<p>SO different this time(compared to my senior English major)...any advice?</p>
<p>Yes, I know details would help, but I was hoping to make it general and supportive.</p>
<p>Some limited details: my son got into his reach, tested into pre calc, passed all first semester classes, but with what he feels was a ton of work, and finished with a 2.something GPA. Four hours ago he was beside himself and wanting to quit. ( Now he is out with friends.) He is registered for 18 hours next semester, and will have to attend summer school to catch up in math.</p>
<p>He was a less than 3.0 student until junior year, then 4.0 thereafter. A reach by GPA standards, but near the top overall ( not for engineering) with regards to SAT. Motivated mostly by sports. Yes, ADHD, with hyperactivity and impulsivity overshadowing any hint of inattention, but diagnosed and treated since age 5. </p>
<p>He LOVES the school in general, and so do we, and was original admitted in a very different major.</p>
<p>well, engineering IS one of THE hardest, time intensive majors, and there are a lot of kids who wash out, just like with premed. The classes WILL ONLY get harder, so unless he is willing to work harder than he has ever worked in his life, and he just HAS to be an engineer, he may to think twice about engineering as his major.</p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>And yes I know, maybe none of my business, but I want some perspective on what to say.</p>
<p>Which courses did he like and do best in?</p>
<p>English! Yikes! Got an A. Liked the kids, the teachers, felt he was “good” at it. Acknowledges he did not have to work as hard. Never would have anticipated that.</p>
<p>But excited about, posting on Facebook about, physics.</p>
<p>PS; H and I did Med school.</p>
<p>Does he need to take 18 credits next semester? My son (engineering freshman) took 13 1st semester, worked really hard, and will be taking 16 next semester. He plans on taking 9 credits over the summer so he doesn’t fall behind. Might take some of the pressure off if he takes less credits…</p>
<p>I think we would rethink the four year plan, and encourage him to go 15 next semester if it seems like a good idea. Strangely enough, prior to this, he was already talking grad school, and what his current grades mean for his long term goals. This is SUCH a turn around for him.</p>
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<p>He took physics for engineering majors while in precalculus? No surprise if he did not do well, since physics for engineering majors requires calculus (at least concurrently).</p>
<p>If he likes physics and math, and is interested in applying those subjects to design problems, then that is what engineering is.</p>
<p>No, he took chemistry for engineers last semester, and …barely passed. He is
looking forward to physics ( mechanics?) and biology ( for engineers) and will also be taking calculus next semester. And a humanities class and something else I can’t recall.</p>
<p>What I ruminate about is, that he got an A in all of these in ( private) high school, and struggled with English.</p>
<p>College chemistry is tough. My kid feels his pain! Definitely cut hours for the next semester. No need for a crash-and-burn…</p>
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<p>Hmmm, that raises questions about the quality of the math and science instruction at the private high school, although it appears that the English department more than did its job.</p>
<p>He should be aware that courses with labs or computer programming are typically more work than other courses.</p>
<p>Grrrrr…the math question has been raised and …whatever comes after raised. Don’t get me started. But is there no hope of catching up?</p>
<p>From my perspective as a physics professor and academic adviser at [Illinois</a> Institute of Technology](<a href=“http://www.iit.edu%5DIllinois”>http://www.iit.edu) as well as a parent of an engineering graduate, I think that most engineering curricula load students down way too much and some just need to reduce the number of classes taken per semester in order to do well. My S, the Electrical Engineer, always struggled until we decided to cut back to 4 courses per term. He did much better but it took him 5 years to finish. </p>
<p>Frankly, I see a lot of engineering students take 5 years to complete the degree simply because of the sequence of the courses and the number of classes that need to be taken in the first year. In my opinion, your S should dial back the number of courses and concentrate on doing well in them. He will probably flourish.</p>
<p>That helps; thanks!</p>
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<p>I don’t mean to sound rude or arrogant, but if he only tested into pre-calculus, is it possible that his high school wasn’t that rigorous in math and/or science? </p>
<p>I’m not suggesting that he can’t or shouldn’t be an engineer - it sounds like he has an interest in engineering and certainly the aptitude for it if he had strong SATs - but it might simply be that his preparation in the fundamentals is lacking.</p>
<p>Ooops… cross-posted.</p>
<p>And I should add that he can definitely catch up in math. In fact, having to work hard now will serve him well later on in the math sequence. Some kids come in and coast through Calc. I or Calc. II only to be caught off guard and unprepared for college-level math when it comes to multivariable calculus or differential equations. I’m basing this on what I have seen, anyway.</p>
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<p>Well, he is one semester behind in math, which you said he will “catch up” over summer. Then he will be at the normal level in math.</p>
<p>One possible issue is if the physics course he will take in the spring assumes completion of first semester freshman calculus (or if having completed that would help). This would increase the risk of struggling in the course, or delay his program of study if he needs to delay taking the course (though he would want to add it in the summer to “catch up” if that is the case).</p>
<p>Note that a normal summer session at a semester system school is two courses or about 8 credits, since the summer session is half the length of a normal semester. He may want to take an additional course in addition to the “catch up” second semester calculus, either physics if he needs to “catch up” there as described above, or something to help fulfill other requirements (including humanities and social studies). Also, check to see if the school will accept courses taken at a semester system community college near home if cost is an issue (but check whether the community colleges actually have space available).</p>
<p>Perhaps you want to warn other parents considering private high schools to consider private high schools other than that one.</p>
<p>Some kids “discover” the humanities only in college, when it is taught by (often) enthusiastic young professors. College literature courses also are often more analytical than in high school, and that could be appealing to your son. (Happened to my husband. Switched from physics to literature as a major. Much to his parents’ chagrin.) </p>
<p>As to taking 5 years in college for an engineering degree – I think that’s very very common. Heck, many kids in all kinds of majors are taking 5 years at the CSUs. So I don’t think your son will stand out, negatively, in any way.</p>
<p>I think the issue with math preparation in high school starts in grade school. In my son’s case, his grade school didn’t have algebra so his freshman year in high school he took algebra when kids from other grade schools with algebra options in 8th grade were taking Geometry freshman year. Those kids could take Geometry Freshman year, Algebra two sophomore year, then a year of precalculus and a year of calculus. My son started Freshman year with algebra 1, then Geometry and had to catch up junior year by taking a class that was essentially algebra two and precalculus rolled into one so he would be ready for AP calculus his senior year. He is now also an engineering freshman. Just got his first report card with a 3.2 - not bad with 18 credit hours that included calculus 2 and physics.</p>
<p>True, math preparation starts in grade school, but a high school that gives A grades in math to students who will be placed into precalculus in college is not being helpful.</p>
<p>Also, algebra 1 in 9th grade is the normal sequence; taking geometry in 9th grade is one grade level ahead.</p>