<p>Hey, I start this class in a couple days. </p>
<p>Questions:</p>
<ol>
<li>Are the exams curved at all (ie, what are the averages on the tests and how much are they raised?)?</li>
<li>Any tips on what and how to study for the class? Will memorizing the facts and definitions from the book help? Or does the book not help at all?</li>
<li>Any other advice for getting an A in the class?</li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>The exams are most definitely curved. You’ll find a lot of the courses your in as an engineer will be curved. You will be placed in a lot of “weed out” courses. So not just exams but tests and quizzes can be curved too. Chemistry, calculus, etc can all be curved. Mine were any way. They intentionally make them hard to filter out those who don’t belong in engineering. Typically, the first test/exam everyone bombs, as in 50-60s, and then grades improve from there. Not just in enge 1024 but the core classes too. So the first big grade would be curved anywhere from 10-25 points and every class would be different. I mean its a curve, all depends on how the class did. My roommate often got different curves than I did even though we were taking the same course. We simply had different teachers.</p>
<p>As for doing well in ENGE. I know it sounds stupid and like a “no ****, sherlock” comment but: go to class. Go to every lecture and go to every workshop. Workshop in particular. In lecture you will go over the material from a theoretical/booky approach. You will be tempted to skip lecture because you can log in through DyKnow, sit on your arse in your dorm, and still get the material slides but having the professor connect the thoughts/ideas in the slides is important. Don’t skip it. Then in workshop you tackle these concepts with hands on activities and group projects. This cements the concepts in your head. The system works well if you let it. Tech feeds you what you need to know in a certain format and a certain method. Don’t fight it by thinking you can streamline the process or do it more efficiently another way. Atleast not yet. Not as a freshman. Embrace Tech’s methods for the time being. As you progress and mature in the “college atmosphere” then you can experiment and tweak the system to fit your wants/needs. But certainly not first semester. </p>
<p>The first big Test will primarily be on math problems. Was for me anyway. Not a whole lot of “engineering” per say like you would expect. So know your math principles and whatnot. As an engineering major you should know what I mean by knowing your math skills inside and out. Volumes, Surface Areas, area, blah blah blah. And I mean KNOW these. I remember they would always ask something mad specific about the most random crap. Knowing things like the SA and volumes of the most used things like prisms won’t be enough for example. Know everything even for rarely used concepts. The thought processes of “Oh we don’t use these very often” or “we never really worked with this equation/concept” will sink you. The only way to be safe is to know everything about everything. Which to be honest, is dam near impossible. They will always have a question or 2 that are out of left field and you simply won’t know. Just know as much as you can. Also, pay special attention to units. They will bite you in the arse some kind of quick.</p>
<p>Then you have flowcharts and LabVIEW on the last test. The only thing I can reccomend about these are to practice, practice, practice. Doing the homework every week is the foundation to this practice. Don’t slack off on it. Put as much effort in to homework as you do your tests. Makes life hella easier. If they tell you to read something for homework do it. If they tell you do this and that, do it. The key thing to realize in engineering is that everything builds upon itself. It all starts form the beginning. I’ll explain that from 2 perspectives.<br>
1st off, the topics and concepts you learn build and progress as the semester goes along. Flowcharting is a prime example. I never really grasped the concept when we first went over it. This screwed me when it came to LabVIEW. LabVIEW utilizes flowcharting principles/thought processes so since I didn’t understand flowcharting I couldn’t do LabVIEW for *<strong><em>. Eventually I grasped flowcharting enough to hold my own with LabVIEW but it was a painful process of playing catch up. Its so much easier if you build that foundation. Playing catch up will sink your grades in a hurry. That being said I would HIGHLY recommend you learn flowcharting inside and out. Not only will it help you for LabVIEW later in the course but it will help you the following semester. Once again, since I learned flowcharting on the fly due to my struggles with LabVIEW I still never really got the ideas ingrained in my head. So when it came to Matlab the following semester I was screwed again. Learn flowcharting the right way, from the start.
2nd, look at it from the test perspective. Build a foundation when you first get the topic. If you don’t put in the effort and work you should for homework/classwork as you learn the material then you end up playing catch up and cram for the tests. TERRIBLE. Don’t cruise through it cause then you’ll realize a week before the test that your *</em></strong>ed. Hit it hard and hit it fast. Blitzkrieg the information </p>
<p>You’ll also realize that when you get behind in one class it tends to affect your other classes too. Don’t get behind! If you fall behind in ENGE your calc class might be the next domino to fall and then its english because you don’t have time to write a paper and then next thing you know your on probation. </p>
<p>Sry for such a long post…</p>
<p>Thank you sooooo much</p>
<p>Everything Oakland said is right but let me add: don’t panic if you get a B. That really goes for all of your classes, but pretty much every other class you’re going to take is more important and a better predictor of success than the ENGE class.</p>
<p>So try your best, go to class (really you should go to every class first semester. Later on you’ll learn which ones you can skip but you’ll make mistakes if you try it now), do the homework EXACTLY as they say (especially the headers and labeling) and if you get an A you get an A, if you get a B you get a B. People think I’m crazy but I usually didn’t look at any grades until well into the next semester and I made it out alright.</p>
<p>chuy and Oakland,</p>
<p>What would you guys say is a solid freshman GPA to be in a good position for graduating in 4 years?</p>
<p>I wouldn’t put so much emphasis into GPA, just try your best and don’t obsess over it. You’ll just end up stressing yourself out.</p>
<p>Yeah, don’t stress over your GPA. Graduating in 4 years just means you’re taking and passing enough classes, not necessarily doing well in them.</p>
<p>For employment the two “barriers” I usually saw were 3.5 (usually for government research type jobs) and 3.0 (a lot of industry jobs) if that helps.</p>
<p>Yeah, if you worry about GPA all semester long you’ll go nuts. Just do your best. Stressing does nothing good for you. And with the curves and everything you should be fine in the end as long as you do your best. You didn’t get into engineering if they didn’t think you were capable. Remember that. Tech has faith in you even if you don’t.</p>
<p>And a B is still a good grade by all means. Got to concur about that. </p>
<p>Lil side note that I found inspiring today. I saw Terrele Pryor, the controversial QB from Ohio state, wear a T-shirt in one of his workout videos that said “Embrace the Grind”. As an engineering student, well as an adult really, you should strive to do this. If you do your work and you embrace the hardships everything will work out.</p>
<p>Not sure I like the idea of TP as a role model but I’ll agree on the shirt, haha.</p>
<p>A healthy streak of s
machoism will get you far in life.</p>