<p>First of all, I am 35 years old- I have a B.S in Economics and I am currently pursuing a second degree in Industrial Engineering. I understand that IE is not one of the hardest Engineering majors but I am struggling with Calculus I and Chemistry for Engineers.</p>
<p>I like both subjects though- I am doing 2 hours of Calculus tutoring every week and I also do about 2 hours of Chemistry SI(Special Instruction) per week + study every open block I get in between classes + weekends.</p>
<p>I really think that most of us are struggling because I just got my last Calculus quiz back and I got a 8 out of 10- most of my peers failed. Our first Chemistry test, I got a 49/100 and most of the people in my recitation class got something in the 50-55 range. Last year, after the second test, the average passing grade for this Chemistry course was 41%</p>
<p>I am not an immature person, I have been through college before, I am putting the time and the effort. I am just wondering if it is normal for people to go through what I am going through, even when they are disciplined?</p>
<p>I never had to work this hard in college before- Economics is not exactly a walk in the park but I know I am never going to give up until I graduate- any help/suggestion is appreciated! :)</p>
<p>My friend (very successful in his chosen field) has a favorite joke.</p>
<p>Q. What do you call first year engineering students?</p>
<p>A. Pre-business majors.</p>
<p>Of course, the reason he likes this is because it applied to him. He soon changed majors, and all went very well.</p>
<p>As to your situation, I think engineering can be very difficult, though not impossible, for some people. My son is just finishing up this year, and it’s been quite tough for him.
Unlike many in this major, he’s never been a math whiz or a stellar student. I admire his tenacity, and it sounds like you are just as determined.</p>
<p>Best of luck</p>
<p>It’s tough going back and taking these courses. But as non-traditional, the curve is different for us. The first couple semesters that are easy for kids who just took AP Calc, chem and physics in HS are REALLY tough for us, but the playing field levels out and we get pretty good at this stuff. I’ve only taken an easy intro ENGR class so far so I don’t mean to imply that the major courses won’t be brutal, but it seems like the calc series is a big hump for most students anyway. </p>
<p>Looking ahead, I feel like if I can get through next semester (Chem II, PHYS I, labs for each, calc II, History, some easy engineering class) with my GPA up, I’ll be able to handle the rest.</p>
<p>Im not as old as you but as a returning student also I feel your pain. Chemistry is an extremely difficult sequence and calculus just takes a lot of work. I wish you the best of luck. Hang in there and it will be over before you know it.</p>
<p>Wouldn’t you have seen calculus before when you studied economics?</p>
<p>My son is a junior aerospace engineering major. From what he tells me, engineering is definitely not easy. He spends almost every weekend doing work on his three engineering courses this semester. Every week he has three labs, three discussion sessions, and three pre-labs due. It will not get any easier bschoolwiz. The concepts are difficult to understand, and the work load is heavy. Much heavier than other majors. My son is a math person, has always done well in mathematics courses, and yet these courses are still difficult for him. So what you are going through is perfectly normal for engineering majors. A lot of students do not make it through and change their major. The average grades on the tests in Chemistry sound like the average grades my son reports in his engineering courses. He does study groups and sees the TA on occasion. It helps but it is still hard. Any kind of engineering is hard.</p>
<p>Yes, I took Calculus I at my first university and passed it with a B-. Just because someone took Calculus I in the past, it does not mean that you are going to remember all the concepts forever. </p>
<p>I went to Calculus II my first day of classes and I was lost. I spoke with my Engineering advisor and she recommended retaking Calculus I as a refresher before attempting Calculus II. </p>
<p>Still, Calculus I is the most time consuming course I have ever taken in college-even the most challenging Economics courses like Econometrics were not that demanding.</p>