<p>“Well you aren’t alone with a child struggling in ME”</p>
<p>And for OP, and all who posted on my "Parents of Engineering freshman " thread, son is still chugging along. During spring break he discovered reading the textbook helps. Who knew x). No panicky calls since.</p>
<p>collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1263136-parents-engineering-freshman.html?highlight=parents+of</p>
<p>Not posting right…</p>
<p>Best wishes OP, and I will be following.</p>
<p>Shrinkrap, lol, who knew! My kid found out later in the game that talking to the TA and the professor helped. They could explain what wasn’t being understood. It was only suggested in every single engineering tour we went on an then it took my kid 2 years to figure out that it was true. They also figured out that doing problem sets with people in your class helped also. It takes a village.</p>
<p>Older son majored in mech e started out as aeronautical. Now that he is done he wishes he would have done chem e. Mech e, to him, is all about standards, while chem e is more of the STEM he enjoys. Maybe for his grad degree, but he is looking at the nanoengineering programs, for now.</p>
<p>His graduating class for mech e is rather small, a sign of how many were weeded out. It is a difficult major, lots of math, physics, chem and lots more engineering. He said his first 2 years were fine, it becomes more difficult third and fourth years. Lots of projects and working with clients for different research studies. Two of his best buddies started out with him in the engineering majors and both could not make the grades to stay in the engineering school. They studied, used tutors, met with profs and TAs and still struggled. One ended taking the math sequence 3 times and still a no go! One graduated with an agriculture business major and the other with an accounting degree. The ag business major works for a pharm research firm in quality control and the other is a CPA, both doing very well and just purchased their own homes.</p>
<p>The difference could be seen in test grades and just how hard the other two worked compared to son. Son has maintained a high GPA while taking lots of other classes outside his major and other ECs. (Different son that majored in econ and is in med school now.)</p>
<p>Kat</p>
<p>Mine is graduating in under a month from a great U with a Mech E degree. It’s been a lot of work and nose to the grindstone for four years. He has struggled and succeeded but it’s because he does love it. He has had co-ops for 5 semesters which helps him understand why he is taking the classes he is. But does it get easier? Nope- he studies constantly and frets constantly at every test and final.</p>
<p>Op, I forgot to mention engineering technology. You should look for some of the engineering technology threads for ideas foe a plan b. We have.</p>
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<p>Although not as wide a range as engineering. For example, [Accredited</a> Program Search](<a href=“http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramSearch.aspx/AccreditationSearch.aspx]Accredited”>http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramSearch.aspx/AccreditationSearch.aspx) lists 296 schools with mechanical engineering, but only 67 schools with mechanical engineering technology.</p>
<p>I majored in Electrical Engineering because “I liked Math and Science” but quickly learned I didn’t really like all the hands on stuff. I finished the degree but got a job in Systems Engineering in software which is technical but not as hands on.</p>
<p>But either he needs to learn how to learn physics or perhaps this isn’t the right major for him.</p>