<p>
ucb is right. Most schools want the engineering majors to get Statics, Dynamics, Strength of Materials, Circuit Analysis, and Thermodynamics (as needed) out of the way before Junior year. Then they can move to specific programs and focus on the requirements of that program. So those are typically sophomore courses, but they all have Mechanics I as a prereq, therefore students have to get it in during Freshman year.</p>
<p>Look at the 4-year graduation rate for OP’s son’s school; I suspect more than half the students need 5 or more years to graduate. Delayed graduation for a super-senior year is very common for engineering majors, so are lower than average GPAs. Employers don’t penalize those later graduates.</p>
<p>Just another person’s experience here… my son is a freshman at a midwest flagship university with a top-10 ranked engineering program. He did take both Physics and Calc 2 first semester. This is not the “normal” track, but due to his AP Chem grade he met the chemistry requirements for ME (normally taken first semester). He also scored a 5 on the AP Calc AB exam, so he did not need to take Calc 1. He is now in Calc 3 and the next Physics sequence. He did just fine taking Physics first semester, but he definitely needed the knowledge from Calc 1 to complete it successfully. (Calc 2 was pretty brutal = weeder class, but Calc 3 is much easier, according to him.)</p>
<p>He is at least a semester ahead due to AP credits and university proficiency exams. He is, therefore, able to take a couple fewer credits each semester without fear of falling behind or tacking on a fifth year. He took 15 first semester and is taking 14 now. That being said, he may do just fine in the coming years taking 16 or more, but he is very happy that he has a little wiggle room with credits.</p>
<p>This has all been helpful, thanks.</p>
<p>I may have posted this bferoe, but this is the mech eng program</p>
<p><a href=“http://cse.lmu.edu/Assets/Colleges+Schools/CSE/Mechanical+Engr/Undergraduate+Curriculum.pdf[/url]”>http://cse.lmu.edu/Assets/Colleges+Schools/CSE/Mechanical+Engr/Undergraduate+Curriculum.pdf</a></p>
<p>(131 semester hours)
Major Requirements</p>
<p>Lower Division Requirements:
BIOL 114; CHEM 111, 114; ELEC 210; ENGR 100, 160, 200; MATH 131, 132, 234, 245; MECH 211, 212, 213, 223; PHYS 101,
201.</p>
<p>Upper Division Requirements:
MATH 355; MECH 301, 302, 303, 310, 313, 321, 322, 323, 401, 402, 410; three mechanical engineering focus track elective
courses (9 semester hours of 400- or 500-level MECH course work)<em>; one mechanical engineering elective (3 semester hours of
400- or 500-level MECH course work)</em><em>, one technical elective (3 semester hours of an upper division engineering course)</em>**.</p>
<p>Freshman Year</p>
<p>Fall Semester S.H.
CHEM 111 General Chemistry I Lab 1
CHEM 114 Gen Chem for Engineers 3
ENGL 110 College Writing 3
ENGR 100 Intro to Engineering 3
MATH 131 Calculus I 4
____ ___ University Core 3</p>
<hr>
<p>17
Spring Semester S.H.
BIOL 114 Gen Biology for Engineers 3
ENGR 160 Algorithms & Applications 3
MATH 132 Calculus II 4
PHYS 101 Intro to Mechanics 4
____ ___ University Core 3</p>
<hr>
<p>17
Sophomore Year
Fall Semester S.H.
ELEC 210 Electric Circuit Analysis 3
ENGR 200 Statics 3
MATH 234 Calculus III 4
PHYS 201 Intro to Elec & Mag 4
____ ___ University Core 3</p>
<hr>
<p>17
Spring Semester S.H.
MATH 245 Differential Equations 3
MECH 211 Computer Aided Design 2
MECH 212 Mechanics of Materials 3
MECH 213 Dynamics 3
MECH 223 Thermodynamics 3
____ ___ University Core 3</p>
<hr>
<p>17
Junior Year
Fall Semester S.H.
MATH 355 Methods of Applied Math 3
MECH 301 Measurements and Controls 3
MECH 302 Thermo, Fluids & Materials Lab 2
MECH 313 Materials Science 3
MECH 322 Fluid Mechanics 3
____ ___ University Core 3</p>
<hr>
<p>17
Spring Semester S.H.
MECH 303 Energy and Mechanics Lab 2
MECH 310 Elements of Design 3
MECH 321 Energy Systems 3
MECH 323 Heat Transfer 3
____ ___ University Core 3
____ ___ University Core 3</p>
<hr>
<p>17
Senior Year
Fall Semester S.H.
MECH 401 Practicum 1 3
MECH 410 Design & Manufacturing Lab 2
MECH ___ MECH Focus Track Elective* 3
MECH ___ MECH Elective** 3
____ ___ University Core 3</p>
<hr>
<p>14
Spring Semester S.H.
MECH 402 Practicum 2 3
MECH ___ MECH Focus Track Elective* 3
MECH ___ MECH Focus Track Elective* 3
____ ___ TECH Elective*** 3
____ ___ University Core 3</p>
<hr>
<p>15
The proper sequence of the University Core courses should be discussed with the student’s advisor.</p>
<ul>
<li>My son started out in precalc first semester, so his math sequence is off for now, but he plans to take calc 2 this summer. He recently mentioned he was also invited to apply to do 18 hours of research a week, this summer as well. If he drops physics, I am not sure what else will be off. He is in a program called "ACCESS that adds one credit to each of his first two semesters. It is about an hour a week, and as far as I can tell, aside from three weeks in the summer prior to freshman year, it is mostly mentoring and support. I’m not sure why they are not “jumping in” either!</li>
</ul>
<p>So they do normally plan for Calc I before Physical 101 and your son is taking an extra risk by concurrent enrollment. Risky.</p>
<p>Has Shrinkson had any physics tests yet? What is he saying about how things are going?</p>
<p>Yes, it is important to get the course sequence info for the particular college. Other ones can give you ideas and search-words, but each school is a little different.</p>
<p>When I studied engineering, freshman took physics and calc at the same time (2 semester sequence of each). I had some AP calc (and opted out of the exam to retake it in college). The same was true for some other students. I get the feeling that these days many more students are getting some calc in hs. I did test out of AP Physics, but per my roommates’ experience, sub-50 test scores were common. Maybe it was the calc factor.</p>
<p>(smile) I didn’t even notice that - they only have 2 semesters of Physics.</p>
<p>Colorado_mom, at my eng. school the typical ‘average’ or median test score was 50%, for physics and math classes. I think they just shot for 50% and don’t think the math prep was a factor.</p>
<p>“Has Shrinkson had any physics tests yet? What is he saying about how things are going?”</p>
<p>He has had at least two physics tests, also homework and quizzes. Although he likes the subject matter, and talks about it, two tests did not go well, including one last Friday, where he did not finish two of eight questions. MATLAB is ok with regard to homework, but somehow quizzes don’t “work”. Calc seems ok, until friday when he stayed up studying for physics, and didn’t finish his math homework, and was adequately prepared for a math test, so he didn’t finish a question, I think about temperature exchange. Is that part of calc? Anyway, I hope to convince him to drop physics by end of spring break ( deadline is 3/16) and master calc, and improve his algorithm grade and therefore his GPA. He has already been declined two opportunities, I think because of his GPA. Not sure what to tell him about what his fall schedule should look like. Husband is certainly ready to go to his advisor.</p>
<p>Good luck sorting through this with your son. I like it that he seems to be having a good attitude and trying hard. But these are tough course. Glad you are watching the drop deadline, in case needed.</p>
<p>He is still quite “into it”.</p>
<p>
It seems like there has been a trend away from covering basic thermodynamics in the intro physics courses. Even when 3 courses are used are required, light and optics and some modern physics usually serve to make up the 3rd course. Unfortunate, IMHO.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>At Berkeley, the introductory physics courses for scientists and engineers come as a three semester sequence. The first two semesters (required for most engineering majors) cover (first semester) mechanics, wave motion, (second semester) heat, electricity and magnetism. The third semester (taken by physics majors and some engineering majors) covers electromagnetic waves, optics, relativity, and quantum physics.</p>
<p>[General</a> Catalog - Physics Courses](<a href=“http://general-catalog.berkeley.edu/catalog/gcc_list_crse_req?p_dept_name=Physics&p_dept_cd=PHYSICS]General”>http://general-catalog.berkeley.edu/catalog/gcc_list_crse_req?p_dept_name=Physics&p_dept_cd=PHYSICS)</p>
<p>Perhaps the schools that leave thermodynamics out of the introductory physics sequence expect the engineering and chemistry departments to provide thermodynamics courses for those whose majors need it? (Obviously, the physics department will have an upper level thermodynamics course in either case.)</p>
<p>
Actually, it’s Statistical and Thermal Physics, which is foundational, but not exactly the same as what the engineers take. And yes, schools that don’t teach the intro thermodynamics have courses provided by other departments. When I was undergrad, the school I attended was still doing both - that is, covering the material as an intro in General Physics, and providing a separate more in depth course. Of course, our sequence was 3 semesters instead of the popular 2 now provided by many schools for mechanics and electricity/magnetism.</p>
<p>Were the topics covered in your three semester introductory physics sequence the same as those covered in Berkeley’s three semester introductory physics sequence now (which has been that way for a few decades)?</p>
<p>Some community colleges near Berkeley also cover the same topics in their three semester introductory physics sequences. But some less selective state universities make it a four semester sequence (mechanics being the first semester, electromagnetism being the second semester, and all of the other topics including thermodynamics in the third and fourth semesters).</p>
<p>
No, ours was more like the four-semester sequence (there actually were four courses, but the fourth, on quantum mechanics and relativity, used a different text and wasn’t really considered part of the intro. Only a few brave souls took that one (not me ;))). It’s difficult for me to tell from the descriptions whether the 2 sem Berkeley course covered the same topics as our 3 semester course or not, although it seems likely that it was most of it. I found one 7A syllabus that used Giancoli, but I don’t own that text.</p>
<p>Okay, we are at the point that we are making a 4.5 year plan. At this point it looks like all is okay EXCEPT the Algorithm’s (a happy surprise!). I don’t think there is any way he can recover, although he wants to try, and has two more weeks. If he drops the algorithms, it appears he can’t take the electrics class next fall. I would be fine with him skipping both for awhile, as they do not seem to be pre requisites for anything else, and he could take a smaller course load for this and next semester, then try the full course load as the university describes if he is up to it. Is there any reason he shouldn’t put the algorithms and the “electrics” class off for a bit? </p>
<p>The school seems to offer the electric class in the summer, but not the algorithms one.</p>
<p>Is electrics the same as circuits? My son pushed circuits back a semester because he didn’t want to take it at the same time as thermo and statics. Also, he is not EE so just needs to take it as a fundamentals class, not something to build on. He has several kids in there that are taking it for the second time. Apparently, it gets really hard at the end.</p>
<p>Thank you! What year is your son? what kind of engineering is he studying? Does it put him at a disadvantage in any mech engineer classes? The class is called </p>
<p>“ELEC 210 Electric Circuit Analysis”</p>