engineers, how smart were you in HS?

Question

I applied yesterday. I'm stilly deathly afraid that I'm not going to do well. I'm sorry but I have to ask again... How smart were you in high school?
My marks are like 87 math, and 82 physics
I not really proud of either, especially physics
I take calc next semester, along with chem

You can't even being to imagine how much I'm freaking out about university.

Answer 1

First off, I find the answers already presented absolutely wonderful. It is very interesting to see the stories of other engineering folks. I am also not surprised that the military has improved study habits considerably for some people. Some of the best students in my electrical engineering classes were formerly enlisted in the military.

Now, you just need to chill out and realize that your grades in high school are not as terrible as you make them out to be. Yes, there is always the drive to improve oneself, but you must also realize that grades such as those in subjects as demanding as physics are not terrible. One thing in college level studies I learned quickly was that grades are important, but REALLY knowing the material is infinitely more important.

And how does one REALLY know the material? That takes good study habits. Here is where you can be creative and find what works for you. Whether it is pairing up with a study partner or writing up a condensed study/formula sheet, there are several ways in which you can absorb the material given in a math/science/eng course. The trick is finding a method that allows you to see the main concepts, know the important formulas and know how to apply them to solving problems (which will inevitably show up on homework and exams). So it isn't all about studying harder, but studying smarter (eg: engineering your own study habits, hehe).

How smart was I in HS? I was top of my class, but looking back that wasn't all that great of an accomplishment, haha. I was an ok all-around student that found math/science to offer the most challenging problems to be solved, so I gravitated towards those subjects later on. That being said, I was still driven to work hard up to my potential, yet still balance that hard work with appropriate relaxation and fun extracurriculars.

Now I have a BS in elect. eng, working on an MS in elect. eng, and have a really cool job in a high voltage laboratory.

Answer 2

Hmm ... there's two points in your question, you know.

I think what you're really worried about is NOT whether you'll do well at an engineering program at college ... but whether you'll make the entrance cutoff point. And that is entirely dependent on the college and their enrolment requirements (and how many others are applying for the same program).

On the other hand - I was one of those lucky high school kids. My lowest mark (grades 10 through 12) was in Grade 11 history - a 95. Didn't mean I had good study or work habits, though ... I just attended class and picked things up from listening.

Then I went to university and did the same thing. Read the texts and attended class ... and watched approximately 30 percent of the ones who started a class or program drop out or change majors EACH SEMESTER. I enjoyed everything about engineering (still do, 23 years later!), but that didn't mean I was anywhere near the top of my class.

In fact, I graduated second from the bottom in my electrical engineering class ... and had no difficulty in obtaining a job. The reason? Electrical engineering (in particular) is a BIG field - and I happened to specialize in power generation and transmission. Almost half the graduating class specialized in "high tech" fileds like chip design ... and had a terrible time getting hired. Seems like there was about the same number of jobs out there, regardless of the specialization field - so two guys with machines/power background had the same TOTAL number of job opportunities as 350 "high tech" graduates.

To do well in engineering, you have to understand math and physics, and be able to at least find the answers regarding chemistry. But you also have to develop the right work habits - and learn to get along with others. If you can master the basics of the "human" side of the equation, the rest will eventually come through for you.

Answer 3

I really agree with LeAnne and Left_Field's answers.

I had a "poor study habits" problem in High School, and it combined with a real inability to understand mathematics beyond Algebra II resulted in me not getting accepted to any 4-year college. So instead I went into the local community college where you would think that I might have improved, but really not much -- I still lacked the self discipline to really knuckle down and learn the subjects I DIDN'T care so much for or had a real problem understanding -- so basically I got A's in English, Physics, Chemistry, Astronomy, and Computer Programming classes, C's in college level math (until I hit trig and calculus again and then it was back to D's and F's), and so on. The lack of math understanding again kept me out of an engineering major and out of a four-year college. I did eventually get an AS degree in computer science and joined the Navy -- their tests were able to see that I had a lot of talent and interest in technical fields such as Electrical Engineering, even if I wasn't showing it very well in my grades.

Once in the Navy I had a complete turn-around. My study habits became the focus oof my life, and the mathematics was taught in the only way that made sense to me: WHAT was it good for, and HOW were we really going to use this to solve our problems? I had found my personal "Rosetta Stone" for mathematics and everything fell into place. I was at the top of my classes in the Navy, had a great 6-year enlistment there, and whrn I got out I went back to college where the "new and improved me" was able to get top grades in all the math and engineering classes (plus it helped that by then I had all the General Ed classes out of the way so I could concentrate on the technical classes).

Since then I've gone on to a great career in Electrical Engineering, I am a prolific inventor with nearly a dozen patents issued or pending, and I have helped bring somewhere around a hundred consumer and analytical instruments products to market, and I absolutely love what I do for a living.

And that is really the real question for you -- is Engineering your PASSION? Do you dream up new things just for the fun of it? Are you always building or tinkering with something? Were your favorite toys in the whole world Erector Sets and Legos? This is the kind of person who makes a good Engineer. Because lets face it the hours get long and the job with all it's deadlines and responsibilities can be very stressful. It pays well, but that should never be the reason for going into a career. Do what you love, and the money will follow (but the high blood pressure, ulcers, heart attacks, and strokes won't).

As long as you have the PASSION to be an Engineer, you almost can't help but succeed at it. It is something that is in your blood, it is an integral part of who you are -- a problem solver, an artist of mechanical creation. If you have difficuties in a subject, good study habits and a willingness to ask questions of people who work in that field will get you through it.

Answer 4

Well, my grads in high school were low enough I had to do pretty well on the ACT in order to get into a state college. I managed to graduate with an engineering degree.

The first year or so the kids from big high schools that had studied calculus and organic chemistry in high school at a pretty good advantage. However, after the 2nd year the advantage dissapeared and I was able to hold my own.

The freshman year is pretty tough and humbling. Its gut check time, a lot of people drop out of engineering after the first semester or two. I had to retake some classes and drop some because I was failing. You have decide for yourself. A lot of people have the same thought "am I smart enough to do this". I questioned it myself several times. I decided the only way to find out was to give it my best effort.

You might be surprized what you can do if you are determined.

Answer 5

I was a C average student in high school - at least when I found the time and inclination to attend classes - those boring interruptions to my carefree life as a teenager.
I joined the service a year after high school and when I returned home, I started taking classes in electronics and electrical and mechanical engineering - while working full time.
It is simply a matter of applying yourself and realizing that if you want something bad enough - you will succeed!
Certainly nothing to "freak out about." Just grind it out and study - don't move past something you don't understand until you fully understand it - with most engineering subjects - you will just get more and more confused and frustrated if you fail to understand the fundamentals before you go on to the next step. One step at a time and each step builds on the previous one - and soon you'll be jogging right along.

Answer 6

I was an absolute genius! (Just kidding of course)

I taught engineering courses for a few years and it was a real eye-opener to see how people struggle. (And I don't think it was just my teaching). But even people who struggle with the material would do quite well if they applied themselves: did all the homework (neatly), read the text, showed up for every class, etc ... When you get into the engineering field, you will find that many of the skills you need are non-technical: can you speak and write well, do you work well with other people, are you courteous and dependable? Many times, those are the skills that will help you get ahead. If you get into management, you will have to take the attitude that you are paying others to do the real technical stuff. As a manager, you just have to know enough to see what is plausible and makes good sense.

Answer 7

One of the smartest entering HS. I had never, and still never had less than an A in any math class. However, circumstance sent me from Honors to remedial in a year, except in math. I took remedial biology and advanced math. I was one of those that seemed to know math before it was taught to me.

Nonetheless, I was the only senior that had to attend a full day to graduate. I flunked out of college twice. Went back to community college when I was 26 and graduated the outstanding senior in civil engineering at the U of AZ.

Who cares if you got an 82? What matters is if you go back and learn what you missed. I bet you do go back and learn it.

The key to Univ. is to get in a study group with some good folk, who are as committed to doing good as you are. The more heads the better. Also, make sure you get the 'brain' in your group.

As far as concepts go, make sure you learn how to graphically illustrate your problems in math and especially phiysics. Use engineering paper, a protractor and an engineer's scale to draw your problems to scale, as you can solve many of them with no calcs, just a drawing done to scale and a ruler.

Don't freak, bust your *** early and learn your math, especially trig, chemistry and physics early, and coast through the rest!

Good luck, and have fun.

Answer 8

Obviously you are smart if you are considering a degree in Engineering. How smart and comparatively smart to your peers who are applying for your choice university? Who knows?

I have found it is not how comparatively smart you are, it depends on how bad you want it.

I was averagely smart among my peers in honors classes, no genius. In high school I never had to work that hard, college was a different story. But I wanted it, so it happen. I even went on to get my MS. (I will spare you the worry wart stories- you will have them too!)

It sounds like you already have an advantage over the 99 percentile kids, you know how to work hard. Those kids do not understand how to study; right now they are not worrying about how they will do in college. You will surpass the geniuses in this category.

Good Luck! And do not compare yourself to others, just know if you want to be an Engineer, work towards it diligently and you will be!

Answer 9

First of all, lets clarify a few details here.

In order to graduate from engineering college you must be good at Mathematics and the physical sciences. Once a person has graduated from engineering college, they then must compete for professional positions in industry.

I struggled with Mathemematics all of my life. But, I was a creative design engineer in Industry. Many of my ideas for products were Patented.

Also, I had great engineering drawing skills and computer aided design skills. I had the ability to work with manufacturing to get a Product into production.

Conclusion: There are many types of engineers...Once you graduate from college, you will see where you will excel in the engineering industry.... Reaserch, Sales, Manufacturing.

Good Luck

Sandy

Answer 10

Not as Smart as I am Now!!!






Wahoo!!!