<p>My son is thinking about changing his major to engineering- possibly computer or aerospace. Does the curriculum for this major require a lot of classes that have to do with more memorization of laws and such, or is it more math and problem solving? He has a very poor long-term memory when it comes to words (he won't know your name after meeting you 10 times), but he is very good at math and problem solving. Is engineering for him?</p>
<p>Yes. Problem solving and math is the heart of engineering.</p>
<p>In some more introductory classes, there may be a bit more memorization (vs. actual derivation and understanding in higher level classes), but it's never going to be as bad as the humanities, in my experience.</p>
<p>Most engineering classes will require little to no memorization at all, and instead require effective math and problem solving skills, with the knowledge and "tricks" imparted by lectures/readings. Because in the real world, you can always just look it up ... so most courses tend to not really force too much memorization.</p>
<p>While it's generally true that engineering requires less word memorization than some humanities, there are still some requirements in this area. In computer science, for example, he'll need to learn some programming languages and the ability to recall the commands (words making up the language) will be important. In other courses he'll need to recall technical terms but it's less rote than in some of the humanities since they actually use it more.</p>
<p>It seems that he should be able to test himself or have himself tested in this area as it applies to whatever major he's interested in. He should already know if his recall on scientific terms is reasonable. If he's considering CS he should try to get a feel for his ability to learn a programming language, the word components, even if he's not too far along with the logic portion yet.</p>
<p>My sense though with computer languages and the like is that you use those commands often enough that they get imprinted. I can't remember peoples names either, and I was terrible at foreign languages (until I actually lived in the country and got the repetition I needed.) But I was always pretty good at learning stuff that got used every day. That said, I was a terrible computer programmer. I hated debugging programs.</p>
<p>For CS, words in programming languages are just a tiny part. The biggest part is you need to be able to read tons of manuals, books,... in order to get your work done. Concepts and knowledges in the manuals and books become obsolete very fast and you have to constantly read the new ones. RTFM is the famous 4-letter word.</p>
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My sense though with computer languages and the like is that you use those commands often enough that they get imprinted.
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This is true after you've been doing it awhile but it's more difficult for someone who's just learning the language who has to take a test and recall the commands. In 'real life' the CS person can use a reference. They may or may not be able to on a test in college depending on the prof. </p>
<p>'coolweather' makes a good point as well - reading comprehension is important since there's always tons of reading and it can be reading of difficult material.</p>
<p>I don't know if any of this would present a major issue to the OP's S though - it'll depend on exactly what he has difficulty with. It's true that recall of things like programming language is different that recall of someone's name.</p>
<p>@OP: Science & Engineering people are notorious for forgetting people's names. I wouldn't characterize it as bad word memory. Is he good at memorizing terms in biology or stuff like that? There are people that can memorize Gray's Anatomy but can't remember people's name after they meet them.</p>
<p>DH and I are both engineers (Him - BSEE, MSCS/Software, me - BS math, former software engineer - now teacher) and our kids definitely are engineer types. Give them problem solving over memorization any day. Our kids tend to do worse in subjects where they have to do memorization (bio, history) and excel at courses that require problem solving (computers, math, physics). Son 1 is not in an engineering major, but is using those problem solving skills, along with his communication skills, in a broadcast journalism major. Son 2 is majoring in mechanical engineering, and I expect son 3 to major in a field where thinking/problem solving are key (some kind of engineering, math, physics, or computer field).</p>
<p>Being around the people I live with and used to work with I have taken problem-solving skills for granted, and just assumed everyone had them. Now that I'm teaching high school, I see every day that this is not the case. As other posters have said, in these fields the stuff you really need to have "memorized", you do, because it's stuff you use all the time. OTOH, I have very few math formulas memorized. I quickly derive the other variations as needed, and always have. I was one of the slowest back in third grade when we were doing the timed math facts tests. I still know my "nines" by adding 10 and subtracting 1. But these days I do that pretty darned fast. :-)</p>
<p>It sounds like the OP's son will be happiest in a problem-solving field, and like lots of kids, he may have to work harder in those courses that require memorization. Once out of school, he'll be able to check the reference book.</p>
<p>One last thing... At our school they thought they might need me to teach physics, and asked me if I could get certified in physics. It's been a LONG time, but I did take a lot of physics in college, so I said I'd take the teacher certification test for physics. I never DREAMED they wouldn't give the formulas on the test. Mechanics, thermo, optics, nuclear, and electricity/magnetism. I had to not only review HOW to do everything, but I had to memorize all the formulas. OMG. I studied so hard. Hardest test I have ever taken. Thought there was NO WAY I passed. I passed. (for those of you who might be concerned, I am NOT teaching physics - your kids are safe!) So, with the right motivation, we can leave our comfort zone and work hard to a goal. That's important to remember when our kids have to do coursework that is NOT in their strongest area. We need to be there to remind our kids that those courses are a means to an end, and that to do what they LOVE, they have to get through those classes successfully.</p>
<p>mom2three - The kids in your school is lucky to have you as teacher. I did not really know why the area of a triangle = 1/2(Base x Height) until I the day I bought an algebra book for my kid.</p>
<p>I agree that people don't remember other people's name if they are not interested in. I have problem with remembering people name too, especially after being introducted to people at a meeting or after the first day of the job. My kids don't remember people's names, how many they meet but they can put a lot of hard puzzles together.</p>
<p>Perhaps a memory training course or book would help the student.</p>
<p>Well, it's not clear the OP's kid has trouble memorizing in general or if it is just remembering names that is the problem. I know I am good at memorizing as well as problem solving, but remembering names is hard for me. I've noticed people in science grad school seem to be worse at this than the general population.</p>
<p>Anyway, based on what the OP has said, I certainly wouldn't dissuade them from an engineering or math/science related major. You will have to memorize algorithms in engineering, and there seems to be less memorization and more derivation the more theoretical the discipline is. That is my general impression. However, if your kids are interested in engineering, it will be easier to remember things because they find it interesting.</p>