I love engineering. I’ve take pltw the last 2 years, and I love it. But I’m just not sure how I’ll fare when I apply to engineering schools. I got an A- in the pltw course last year because I got a C on the final. Also, I’m only in non honors algebra 2 as a sophomore, and I have a A- in it. I’m also in non honors chemistry and am struggling to maintain a B+. I’m nervous because I go to a very competitive school, and all my friends who are looking at a similar career path are doing better than me in math science and pltw. So now that it comes time to choose courses for next year, I figured I need to decide if this is right for me. I will most likely end up taking AP Calc AB by senior year, as well as honors and maybe AP Physics. I want to do computer science. Thanks to anybody who read this, I know it’s long.
So what’s the question? Is engineering right for you? Who knows? You haven’t done it yet. If that’s what you want as a career path, then work to make it happen, plain and simple.
Was there another question hidden in there?
I guess I’m just wondering if I’m wasting my time because on the route I’m on in high school right now I don’t know if I’ll be an attractive applicant to CS schools, because I know it’s a competitive major at a lot of good schools. I love engineering and the idea of doing CS, but I just want to make sure I’m not wasting my time.
I guess I’m not sure why you think you’d be uncompetitive. You’ll have taken calculus and physics.
First, computer science can be tought in Arts & Science colleges, in fact more commonly than in engineering colleges. The non-CS courses should tell you which is better for you. Like Physics and Chemistry, maybe electronics, maybe engineering. Good at history, language, more so than science, maybe liberal arts.
The above is sorta misleading. CS major is not just programming, it contains high level complex math requirements, about the same in engineering or arts & sciences. One difference, taken in an engineering college these math course may be more difficult in content or due to peers and curved grading. But this varies per university, could br same in some colleges.
Overall, I would say unless you are among the BEST math students in your school, CS and engineering would be very difficult majors. Kids who aced calc bc still have trouble sometimes.
@Josh227 I don’t see anything in your post that would concern me. I was not an engineering student. However, I was a math major who took a few mechanical engineering classes and quite a few computer science classes in university so at least I know something about how the earlier university courses go.
Getting a C on one single pltw exam isn’t enough to concern me, particularly since you still managed an A- overall. To me chemistry was the most difficult science, largely because it is less mathematical compared to for example physics. Thus your not loving chemistry doesn’t concern me either.
For math courses you should make sure that you know why things are the way that they are. Work to understand the concepts and definitely do not just memorize formulae. I might say the same about physics and engineering. Also, math is an area where everything that you learn builds on all the stuff that you already learned. Thus work hard to keep up at all times and to keep ahead whenever it is possible.
I would say keep working, don’t give up, and see where you stand your senior year and again when you are in university. Hard work over time can allow many students to catch up and surpass their peers.