Friday, May 11, 2012

College Engineering Advice



First thing to know is: I'm studying Mechanical Engineering. Currently a sophomore I've had a bit of experience and so I compiled a small list of ideas for future students. (Also, I'm an ASME Officer, jus' sayin')

Some high school students ask me questions about classes and there are a few select rules that I've ended up telling most of them, so here goes:

1. Screw AP
     Dual Enrollment is much more worthwhile. You are guaranteed the credit, you can build your GPA early on and DE classes are generally easier than AP.

2. Take AP
     I know, I know, I'm contradicting myself. But listen, Dual Enroll in classes that don't matter to your major. So say you're doing engineering, too. Dual enroll English and social studies, and arts or humanities studies as well. Things like calculus, chemistry, physics, statistics, etc... you should AP. The reason is even if you don't pass the AP you'll at least learn a lot more in AP for when you take classes in college, plus it serves as good practice. So mess up as much as you want and your college GPA isn't sacrificed for your mistakes.

3. Learn to Study
     I mean this one. Some people study differently; flashcards, basic notes, practice problems, hell some people don't need to study. Learn where to study, some people can do it around friends in their room, some people need the quiet solitude of library stacks. If you're like me, you prefer to be outside in the sun by water. It's nice. Point is, get comfortable, and get studied!

4. Accept Advice and Criticism
     Learn to accept that sometimes a separate point of view can be right. Sometimes you'll spend an hour on a single problem and get no where near right, a friend can offer a simple concept or idea that will instantly get it right. If you're too prideful to accept help, get over it. You'll never work alone as an engineer, and if you can't accept help from a friend, you'll be doomed for the rest of your career.

I hope this helps a bit, and no worries, I'll be offering more tips and advice through my semesters as an engineering student alongside my assessment of cars.

See ya guys!

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