, and this can be very hard. Especially if the teacher is difficult to understand or is so concerned with their grant work that they would rather talk over your head than actually instruct you.</p>
<p>I've had this problem, and failed a couple of time because of it. My advice, next time she has a teacher she doesn't understand; drop the class! Also, I found that I faired a lot better on off track course for all prereq course work. This may make it difficult to graduate in 4 years, but not many engineers do, and 5 years is better than bad grades. The off track courses were generally taught by TAs or non-tenured profs who have more to prove, talk more at the student level, and have more time for Office hours.</p>
<p>Additionally, no employeer will look favorably on honors classes in college. Take the regular course if you can, no reason to push yourself in your first two years. Take the time to get aclimated to college life, there will be enough time to challenge yourself when the engineering courses start.</p>
<p>Again, I had the same problems early on. Getting an advisor can help, she should be able to retake those courses to replace the grade so it shouldn't be too worrisome. Join study groups, start them if they don't exist, and get in to office hours. There is lots to do over giving up, and I think I've given some good advice.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
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She's getting a B in physics, but she's freaking out because she says she is working her butt off and a B is the best she can do.
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<p>Funny, I had this experience with numerous MIT classes, except that instead of a B it was a C (and I was an A student in high school). I might be jaded, but I think that freaking out over a B is unnecessary. She'll probably learn this as she goes along in college. A B in college is just not the same as a B in high school.</p>
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She said it's getting even harder, she doesn't think she will be able to maintain a B, and her physics class next quarter will be even harder (from what she has heard).
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<p>If I might ask, what physics is she taking now, and what physics is she taking next quarter? It seems like at many places, the standard intro physics sequence is mechanics first, then E&M. They are completely different subjects, and which one any given person finds easier will depend on the person, and your ability to do well in one doesn't necessarily reflect your ability to do well in the other.</p>
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She looked at me and asked how she could enjoy her classes when she is struggling?! ( I guess I'm stupid-lol.)
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<p>You're not stupid; she's a newbie. She'll learn, I hope. Doing well helps, but if struggling and enjoying the material were mutually exclusive, I would have been in trouble.</p>
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I told her to talk to her advisor. She hasn't yet.
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<p>She might have a good advisor, but just as a word of warning, there are a lot of terrible undergraduate advisors out there, particularly freshman advisors.</p>
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I don't know what to tell her.
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<p>Here are some things I would advise (as someone who struggled):</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Talk to the school counseling deans, or whatever her university's equivalent is. They might be able to help her deal with her stress, and they might also be able to help her evaluate and improve her study strategies (or refer her to people who can).</p></li>
<li><p>Find out if the physics department, or some other academic resource, offers any form of tutoring. A one-on-one tutor can do wonders for a student struggling in large lecture classes. If there is no free tutoring available, and you/she can afford it, consider paying for a private tutor.</p></li>
<li><p>Go to both professor and TA office hours. If one or both aren't helpful, she can stop, but sometimes they're helpful.</p></li>
<li><p>Talk to her TA. The TAs are often sympathetic and willing to advise and help struggling students.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Thanks to everyone for their advice. To answer some of your questions or add information:</p>
<p>Math and physics were her two favorite classes in high school. She didn't spend hours doing homework for these classes. (She spent hours doing homework for AP Government and AP Brit Lit--she hates to write!!!)</p>
<p>She went in after the first couple of weeks to try to get moved to a regular section of calculus, rather then an honors section. They wouldn't do that, but eventually moved her to another professor's class. It's too bad they didn't do it earlier. </p>
<p>Employers may not care that she took honors classes, but she is in the honors program and has a scholarship that requires her to take so many honors classes. She is required to have a 3.4 GPA at the end of each school year, so she is worried about losing her scholarship.</p>
<p>I told her a B is nothing to freak out over, but she said it is more than the B grade--she feels she will not be able to maintain a B because she is getting really confused and there are still a few weeks left in the quarter. She wonders if she will even get a C in the class by the time the quarter ends. </p>
<p>She was also worried that she would do even worse in the next physics because it gets harder. I don't know what kind she is taking now, nor the kind that she will take next quarter. I'll ask her about that. </p>
<p>My daughter is somewhat shy and has difficulty with initiating communication. I told her she needs to contact the advisor and she was worried about what the advisor would say if she wants to quit engineering, since she is the engineering advisor. </p>
<p>I guess I can only offer her advice. It's really up to her, but since she is asking for my help, I wanted to give her an informed opinion. Thanks for the help, guys. If you have anything else, please let me know. I will be talking to her this weekend.</p>
<p>Maybe the problem lies with the school itself; she may be more suited to an engineering program at an easier school. Some schools have more rigorous programs than others.</p>
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She is required to have a 3.4 GPA at the end of each school year, so she is worried about losing her scholarship.
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<p>Based on some quick math, assuming she takes 4 classes per quarter and there are three quarters per school year...if she gets a C in this class she will need to average a 3.53 for the rest of her classes (roughly equal numbers of As and Bs) for all other classes in the school year to maintain a 3.4. Given that she has an A in her engineering class, it sounds like she is on the right track for this. If she gets a B, she needs a 3.44 for the rest of her classes in the year. I think it's a little soon for her to decide that she needs to punt engineering.</p>
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I thought it would be too much, but they wouldn't listen to me at orientation, and she thought she should do whatever they recommended.
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<p>I know that this is easy to say and harder to do, but she really needs to learn to be more assertive. Otherwise there's a decent chance that she will be continually screwed.</p>
<p>jessiehl, you are right. She does need to learn to be more assertive. In this case though, she thought the school knew better than I did, so she listened to them. (I am just her mother, after all.) I might not know about differentials and all that jazz, but I know my daughter! I knew she should have started in an easier calculus, no matter what AP or ACT scores she got. </p>
<p>This is off track, but it doesn't seem fair that she needs to have the same GPA to keep her scholarship as someone who is in an easier major. I guess that's why they say that life's not fair--cuz it's not! </p>
<p>I just hope she doesn't give up on engineering because of the scholarship requirements. If she doesn't like it, that's fine with me. I love my job, and I want her to do something she loves, too.</p>
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My daughter is a freshman engineering major. She already thinks she wants to change majors. She's asking what I think.
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<p>It doesn't matter. Tell her that.</p>
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she thought the school knew better than I did, so she listened to them. (I am just her mother, after all.) I might not know about differentials and all that jazz, but I know my daughter!
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<p>That doesn't matter either. I always think we have it backwards. We should put teenagers in charge of everything... why they still know it all!</p>
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I just hope she doesn't give up on engineering because of the scholarship requirements.
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<p>Tell her that. Engineering is a labor of love, as is every profession. Perhaps she is feeling pressured by the scholarship to do what she thought was expected of her, or what she expected of herself. College is a tough time, especially to some who is as bright as your daughter. Most people spend their lives asking, "what is it that I can do", while she sounds like someone who is asking, "what is it I want to do?" That's a very tough question when you can do ANYTHING!!! Her difficulties with the classes are minor in comparison to this question, and are probably rooted here.</p>
<p>If she came to me and asked me what to do I would tell her that I couldn't tell her that. However, I would tell her that if she wants to be an engineer then she will have to learn to make it work, that's what engineers do afterall. However, if I were also her parent, I would tell her that I would support her in whatever SHE decided. </p>
<p>She's going to have to seek these answers out for herself. It's part of growing up.</p>
<p>IMO, it's not fair to ask a teenager what they want to do with the rest of their life. And, as you have pointed out, life is not fair. Still, there are plenty of ways to make sure that you get a great education without having to make that decision right yet.</p>
<p>(Myself: BS ChemE UC Davis, 8+ engineering in pharma/biotech, start my MBA in jan. in a top 25 nationally ranked program, have a 2 year old daughter, struggled to get my degree... love what I do, and still ask myself 'what do I want to be when I grow up'... I'm 33)</p>
<p>First of all the whole idea of Honors classes is Bull, just stick with the general classes.</p>
<p>Japher, thanks for your great advice. My daughter is blessed with a great brain, but she is a teenager and that can make it tough. It's hard to see the big picture at 18. It sounds like you, too, are someone who can do anything he wants to do. Good luck to you. Enjoy life with your 2 year old daughter, as it will go by all too quickly. </p>
<p>Vince, honors classes may be bull, but this program is giving her money so she has to stick to the requirements. I know it sounds like whining, and I guess it is, but anyone who is in engineering knows that the classes for engineering are a lot harder than most majors. These students still have to pull the same GPA to keep their honors scholarship. I hate to give up the money, but if she wants to stick with engineering, I would be ok with her doing that. I just want her to be happy.</p>