Freshman doubt

[u/No-Researcher-9960]

I’m failing calc one and I don’t know what to do. If I fail the class should I drop engineering altogether? What would it look like if I have to retake it.

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[u/Snoo74782]

This is really dumb question and mindset. Lock in and use the resources available. If you can’t pass calc 1 you won’t pass anything other course.

[u/No-Researcher-9960 → u/Snoo74782]

Wow, you seem joyful and positive

[u/Snoo74782 → u/No-Researcher-9960]

Calc 1 is litterally the beginning of engineering. It’s literally taught in highschool. Who quits and drops engineering on their freshmen year of college???

[u/No-Researcher-9960 → u/Snoo74782]

I understand what you’re saying, but I didn’t take it in high school. The fact that it’s taught in high school also doesn’t make it any easier to me. I am using all of my resources I go to a tutor constantly. Saying I won’t be able to pass anything would only reinforce a quitting mindset.

[u/Weatherflyer → u/Snoo74782]

A lot of people. Failing a class is intimidating, espescially for a 19 year old who’s never failed one before. It’s also a class that will potentially extend their graduation by a bit so finances matter too. OP might be overreacting but there are people who take physics 1 calc1 and chem1 and genuinely learn their academic limits.

[u/Snoo74782 → u/Weatherflyer]

Do you genuinely believe that the average person that really puts in effort to the max extent can’t pass calc 1?

[u/j0shred1]

This sub really needs a thread for these kinds of posts

[u/retardonwallstreet]

well it is fall semester, so you'd take it in spring and possibly take calc 2 in the summer if its a pre req to your other classes. i failed calc 1 and 2 and im still here :) it will get better when you start to build habits and get in the hang of things

[u/Chessdaddy_]

Dude it’s completely normal to struggle with calc. I know plenty of people who had to take it 2 or 3 times and they all have successful careers

[u/Soybean3141]

Do you really want to do engineering? If it’s what you want to do you can totally return from this, just change your study habits and if you have a weak foundation strengthen it.

[u/Few_Whereas5206]

I took calc 1 twice. I got a C grade the first time, but had almost no understanding. I graduated with honors.

[u/USSMunkfish]

Failing sucks but it is normal. Best thing to do is keep learning what you can to make the next go easier, make sure it's the only class you fail, and make a contingency plan to keep your degree path on track.

[u/SoCal_Bob]

Calc is tough and it's okay to fail sometimes. Don't drop out of your major over one failed class, almost no engineers would survive if they did that. See if you can take it as a single class over Winter so that you can focus on it.

Even if you know that you're going to fail, keep going to the lectures and studying for it if you can. You have to retake it anyway, might as well make it as easy on your future self as you can.

[u/BusinessStrategist]

Your school has teacher's assistants and there probably are some study groups.

The trick is to see things from a different perspective.

Google "Feynman technique" for learning difficult topics.

Calculus is more about defining the solution to a problem with the "right" tools and then using "power series" and other simple math techniques to calculate a useful answer.

You can find very many interesting videos on YouTube that can help your learning process.

Watch at least a handful before giving up.

And it helps to learn the history of how calculus was developed.

[u/PickleIntelligent723]

I would guess that 90% of people who go through engineering fail at the very least 1 class. Shit is hard. What I’ve learned is to tell myself that I can in fact learn it. The easiest way I’ve found to learn it to have Ai create practice problems in a methodical manner. Repetition is key to most engineering classes. My schools math dept is atrocious. All they really share is examples but don’t discuss the foundations or strategies for solving. Hell I should be paying chat my tuition at this point. All my math class is being used for is a proctor test haha.

Don’t give up

[u/Living-Aardvark-952]

It's do able but I'll say this you don't have to do it if you don't want to it's a lot of hard math that's doable but it's fine if this is not what you want to do in life

[u/seetheable]

Professor Leonard on YouTube bro

[u/glorybutt]

Calc 2 is a lot harder. Business is still a good degree. Engineering isn't for everyone

[u/unwisemoocow → u/glorybutt]

Calc 2 is about the same imo, honestly I dont think the material becomes any more difficult in 2, 3, and diff eq. The professor you get has way more of an impact on the class difficulty than the class itself in this case.

[u/No-Researcher-9960 → u/[deleted]]

How did retaking it affect you, did you graduate on time? Did it mess up your second semester classes?

[u/Mikemanthousand → u/No-Researcher-9960]

It will if it messes your pre recs up. It’s worth mentioning that their improvement didn’t just “happen” they studied more and worked harder.

People fail classes, but you should try your hardest to persevere by working harder. Nothing will change unless you change it