<p>As the OP, I was totally unfamiliar with the challenge of college engineering program (I’m entirely the a right side of the brain person), but I’ve learned quickly from the many who have responsed to my thread. And I’m realizing my S did indeed have an extremely heavy class load for a freshman. Combined with his diagnosis of mono the day before returning to college for his spring semester and a very respected yet sometimes backfiring personality of " I can do this without any help", and there you have it: a struggle to stay afloat. </p>
<p>And I’ve shared with him many of the comments from my post, many referring to how the heavy schedule weeds out the weakest and he said that’s just what they told him they do! </p>
<p>And for this kid, that only made him more determined!</p>
<p>I didn’t get that impression from sylan’s post. </p>
<p>Many students “self-teach” basic physics to themselves because there’s more than one way to acquire the methods, even though the principles are standard. Physics, like math, is one of the “re-sampled in inferior English language” disciplines in which what one reads should never be taken literally, and what one reads sometimes has nothing to do with what is really being described. Some people refer to alternative sources to get different views on what is being taught in class, because no one learns in the exact same way. </p>
<p>The “it wasn’t in my course material taught in class” never seems to cut it in college, either. Often, a prof will drop a suggestion, meaning, study it. It would be nice if the prof constrained what would be on the exam to only what is covered in lecture, but to make that an expectation is unrealistic and pat; leads to nasty discoveries on the final.</p>
<p>Finally, we don’t want “D” level engineers. Engineers make things that if they fail people die en masse. Struggling in “basic” engineering is common because it is probably the most rigorous cognitive challenge in undergraduate school. The successful student must “engineer” his way around that obstacle – Sylvan’s astute comment that “Not enough students take full advantage of the resources available in the textbook alone” is one recommendation as to how to do so.</p>
<p>Considering OP’s son had mono beginning of the term, with the heavy course load, he did surprisingly well, imo. There are Doctors who would have advised taking a leave from that semester.</p>
<p>D had mono her freshman year of college. It was rough, she didn’t do much more than go to class, study and sleep. It was not fun.</p>
<p>Tell you S to take care and try to rest up over the summer. My D was back to normal but really didn’t feel back to her normal self for a year. She also caught every bug as her immune system was low.</p>