<p>I am about to start Civil Engineering in the fall and need to know what mathematics i need to brush up on, which ones to be the most worried about, and what the best references would be to get a good jump on it.</p>
<p>Just learn it when you take the class. Relax for the summer!</p>
<p>FYI, I took Calc I-III, Linear Algebra, Probability, and Differential Equations.</p>
<p>
For undergrad it was either calc ii/iii (the one with the series) was the hardest.
For grad it was diff eq (pde, laplace thingy and fourier analysis)…</p>
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The best reference in my opinion: [Pauls</a> Online Math Notes](<a href=“Error - Page Missing”>http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/)</p>
<p>^^my diff eqs teacher taught the whole class with “Paul’s Notes” for our lecture notes and the MIT opencourseware videos for the actual lectures.</p>
<p>CivE’s at my school also took multivariate calculus, or calc 4. But yeah, don’t worry too much or get ahead of yourself.</p>
<p>Yeah, at my school, I think civil requires calc (1-3), diff eq, linear algebra, and matrix analysis or something. </p>
<p>If you MUST study… brush up on your basic skills?</p>
<p>yeah, calc 1-3, differ eq, statics, linear algebra. Calc 4 or calc 3 is all the same thing depending on the school. Some schools teach more in the lower level calcs than do others, hence, there isn’t a calc 4 because it is taught in calc 3. Also, some schools teach differential equations and linear algebra together in the same class as opposed to having two seperate classes. If I were you I would brush up on all your differentiating and integrating rules, along with brushing up on all the different versions of what graphs look like. For example things like x, x^2, x^3, 1/x^2, 1/x^3, sqrt(x), etc. Know your sign graphs as well, also know your unit circle or special triangles, whichever you prefer, know your trig identies, inverse trig identies as well. I would say what is also important is to practice your vector geometry, know vectors in 3 demensions and the right hand rules and things of that nature. Get used to many all the conversion units, pascals, jules, kelvin, all that good stuff. Know the formulas of how to find the area and volume of circles, squares, cones, cylinders, ect, memorize all of those formulas. Also know your rectangular to polar coordinate conversions stuff. Hope you love math, depending on your school, they will expect you to already know everything I just metioned and then some.</p>
<p>I would disagree, the best thing to do is to get ahead of yourself so you won’t struggle when you get to the upper level classes, make A’s you prerequisites so that when you are taking your hard engineering courses like fluids or thermo you will have so breathing room. You can then afford to make a C here and there when things get tough. The best thing you can do is get good at the basics. You will find out that some prof. expect you to know more than others, so be prepared to study differently for each one.</p>
<p>Another thing to know, is how to read the graph of the deriatives, increasing, decreasing, concave up, and down, inflection points, all that good stuff, where graphs do not exist at jumps or cusps.</p>
<p>After diff eq, matrix analysis, and vector calculus, you’ll be taught whatever math you need in the courses that require that math. We ended up with Einstein notation and tensor calc in my structural mechanics course. That went on to finite element derivations. </p>
<p>It’ll be fine, just take it a step at a time. Brush up on things you were already supposed to know, but it’s prohibitively difficult to learn higher math on your own to make it ‘easier’ on you later. Might as well rest up during the summer, or try for an internship. Or float down a river. Watch some Simpsons.</p>
<p>he doesn’t have to teach himself higher maths, just make sure you got all your HS skills down. You’ll be good after that. Just make sure to manage your time and make the most of it. Don’t want to wait until the day before a test to study. Try reading and previewing before every lecture. Always stay on top of your work, because when you fall behind it is nearly impossible to catch up.</p>
<p>I STILL have nightmares several times a year where I’m enrolled in differential equations and don’t go to class and end up way behind! I hate those dreams, because they seem so real.</p>
<p>Well, I was never one to learn anything in class anyway. I was always more of a book learner. Some people prefer different methods of presentation, but I could always care less. Half of what my professors said always went in one ear and out of the other. I did have night mares like that in HS, lol. But when I got to college it was like the hell if I’m worrying about anything, who cares, I could be dead tomorrow, lol. I think it was the best thing I ever did too. It got rid of all the test anxiety I had. I just didn’t give a damn and that is when I started to learn. Instead of worrying about a test or missing a class I began to absorb the information on my own and it turned out well. You win some you lose some. I figured life is too short to be consumed by worrying or stressing out over things, who cares, no one is making it out of this place alive, lol.</p>
<p>Good attitude, Forever! I DID change a lot from high school. I got cold sores and stomach aches constantly in high school, and realized in college that I couldn’t keep that level of anxiety up any longer! I found a great group of friends and we partied a good bit but studied hard, too.</p>