<p>Well I was recently admitted to the University of Houston and plan to major in petroleum engineering. Now the main concern(s) I have is that currently right now in my senior year I am taking Pre-AP Pre-cal and making a rough 80-82. I know that I will have to take all the way up to CalculusIII in the petroleum engineering degree plan. Based on what I am doing now will it be possible for me to grind through all the calculus classes? I have never had a strong attraction to math (English is my true love) but I have the capacity to get it and understand it. My real problem is that say when I run into a problem in calculus 1, 2, or 3, will I be forever trapped in a vortex of equations and derivatives that will eventually overwhelm me? Or is the calculus program at U of H manageable? (At least for someone like me who is not exactly a math whiz but more or less just an average joe) Also major specific classes like well dynamics, what are they like? Will those be more of a problem than calculus? What concepts can I expect to apply in the petroleum engineering major specific classes at U of H? If I really put my nose to the grindstone even with being an average joe more or less would it be possible for me to graduate U of H with a petroleum engineering degree and at least a 3.0 gpa? Will a tutor be able to adequately help me if I run into trouble in one of my calculus classes or even a well dynamics class or two? Further more as a career what can I expect to do as a petroleum engineer? Will I be enriching fuel? Looking at schematics to determine the best way to extract oil? Will I sit at a desk all day and solve equations and crunch numbers? How often will I use math and in what kind of way? I would prefer to not hear how I should not be doing this degree if I dont love math, I dont love it, but I dont hate it either. Petroleum engineering is something that from my broad overview of the occupation seems like something I would like to do, I am just not sure how much U of H would be willing to help me and cooperate with me if I ran into a few kinks here and there while earning my degree. All in all I just dont want to be thrown to the wolves in a calculus or well dynamics class in a sink or swim fashion.</p>
<p>How much effort are you putting into Pre-Calculus?</p>
<p>I don’t think there is anything inherently difficult about the petroleum engineering curriculum. It feels more like a time management degree. But if you aren’t doing well in pre-calc because you only spend ~30 minutes a week doing it, that would be a concern. I’ve spend up to 20 hours a week just on a one class before.</p>
<p>I am attentive in class and try my best to take good notes, but I am not sure how well that will translate to three levels of college calculus or how well I will get the material of my major related classes as well as the calculus classes. I also worry about how fast the courses move, as well as if the university offers adequate enough help to assist me if I get lost in any of my classes</p>
<p>I was in the UH PE program until I transferred to OU for PE. I would not recommend the program to anybody with any other options out there. Calculus at UH is difficult, but it is pretty much difficult anywhere you go. The bad news is that my calculus classes are now what I would consider my grade boosters. PE definitely gets harder than any of the Calc classes you will take, at least is the case with OU’s program. That being said, if you are willing to dedicate yourself I think most things are accomplishable. I spend at least ten hours a day working on school work now between labs etc, but I am post bacc and have a different mind frame then most undergrads. Good luck!</p>
<p>Don’t worry about it. I failed pre-calc in High school then ended up getting a 4 in AP Calculus. You just have to study more. Try study groups. That way you can find out what you don’t know that other students are getting.</p>
<p>Btw UH’s petroleum program is not acredited</p>
<p>Hi, I applied to UH PetE as a post-bacc. May I know why you would not recommend students to go there?</p>
<p>Keep in mind that you will use Calc as a tool in other engineering classes.</p>