<p>Part of the reason that people don’t go into engineering is that, as several posts on this thread illustrate, many people believe that you have to be some kind of math god to do it, and that while other intellectual abilities might be learned, math is innate and only a few people can really do it.</p>
<p>Really, none of this is true. The math classes required for engineering probably require higher-than-average ability, but nothing ridiculous, and people can improve their math abilities.</p>
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Well, the point is to figure out why this is true. It is definitely not genetic. The reasons are mostly due to horrible K-12 teaching as well as ridiculous American cultural beliefs about math aptitude being inborn and not teachable. </p>
<p>Of course, no one should push a math hater to major in engineering. But in contrast with the people of most other countries, Americans have a a real cultural bias and fear of math. The problem starts in elementary school when students spend all day with a teacher usually female who has a deep love of literature and art, and often an ambivalence or worse towards math. Math specialists finally appear in middle school and high school, but uninspiring, mediocre teachers are the norm. Math is like any other subject – completely teachable if the instructor is knowledgeable and enthusiastic.</p>
<p>FWIW, most “IT Pros” I know of don’t have engineering careers to defend, and weren’t trained as engineers.</p>
<p>“The truth is there is just a small percentage of the population that is really good at math and likes it. Notice there is always a shortage of people for jobs that require math. People who don’t like math, i.e., almost everybody, should do something other than engineering.”</p>
<p>It is interesting to add that vast majority of Russian immigrants in the US are … ENGINEERS!! Their kids have no fear of math / science and math is their easier subject all thru college. However, good number of them are going to college for Medical / Pharm gradute degrees.</p>
<p>^ I would also add that its cultural. In Iran, “everyone” seems to go into engineering. It’s considered a safe bet for jobs, it’s what parents expect, and those that do other degrees are looked at funny. Likewise, in India it used to be engineering and medicine but also now includes comp sci and probably something else. There is parental and societal pressure to go along the right path. But I know tons and tons of former engineers from such countries that had no interest in engineering and aren’t even particular keen on math. They did it because well, that is what you do.</p>
<p>I will take the stance of something between the other posts. Like so many other things, being ‘good at math’ is neither solely nature nor nurture but a complex interplay between them. </p>
<p>No doubt innate ability must matter. My D has friends at school who have been with her for 9 years with the same math training but their abilities are starkly different. Likewise some of her peers have acquired several languages and she has to really work at learning one additional language. </p>
<p>But also its not just genes either! Many kids who might be good at math or engineering are turned off early because of social and parental expectations, gender norms, and early crap teachers and experiences. The idea of expanding that pool of potential math and engineering talent is critical, even if its not for everyone. We need more math skilled people in a ton of occupations, not just engineering. </p>
<p>Our D is a math and science person and it’s mindless easy for her. She has a parent and grandparents who are former engineers, she did the ‘engineering camps’ as a kid, and a few just for girls. She definitely has that 3D ability, which has shown up a million ways all her life (I remember buying those fancy storage boxes once, and I couldn’t assemble them from flat to 3D and she was just a toddler but did it for me). </p>
<p>We’d love her to be an engineer. She could be good at it and what a great path to lots of options. But she has no interest in it! I should also add that looking back, she’s shown no interest in 3D things either. Has never wanted to take things apart, or assemble things, or figure out how 3D objects work. She doesn’t watch shows about building stuff. She doesn’t make cool But she is passionate about chemistry. Absolutely loves it and will probably go down that path. At least following her interests.</p>
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As the parent of 2 girls who were/are both in the school of engineering as CS majors at their respective schools - not me!</p>
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<p>And if they majored in CIS, IS, IT, MIS etc. they don’t know math either. I don’t think you need more than Algebra to major in one of those.</p>
<p>My S a soph in college is majoring in Material Science Engineering.
The math and science courses are quite rigorious. I applaud him because he is very interested in the subject and actually enjoys the challenge. When I have glanced at his books, I am thrilled that I do not have to even try to get past the introduction chapter. He obviously did not get the love of math and science from his mom. Of course, dad is an engineer too…</p>
<p>Both of my twin sons are in Electrical/Computer Engineering. They were doomed from day 1 as I am a science teacher and so is their mom. Science and Math were stressed from day one 
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<p>I used to work in IT but just love teaching more</p>
<p>Starbright,
Interesting observation about your D ability and lack of interest in math. My D. is the same. Math and also chemistry and physics have been her easy classes. In fact, she is planning to take Calc in college to get an easy “A” if she has time her senior year. What she loves is Bio, which has never been easy, but she seems so much into it when she talks about it. So, she is pre-med. Being very comfortable with math has helped her tremendously though in her science classes. No matter how you look at it, math needs to be taught much more seriously in HS, it should not artificially create a sense of insecurity.</p>
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<p>Well i take AB Calc and Statistics is harder, but that may be because I taught myself calculus before hand.</p>