Is this a heavy schedule?

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

Hi, just trying to get some insight. This is the schedule my advisor suggested and I’m wondering how heavy it is. I’m hoping to be a Mechanical Engineering student, by the way.

For background, I’m a graduating high school senior. (Did the home schooled and dual credit type of thing). So now I’m basically going into the second year engineering program at my CC. For reference, these are the classes I’ve taken in the past:

Spring 2015
Writing 1 - A
Calculus 1 - A
Programming with Java I - A

Fall 2015
Physics I w/ Calc - A
Calculus II - A
Intro to Engineering - A
Chemistry I - A

Spring 2016
Linear Algebra - B
Physics II - B
Programming with C++ - A

(I struggled this semester because of my failure to commit the necessary time and just things going on outside school that were affecting me. Both things I’m going to work hard to avoid next semester.)

The classes I’ve taken are a little bit wonky because of the fact that my school is very small so, like for example Calc 3 this Spring, some classes get pushed off to the next semester.

Anyway, this is my plan for Fall:

*Statics
*Mechanical Engineering Materials
*Calculus 3
*Intro to Engineering Computer Applications (basically how to use excel, matlab, etc. Required to take statics at my school.)
*Photography (fluff class… plus fine arts requirement :P)

Also, any study tips from people who have been through these classes would be very much appreciated!
Thanks!!

2

No that is not a heavy schedule. It’s really only three technical classes since that computer applications one is likely to be pretty fluffy in its own right.

3

That’s not bad at all. If you got As in Calc 1 and 2, you’ll shouldn’t have any trouble with Calc 3. I found it to be a step down from the first two classes.

Never taken statics myself, but several guys I know haven taken it, and none of them have said it’s hard. Don’t know what mechanical engineering materials is. Overall, like bonehead said, you’ve got three technical classes, and none of them seem to be bad.

4

Statics is often one of the particularly tough classes in mechanical engineering curricula. It’s sort of a gateway class. I think that’s mostly due to the fact that it comes early before most students have well-developed study habits.

5

For study tips, I highly recommend “How to become a A student” by Cal Newport. Very succinct clear writing.

http://calnewport.com/books/straight-a-student/

6

I’d suggest making sure that you’d be taking a mechanical engineering materials class and not a mechanics of engineering materials class, as the latter would be something you’d want to take after statics. I assume a mechanical engineering materials class shouldn’t require statics knowledge though.