<p>I just switched my major to Polymer Science and Engineering and I just found out that im actually a Junior. For the longest time I thought that I actually enjoyed Physics. I did decent in the classes I took. Got a C in my mechanics (not good but I actually had fun for some reason) and took E/M at a community college when I took my break and got an A in it (which was no easy feat). Due to my school not taking the credit i earned at my community college, I have to retake E/M and now im utterly hating it. It seems so much harder than what it needs to be or should be. I was sitting in my lab today and realized that I utterly hate having to re-discover (we're supposed to appreciate) what has already been discovered many many years ago and just having to write a lab report on that. The absolute worst thing about lab which I have talked about on here before is having to go through error analysis a bagillion times like its necessary. I hate it so very very much. Another thing is that I have a test soon and I have a feeling its going to be so much harder than what it should be due to my school going so much more in depth than my community college, which is something i expected but at the same time still loathe.</p>
<p>Idk how to get through this semester of this class. I have other classes to bump my gpa up in case this one happens to go south. i dont want it to but i just have that feeling. any advice?</p>
<p>Hmm…is it specifically E/M that you hate, or just sort of physics in general/the concept discovering things that have already been discovered/lab work, as you mentioned? </p>
<p>The reason I ask is that you said you actually enjoyed Mechanics, but are really not into your E/M class. If it’s an issue specifically with E/M, then there are a number of engineering fields that really due not rely on E/M as much as others (e.g. electrical engineering may not be your thing). If it’s a more general issue with science and lab classes, that could definitely be much more of a problem…</p>
<p>yeah. i figured out that EE wasnt my thing along time. I think just dont see the relevance of re-discovering something thats already been discovered so many times. I actually enjoy the circuits part of E/M, but not the “testing for voltages and electric fields” and having to do those mapings.</p>
<p>I think it has alot to do with the fact that my school just goes more in depth into things that I dont think is necessary to understand it. not to mention lab reports</p>
<p>Learning about things that have “already been discovered” is an essential process to understanding any specific engineering field. It is practically the entire role of every undergraduate engineering degree. After all, for example, if you don’t learn Newton’s 2nd law or the differential spring-mass-damper system, how do you expect to learn more complicated applications of them? Or is it that the application portion of your education is lacking (too theory-based)?</p>
<p>I can understand not enjoying E&M, I too thought most of it was boring. However, if it’s the process of learning what has already been discovered or diving into the depth of something that you don’t enjoy, then maybe engineering isn’t for you… or perhaps you need to get involved outside of the classroom to appreciate your field more entirely.</p>
<p>…um why is that a good thing exactly that I paid for a class, did well in it, was initially told that i could get credit for it, now cant get credit due to some loop hole, and now have to take a more difficult version of the class again?</p>
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<p>I think i cant really stand when i dont really see it as relevant to to me ever or fully understand whats going on, especially in the labs. the class just seems more like busy work than anything else. im not sure. ill just hope for the best. Right now, my new advisor is preparing me for his research project which should be very interesting and exciting. so maybe when that starts, the class will just seem like something else i just have to do and get over</p>
<p>Because it clearly wasn’t that great of a class if you struggle that much now after getting an A in the CC version.</p>
<p>Listen, every engineer has to go through physics and every engineer has to suffer through E&M. It is kind of a rite of passage. My advice: suck it up and power through it. It is only one semester.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, that is a part of school as well as life. You are going to be forced to do things you don’t like, and things that can seem pointless. A circuits class I took one semester was more tedious than my in-major classes, and pretty useless. But you’ll eventually either get used to it, or find the general accumulation of knowledge entertaining. If E&M doesn’t play a huge role in your major, get it over with and get on to better things.</p>