<p>I am going to graduate from high school in June of this year. My problem is that I have not taken calculus...or physics yet and will not be able to take it in high school. I have a strong desire to learn something in Engineering. I should say that i have struggled a little in Math in high school. Is it possible for me to try to major in Engineering? I know that those two subjects are the most important prerequisite for this discipline. But, can someone here give an honest answer?? Thank you.</p>
<p>Misal23,</p>
<pre><code> I'd say it is your strong desire to learn something that will be more important than if you had Calculus in high school. Many students take Calculus for the first time in college, it's not like you would be behind. Since you know that you have struggled a little with math in the past, I would make sure you dedicated a lot of time for Calculus when you get to college. You need to work on it every night, and keep up with it.
Since you have a strong desire to learn something in engineering, go to college and try it out. If it doesn't work out for you, it's not the end of the world. But a good work ethic will take you far and will give you the best chance to succeed.
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<p>I only had pre-calc in high school but I forgot nearly all of it by the time I started a pre-freshman summer program. By keeping good study habits I got good at calculus. I still had trouble with the exams because to do good on my calc exams you had to be very good at solving complex derivatives and integrals. I couldn't remember all of the little mechanics of doing so, but I was able to apply calculus concepts in my physics and mechanical engineering classes and that is what counts for me in the end.</p>
<p>I was unbelievably bad in math, but I made it through calc by sheer determination. If I can do it, anybody can!</p>
<p>Misal - You can do this. Definitely. My grandS did not have strong hs preparation at all. Definitely no calculus and I don't even think pre-calculus. No physics. He is now a 3.4 GPA in a very decent Engineering program at UNH. Certainly he had to start college math at a "lower" level than many Engineering students. But many Engineering programs recognize the varying level of math preparation of their entering students and have a variety of math sequences to meet these varying needs.</p>
<p>Choose the Engineering schools you apply to carefully. Look at their course catalogues and you will find those which will work best for your situation.</p>
<p>Go for it.</p>
<p>PS If you are planning on staying in New England for college, UNH and UMaine-Orono are two you might really want to look at.</p>
<p>Don't worry Calculus is not that hard as people make it out to be. I though pre-Calc was harder than Calculus I. Now I am in Differential Equations. Remember this, Math is very logical so if you work hard at it and practice (that's the key) you will be successful. I think people who say that "they don't get Math" just don't work at it enough.</p>
<p>Yes, logical perhaps the best way to describe. It's not like writing an English paper where you grade depends on the subjective opinion of some professor with a big ego. In math (at least with stuff like calculus and differential equations), you are right or wrong, and their are step-by-step methods that you use to solve the problem. All of the math that I have taken as an engineering student has made sense to me but I work with some guys at my campus job that still can't grasp basic algebra.</p>
<p>Not to put a damper on anything, but there is still room for grey areas in Calculus too... I know, i've had stuff marked off because it wasn't written down how the teacher wanted it written down. It was still correct, just not "their" correct. Gotta be careful and take a good note of HOW the professor wants it done</p>
<p>Kevin: that's not grey area, it's just your teacer being a ***** In most calculus problems there is only ONE answer...the methodology may be different</p>