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Besides, Vietnamese math is way, way, way harder than any math done in the US, even during the 1st yrs of postsecondary education
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<p>There's no such thing as Vietnamese math. It's the same math everywhere in the world. I believe you when you say that there are many good mathematicians there. They certainly tend to do well at the IMO. But you're very wrong about the top math students in the US, who are basically the best in the world. Of course any really good math undergrad is taking grad classes in math as soon as he hits college of course ...</p>
<p>Failure rates IMO are due to a lot of students not acknowledging the amount of work in an engineering major before getting involved. In my freshman class the ones that dropped did it because of time constraints. Many are not willing to let their social life suffer during college due to the amount of work required in a major. I'd say if you go in with an understanding that 40 hours a week on average will be dedicated to your school work, you should be fine. This was especially relevant to students who had jobs and decided if they'd stay their GPA would potentially suffer. In those cases a easier major would be the way to go.</p>
<p>Engineering majors is very theoretical and there are a lot of concepts you need to grasp, this frightens many too. There are a number of contributing factors. However, in my personal experience the students who have dropped engineering did it for various reasons. Ability was rarely the main contributing factor.</p>
<p>Even in many of my higher level engineering classes the professors just make then so hard that we still have averages around 38%. And some of these classes dont curve so its tough.</p>
<p>If you can't get through Calculus I, then you do not deserve to be an engineer. If you cannot get through the basic Physics I/II courses with a grade of C or better, then you aren't capable of succeeding in future courses, whether you are a ME or EE/CE. If you are a ME, you'll be blown away by your Statics and Dynamics course and by the Electrical Circuits course. If you are an EE, you will be blown away by your Semiconductor Devices/Physics course, Electrical Circuits course, and Electromagnetic course. Make sure you understand the material.</p>
<p>Instead of looking at past statistics with such great detail, focus on working hard in the class. That's the only way to succeed. Don't look at other people's performance and predict your own. You don't know what they did or did not do. What you do during the course is up to you.</p>
<p>If you are a freshman, be prepared to be working MANY MANY hours per week. If you cannot handle doing 4-5 hours of homework a day after classes, then just save yourself the trouble and switch to something else. I am currently a junior in EE and I'm flooded with work. I don't like it, but it has to be done. If you are worried about your social life, you need to make a decision. While you can still have fun (maybe only on Friday or Saturday nights), it still takes a lot of hardwork. I'm not saying that you can't enjoy time with your friends, but you'll need to be good at time management.</p>