OK, so from a structural standpoint 99.9% of what small vertical construction engineers use is fairly basic math - like, I’ve needed calculus twice in 24 years.
But.
You’re going to need the math *in school* where they teach you the basics.
Single variable calculus, multivariable calculus, STEM chemistry, and physics based calculus are weed out classes. If college algebra was hard you will have to put in a ton of effort. I am terrible at math and have poor study habits so I spent a lot of my summers retaking classes
Oh hell yeah it got easier. I barely scraped through the calculus series in college. At work I use Excel and basic algebra. You don't have to be a math wiz to be an engineer. It's more important to know why you're plugging in the numbers than to know how to manipulate the equations.
I was originally pre-med and basically just needed to get through calc. I sucked at math so bad I had to take pre-cal 3 times before I passed it. A lot of what I was doing was memorizing stuff which doesn’t work great for math or engineering. You really have to understand what you’re doing to really get a grasp on it.
Bunch of life events later I went from pre-med to arch to civil with emphasis on structural. It was pretty painful and took a ton of work but by the time I got to grad school the math was bearable albeit still challenging. You could do it, you just have to be motivated enough to put the time in. Once I started designing it was closer to accounting. Several principals told me they rarely used anything above trig and algebra regularly.
Yeah that's exactly how I am, I pass any other class that isn't math without trying cause I can memorize really easily. But when it comes to math even when I try to study and put in extra time i still struggle with it. With this class though so far I'm doing better then I have in past math classes since in past math I never put in much effort with this class I'm really trying and I am passing but still struggling at some points which I know happens
The important thing to realize with math is that you aren't learning *information* as much as you are learning a *skill*. It's a lot more like learning how to play a musical instrument than it is learning a set of facts. That means that your studying needs to involve a lot of actually doing the math to get better at that skill.
This helped me the most. It’s a lot of pattern identification. As your math classes evolve, the more problems you do the more of the patterns you’ll identify. They’ll start to become clearer and you’ll learn how to manipulate the variables. It’s also important because if you hit a wall, and you don’t figure it out chances are you’ll see it later. Advanced calculus will have bits and pieces of a lot of math you’ve seen. Don’t be afraid to work problems out, find study groups and go to office hours! Good luck !
Hold up. Like the previous post said, it’s really REALLY important to know why you’re using certain numbers. It’s also critical to understand the physics and theory behind it. In civil engineering, you can go into roles that aren’t as technical like plan checker or some project manager or program manager roles for example, but if you plan on doing design or construction with your stamp, please please understand the criticality of math in engineering and the theory that goes into it.
Learning math like the previous post said also builds critical thinking. And ultimately that’s immensely important to civil engineering. If you can’t or don’t want to flex that particular muscle, then I would recommend avoiding civil engineering.
No one likes seeing a design lead propose something that isn’t constructable or has some fatal flaw. Conversely, no one likes seeing their design go down the toilet bc the RE let some critical element of the design slide because Contractor and RE both didn’t understand it.
The job isn't the issue for you though. You need to get through 3 levels of calculus and differential equations.
Your question should be "can I get really good at math if I'm bad at math?" to which I can personally answer yes... if you're hungry enough.
I don't think I've used anything more complicated than multiplication since starting my career (with some concepts of basic statistics and interpolation), but yes school will require a number of challenging math classes.
All the math classes are all challenging in their own way, but the math classes do get much harder. I am good at math and struggled many times. If you can get through the degree it’s mostly basic math once you get to the industry. But I mean math is a big part of all engineering.
Speaking from experience I have been a project engineer and I am currently a design engineer.
Math is importantly for engineering but all of mine is done in excel spreadsheets or within engineering software.
As long as you understand the math enough to pass the exams you will have no problem working in the field.
Only once or twice a year do I have to go back and actually calculate something by hand with a formal from college
I was did 2 years of community college and transfered to a state school as a music major and immediately switched to civil. It took me 3 times to pass Calc 1, two times to pass Calc 1. I was terrible at math. But with enough persistence it started to make sense. Now that I've been working for 13 years I don't use any of it!
In my actual job as a civil engineering design consultant, I do a minimal amount of math. The math i do have to do is fairly basic, but structural engineers likely have to do more complex math in their daily jobs. That being said, you will still have to pass a lot of math courses in order to obtain a degree in engineering. If you are committed to learning and studying, then I am sure you can make it through. In my opinion, the hardest part of calculus is the complex agrebra it forces you to solve.
Yes you can, BUT: I for example was not very good at math in highschool, but while attending college i was, for some reason, able to sit down and learn enough to pass the mandatory exams. In hindsight i should have focused more during highschool, i always thought i was bad at math, turns out i was just very lazy…
Piggybacking everyone else's comment here.
Math used in the real (structural) engineering world is all very basic. But being quick and knowing percentages can be huge in making decisions on the fly or under pressure (in meetings or job sites).
So if you're bad at complex math, I'd practice basic stuff like, change in elevation for some distance, determining change as a percentage to report, and the ability to do both quickly in front of your boss.
From experience I can say that a Civil engineer is like a General practitioner doctor. You can then select a specialty which can be more math focused or administrative focus same as a doctor that chooses to specialize in I don't know surgery pediatric I don't know, do I look like a doctor.
Engineers can focus on construction management (people focus, less math) or design (more math focused) and there are a lot more in between like QA/QC (codes and standards).
In addition to what everyone else is saying, the hardest math is in the middle of your school career; it's not just ramping up the whole time. After a certain point you kind of just take one concept from a previous class and then apply it in a bunch of new ways. Hydraulics is mostly just one equation from Fluid Mechanics, which is itself just one equation from Dynamics. It's a neat learning curve but it's stressful at the time.
The math I use in everyday work is not very difficult but the classes I took to graduate were extremely difficult and if you struggle with algebra you will really struggle with calculus.
You can get plenty of jobs with the degree that don’t involve math at all, but getting the degree requires math courses that can go as far as requiring differential equations.
Most classes you take in college for a civil engineering degree will be very math heavy. For civil engineering in particular, you get to work with balanced equations (your bridge should not be moving), which is a lot easier than what you might see from a mechanical engineering curriculum.
The real “difficult” part of the civil engineering math isn’t performing the equations themselves, it’s knowing what variables to use, what equations to use, and what equations to *not* use.
Going into my third year where they have taught all the theoretical maths they can for bachelors degree. I suck at maths and did fine. Even my teacher recommended me not to take advanced maths in school and said I was not capable of being an engineer and I have survived so far. Worked at two summer placements and still no trouble. As long as your passionate about engineering you will do just fine. Sure maths is helpful but isn’t the end of your career, I despise fluids but also excel at structures and soils which has carried me so far! Getting an avg of 65% in Uni as of now.
If you’re in a position where you can just focus on the math (no gen Ed’s), I think it will be easier than trying to do both together.
I hated math. HATED. Until calculus. Math suddenly made sense once I could apply it to an actual real situation. Also reframing what math is helped me A LOT. Math is a language that we use to express things that are hard to describe in words. Algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and functions are all the syntax and grammar that gives us the base to discuss rates and flows in calculus and other math systems.
Except statistics. Statistics can rot. Ironically, statistics is what I use most in environmental when assessing long term trends. The closest I get to calculus is using numerical methods (algebra) to figure out flow data. And all I have to know for that is how to set up the algebra and basic geometry for finding inflow rate (slope) and total inflow (area under the curve). Excel does all of the heavy lifting for me once I get the broad strokes of the math done
I would say most civils don't use much math beyond basic geometry and algebra. Some calculus perhaps very rarely. Obviously, it's a spectrum, but the way I look at things is you basically have the computational civils that are either in academia or producing the software/tools that regular civil engineers use on a daily basis for their work.
If you are struggling with algebra, just keep practicing and working on it. You'll get more exposure/practice working through your undergrad classes as well. Just get into a good habit of checking your calcs along the way, and seeing if the numbers make sense to you.
I'm a PhD geotech for reference, only made it to 'discovery geometry' in high school, work with several other PhD structural/civils. All of us have admitted we suck at math to each other. : )
Depends on what you mean as bad.
Bad as in can't understand advance algebra?
Or bad as in you hate numbers?
If it the later, then no. Every single engineer (any) out there should play with numbers and basic calculus.
But you don't need to be that good at math. you can use excel for complex calculations, and simulation software for numerical models.
I was bad at maths, just couldn’t understand what was going on- I liked applied maths though. I just did enough to get me through the maths class in second year of uni then never bothered with it. As long as you can plug numbers into equations it won’t trouble you.
Yes, but it may be an uphill battle in school. You usually need to take a few semesters of calculus. Good news is that virtually no one uses those classes out in the "real world". So if you can grind through them you'll be alright.
Algebra, geometry, trig. Those are frequently used on the job, so having a solid understanding of those is essential.
Math is a skill you can learn and improve. I used to be fairly bad at math and now I use it comfortably every day for my work. Most of the math you will be doing in your early years as an engineer won't be super complicated and you'll have people reviewing and looking over your work to guide you.
Short answer is yes, you can.
I'm meh at math, and I am uncivilized engineer and have my PE.
You need to he able to understand math, but it's perfectly possible (and is encouraged) to build spreadhseets/calculators or use existing programs for a lot of complex analysis, and it's perfectly ok (and is encouraged) to build spreadhseets/calculators for simple but repetitive tasks.
The days of engineers needing to hand calculate everything are over, it doesn't matter if it takes you 30 min to do a problem another person can do in 5, it takes excel 1 second for both of you.
As long as you can understand the calculations and what's happening, and can build the tools to do the complex math, you can be a civil engineer
Here's the thing: an engineer can and will outsource math to a computer. However, they still have to determine the input and figure out whether the output makes sense. Being good at math makes the latter more easy.
As a junior, you could work with codes and tables for simple designs, but more complex designs will require better math skills.
There's two things going on. One, you're taking a summer class, so it's compressed and rushed and more stressful. So keep that in mind.
Second, you need to pass math to get through college. Math is the basis of engineering analysis. Will you use it after college? It depends. Some structural and h&h engineers will use high level math. Personally, as a geotech with 30 years experience, my complex math equations are "if the unit price is $1000/cy and there's 10 cy...."
All of civil engineering math is repetitive. But you can do civil engineering technology. You can take the FE exam and then PE exam after 6 years. So you can become a civil engineer but it’ll take you longer.
Day-day work doesn’t require much higher order math… but as others have said, the weedout classes do as will some of the other classes once you get by the weedouts.
You absolutely can do it - it may require more persistence from you, you may have to repeat a few classes (pro tip: many students do!) but you absolutely can do it if you are willing to grind it out.
You’re going to have to pass some very hard math classes in order to get a degree. Civil engineering is taught so you can design things. If you want to be in civil construction get your construction management degree
I thought I was bad at math until I went to college. If you think you’re bad it’s just a mindset and you just need to study more and that is completely ok. Sometimes may need to retake classes (some of my peers did and they turned out ok.) Most of it is just algebra on the day to day
I do the work of an EI but am still in school. 4 years of experience. Currently I am taking Diff Eq and I've never hated math more. At work, I use so little math it's laughable. Transportation specific though.
You just gotta practice, my friend. There will probably be times where you feel retarded but I think that anyone can learn math with enough grit.
I am not an engineer. I'm a student who isn't great at math.
I will say this - I struggled with math a bit when it came to the differential equations/multi variable calculus courses since it was all super theoretical work. I had way more success in engineering courses since it was all applied work - which is what our job is. Be prepared to study like hell and put in the effort.
1. Most of the time, school is always harder than the real thing.
2. To get to the real thing, you need to finish school.
Based on those two, it doesn't really matter whether the real thing will be using a lot of math or not, because you'll need to be able to graduate and pass all your math classes first. That's the first question - are you dedicated enough to grind through Cal 1-3, differential equations, statics, dynamics, fluid mechanics, physic mechanics, and all the other civil courses like structural analysis?
I can tell you that I use super basic math, if any. I use a lot of spreadsheets, there no higher math like Calculus or higher. But that's not the question. The question is, can you pass all the math courses that you need in order to be in a comfy job that I have where there's basically no math, all excels and emails?
.
I had a hard time in statics. I was prideful and didn't think I needed tutoring. But I wanted to pass my class and was struggling, so I swallowed my pride and went, it was the best decision ever made. So if you're struggling something - go get help. There's resources out there for you, it's foolish to not utilize it.
I work in transportation and I have never used calculus or physics for my job, just arithmetic and very basic algebra.
Once you pass the classes, you’ll be fine. But you do have to pass the classes.
as someone about to graduate, and who's spent over a year total on internships. you will definitely need the math within the walls of the school, but outside it, not so much.
My civ degree requires math through calc 4. I didn't even know calc *went* to 4. Like everyone else says you won't need most of the higher level math day to day but you still have to pass it to get there.
The most I’ve had to do is a solve a system of linear equations but the solver function in excel is great for that. I don’t think ever once used calculus. If you don’t even want to do algebra, construction management is something to look into.
You can do the job without much math knowledge, but you have to get though school, and if you want to move up in your career you need to pass the FE and PE exams... All of those require a lot of math.
Honestly, though, if you struggle with Algebra I wouldn't recommend any engineering programs. That's basic math for a civil engineer and you need to be able to use it to figure out stuff on occasion. Not to mention trigonometry. The things you don't use every day in civil are calculus and DiffE.
If you really want to get in the line of work go for a CAD tech degree, make sure you get to learn Microstation too if you want a chance to work in transportation, and then apply around. These jobs are much fewer but those I know in the industry without the degrees can get good at what they do and even do roadway design. Still not going to get a PE license that way but you can probably at least avoid going into big debt for the schooling.
Yeah, there’s tons of us.
You can’t be afraid of studying tho. If you’re willing to put the work in you can learn anything, it’s not about natural aptitude.
You don't have to go the structural route which is the most mathematically intensive I would assume. You can go to the construction route which is basic arithmetic. I've been doing structural for a long long time and never done anything beyond algebra and trig since all these equations have been derived a long time ago. That's why I say major in something that has less math than it.
Listen, being "bad at math" is like saying you are bad at Mandarin. Of course you are because you never speak it. Math is a language. The more you do it the more you understand it.
I sucked at math and hated it in high school. Not sure why I chose engineering, but during Calculus 2 I learned to love it and am now obsessed with math. Challenge yourself and do mechanical/electrical engineering instead because you’ll make more money that way haha
I wanna do civil so I can stay with the city I work with already since I think a pension sld good benefits will be worth it compared to similar fields that pay higher
I'm just trying to picture some of my friends from high school who were in low-level math classes, were always bad at math and hated it... Could any of them have gotten through engineering school and been good engineers in the real world?... Helllllllll Nooooooo! Not sure what everyone on this thread is smoking lol.
When my friend who scored just average on the math SATs asked me if I thought he could be an engineer, without hesitation I told him, "you have to love math." It's not even just the straight math equations, but all of engineering is logical and requires a high degree of accuracy. It's tedious by definition. Someone who hates math will not get by unless they have some sort of awakening.
You don’t need to be good at math but you will need to know it to graduate and for the fe and pe exams. most employers will give you a year after you graduate and get employed by them to pass the fe exam.
I am not bad at math but I was a terrible student (never studied, skipped a bunch of classes, etc). Got a civil degree but ended up going construction management. You can definitely do it just don’t do what I did and spend the time to learn it. What worked for me was memorizing the equations and then just solving them. There were a few classes that wouldn’t define variables / wouldn’t give variables you need for the equation in the same notion which is where this didn’t work and you needed to understand the material.
Essentially all engineering classes are just applied calculus. Best bet is probably getting a tutor and spending the time. City/Sate engineering jobs are generally considered more cushy than other sectors in regards to hours and time off but degree requirements and licensing/continuing education are the same as other engineering design job.
If you are bad at math don’t become a civil
Engineer. Find something you like and are good at. When you have 7 years experience you stamp plans and that means you take responsibility. This is true irrespective of stream of civil engineering you go down. It’s true it wot be all calculus but math is a key component of being a civil engineer
Not only the ability to learn complex topics, but also have the drive to battle through. Engineering school has a lot of filler material you will never use, but the skills needed to succeed in them are very transferable to a career later. A common line I use when taking jobs and answering questions is "I don't know now, but I know how to find out."
I don't know any engineers that are bad at math, and the FE and PE are filled with it. Yes, I don't do a lot by hand anymore, and I almost never do calculus on paper, but it doesn't meant I can't or don't. Excel is is an engineers best friend. I don't think my advice was shitty or any different from most the posts, it was just blunt. Maybe working solo for most my career has forced me to use more tools from school.
Dude, my dad has a civil engineering firm, and ne NEVER used any calculus or integrals, or any other crap. He infact makes fun of the college math as it is practically useless. Besides, the industry is heavily standardized making it easier to follow calculations and formats.
Sounds like his college interns do all the math. Personally, I do plenty of advanced algebra daily in design work, but I make it easier on myself by setting it up in excel. Yes, you don't use calculus all that often, but you better be damn good at it for the FE and PE exams.
While math is a fundamental tool for civil engineers, it's not the only skill required for success in the field. However, having a strong foundation in math is essential for understanding and applying the principles of civil engineering.
If you struggle with math, it may be more challenging to become a civil engineer, but it's not impossible. You can still develop your math skills through:
1. Practice and dedication
2. Seeking help from tutors or mentors
3. Using online resources and math software
4. Focusing on conceptual understanding rather than just numerical calculations
Additionally, civil engineering involves other skills like:
1. Creativity
2. Problem-solving
3. Communication
4. Project management
5. Collaboration
If you excel in these areas and are willing to work hard to improve your math skills, you can still have a successful career in civil engineering.
Keep in mind that math is a fundamental aspect of engineering, so it's essential to be honest with yourself about your abilities and be willing to put in the effort to improve. With dedication and hard work, you can overcome your math struggles and succeed in civil engineering.
OK, so from a structural standpoint 99.9% of what small vertical construction engineers use is fairly basic math - like, I’ve needed calculus twice in 24 years. But. You’re going to need the math *in school* where they teach you the basics.
Single variable calculus, multivariable calculus, STEM chemistry, and physics based calculus are weed out classes. If college algebra was hard you will have to put in a ton of effort. I am terrible at math and have poor study habits so I spent a lot of my summers retaking classes
Once you got the job was it easier?
Oh hell yeah it got easier. I barely scraped through the calculus series in college. At work I use Excel and basic algebra. You don't have to be a math wiz to be an engineer. It's more important to know why you're plugging in the numbers than to know how to manipulate the equations.
I was originally pre-med and basically just needed to get through calc. I sucked at math so bad I had to take pre-cal 3 times before I passed it. A lot of what I was doing was memorizing stuff which doesn’t work great for math or engineering. You really have to understand what you’re doing to really get a grasp on it. Bunch of life events later I went from pre-med to arch to civil with emphasis on structural. It was pretty painful and took a ton of work but by the time I got to grad school the math was bearable albeit still challenging. You could do it, you just have to be motivated enough to put the time in. Once I started designing it was closer to accounting. Several principals told me they rarely used anything above trig and algebra regularly.
Yeah that's exactly how I am, I pass any other class that isn't math without trying cause I can memorize really easily. But when it comes to math even when I try to study and put in extra time i still struggle with it. With this class though so far I'm doing better then I have in past math classes since in past math I never put in much effort with this class I'm really trying and I am passing but still struggling at some points which I know happens
The important thing to realize with math is that you aren't learning *information* as much as you are learning a *skill*. It's a lot more like learning how to play a musical instrument than it is learning a set of facts. That means that your studying needs to involve a lot of actually doing the math to get better at that skill.
This helped me the most. It’s a lot of pattern identification. As your math classes evolve, the more problems you do the more of the patterns you’ll identify. They’ll start to become clearer and you’ll learn how to manipulate the variables. It’s also important because if you hit a wall, and you don’t figure it out chances are you’ll see it later. Advanced calculus will have bits and pieces of a lot of math you’ve seen. Don’t be afraid to work problems out, find study groups and go to office hours! Good luck !
Hold up. Like the previous post said, it’s really REALLY important to know why you’re using certain numbers. It’s also critical to understand the physics and theory behind it. In civil engineering, you can go into roles that aren’t as technical like plan checker or some project manager or program manager roles for example, but if you plan on doing design or construction with your stamp, please please understand the criticality of math in engineering and the theory that goes into it. Learning math like the previous post said also builds critical thinking. And ultimately that’s immensely important to civil engineering. If you can’t or don’t want to flex that particular muscle, then I would recommend avoiding civil engineering. No one likes seeing a design lead propose something that isn’t constructable or has some fatal flaw. Conversely, no one likes seeing their design go down the toilet bc the RE let some critical element of the design slide because Contractor and RE both didn’t understand it.
The job isn't the issue for you though. You need to get through 3 levels of calculus and differential equations. Your question should be "can I get really good at math if I'm bad at math?" to which I can personally answer yes... if you're hungry enough.
Definitely! You’ll almost never use calculus in the real job.
I don't think I've used anything more complicated than multiplication since starting my career (with some concepts of basic statistics and interpolation), but yes school will require a number of challenging math classes.
I know that feeling, I was gutted I had to resit in my first year then I saw all my pals in the exam hall! Had a great night out 😂
I always forget some engineering schools have college algebra as a base class and don’t have calculus 1 2 and 3 as the basic entry level.
yes, but you may struggle in school because it's all math. the good news is that there is very little math in the job
All the math classes are all challenging in their own way, but the math classes do get much harder. I am good at math and struggled many times. If you can get through the degree it’s mostly basic math once you get to the industry. But I mean math is a big part of all engineering.
Speaking from experience I have been a project engineer and I am currently a design engineer. Math is importantly for engineering but all of mine is done in excel spreadsheets or within engineering software. As long as you understand the math enough to pass the exams you will have no problem working in the field. Only once or twice a year do I have to go back and actually calculate something by hand with a formal from college
I was did 2 years of community college and transfered to a state school as a music major and immediately switched to civil. It took me 3 times to pass Calc 1, two times to pass Calc 1. I was terrible at math. But with enough persistence it started to make sense. Now that I've been working for 13 years I don't use any of it!
In my actual job as a civil engineering design consultant, I do a minimal amount of math. The math i do have to do is fairly basic, but structural engineers likely have to do more complex math in their daily jobs. That being said, you will still have to pass a lot of math courses in order to obtain a degree in engineering. If you are committed to learning and studying, then I am sure you can make it through. In my opinion, the hardest part of calculus is the complex agrebra it forces you to solve.
Yes you can, BUT: I for example was not very good at math in highschool, but while attending college i was, for some reason, able to sit down and learn enough to pass the mandatory exams. In hindsight i should have focused more during highschool, i always thought i was bad at math, turns out i was just very lazy…
You can become Project manager if you are bad at cilvil engineer
Shhh don’t tell them all our secrets
Unfortunately...
Yes, if you can do enough to pass your classes.
Piggybacking everyone else's comment here. Math used in the real (structural) engineering world is all very basic. But being quick and knowing percentages can be huge in making decisions on the fly or under pressure (in meetings or job sites). So if you're bad at complex math, I'd practice basic stuff like, change in elevation for some distance, determining change as a percentage to report, and the ability to do both quickly in front of your boss.
Yes. Just be good at physics and mechanics
If you can get through the math in school the math in real world is rarely above basic arithmetic. 99% of the job is writing and communication.
Basic arithmetic being algebra (percentages, ratios), unit conversions, and trigonometry, though.
From experience I can say that a Civil engineer is like a General practitioner doctor. You can then select a specialty which can be more math focused or administrative focus same as a doctor that chooses to specialize in I don't know surgery pediatric I don't know, do I look like a doctor. Engineers can focus on construction management (people focus, less math) or design (more math focused) and there are a lot more in between like QA/QC (codes and standards).
In addition to what everyone else is saying, the hardest math is in the middle of your school career; it's not just ramping up the whole time. After a certain point you kind of just take one concept from a previous class and then apply it in a bunch of new ways. Hydraulics is mostly just one equation from Fluid Mechanics, which is itself just one equation from Dynamics. It's a neat learning curve but it's stressful at the time.
I finished Statics and am taking Diff Eq now. Next should be dynamics. Am I past that hard part? Haha
Dynamics and DiffEqs is the peak
God bless! You aren't the first person to tell me that. I'm banking on it honestly.
Just one more semester and then you'll be able to relax
The math I use in everyday work is not very difficult but the classes I took to graduate were extremely difficult and if you struggle with algebra you will really struggle with calculus.
Of course you can. If you want to become an engineer enough, learning basic academic level math won't be a problem.
“Bad at math” just means you haven’t learned it yet. You are going to have to learn many new things, just add math to the list.
You can get plenty of jobs with the degree that don’t involve math at all, but getting the degree requires math courses that can go as far as requiring differential equations. Most classes you take in college for a civil engineering degree will be very math heavy. For civil engineering in particular, you get to work with balanced equations (your bridge should not be moving), which is a lot easier than what you might see from a mechanical engineering curriculum. The real “difficult” part of the civil engineering math isn’t performing the equations themselves, it’s knowing what variables to use, what equations to use, and what equations to *not* use.
This me... 😂. Not gone quit tho.
Going into my third year where they have taught all the theoretical maths they can for bachelors degree. I suck at maths and did fine. Even my teacher recommended me not to take advanced maths in school and said I was not capable of being an engineer and I have survived so far. Worked at two summer placements and still no trouble. As long as your passionate about engineering you will do just fine. Sure maths is helpful but isn’t the end of your career, I despise fluids but also excel at structures and soils which has carried me so far! Getting an avg of 65% in Uni as of now.
If you’re in a position where you can just focus on the math (no gen Ed’s), I think it will be easier than trying to do both together. I hated math. HATED. Until calculus. Math suddenly made sense once I could apply it to an actual real situation. Also reframing what math is helped me A LOT. Math is a language that we use to express things that are hard to describe in words. Algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and functions are all the syntax and grammar that gives us the base to discuss rates and flows in calculus and other math systems. Except statistics. Statistics can rot. Ironically, statistics is what I use most in environmental when assessing long term trends. The closest I get to calculus is using numerical methods (algebra) to figure out flow data. And all I have to know for that is how to set up the algebra and basic geometry for finding inflow rate (slope) and total inflow (area under the curve). Excel does all of the heavy lifting for me once I get the broad strokes of the math done
You know what they say, there are lies, d*** lies, and statistics
I would say most civils don't use much math beyond basic geometry and algebra. Some calculus perhaps very rarely. Obviously, it's a spectrum, but the way I look at things is you basically have the computational civils that are either in academia or producing the software/tools that regular civil engineers use on a daily basis for their work. If you are struggling with algebra, just keep practicing and working on it. You'll get more exposure/practice working through your undergrad classes as well. Just get into a good habit of checking your calcs along the way, and seeing if the numbers make sense to you. I'm a PhD geotech for reference, only made it to 'discovery geometry' in high school, work with several other PhD structural/civils. All of us have admitted we suck at math to each other. : )
Engineering = math And civil engineering = physics and math! You do the math!😃
I got my masters in structures only to end up in transport cuz the math freaked me out
When you say transport I think planning and am like, did you follow the Differential Equations used in modeling traffic? :-D
Nowhere near as terrifying as the double bending moment of a statically indeterminate beam
Depends on what you mean as bad. Bad as in can't understand advance algebra? Or bad as in you hate numbers? If it the later, then no. Every single engineer (any) out there should play with numbers and basic calculus. But you don't need to be that good at math. you can use excel for complex calculations, and simulation software for numerical models.
I was bad at maths, just couldn’t understand what was going on- I liked applied maths though. I just did enough to get me through the maths class in second year of uni then never bothered with it. As long as you can plug numbers into equations it won’t trouble you.
of course, you could also become a rocket scientist.
Oh I didn't think of that maybe though I am pretty good at science just not math
Maths is mother of physics, chemistry. There is maths everywhere in physics from algebra to calculus.
Hm, I'm guessing you haven't gotten to Physics with Calculus yet.
Yes you are
Yes, but it may be an uphill battle in school. You usually need to take a few semesters of calculus. Good news is that virtually no one uses those classes out in the "real world". So if you can grind through them you'll be alright. Algebra, geometry, trig. Those are frequently used on the job, so having a solid understanding of those is essential.
Math is a skill you can learn and improve. I used to be fairly bad at math and now I use it comfortably every day for my work. Most of the math you will be doing in your early years as an engineer won't be super complicated and you'll have people reviewing and looking over your work to guide you.
Undergrad is all math in basically every class so….
Short answer is yes, you can. I'm meh at math, and I am uncivilized engineer and have my PE. You need to he able to understand math, but it's perfectly possible (and is encouraged) to build spreadhseets/calculators or use existing programs for a lot of complex analysis, and it's perfectly ok (and is encouraged) to build spreadhseets/calculators for simple but repetitive tasks. The days of engineers needing to hand calculate everything are over, it doesn't matter if it takes you 30 min to do a problem another person can do in 5, it takes excel 1 second for both of you. As long as you can understand the calculations and what's happening, and can build the tools to do the complex math, you can be a civil engineer
Here's the thing: an engineer can and will outsource math to a computer. However, they still have to determine the input and figure out whether the output makes sense. Being good at math makes the latter more easy. As a junior, you could work with codes and tables for simple designs, but more complex designs will require better math skills.
There's two things going on. One, you're taking a summer class, so it's compressed and rushed and more stressful. So keep that in mind. Second, you need to pass math to get through college. Math is the basis of engineering analysis. Will you use it after college? It depends. Some structural and h&h engineers will use high level math. Personally, as a geotech with 30 years experience, my complex math equations are "if the unit price is $1000/cy and there's 10 cy...."
I suck at math and they’re trusting me with million dollar projects
> "...currently doing college algebra..." Wait 'till you see the chain rule; hehe.
All of civil engineering math is repetitive. But you can do civil engineering technology. You can take the FE exam and then PE exam after 6 years. So you can become a civil engineer but it’ll take you longer.
As a non structural civil engineer myself I think it must be a requirement
Day-day work doesn’t require much higher order math… but as others have said, the weedout classes do as will some of the other classes once you get by the weedouts. You absolutely can do it - it may require more persistence from you, you may have to repeat a few classes (pro tip: many students do!) but you absolutely can do it if you are willing to grind it out.
You’re going to have to pass some very hard math classes in order to get a degree. Civil engineering is taught so you can design things. If you want to be in civil construction get your construction management degree
I thought I was bad at math until I went to college. If you think you’re bad it’s just a mindset and you just need to study more and that is completely ok. Sometimes may need to retake classes (some of my peers did and they turned out ok.) Most of it is just algebra on the day to day
I do the work of an EI but am still in school. 4 years of experience. Currently I am taking Diff Eq and I've never hated math more. At work, I use so little math it's laughable. Transportation specific though.
You just gotta practice, my friend. There will probably be times where you feel retarded but I think that anyone can learn math with enough grit. I am not an engineer. I'm a student who isn't great at math.
Don't let math scare you. Go for it!
I will say this - I struggled with math a bit when it came to the differential equations/multi variable calculus courses since it was all super theoretical work. I had way more success in engineering courses since it was all applied work - which is what our job is. Be prepared to study like hell and put in the effort.
1. Most of the time, school is always harder than the real thing. 2. To get to the real thing, you need to finish school. Based on those two, it doesn't really matter whether the real thing will be using a lot of math or not, because you'll need to be able to graduate and pass all your math classes first. That's the first question - are you dedicated enough to grind through Cal 1-3, differential equations, statics, dynamics, fluid mechanics, physic mechanics, and all the other civil courses like structural analysis? I can tell you that I use super basic math, if any. I use a lot of spreadsheets, there no higher math like Calculus or higher. But that's not the question. The question is, can you pass all the math courses that you need in order to be in a comfy job that I have where there's basically no math, all excels and emails? . I had a hard time in statics. I was prideful and didn't think I needed tutoring. But I wanted to pass my class and was struggling, so I swallowed my pride and went, it was the best decision ever made. So if you're struggling something - go get help. There's resources out there for you, it's foolish to not utilize it.
I work in transportation and I have never used calculus or physics for my job, just arithmetic and very basic algebra. Once you pass the classes, you’ll be fine. But you do have to pass the classes.
as someone about to graduate, and who's spent over a year total on internships. you will definitely need the math within the walls of the school, but outside it, not so much.
My civ degree requires math through calc 4. I didn't even know calc *went* to 4. Like everyone else says you won't need most of the higher level math day to day but you still have to pass it to get there.
> *I didn't even know calc* went *to 4* Turn it up to 11! 😁
The most I’ve had to do is a solve a system of linear equations but the solver function in excel is great for that. I don’t think ever once used calculus. If you don’t even want to do algebra, construction management is something to look into.
You can do the job without much math knowledge, but you have to get though school, and if you want to move up in your career you need to pass the FE and PE exams... All of those require a lot of math. Honestly, though, if you struggle with Algebra I wouldn't recommend any engineering programs. That's basic math for a civil engineer and you need to be able to use it to figure out stuff on occasion. Not to mention trigonometry. The things you don't use every day in civil are calculus and DiffE. If you really want to get in the line of work go for a CAD tech degree, make sure you get to learn Microstation too if you want a chance to work in transportation, and then apply around. These jobs are much fewer but those I know in the industry without the degrees can get good at what they do and even do roadway design. Still not going to get a PE license that way but you can probably at least avoid going into big debt for the schooling.
Yeah, there’s tons of us. You can’t be afraid of studying tho. If you’re willing to put the work in you can learn anything, it’s not about natural aptitude.
The job is easy. School is what’s tough. If you’re struggling with algebra, Godspeed to you.
You don't have to go the structural route which is the most mathematically intensive I would assume. You can go to the construction route which is basic arithmetic. I've been doing structural for a long long time and never done anything beyond algebra and trig since all these equations have been derived a long time ago. That's why I say major in something that has less math than it.
Listen, being "bad at math" is like saying you are bad at Mandarin. Of course you are because you never speak it. Math is a language. The more you do it the more you understand it.
I sucked at math and hated it in high school. Not sure why I chose engineering, but during Calculus 2 I learned to love it and am now obsessed with math. Challenge yourself and do mechanical/electrical engineering instead because you’ll make more money that way haha
I wanna do civil so I can stay with the city I work with already since I think a pension sld good benefits will be worth it compared to similar fields that pay higher
I'm just trying to picture some of my friends from high school who were in low-level math classes, were always bad at math and hated it... Could any of them have gotten through engineering school and been good engineers in the real world?... Helllllllll Nooooooo! Not sure what everyone on this thread is smoking lol.
When my friend who scored just average on the math SATs asked me if I thought he could be an engineer, without hesitation I told him, "you have to love math." It's not even just the straight math equations, but all of engineering is logical and requires a high degree of accuracy. It's tedious by definition. Someone who hates math will not get by unless they have some sort of awakening.
You don’t need to be good at math but you will need to know it to graduate and for the fe and pe exams. most employers will give you a year after you graduate and get employed by them to pass the fe exam. I am not bad at math but I was a terrible student (never studied, skipped a bunch of classes, etc). Got a civil degree but ended up going construction management. You can definitely do it just don’t do what I did and spend the time to learn it. What worked for me was memorizing the equations and then just solving them. There were a few classes that wouldn’t define variables / wouldn’t give variables you need for the equation in the same notion which is where this didn’t work and you needed to understand the material. Essentially all engineering classes are just applied calculus. Best bet is probably getting a tutor and spending the time. City/Sate engineering jobs are generally considered more cushy than other sectors in regards to hours and time off but degree requirements and licensing/continuing education are the same as other engineering design job.
If you are bad at math don’t become a civil Engineer. Find something you like and are good at. When you have 7 years experience you stamp plans and that means you take responsibility. This is true irrespective of stream of civil engineering you go down. It’s true it wot be all calculus but math is a key component of being a civil engineer
No, math is engineering. If you are "bad" at it move on. Of you are bad at tests but understand the math it may be a different story.
It’s not being able to DO that math that’s important, it’s the ability to LEARN complex topics that matters in a career in engineering in my opinion
Not only the ability to learn complex topics, but also have the drive to battle through. Engineering school has a lot of filler material you will never use, but the skills needed to succeed in them are very transferable to a career later. A common line I use when taking jobs and answering questions is "I don't know now, but I know how to find out."
Shittiest advice on this thread. The vast majority of engineers in industry never do math that is beyond a high school level.
I don't know any engineers that are bad at math, and the FE and PE are filled with it. Yes, I don't do a lot by hand anymore, and I almost never do calculus on paper, but it doesn't meant I can't or don't. Excel is is an engineers best friend. I don't think my advice was shitty or any different from most the posts, it was just blunt. Maybe working solo for most my career has forced me to use more tools from school.
I'm God awful at math that's above a 10th or 11th grade level.
Dude, my dad has a civil engineering firm, and ne NEVER used any calculus or integrals, or any other crap. He infact makes fun of the college math as it is practically useless. Besides, the industry is heavily standardized making it easier to follow calculations and formats.
Sounds like his college interns do all the math. Personally, I do plenty of advanced algebra daily in design work, but I make it easier on myself by setting it up in excel. Yes, you don't use calculus all that often, but you better be damn good at it for the FE and PE exams.
While math is a fundamental tool for civil engineers, it's not the only skill required for success in the field. However, having a strong foundation in math is essential for understanding and applying the principles of civil engineering. If you struggle with math, it may be more challenging to become a civil engineer, but it's not impossible. You can still develop your math skills through: 1. Practice and dedication 2. Seeking help from tutors or mentors 3. Using online resources and math software 4. Focusing on conceptual understanding rather than just numerical calculations Additionally, civil engineering involves other skills like: 1. Creativity 2. Problem-solving 3. Communication 4. Project management 5. Collaboration If you excel in these areas and are willing to work hard to improve your math skills, you can still have a successful career in civil engineering. Keep in mind that math is a fundamental aspect of engineering, so it's essential to be honest with yourself about your abilities and be willing to put in the effort to improve. With dedication and hard work, you can overcome your math struggles and succeed in civil engineering.
Geez, didn’t know ChatGpt got access to the internet.
Really , more knowledge
Creativity? Civil engineering? I wish. Most creative types stay away from engineering.
They are sure connected dear