What classes would you recommend to take as a freshman engineer?
Classes I have possible college credit:
Ap AB calc (covers calc 1)
Dual credit intro to chemistry (covers 1 hour lab and 3 hour class)
English Dual credit (covers first semester English)
Dual credit Anatomy and physiology
Please include a possible schedule for first and second semester. If it helps, I plan on doing mechanical engineering.
I’d start by reviewing the suggested first year class schedule on the mechanical engineering page. Most people don’t deviate much from this.
Also review any AP credit against the tamu list of course credit you can get.
Most MEs would take credit for any required chemistry classes that they have credit for.
The school will recommend you start at Math151 most likely and if you didn’t take calc bc, so would I. The school does base recommendations for math and science on your score on their math placement exam.
If you want to be a ME, ideally you’d take AP physics B or C in hs with an acceptable outcome.
I’d wait to accept credit for any AP or dual credit that isn’t required or useful for your degree.
Junior ME here. Unless you are super confident in your math/science abilities, stick to the recommended freshman engineering courseplan. That means Math, Science, and ENGR 111/112, and some ICD classes.
In terms of math, I took credit for AB Cal and went straight to Cal 2 my first semester, and it kicked my butt. (However, IMO, Cal 2 was the worst of them all anyway). Classes are already pretty hard for freshmen, so unless you are super on top of it, I would just take the easy A in Cal 1.
For sciences, take the science most related to your major and take credit for the rest. If you want to do ME or AE, you should focus on mechanics. IF CHEM, then take Chemistry. AVOID 208 LIKE THE PLAGUE. Idc what you have to do, take it elsewhere.
Engineering classes are pretty straightforward, you just need to knock them out. As for the rest of your schedule, I would advise fitting in classes that will take care of your ICD credits. Its hard to fit them in once you get into the major coursework.
Thanks very much @realli15
@realli15 do I have to take physics 208. Is there a way to not take it at all. I am taking D.C. Chem, as of now and most likely will have an A, so I’m wondering if I could take a Chem class instead or any science classes? Maybe any you recommend, because physics is my weakest subject of all the subjects I have ever taken.
@CryptoRabbit12 @aggiedadtimes2 You can’t really “accept” dual credit as you can with AP. You send your transcript from your community college, and you automatically get credit for the class, whether you want to or not. You CAN however retake the class, since when you transfer Dual Credit, all you get is the credit for the class, not the grade. Not really that big of a difference in the end, but just a small technicality. My resources are having spoken with the Dean of General Engineering and general engineering advisers.
@realli15 I agree with taking what you’re best at, although I have recommendations of my own.
Physics is my weakest subject as well, which is why I chose Industrial Engineering. The only science courses we take are PHYS 218 and 208, MEEN 221/221, and ECEN 215. With that being said, I would take your dual credit for chemistry and then just wait to take BOTH PHYS 218/208 the following summer entering your sophomore year. Although since you want to do ME, I would recommend taking 218 at TAMU since you need to be good at physics. But if you really would rather not take those at TAMU, you can go with what I mentioned at first. Although many people THINK that they need two maths/sciences at TAMU, that is not necessarily true. I have yet to take ANY science course at TAMU so far, as I am a sophomore and have gotten into my major. I came in with 2 sciences (CHEM 101/102 and CHEM 111/112) and I told them that I refused to take PHYS at A&M since I was terrible at it, and I didn’t really need it for my major, so taking it at A&M wasn’t necessarily going to prepare me any better. The dean herself told me that if I took them over the summer and transferred those credits, it would suffice. They don’t make you retake classes or meet the 2 science minimum if you transfer credit in. Ex) The lists of science classes for Entry to a Major include PHYS 208/218 or CHEM 101/102 or CHEM 111/112). If I transfer in with all of those credits, there is nothing for me to take at A&M from that list, therefor they make an exception form for you, and you bypass that requirement. This means you DON’T have to take a science course during a semester if you want to take them in the summer.
They want you to take those classes at A&M, and I don’t recommend this if you don’t have to do this. I did this to avoid physics, and I have already taken 4 major specific classes, and physics wasn’t ever mentioned or used. That is my justification for not having to take it at A&M, yours may be different. Again just some different advice, everyone else provided already helpful advice as well.
@TamuEngineer I’m really interested in industrial engineering!! Thanks for the advice. If I can avoid physics lol that sounds like a bet. Taking university physics at a community college should surely be wayyy easier than taking it at A&M.
@realli15 and @TamuEngineer I have heard that PHYS208 at TAMU is brutal. Someone somewhere said it was the place where GPAs go to die. I’m wondering, from your experience, if you could share some advice. My son has/will have AP credits for Physics 1 (PHYS201 - not required, but just so you see his path), Physics C: Elec & Mag (PHYS208), and Physics C: Mechanics(PHYS218). He’s thinking he doesn’t want to take those credits and instead retake those classes at TAMU. He wants to have a strong foundation in physics. Why are those classes brutal at TAMU? Is it the material or are they huge, weed-out classes that are almost impossible to pass? He plans on majoring in physics and doesn’t want to be behind in PHYS221 if he just takes the credits. I’d really appreciate your insight on the classes. TIA
AP calculus AB score of 4 allows you to be exempt from Math 151.
http://www.math.tamu.edu/courses/math151/common-exams/ has some old exams for Math 151. You may want to try them to check your knowledge against what Texas A&M expects. Based on that, you can better determine whether you should accept the AP credit and take Math 152, or not accept the AP credit and take Math 151.
@TamuEngineer, aren’t you also required to take MEEN 222 for industrial engineering? Also, keep in mind that your case may have been an exception as general engineering students are required to take 2 math, 2 science and 2 engineering courses at A&M College Station before being accepted into their major: https://engineering.tamu.edu/academics/advisors-procedures/entry-to-a-major/general-engineering-program/class-of-2021 I know of cases were students were ineligible for ETAM because they didn’t complete a second science at A&M, or they failed physics. In any case, if one’s desire is to major in ME, physics at A&M can’t be avoided.
@trish02, My son is a junior, however, in the fall of 2015, PHYS 218/208 had the reputation for being weed-out courses. Class averages on exams were in the 40s and 50s, so it was plain scary for students knowing where they’d fall at the semester end. I’ve heard they have made some changes, including using common exams (although each prof is allowed to write his/her own final). My son said exams were simply above and beyond what was covered in lecture/recitation. He would also have exams written by other profs which he felt his own prof had not adequately prepared students for. Many PHYS 218/208 students attend A+ Tutoring which is helpful in going over old exams, practice tests, etc. prior to each exam and the final.
Do they still offer ENGR 109 Intro to Engineering, I think)? I was a TA for that class in my twilight years as a grad student there. Fun class.
@lee6666 Thank you! That is great information. I’m wondering if it is better for my son to take the AP credits for those classes and then take the next ones in the sequence, going right into PHYS 221. Do you happen to know if that is also a weed-out class? Or is that one that will be smaller because it is not part of the engineering first year sequence? My son is planning on majoring in physics.
@trish02, I don’t know about PHYS 221 – it wasn’t required for my son’s program. Best to visit with an advisor, the physics department, and students who have gone through this to determine whether he should accept AP credit or not.
My son is a current freshman engineer major, first semester. He has AP Physics that would be 218 credit if taken. He’s taking chem107 now. Are u saying he could take the AP credit for physics 218, take physics 208 at community college in summer 2018 and transfer it in to TAMU, and NOT have to take 2nd science at TAMU when he applies to a engineering major April 2018?
@HowdyJ I think the reputation of the physics courses at Texas A&M are FAR overblown. The physics courses have changed a lot over the last few years and are now much more in line with other courses at Texas A&M. It’s not really designed to be a weed out class but the material can be difficult. The real problem is that people don’t know how to study in the course and end up failing because of poor study habits. Also, I have heard that students in the future won’t be able to take the course elsewhere because they are going to end up attaching engineering credits to the course.