Your Engineering Math Skills Are Terrible
Before an engineering student graduates, he or she has to go through a lot of mathematics, on top of the physics and science subjects. By a lot, I mean a lot – one has to deal with basic algebra, trigonometry, solid mensuration, analytic geometry, advanced algebra, differential calculus, integral calculus, and differential equations, among others. And over the course of taking these subjects, one will have a moment of reflection, “Am I really fit for this career?” Did you check your engineering math skills?
The engineering student continues with the course anyway despite the uncertainty of his abilities in performing math. Here’s the catch: engineering students cannot give up on their maths because those are the lifeblood of the course. Yes, most of those topics are less likely to be used in your career later, but you need to do it to grind the gears inside your mind. If the math seems like a foreign language to you, then you should learn it. Everything can be learned with utmost will and determination anyway.
On the process of understanding maths, there will come days in the lives of engineering students that will reflect their math proficiency – or the lack thereof. Listed below are the signs that you suck at math.
Engineering Math (Source: Tumblr)
You don’t volunteer to perform a problem on the white/chalkboard. Some engineering instructors let their students shine through active participation in solving problems in front of the class. And almost always, there are no volunteers to do it, and everyone in class is just waiting for the smartest guy or gal to raise his or her hand to save you all. You are never that smartest guy or gal.
You check your calculator for simple arithmetic. What is 5 times 4 again? And the engineering student checks his or her calculator just to be sure. A problem that can be solved by a third grader mentally is a problem that can be solved by an engineering student with a calculator. Great. Just great.
Engineering Math (Source: Giphy)
You don’t always get the right answers in exams. Worst case in a multiple choice exam, the answer that showed up in your calculator is nowhere near the options. In such cases you figure out if the question has an undiscovered trick, maybe a unit conversion, or you are just that dumb (sorry for the lack of better term).
Engineering Math (Source: Blogspot)
You rank low in every evaluation exam. Most engineering colleges have a placement or evaluation exam that covers the entire batch or class to measure proficiency, and you always see your name at the bottom of the pack consistently. Do you really think that this reflects that you are good at math?
You think people who love math are weird. While you’re there confusing yourself how to solve engineering problems which always involve math, there are others who love to do them. What the hell, right?
Engineering Math (Source: Giphy)
You totally get the concept in class but when you do your homework, it feels like you haven’t attended the class at all. This is a classic math comprehension situation among engineering students. Every computation looks so easy in the classroom, but so hard while you’re on your own doing it. Why is that? Well, you probably suck at math. You were only able to do it in your mind when someone is doing it for you.
If you look like being slapped with the mentioned realities of you being not so good at math, there is always a room for improvement. Constant, correct practice is key. You need to do so to graduate and be able to become an engineer – who survived all the damn maths.
Have you check your engineering math skills lately?
