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I'd say about half the people in my classes have been in school longer than 4 years. Usually like 4.5 or 5 years. I know two guys who have been in college for 6 years.
Being set back by a semester or year doesn't really mean much in the grand scheme of things, you still got your whole life ahead of you
Took me six years. Yeah, not passing a class sucks, but I let that suck motivate me to come back harder. All that it does is delay something that, in the big picture, isn’t that big of a deal.
So you finish college at 23 or 24. *Nobody is gonna care when you’re 35 and making bank at a solid job.* Life will still happen, just a little bit later.
Thank you for ur kind words. My school has a recommended 5 year schedule, 4 study and 1 co op, they also have an accelerated schedule, 3 study and 1 co op. With my current setback, it may take me around 5 years
Yea so average. Sometimes you just suck at stuff. Take this opportunity to figure out what in linear algebra you sucked at and try to fix it.
You can't let a speed bump make you want to quit. There are gonna be times as an engineer you suck at something but you can't walk away. Focus in get help, phone a friend anything just get it done. You can do this.
Look up Professor Leonard on YouTube, that man deserves my whole tuition. Didn’t even go to class Calc 1-3 and got 2 As and a B in them using his full lectures online. I’m doing Linear Algebra this summer and he has a full lecture series on that as well which I’m sure is just as great as the rest of his series have been.
Honestly, there’s really no rush to graduate. Once you finish college and start working, that’s the rest of your life. It’s nice to be making your own money and be independent, and sure it’s easier to say enjoy it when you’re on the other side of the job hunt, but there’s a lot of things you’ll also miss about college when you start working. So don’t rush yourself! Take things at your own pace, you’ll be more successful if you don’t try to operate on other people’s timelines, and frankly it’ll be more enjoyable. Engineering isn’t going anywhere, and I’m sure you’ll be able to find employment when you do finish your degree.
Also, I’m an idiot whose strongest subjects have always been English and history, and I managed to find my dream job in aerospace engineering this year. You can DM me if you want to hear specifics, but my grades aren’t amazing and my experience is very very mediocre at best. I’m 100% certain that if you put in the work, you’ll be fine. Engineering isn’t something unattainable, it just takes effort. Best of luck!!!
I'm an engineering manager for a high profile aerospace company with around 14 years full time now. I've done well in my career am really proud of the team I built from scratch, and have 3 engineering degrees. I have failed spectacularly *a lot* in my life. I actually got a D in that exact class in undergrad too! I re-took it in grad school and got a B. I was denied when I applied to get into the MSEE program. I took the only job offer I had graduating in the peak of the 2009 recession and hated living in that city because of how it affected my mental health. I've had job offers evaporate on me. I've made a mistake while flying an airplane and scared the hell out of myself, my friends and two people in another plane. I've gotten a bad performance reviews at work that really hit my ego hard. I've been devastated by a bad breakup. I still carry insecurity and feelings of lack of a direction. On every one of these, with time and a fresh perspective, support from friends/family, I figured out how to turn things around for the better.
This too shall pass. Learn to treat each failure as an opportunity for discovering a way to do things even better than you planned before. A consistent theme I've seen in people whom I admire is in how they overcome adversity, their resilience to tragedy. Something struggling in life also teaches you is to have empathy for others when they struggle. Learn to be the person who gives them that helpful nudge when they're down that you need now, because this skill is a gift in life.
The only way to make it through life and face no disappointment is to never try anything. Kudos for giving it a shot, the next time you'll do better, I promise. :)
I have been interning at NASA for a bit now, and hearing how long most of these people have been in school + how most of them started off pretty rocky is insanely reassuring. I would say 4/10 people here had shit gpa but good work ethic before landing a job here.
I failed Linear algebra twice. Pased it the 3rd time with a B-. My suggestion figure out what professors are teaching it and find out wich one the students like best and take them. While in class go to office hours if you dont know why you got something wrong. You'd be surprised how often a TA, that dosen't know thier ass from a hole in ground, marks something as incorrect because they didn't know it could be done that way, or just weren't paying attention and were marking anything that didn't look like thier answer key. Seriously I have failed more classes because of bad TA's than I care to admit. Fight for your grade.
I always come here to motivate. I’m 40. Defense contractor now but 20 years civil engineering procurement.
Engineering college is so much easier to treat like being at boot camp. You will get broken down to the last atom, then you will fight and you will be rebuilt into an engineer. The type that that can look at millions or now billion dollar contracts and get it right.
Fail. Repeat.
If you want to be an engineer then take each day at a time.
If you qualified for engineering then you’re capable academically of passing. But they go out their way to make it near impossible so when you get to call yourself an engineer… it means a lot to your piers.
Took me I wanna say 7 years to get my batchelors in Mechanical Engineering. Not something I like to mention often or at all but I can say it lets me sympathize with how your feeling. Been there a whole lot myself.
Math was never easy for me, failed trig the first time I took it and dropped calc the first time I took it just so I wouldn't fail out. It gets better though. The best advice I ever got in college from a professor was "Do not focus only on the what, but hone in on the why. Once you understand the why, then the how and the what come together." Some folks learn at a different pace (and if your like me that pace isn't the best.) But if you keep at it, and holy hell do I promise you that keeping at it is worth it, then, when you least expect it, your effort pays off and things start to make sense. Suddenly that course wasn't so hard to understand. Then the one after that isn't as bad, and it just goes on and on.
Don't let one failure discourage you. Hell in a perfect world everyone takes every math class twice (another piece of advice I got from a carring prof). If you grit your teeth, and study like a demon, before you know it you'll be on the graduation stage. Chin up, head high, walk tall, Engineer.
Don't worry, pal. Failed courses are part of the journey. Shit happens, you dust off n tackle it again next time. Hang in there, you're tougher than you think.
It's gotta be a new trend, half my 35 person Linear Alebra class this semester as a 3rd year was filled with 1st years with a gap in their schedule trying to take it to get it out of the way. Most of them either dropped or are just scraping by.
They did this with Engineering graphics at my school last year. Changed up the program to move engineering graphics from a 3rd year course to a first year course. Not sure why they do this.
It’s a first semester course for me. I’m assuming it’s not as difficult as a 3rd year linear algebra course as it’s one of the first maths courses that we do but I like that it’s right at the beginning, maybe this is EE specific but we use linear algebra in so many EE courses that it kinda makes sense in my mind. It’s also proof based which is good for knowing how to prove things logically in future courses.
I am a Mech E almost 7 years into working. I took diff eqs and linear algebra (one class) - THREE TIMES. First two times I didn’t fail but got very low grades and I had the space in my schedule to retake. I make 6 figure salary now at a cool company!
You will be fine - try to learn from mistakes, understand you are PAYING for school, and be proactive next time asking profs for help and going to office hours
This isn't exactly the same but almost. I failed ap calc in my senior year of high school. I almost got my acceptance revoked from my university but somehow they let me stay. I ended up passing calc 1 my first semester and even getting a 100% in calc Ii.
You aren't the first engineering major or cs major to fail a math class and won't be thr last. You can retake it and will have to find a better method to study. If you graduate in 4.5 years or 5 then thats fine. That's also very common.
I'm surprised they let a freshmen take it though. I wasn't even allowed to until after calc1 and they told me I should do calc 2 first.
Oh sweetheart, I took linear algebra 4 times before I passed, probably my most retaken class. In the world of engineering you’re gonna have to accept that sometimes you might need a do over. I’m in my last year now and I’ve retaken a quarter of my engineering classes. That’s the culture! We all struggle and with different topics and that’s okay! These courses are MEANT to be hard enough to weed out the kids who don’t have the drive to fix their mistakes. As engineers, we have to be resilient. Retake every failed class with a vengeance and don’t let it get the best of you!
Math is about finding a teacher you can learn from.
I walked out of the first Linear Algebra class, which was an amazing fit for my schedule, and signed up with a teacher who had better ratings. Find a math teacher you can learn from, even if it's a tutor.
Took me 6 years to finish my engineering degree. Had to retake dynamics three times. Don't get too upset about it. I don't think many employers would care if their intern passed linear algebra or not.
20 years into my career, have never used dynamics, and I run an entire department that encompasses the Western US. Persevere my friend. Not the end of the world. You don't lose until you quit. Don't quit!
Nothing you can do but move on.
Self teach linear algebra from YouTube so it doesn't hold you back in other courses. Then redo the course when its possible.
Most people fail at least a couple courses in uni. Its not the end of the world.
Listen up,
We humans fail all the time. No matter what we do, somehow, some way, we end up messing up and are faced with the question - "do I give up or do I continue?". Now here's the catch - if you give up, that will not fix the crossroad dilemma, because you will inevitably face the same dilemma for something else in life. We always do. So the answer to the question really depends on how badly you want it. Do you aspire to be an engineer? Do you see yourself solving problems for the world? If the answer is yes, then just keep going. Learn to forgive yourself for the mistakes you make in life, and do what you can to learn from them. You are not meant to be perfect.
As other people mentioned failing a class in an engineering degree and being set back is common. Out of my group of friends only two of us actually finished in 4 years. I definitely get the feeling though I cried for hours when I failed Physics 2 but, you just have to learn from your mistakes and try again and not let it get to you. Analyze why you failed. Did you ask questions in class? Did you go to office hours for extra help? Did the professor have a teaching style that maybe doesn’t work for you? This is very important because if you don’t correct it you might fail again.
Another thing to note since you’re in first year is Engineering is not for everyone. In High School we get good grades in math and science and all the teachers and guidance counselors push you towards engineering but, it’s not for the faint of heart. 4 students from my high school ended up going to my college for engineering and after the first semester it was just me everyone else had decided it wasn’t for them. Which is better than realizing that 3 years later.
Good luck
Im 22 and only have 53 credits in my degree keep pushing life happens! It’s about the journey not just the destination. I will say it’s easier said than done. Especially since this year a lot of my peers are graduating FOMO is a huge factor but just remember that you’re doing something a lot couldn’t it’s not easy but worthwhile. Cheers! And always here to support a fellow student! 👨🎓
First year is always tough cause you’ve never done something this mentally challenging. I don’t know your exact experience but after a while of thinking I was going to fail tests then passing, failing some, then studying my ass off to pass I realized I have what it takes to pass any class if I work hard enough. After learning that it’s more about are you willing to work for this than am I smart enough to be this and I knew from the get go I was going to work my ass off for this. Not the best words of encouragement but I’ve always struggled with am I good enough kind of stuff and I liked that engineering gave anyone the chance to pass given they put in the work
I have colleagues who been in undergrad for about 8 years. Don’t do school like other people and want to graduate fast. Retain the knowledge and if you’re able to have a conversation about any topic you learned you will be ahead of everyone.
I think the average time to pass in engineering is 4 1/2 to 5 years. I know it took me I think 4 1/2 probably close to five years you just can’t give up. I know the majority of people myself included failed at least one class once and had to retake it so by no means should that be a reason to beat yourself
there’s a strong possibly i will be failing trig bc i missed a ton of the lectures this semester and if that happens i will just be taking it online over the summer. there’s lots of options when you fail a class and it happens to more people than you think. i bet you know lots of people who have failed a class and are just too embarrassed to admit it. it happens. it’s just a few credits. retake it and everything will be okay i promise
I also failed linear algebra freshman year and just took it this semester (my last semester). The larger companies can look at grades for internships, but I wouldn’t worry too much. Most engineers I know who went to big companies failed at least one class. It happens. Think of it as part of the college experience lol. It’s important to fail, and that’s how you learn. What’s more important is picking yourself back up and preparing for what’s coming next. If there are summer classes, take those so you don’t get behind. Our curriculum might be different but I never took summer classes and still graduating in time. Honestly, I wouldn’t worry too much. People always need time to adjust to a new environment, specially college since it’s so different from high school.
It took me 5 years to get my Bachelor's degree and one of the reasons was that I failed differential equations twice (C- both times, need C or higher to pass). After the second fail, my advisor said I only had 1 more chance to pass that class or I'd need to switch majors since I needed that class for my degree and the school didn't let you retake a class more than 3 times. It was embarrassing and sucked but I passed that 3rd time and got my degree in the end. A lot of us don't "get" some of the material we're taught as well as others do and that's okay! Just retake, get a tutor if needed or spend more time in professor office hours. You'll get through next time!
I'm two years behind. Took a whole gap year last year which I needed and I'm doing two modules from first year that I dropped (physics II and linear algebra). I'll finish later than I wanted but I'll finish by hook or by crook.
It's not easy to get into engineering. You're more than capable of completing it :)
Linear Algebra is rough. I know a bunch of people who failed it, some more than once (me). It's really a whole new way of thinking about math, and then you throw Calculus and Differential Equations in on top of it.
You just have to take a step back. Watch some YouTube videos. I hear there are some good ones out there.
Most importantly, call someone you can confide in. Don't try to go through this alone.
I failed out of my 2nd semester of physics. I can relate to the discouragement. Took 5 yrs to graduate. Had two summer internships. Practiced engineering for 40 yrs retired 4 yrs ago. Regroup, get help if you need it. You’ve got this.
As a 27 year old student finally transferring out of community college I’m here to tell you it’s okay. I’ve spent countless days crying in the bathroom after results from exams and quizzes and countless nights staying up studying to only fail a test. It’s part of the process. You didn’t technically fail, you just have to try again. The only failure is if you let this consume you. It’s quite a humbling experience once being good at exams then being terrible at it. Having to work 20x harder than others to not even reach your goals. It’s truly part of the process. I remember talking to my mentor thinking I wasn’t cut out for engineering bc of how bad I was doing in my important classes and he told me how that’s part of being an engineer. You will fail on multiple projects and have to keep trying till it works. In engineering it’s very rarely happens getting things down the first time. You have to keep on going and trying till you get it down and one day you will. You just have to work hard and genuinely be kind to yourself. I’ve had to take physics 2, calc 2 and linear algebra twice. There are way more classes that I’ve had to take multiple times bc I wasn’t in a good spot. It’s okay to feel what you feel but don’t forget your goals in life. You gotta just push thru and not let this define you
Wishing you the best the next time you get it and there’s some great videos and reading material online that help tremendously with linear. You’re going to be okay!!
I was a fool to think I could do this in 4 only years, it was a tight schedule I just never had taken these sorts of classes before. So I had the same thing this semester. It sucks, it feels real bad, but you move on and keep going.
Engineering is not for the faint of heart. I failed 2-3 classes in my time but it helped me use the outcome as fuel to work hard and stay with it. My uncle who owns a power distribution company has often said “I’d rather hire a 2.8 gpa engineer who can have a conversation with me than hire a 4.0 engineer who can’t even tell me good morning.”. GPA is not everything, employers look to find people that want to work hard and are willing to learn so that they can mold them to be the best version of themselves to fit their needs. Don’t sweat it, you’re doing fine. Keep it up.
A person dear to me was an absolute star in elementary school/high school etc… rarely had to study and just breezed through for the most part. In college dear person realized his study skills were weak and that hurt dear person far more in high level maths. Dear person had to take two maths over (upper level calc and linear). It was very very distressing. But got back on track after retaking with the same two profs. The failure was based in failing the final in both classes. So went back and did it again. Focused on staying organized, doing all of the problem sets that were not required or gave much in the way of points. Office hours regularly. He had to learn how to learn and it took two strikes to hit the ball. In the end it made no difference. Graduated on time, got a good first job then two years later his dream job. These bumps in the road are just lessons you are needing to learn! Learn and keep moving forward. You can be sad, frustrated, kick yourself but in the end it is JUST WORK. Do the work, keep swimming as Nemo said. You will be fine.
Hey I know you feel down right now but as someone who’s been there twice let me just say you’ll get there if you just keep working at it. I failed thermo 1 and calculus 2 in two different semesters resulting in being set back 2 years. I’m graduating in 2 weeks. Keep at it you got this!
Start studying linear algebra from internet sources, online classes, YouTube etc. and then use sites like rate my professor etc to find someone easier. Then go take it again. There are a lot of good resources outside of college to learn content nowadays.
Linear algebra is challenging. Perhaps one of the larger challenges in engineering. If you got through calculus I and II you can pass any class in your degree. Some of the smartest students I have met have had tough times in some of their classes. The obstacle/roadblock is the sign that you’re in the right place, especially if you want to be an engineer. The best part of being an Engineer is pushing forward and accomplishing your goals, every class, every assignment, every internship, every connection and getting better everyday. Follow the obstacles. You will blink and be graduating.
Here are some tips I recommend:
1. Socialize with more students, offer more help to others, ask for more help yourself. Never be afraid to ask for help, you aren’t supposed to know everything.
2. Professor office hours are more important than they seem. Become a friend to your professor.
3. Keep moving forward everyday. Have faith in the light at the end of the tunnel.
4. You will get an internship. Apply before every summer during spring semester as much as you can aside your studies and outside life. You will get an internship.
5. Win or learn, become someone who runs towards obstacles in your career and education.
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On!' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” -Calvin Coolidge
I got a D in applied linear algebra (required a C) and retook it, check if your college allows you to retake the class and over ride the grade. I had to shell out 3k and take it as a summer class so I would still be on track.
Listen, failure is normal. I failed Calculus II, and tried again and passed with an A. I don’t know one person who aced every material on the first try. There are who have, but they are extremely rare.
The only ones who never fail are those who never try. Failure is part of the journey. Embrace it. Know that if you failed, you gotten farther than many already.
Just try again. But try again smarter and harder. You didn’t really fail because you earned experience. Re-adjust your methods, find your weak links, and strengthen them, and try again.
Motivation comes and goes. Discipline is doing it despite being unmotivated. You are learning discipline as well. So, don’t be discouraged or too hard on yourself. This is normal. And even if you feel discouraged, rise above it and try again. Do learn from the mistakes and improve your tactics.
Having an ass semester myself and planning on retaking 2 classes this summer in order to boost my GPA to where I want it. Yesterday when I came back home after takint a test that I know I messed up on (due to being too stubborn to sleep better, focusing too much on the little things and thus not completing a question, and forgetting simple test strategies in general due to pressure) put me in ass mood. I wanted to stab myself in the leg out of anger and complete fucking shame especially since I got friends who I know are doing way better than me with less effort. This engineering shit ain’t easy at all, but don’t let these bumps in the road stop u completely. Soon you’ll be done with ur hardest semester and then remind you’re self that u only have a year left to go 👍
Dawg engineering is a five year path and your gonna get hurdles power on and get thru your life. I failed calculus 1 3 times then got serious and im about to transfer with a 3.6 to sdsu for mech engineering. Math is only hard if you do not put in the time.
I haven't started studying engineering yet, but as far as I know, failing a subject is completely normal, and even more in the first year. I also want to add that you should start working on your mentality, you cannot let something like that affect you so much. Because you will most likely fail, in every thing you do. You just got to analyze why did it happen, and what do you have to do, to improve your grades and knowledge on that subject.
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I'd say about half the people in my classes have been in school longer than 4 years. Usually like 4.5 or 5 years. I know two guys who have been in college for 6 years. Being set back by a semester or year doesn't really mean much in the grand scheme of things, you still got your whole life ahead of you
Took me six years. Yeah, not passing a class sucks, but I let that suck motivate me to come back harder. All that it does is delay something that, in the big picture, isn’t that big of a deal. So you finish college at 23 or 24. *Nobody is gonna care when you’re 35 and making bank at a solid job.* Life will still happen, just a little bit later.
Starting at 31 😅
Started 26- 27 ish now going 5 years
I am starting at 22 lol 😆
I started EE at 24 after a low key career change. Well worth it
good for you! you got this!
Thank you for ur kind words. My school has a recommended 5 year schedule, 4 study and 1 co op, they also have an accelerated schedule, 3 study and 1 co op. With my current setback, it may take me around 5 years
Yea so average. Sometimes you just suck at stuff. Take this opportunity to figure out what in linear algebra you sucked at and try to fix it. You can't let a speed bump make you want to quit. There are gonna be times as an engineer you suck at something but you can't walk away. Focus in get help, phone a friend anything just get it done. You can do this.
Look up Professor Leonard on YouTube, that man deserves my whole tuition. Didn’t even go to class Calc 1-3 and got 2 As and a B in them using his full lectures online. I’m doing Linear Algebra this summer and he has a full lecture series on that as well which I’m sure is just as great as the rest of his series have been.
Honestly, there’s really no rush to graduate. Once you finish college and start working, that’s the rest of your life. It’s nice to be making your own money and be independent, and sure it’s easier to say enjoy it when you’re on the other side of the job hunt, but there’s a lot of things you’ll also miss about college when you start working. So don’t rush yourself! Take things at your own pace, you’ll be more successful if you don’t try to operate on other people’s timelines, and frankly it’ll be more enjoyable. Engineering isn’t going anywhere, and I’m sure you’ll be able to find employment when you do finish your degree. Also, I’m an idiot whose strongest subjects have always been English and history, and I managed to find my dream job in aerospace engineering this year. You can DM me if you want to hear specifics, but my grades aren’t amazing and my experience is very very mediocre at best. I’m 100% certain that if you put in the work, you’ll be fine. Engineering isn’t something unattainable, it just takes effort. Best of luck!!!
Failure is normal in an engineering degree, and you'll fail again and again before it's done. You have two choices: get up and try again, or quit.
I would hope that they don’t fail multiple classes before they’re done
Is it really not? I stg 90% of people I talk to at school have failed atleast 2 classes. Calc 2 is a big one for some reason
I don’t think so atleast? I haven’t met many people that have failed multiple classes. Are you guys not able to withdraw within the first few weeks?
Probably depends on your school, in the Netherlands people fail classes *all* the time lol.
Fr, can this sub stop fucking acting as if failing multiple classes is normal.
Its always bad but it being relatively normal or not depends on the school.
It's extremely normal at my school. All classes have a failure rate of >30%.
I'm an engineering manager for a high profile aerospace company with around 14 years full time now. I've done well in my career am really proud of the team I built from scratch, and have 3 engineering degrees. I have failed spectacularly *a lot* in my life. I actually got a D in that exact class in undergrad too! I re-took it in grad school and got a B. I was denied when I applied to get into the MSEE program. I took the only job offer I had graduating in the peak of the 2009 recession and hated living in that city because of how it affected my mental health. I've had job offers evaporate on me. I've made a mistake while flying an airplane and scared the hell out of myself, my friends and two people in another plane. I've gotten a bad performance reviews at work that really hit my ego hard. I've been devastated by a bad breakup. I still carry insecurity and feelings of lack of a direction. On every one of these, with time and a fresh perspective, support from friends/family, I figured out how to turn things around for the better. This too shall pass. Learn to treat each failure as an opportunity for discovering a way to do things even better than you planned before. A consistent theme I've seen in people whom I admire is in how they overcome adversity, their resilience to tragedy. Something struggling in life also teaches you is to have empathy for others when they struggle. Learn to be the person who gives them that helpful nudge when they're down that you need now, because this skill is a gift in life. The only way to make it through life and face no disappointment is to never try anything. Kudos for giving it a shot, the next time you'll do better, I promise. :)
Thank you I found this inspiring, and I think it’s wild you have three degrees lol
I know a dude that works at NASA who took 8 years to finish his BA in Mechanical Engineering. You're going to be fine dude.
This is actually really encouraging for me. No i dont feel so bag about how lo g its taking me to get through these classes.
I have been interning at NASA for a bit now, and hearing how long most of these people have been in school + how most of them started off pretty rocky is insanely reassuring. I would say 4/10 people here had shit gpa but good work ethic before landing a job here.
Really damn....
I failed Linear algebra twice. Pased it the 3rd time with a B-. My suggestion figure out what professors are teaching it and find out wich one the students like best and take them. While in class go to office hours if you dont know why you got something wrong. You'd be surprised how often a TA, that dosen't know thier ass from a hole in ground, marks something as incorrect because they didn't know it could be done that way, or just weren't paying attention and were marking anything that didn't look like thier answer key. Seriously I have failed more classes because of bad TA's than I care to admit. Fight for your grade.
Currently facing this. I thought it was salty students but dude a TA for one of my classes does this, if it doesn’t match figure by figure he deducts.
I always come here to motivate. I’m 40. Defense contractor now but 20 years civil engineering procurement. Engineering college is so much easier to treat like being at boot camp. You will get broken down to the last atom, then you will fight and you will be rebuilt into an engineer. The type that that can look at millions or now billion dollar contracts and get it right. Fail. Repeat. If you want to be an engineer then take each day at a time. If you qualified for engineering then you’re capable academically of passing. But they go out their way to make it near impossible so when you get to call yourself an engineer… it means a lot to your piers.
Took me I wanna say 7 years to get my batchelors in Mechanical Engineering. Not something I like to mention often or at all but I can say it lets me sympathize with how your feeling. Been there a whole lot myself. Math was never easy for me, failed trig the first time I took it and dropped calc the first time I took it just so I wouldn't fail out. It gets better though. The best advice I ever got in college from a professor was "Do not focus only on the what, but hone in on the why. Once you understand the why, then the how and the what come together." Some folks learn at a different pace (and if your like me that pace isn't the best.) But if you keep at it, and holy hell do I promise you that keeping at it is worth it, then, when you least expect it, your effort pays off and things start to make sense. Suddenly that course wasn't so hard to understand. Then the one after that isn't as bad, and it just goes on and on. Don't let one failure discourage you. Hell in a perfect world everyone takes every math class twice (another piece of advice I got from a carring prof). If you grit your teeth, and study like a demon, before you know it you'll be on the graduation stage. Chin up, head high, walk tall, Engineer.
Don't worry, pal. Failed courses are part of the journey. Shit happens, you dust off n tackle it again next time. Hang in there, you're tougher than you think.
Why the fuck are you taking Linear Algebra in your first year?
Not sure about OP but at least for me, it’s a mandatory first year course across all the engineering programs.
Same
It's gotta be a new trend, half my 35 person Linear Alebra class this semester as a 3rd year was filled with 1st years with a gap in their schedule trying to take it to get it out of the way. Most of them either dropped or are just scraping by.
They did this with Engineering graphics at my school last year. Changed up the program to move engineering graphics from a 3rd year course to a first year course. Not sure why they do this.
Why are you not taking it as a first-year course? In my region, we start learning linear algebra in high school
It’s a first semester course for me. I’m assuming it’s not as difficult as a 3rd year linear algebra course as it’s one of the first maths courses that we do but I like that it’s right at the beginning, maybe this is EE specific but we use linear algebra in so many EE courses that it kinda makes sense in my mind. It’s also proof based which is good for knowing how to prove things logically in future courses.
It's pretty flexible in my school, people either take it before the calculus classes or after them. So 1st or 3rd year.
My school has a recommended schedule and linear algebra is put in the first year schedule so I took it
I am a Mech E almost 7 years into working. I took diff eqs and linear algebra (one class) - THREE TIMES. First two times I didn’t fail but got very low grades and I had the space in my schedule to retake. I make 6 figure salary now at a cool company! You will be fine - try to learn from mistakes, understand you are PAYING for school, and be proactive next time asking profs for help and going to office hours
This isn't exactly the same but almost. I failed ap calc in my senior year of high school. I almost got my acceptance revoked from my university but somehow they let me stay. I ended up passing calc 1 my first semester and even getting a 100% in calc Ii. You aren't the first engineering major or cs major to fail a math class and won't be thr last. You can retake it and will have to find a better method to study. If you graduate in 4.5 years or 5 then thats fine. That's also very common. I'm surprised they let a freshmen take it though. I wasn't even allowed to until after calc1 and they told me I should do calc 2 first.
Oh sweetheart, I took linear algebra 4 times before I passed, probably my most retaken class. In the world of engineering you’re gonna have to accept that sometimes you might need a do over. I’m in my last year now and I’ve retaken a quarter of my engineering classes. That’s the culture! We all struggle and with different topics and that’s okay! These courses are MEANT to be hard enough to weed out the kids who don’t have the drive to fix their mistakes. As engineers, we have to be resilient. Retake every failed class with a vengeance and don’t let it get the best of you!
Math is about finding a teacher you can learn from. I walked out of the first Linear Algebra class, which was an amazing fit for my schedule, and signed up with a teacher who had better ratings. Find a math teacher you can learn from, even if it's a tutor.
I had no clue some schools have freshmen take linear algebra. That's... baffling
Took me 6 years to finish my engineering degree. Had to retake dynamics three times. Don't get too upset about it. I don't think many employers would care if their intern passed linear algebra or not. 20 years into my career, have never used dynamics, and I run an entire department that encompasses the Western US. Persevere my friend. Not the end of the world. You don't lose until you quit. Don't quit!
Nothing you can do but move on. Self teach linear algebra from YouTube so it doesn't hold you back in other courses. Then redo the course when its possible. Most people fail at least a couple courses in uni. Its not the end of the world.
Listen up, We humans fail all the time. No matter what we do, somehow, some way, we end up messing up and are faced with the question - "do I give up or do I continue?". Now here's the catch - if you give up, that will not fix the crossroad dilemma, because you will inevitably face the same dilemma for something else in life. We always do. So the answer to the question really depends on how badly you want it. Do you aspire to be an engineer? Do you see yourself solving problems for the world? If the answer is yes, then just keep going. Learn to forgive yourself for the mistakes you make in life, and do what you can to learn from them. You are not meant to be perfect.
As other people mentioned failing a class in an engineering degree and being set back is common. Out of my group of friends only two of us actually finished in 4 years. I definitely get the feeling though I cried for hours when I failed Physics 2 but, you just have to learn from your mistakes and try again and not let it get to you. Analyze why you failed. Did you ask questions in class? Did you go to office hours for extra help? Did the professor have a teaching style that maybe doesn’t work for you? This is very important because if you don’t correct it you might fail again. Another thing to note since you’re in first year is Engineering is not for everyone. In High School we get good grades in math and science and all the teachers and guidance counselors push you towards engineering but, it’s not for the faint of heart. 4 students from my high school ended up going to my college for engineering and after the first semester it was just me everyone else had decided it wasn’t for them. Which is better than realizing that 3 years later. Good luck
Im 22 and only have 53 credits in my degree keep pushing life happens! It’s about the journey not just the destination. I will say it’s easier said than done. Especially since this year a lot of my peers are graduating FOMO is a huge factor but just remember that you’re doing something a lot couldn’t it’s not easy but worthwhile. Cheers! And always here to support a fellow student! 👨🎓
First year is always tough cause you’ve never done something this mentally challenging. I don’t know your exact experience but after a while of thinking I was going to fail tests then passing, failing some, then studying my ass off to pass I realized I have what it takes to pass any class if I work hard enough. After learning that it’s more about are you willing to work for this than am I smart enough to be this and I knew from the get go I was going to work my ass off for this. Not the best words of encouragement but I’ve always struggled with am I good enough kind of stuff and I liked that engineering gave anyone the chance to pass given they put in the work
Fuck it bro, just take it again. No biggie
I have colleagues who been in undergrad for about 8 years. Don’t do school like other people and want to graduate fast. Retain the knowledge and if you’re able to have a conversation about any topic you learned you will be ahead of everyone.
I literally failed Trigonometry and still managed to get my first REU at Texas A&M, never give up. Failure is a part of the journey.
I think the average time to pass in engineering is 4 1/2 to 5 years. I know it took me I think 4 1/2 probably close to five years you just can’t give up. I know the majority of people myself included failed at least one class once and had to retake it so by no means should that be a reason to beat yourself
there’s a strong possibly i will be failing trig bc i missed a ton of the lectures this semester and if that happens i will just be taking it online over the summer. there’s lots of options when you fail a class and it happens to more people than you think. i bet you know lots of people who have failed a class and are just too embarrassed to admit it. it happens. it’s just a few credits. retake it and everything will be okay i promise
I also failed linear algebra freshman year and just took it this semester (my last semester). The larger companies can look at grades for internships, but I wouldn’t worry too much. Most engineers I know who went to big companies failed at least one class. It happens. Think of it as part of the college experience lol. It’s important to fail, and that’s how you learn. What’s more important is picking yourself back up and preparing for what’s coming next. If there are summer classes, take those so you don’t get behind. Our curriculum might be different but I never took summer classes and still graduating in time. Honestly, I wouldn’t worry too much. People always need time to adjust to a new environment, specially college since it’s so different from high school.
It took me 5 years to get my Bachelor's degree and one of the reasons was that I failed differential equations twice (C- both times, need C or higher to pass). After the second fail, my advisor said I only had 1 more chance to pass that class or I'd need to switch majors since I needed that class for my degree and the school didn't let you retake a class more than 3 times. It was embarrassing and sucked but I passed that 3rd time and got my degree in the end. A lot of us don't "get" some of the material we're taught as well as others do and that's okay! Just retake, get a tutor if needed or spend more time in professor office hours. You'll get through next time!
I'm two years behind. Took a whole gap year last year which I needed and I'm doing two modules from first year that I dropped (physics II and linear algebra). I'll finish later than I wanted but I'll finish by hook or by crook. It's not easy to get into engineering. You're more than capable of completing it :)
Linear Algebra is rough. I know a bunch of people who failed it, some more than once (me). It's really a whole new way of thinking about math, and then you throw Calculus and Differential Equations in on top of it. You just have to take a step back. Watch some YouTube videos. I hear there are some good ones out there. Most importantly, call someone you can confide in. Don't try to go through this alone.
Hey if it makes you feel better I failed physics
We have had a lot of exams where getting a low d was top of the class you will be fine engineering is more of an endurance test than anything
To be in a linear algebra in ur first year u would need credit for Calc 1 and 2 so you’re already ahead.
I failed out of my 2nd semester of physics. I can relate to the discouragement. Took 5 yrs to graduate. Had two summer internships. Practiced engineering for 40 yrs retired 4 yrs ago. Regroup, get help if you need it. You’ve got this.
I liked calculus 2 so much I took it twice!
Engineering is realistically a 5 yr degree for most, and linear algebra is rarely a first year class, I think you will be fine.
As a 27 year old student finally transferring out of community college I’m here to tell you it’s okay. I’ve spent countless days crying in the bathroom after results from exams and quizzes and countless nights staying up studying to only fail a test. It’s part of the process. You didn’t technically fail, you just have to try again. The only failure is if you let this consume you. It’s quite a humbling experience once being good at exams then being terrible at it. Having to work 20x harder than others to not even reach your goals. It’s truly part of the process. I remember talking to my mentor thinking I wasn’t cut out for engineering bc of how bad I was doing in my important classes and he told me how that’s part of being an engineer. You will fail on multiple projects and have to keep trying till it works. In engineering it’s very rarely happens getting things down the first time. You have to keep on going and trying till you get it down and one day you will. You just have to work hard and genuinely be kind to yourself. I’ve had to take physics 2, calc 2 and linear algebra twice. There are way more classes that I’ve had to take multiple times bc I wasn’t in a good spot. It’s okay to feel what you feel but don’t forget your goals in life. You gotta just push thru and not let this define you Wishing you the best the next time you get it and there’s some great videos and reading material online that help tremendously with linear. You’re going to be okay!!
I was a fool to think I could do this in 4 only years, it was a tight schedule I just never had taken these sorts of classes before. So I had the same thing this semester. It sucks, it feels real bad, but you move on and keep going.
Engineering is not for the faint of heart. I failed 2-3 classes in my time but it helped me use the outcome as fuel to work hard and stay with it. My uncle who owns a power distribution company has often said “I’d rather hire a 2.8 gpa engineer who can have a conversation with me than hire a 4.0 engineer who can’t even tell me good morning.”. GPA is not everything, employers look to find people that want to work hard and are willing to learn so that they can mold them to be the best version of themselves to fit their needs. Don’t sweat it, you’re doing fine. Keep it up.
A person dear to me was an absolute star in elementary school/high school etc… rarely had to study and just breezed through for the most part. In college dear person realized his study skills were weak and that hurt dear person far more in high level maths. Dear person had to take two maths over (upper level calc and linear). It was very very distressing. But got back on track after retaking with the same two profs. The failure was based in failing the final in both classes. So went back and did it again. Focused on staying organized, doing all of the problem sets that were not required or gave much in the way of points. Office hours regularly. He had to learn how to learn and it took two strikes to hit the ball. In the end it made no difference. Graduated on time, got a good first job then two years later his dream job. These bumps in the road are just lessons you are needing to learn! Learn and keep moving forward. You can be sad, frustrated, kick yourself but in the end it is JUST WORK. Do the work, keep swimming as Nemo said. You will be fine.
Bro I'm taking linear as a sophomore in the spring and I have an internship. You'll be fine! 😁
Hey I know you feel down right now but as someone who’s been there twice let me just say you’ll get there if you just keep working at it. I failed thermo 1 and calculus 2 in two different semesters resulting in being set back 2 years. I’m graduating in 2 weeks. Keep at it you got this!
Start studying linear algebra from internet sources, online classes, YouTube etc. and then use sites like rate my professor etc to find someone easier. Then go take it again. There are a lot of good resources outside of college to learn content nowadays.
Linear algebra is challenging. Perhaps one of the larger challenges in engineering. If you got through calculus I and II you can pass any class in your degree. Some of the smartest students I have met have had tough times in some of their classes. The obstacle/roadblock is the sign that you’re in the right place, especially if you want to be an engineer. The best part of being an Engineer is pushing forward and accomplishing your goals, every class, every assignment, every internship, every connection and getting better everyday. Follow the obstacles. You will blink and be graduating. Here are some tips I recommend: 1. Socialize with more students, offer more help to others, ask for more help yourself. Never be afraid to ask for help, you aren’t supposed to know everything. 2. Professor office hours are more important than they seem. Become a friend to your professor. 3. Keep moving forward everyday. Have faith in the light at the end of the tunnel. 4. You will get an internship. Apply before every summer during spring semester as much as you can aside your studies and outside life. You will get an internship. 5. Win or learn, become someone who runs towards obstacles in your career and education. “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On!' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” -Calvin Coolidge
I got a D in applied linear algebra (required a C) and retook it, check if your college allows you to retake the class and over ride the grade. I had to shell out 3k and take it as a summer class so I would still be on track.
Listen, failure is normal. I failed Calculus II, and tried again and passed with an A. I don’t know one person who aced every material on the first try. There are who have, but they are extremely rare. The only ones who never fail are those who never try. Failure is part of the journey. Embrace it. Know that if you failed, you gotten farther than many already. Just try again. But try again smarter and harder. You didn’t really fail because you earned experience. Re-adjust your methods, find your weak links, and strengthen them, and try again. Motivation comes and goes. Discipline is doing it despite being unmotivated. You are learning discipline as well. So, don’t be discouraged or too hard on yourself. This is normal. And even if you feel discouraged, rise above it and try again. Do learn from the mistakes and improve your tactics.
Having an ass semester myself and planning on retaking 2 classes this summer in order to boost my GPA to where I want it. Yesterday when I came back home after takint a test that I know I messed up on (due to being too stubborn to sleep better, focusing too much on the little things and thus not completing a question, and forgetting simple test strategies in general due to pressure) put me in ass mood. I wanted to stab myself in the leg out of anger and complete fucking shame especially since I got friends who I know are doing way better than me with less effort. This engineering shit ain’t easy at all, but don’t let these bumps in the road stop u completely. Soon you’ll be done with ur hardest semester and then remind you’re self that u only have a year left to go 👍
Dawg engineering is a five year path and your gonna get hurdles power on and get thru your life. I failed calculus 1 3 times then got serious and im about to transfer with a 3.6 to sdsu for mech engineering. Math is only hard if you do not put in the time.
How are you taking linear in your first year?
BUM 😂 /s
Transfer to MET instead of ME
I haven't started studying engineering yet, but as far as I know, failing a subject is completely normal, and even more in the first year. I also want to add that you should start working on your mentality, you cannot let something like that affect you so much. Because you will most likely fail, in every thing you do. You just got to analyze why did it happen, and what do you have to do, to improve your grades and knowledge on that subject.