<p>Ok, so I am starting to play with some basic calc concepts....power rule....quotent rule....</p>
<p>I am not find them hard. So, I think I might get a shot and machines.</p>
<p>My question is this: In today's modern world, how creative does an engineer need to be?</p>
<p>get a shot and machines??? huh?</p>
<p>I don’t know what you mean by ‘creative’…as I understand, it means to consider multiple solutions or processes for a given problem or system as opposed to one or a particular established trend; and yes we do this</p>
<p>like a graphic designer will be ‘creative’ in the sense that given a name of a company, such as international business management, they will consider several visual possibilities (logos) of representing the company until they find one that’s optimal…and then u get the ibm logo or their old ‘eye, bee, M’ ads via the great paul rand…</p>
<p>we (engineers) do this too, there is always, always, always more than one solution to a problem and all sorts of trade offs with each…we asses different scenarios via some kind of decision matrix with technical objectives (power, efficiency, resources, costs, ecological impact) until we find an optimal solution or process to a problem or system…yes, engineers need to be creative but in a more orderly fashion ; )</p>
<p>we do not need to be able to draw graphics other then circles and basic fbd’s though : )</p>
<p>
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<p>those aren’t calculus concepts. those are formulas. you can be really good at applying those rules but have no grip on the concepts.</p>
<p>^ I would recommend proving those basic formulae as an interesting formative exercise for the beginning student of Calculus. In fact, I’d encourage the intellectually curious student to attempt to prove every result used in introductory Calculus. Of course, you can always take the physicist’s way out and get some intuition about the results and stop there, or (god forbid) take the engineer’s way out and make sure you have a calculator that does it.</p>
<p>Meh, that’s lame. I want to see where the formula comes from. I will do it the Math major way :-)</p>
<p>I will get back to you guys once I figure them out.</p>
<p>Can ANYONE understand the formulas? I am trying to figure out if I got what it takes for Mechanical Engineering. Being in special ed for 8 years has really hindered my confidence.</p>
<p>cyclone:</p>
<p>I do understand what your saying. It sounds like engineers develop multiple solutions that are purley LOGICAL based. Graphic Designers develop solutions that are emotion/logic based.</p>
<p>So, anyone who can think well can be a good Mechanical Engineer?</p>
<p>Again, I am REALLY nervous about approaching this field because of my special ed. background.</p>
<p>I have no idea what’s going on in this thread. What is your question?</p>
<p>Cooldudemanus, this may not be a great benchmark, but how did you do on the ACT or SAT math? </p>
<p>There are plenty of engineering schools out there, not all of them have geniuses. If you want to be an engineer, go do it. Hell, at my highly ranked engineering school I’ve met people who probably should have been in special ed (that’s a extreme exaggeration, but it’s not full of all geniuses).</p>
<p>If you want to make sure you can handle it before you jump in, go to a community college and take the prerequisites there first and then transfer. If it’s not for you, you should be able to figure it out quickly, and then you’ve lost a few grand as opposed to 20.</p>
<p>That is just Calculus I…which is a starting point. As an engineering student (except in recent years Computer Science), you will take:</p>
<ul>
<li>Calculus I, II & III</li>
<li>Differential Equations</li>
<li>Linear Algebra</li>
</ul>
<p>There are engineering areas that use Calculus III. Hell, Operations Research will have problems where you are TRYING to break down the problem to something manageable like Calculus 3.</p>
<p>Creativity comes in when you can you the established mathematical and engineering concepts to optimize some process.</p>
<p>^^^^Wow, sounds like tough stuff.</p>
<p>I am definatly NOT smart, but I am not dumb either. HOWEVER, I used to be really stupid(illiterate,couldn’t really do simple stuff)and just worked REALLY hard to get out of it!!! </p>
<p>I guess I will take calc 1 at a community college and see if I can pull this off.</p>
<p>Of coures, here is yet another worry of mine. A lot of students are able to get PAST calc 1-3 and the physics, BUT they can’t handle the upper division engineering classes.</p>
<p>What if that happens to me?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You either stick it out and keep taking classes until you graduate with a low GPA or you transfer out of engineering.</p>
<p>Remember, engineering is applying the CONCEPTS of Calculus and Physics (and other areas of math and physical sciences) in order to form a solution to a problem…so it is possible for someone to do great in the theoretical concepts but have trouble applying them in engineering courses.</p>
<p>At this time, you will not know your limits until your actually take the courses. I started off as EE but decided that I wanted to be in computer science BUT did not want to take “everything” required in the CS program so I majored in Math (which I love) and emphasized CS.</p>
<p>So then you do get a taste for “real engineering” in school ? I’ve often worried about not being able to hack it with the MAJOR engineering courses even though I’ve always been very good at math.
P.S. I realize engineering is more than being good at math.</p>
<p>G.P.</p>
<p>What good is an engineer with a low GPA</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>If you want to be a mechanical engineer, you’ll need a mechanical engineering degree, regardless of the GPA. </p>
<p>But you asked what happens if you take engineering classes and can’t hack it. Those are there are three options: 1) you get it together and figure out a way to do well, 2) you graduate with a low GPA, 3) you transfer to another major.</p>
<p>It may be different for other people, but I found the lower level calc and physics classes to be harder than upper level engineering courses. All the electrical/magnetic crap in physics blew me away, lol, and I didn’t have to worry about that in my structures classes. Structures just made SENSE to me in a way that (some of) physics didn’t.</p>
<p>“What good is an engineer with a low GPA”</p>
<p>I don’t know how it works in the interview room, but looking at the recruitment job site for my college, there are plenty of jobs which have no minimum GPA requirement. You’ll get a job, even with a low GPA.</p>
<p>Well, at least I will still get to play with cool toys and physics concepts with the degree…</p>
<p>Yes, or maybe not. Don’t worry if you don’t suddenly understand everything about Calculus right now, because some of it can be a little confusing until a few concepts come together later in the course. That’s a bit how it was for me anyway, but also it was easier because I had my mechanics and e&m class taught with calculus as well.</p>
<p>It’s possible that you could gain a stronger foothold by taking a look at some of the common applications of calculus in physics and economics. Just a suggestion. It is fairly important that you’re good at calculus for a lot of the engineering majors.</p>