I want to major in either industrial or mechanical engineering. I like math and physics is interesting. I’m in Cal 1 right now… I just have constant doubts that I can do it. I hear so many horror stories or the washout rate (http://www.cbsnews.com/news/engineering-degrees-how-tough-is-it-to-get-one/) and I just get so discouraged and even anxious that I can do it. I’m trying to find out if I can do it, but I don’t want to waste years of college to find I can’t do it. So I’m trying to find some kind of milestone to know if I can do it. If I can get through all three calculus’s and physics, do I have what it takes to be an engineer?
Yes, I think that’s a good cutoff for whether or not you have what it takes. It gets harder, but it’s manageable if you have a strong fundamental understanding of the math and physics of it all.
The fact that you find math and physics interesting is important. It’s a LONG road for those who fall into the trap of thinking they just need to survive those classes to get to “real engineering.” Engineering utilizes those as building blocks. Some of the classes get harder, but some aren’t. At the end of the day, pure and simply, engineering is hard. Be diligent and organized in your study habits and you’ll do fine. Good luck.
Learning math and physics is necessary but not sufficient to succeed in engineering. You also need to be able to solve design problems using principles from math and physics. This will be taught and practiced in engineering course work.