<p>Math is very important for engineering, especially electrical. I'm not bad at math, but I've never been what you would call, talented either, at least academically. I mean, I love math, and often I just sit around doing weird math stuff, like trying to find out an alternative formula for x<em>2+y</em>2 and stuff like that, but often I screw up and struggle with sums. And time is my greatest enemy. I mean, even some sums that give me huge problems, I can solve if you give me some time, but in the exams I don't manage to keep up with time. Can anyone do well in math if he/she practices a lot?</p>
<p>And as for physics, well, I've always had a thing for physics and just last school semester I got 96 out of 100 (A+), but for some reason, this year, I barely got 73 (C) in the finals. Maybe it's because I do not get along with the teacher (he's a dick), but I also sometimes have difficult understanding some questions and I screw up a lot in my practical exams and sometimes I struggle with problem solving.</p>
<p>I always wanted to know how things worked, and have wanted to build machines and electronics, but engineering is very competitive so...</p>
<p>You should never let one grade determine your future, one way or the other. Only you can determine the best path, and if you’re capable of doing the work required for a degree in engineering. Don’t give up on it yet! Take some more courses and see if hard work can overcome these shortfalls.</p>
<p>Hard work can make-up for many short comings. However, at the end of the day, a standard engineering degree may not be for you (as it’s not for most college grads), no shame in that…</p>
<p>You may want to look at engineering technology degrees as an alternative. Engineering technology degree’s are generally more focused on application and implementation, while standard engineering may place more of an emphasis on theory and conceptual design. The math (and physics) requirements are much easier to handle. </p>
<p>Here’s a link that describes Electrical Engineering Technology:</p>
<p>Notice that the two math requirements (Math 2471 and 2472) are the less rigorous versions of Calc 1 and Calc 2. </p>
<p>If you’re interested in Computer Sciences, you can find a version of the degree offered at several universities in the CLAS (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences), that also have the lower math requirement.</p>
<p>Here is a recent thread on these CLAS degree’s:</p>
<p>EET is a technician job. Electrical engineering is an engineering job. Engineers design, and technicians build the system. </p>
<p>With sufficient repetition, anyone can learn anything. Time isn’t infinite though, so don’t rely on just repetition. As for the grades: I actually disagree that you shouldn’t be worried about that, although not for the obvious reason. If you can’t do well in a class with a teacher that you don’t get along with, then I get the feeling that you’re really not very good at working hard when it comes to really unpleasant conditions. You will hate the material or the teacher at some point in college, and that’s not justification for doing poorly.</p>
<p>That being said: struggling with sums and making small errors is not unusual or particularly damning. Just learn to do simple math more accurately.</p>
<p>I’d hesitate to try an arts/sciences CS program because you think the math will be easier. It could be easier or harder; note that not requiring diffy-q’s doesn’t make a major easier, mathematically speaking.</p>
<p>You might consider information technology or information systems, though. These are more aimed at producing programmers and admins, and there’re as many jobs in that as in all traditional engineering disciplines combined.</p>
<p>Real CS programs require tons of math. I don’t recommend watered down CS programs. If you are a CS major you should stop being lazy and take as many physics, math and statistic classes and less nonsense art classes</p>
<p>Study until you understand. Don’t expect some sort of range of time you can expect to finish studying. </p>
<p>If everyone else finishes studying ahead of you but you still don’t entirely understand, keep on studying or maybe go visit a professor or TA during office hours. If you finished studying and entirely understand the concepts, keep on doing those problem sets.</p>
<p>Physics calculations are mostly procedural. If you find yourself stuck, then you haven’t understood the equations (or the mathematical manipulation rules) properly.</p>
<p>The same applies to some calculative math (i.e. that which is mostly used in engineering). The only difficulty in math problems comes (especially in “pure mathematics”), when you may be required to “think out of the procedural box”, when you’re tasked by something that requires you to follow certain exact definitions and make conclusions that are not explicit (i.e. you have to figure out something, which is not self-evident, out, rather than be handed them in the questions. The questions include the relevant terminology and possible known details, but it would be then up to you to recall, what that terminology tells and what it implies or can imply in the problem domain.).</p>
<p>But for most part, it all boils down to practice and having adequate knowledge to solve a problem. Struggling is a sign that you’re missing something or trying to “think the wrong way”. In mathematics studying different types/areas of math can help understand other types of math better, because mathematics is by large a huge web of knowledge, where different areas are connected.</p>
<p>History and foreign politics is a strong suit as well as fascination of mine. I had a C+ my first semester of high school… freshman year in world history. The teacher was the hardest I’ve ever had. That includes those I’ve encountered in college.</p>
<p>I agree that you should not let a letter grade determine your future. I am a senior engineering student now with 8 credits of physics and 12 credits of math under my belt. And I will be the first to admit that I am not naturally gifted in either of those fields. I have always had to work extra hard to get good grades in those classes because it was always more difficult for me than other people. I have ended up with As and Bs in all of those classes. If you put in the work and get help when needed, you should be okay.</p>