Would Open Course Ware help me?

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>I'm currently going to be a senior in high school, and I wonder if Open Course Ware from MIT, UCI, UC Berkeley, etc. will help me in the future. I'm kind of worried about my grades when I enter college because I will be commuting and working a part time job during school, and I heard that mechanical engineering is very rigorous. My goal is to keep at least a 3.5 GPA. Obviously, I'm not going to master every subject that engineers need by watching these online courses, but I will have at least a very rudimentary understanding about the course (well I hope). I'm currently watching Walter Lewin's lectures on classical mechanics (for fun), and I do understand what he is saying. I also know lectures will get harder to understand such as Thermodynamics, but at least when I enter college I'll have some foundation for the course. So I was wondering if I were to watch and take some notes on lectures that engineers need, would it suffice for the studying that I will be missing because I will be commuting and working during school?</p>

<p>By the way, this is not going to interfere with my courses in high school because I will most likely watching these lectures on weekends--where homework isn't an overload.</p>

<p>If this is a factor: I am a hardworking student; my CSU grade is a 4.33. With that being said, I can handle watching these lectures while I take 4 AP classes. I do love learning too :)</p>

<p>What do you guys think? Will it be worth it? Or should I wait until college?</p>

<p>Thank you for those who reply.</p>

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<p>It should help. Exposure if exposure. Aside from time spent, there isnt a downside to this. </p>

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<p>Gilbert Strang is the only reason I somewhat understand linear algebra after taking the course with a terrible professor and an even more useless textbook. That said, you get the most out of the OCW by internalizing the information, that means problem solving. So if you really want to make the material stick to your brain, grab a textbook and start applying the lecture material. Ideally you could use the same textbook and assigned problems as the students who originally took class.</p>

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<p>@da6onet okay cool. I wonder if i can find a textbook online for free… Oh yeah I heard linear algebra is hard and I’m like,“psh it’s just algebra!” Obviously, I dont know what I’m talking about. Hahha. Thank you for the advice!</p>

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<p>@ninjex That’s what I was thinking. Well, I guess I’ll just have to try it out and see! Thanks for the input.</p>

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<p>What science and math will you be taking senior year? The time may be better spent getting extra foundation strengths there. </p>

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<p>@colorado_mom I already have taken physics, chemistry, and biology. I’m taking AP chemistry senior year. I would take AP physics but my school doesn’t have it.</p>

<p>By the way, Walter Lewin’s lectures are helping me get a better understanding of physics because it is calculus based, so I’m pretty sure I’m benefiting off of that. </p>

<p>I think my weakest science is chemistry though…</p>

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<p>I agree - Physics (with calc) is a good learning area. Don’t worry too much about chem for MechE. </p>

<p>Have you taken AP Calc? </p>

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<p>@colorado_mom Yes I have taken AP Calculus AB; I got a 4. I’m taking AP Calculus BC next year. Math is my strongest subject. </p>

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<p>@colorado_mom by the way, do you know why subjects are harder in college? Is it because the tests ask harder questions? Because I feel like I have a solid understanding of subjects, but people say it’s nothing compared to college courses. Oh and do AP exams really simulate a college test? Or is it a little easier?</p>

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<p>Any standardized test is going to be easier than a test that allows for proofs/free response and customized to the content the professor wants to emphasize. I found it useful to try doing problems from other colleges’ finals (i.e. Cornell math 1910 prelims) to help study for my own tests. Since you say you just finished up with AB calc you should be able to try a few calc 1 problems–> <a href=“Math 1A | Department of Mathematics at University of California Berkeley”>Math 1A | Department of Mathematics at University of California Berkeley;

<p>Credit to @ucbalumnus for the treasure trove of Berkeley tests <3</p>

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<p>

I credit Gilbert Strang’s MIT OCW course for helping me learn linear algebra without a textbook and subsequently passing a graduate level course heavily involving the subject without ever having taken a basic undergraduate linear algebra course.</p>