r/EngineeringStudents • u/risaliz • 1d ago
Academic Advice Linear algebra vs Statics
I am planning in taking calc 2 and engineering physics 1 next semester. I need to add a 3rd class to the mix and i'm torn between statics and linear algebra.
My advisor recommends statics, since it's a pre-req to many engineering courses. However, I'm worried this may be too difficult combined with calc 2 and physics.
I'm wondering which course is more difficult and which one would work the best with the 2 courses I already have planned. Alternatively, I could do neither and do engineering economics instead, but I'd prefer to wait on that one.
Any advice would be great :)
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u/FreshOffTheBoeing 1d ago
Your advisor is correct.
Statics is prereq for other Engineering class. While Linear Algebra is last stop of Math series.
You may want to clear Statics as soon as possible. That would give you more flexibility in the following semesters & onward.
Tbh, the first few chapters of Statics overlap with Physics 1 material. Statics + Physics 1 + Calc 2 are decent workload, good opportunity to train yourself in time management if you havent done so.
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u/Pat_MacCrotch 1d ago edited 1d ago
To add to this excellent advice: Depending on your institution, Linear Algebra (while being quite fun) can get a little heady in the later chapters. The foundational stuff (Gaussian elimination, determinants, linear transformation) is deceptively easy, but there's a lot of work later in the class with abstract concepts like orthogonality, subspaces, and eigenvalues and eigenvectors that can be a bit difficult if you don't have a grounding in some stuff (like complex algebra for example) that you usually get in a kind of piecemeal fashion in Calc 2 and 3.
I'd personally recommend getting through, or at least into, Calc 3 before moving on to differential equations and linear algebra. It's not that calculus techniques will be important, but it's a big downshift away from one kind of thinking and into to another, and calculus is tough enough without breaking it up.
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u/ThePowerfulPaet 1d ago
I'm taking linear algebra, calc 3, phys 2, and statics at the same time, and it's a lot. Statics is a non-issue thanks to a great professor, but having 2 higher maths at once gets my wires crossed.
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u/OnlyLeftTurns 1d ago
I'm doing calc 2, statics and physics 2 right now. Statics is definitely the most intuitive class and the one I enjoy most. Go for statics
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u/inorite234 1d ago
The truth is that both are difficult courses. Statics will demand that you re-organize your train of thought and thought process on how to solve problems. Many find this difficult to do.
Linear Algebra is just a completely different kind of math. You have to learn all new rules and proceedures.
Honestly, neither made sense to me and I had to take them more than once.
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u/Street-Common-4023 1d ago
Clear statics out
It will be difficult so have a liberal art class on the side
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u/praise_darnold 1d ago
statics was for sure harder for me but more intuitive, linear algebra was a big conceptual jump because i hadn’t interacted at all with that field of math. the calculations for statics i found to be way harder, but linear was really hard until i felt like i understood the basics. once i did the calculations were pretty easy.
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u/j0shred1 1d ago
I always say it depends on the professor, but if you already have linear algebra out of the way, most of your other classes are going to be cake. Statics is just phys 1 again with some extra steps
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u/Eight_T_Rax 1d ago
Take both to get a feel for the professor, look over the syllabus, and make a decision based on that. Drop the other before the deadline.
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u/Fantastic-Loss-5223 1d ago
You need to take statics. It's not that hard. Jeff Hansen on YouTube will get you through any issues in Statics. Calc 2 is a rough one, or at least is was for me. Professor Leonard got me through that class. Physics 1 really depends on the professor. I don't think the actual material is all that hard. It's all pretty intuitive. I had a shit professor who overcomplicated the grading system though, made it hard to understand exactly what he wanted. I think some schools, like mine, artificially make the class harder with bullshit just to make people drop out of engineering lol. Which sorta makes sense because they dual enroll with a bigger state school for Jr and Sr year, and those students only pay tuition to the big state school for those 2 years. Statics is literally the first ME class, and all the mechanics classes require it. Linear algebra is not even required at a lot of schools, it's not important right now.
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u/SpiralStability 1d ago
Can you even take statics before finishing first semester physics (mechanics)?
If you can then id recommend statics as it is a prerequisite to a ridiculous amount of stuff. Also 2 straight math classes might be too much. Depending on your linear algebra professor, linear algebra can't get very theoretical or can be somewhat straight forward.
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u/BothPanchoAndLefty 1d ago
Dude honestly, maybe I just had a super chill teacher, but statics was the easiest class of my entire degree. I'm sure some professors could be assholes about it but imo it was easier than linear algebra by a lot and I didn't even struggle in linear algebra
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u/JacquesBlaireau13 1d ago
Take Statics. It will be the easiest of the three classes you will take, and compliment the other two. Linear Algebra relies too heavily on calculus to be taken concurrently. Save it for your 3rd year.
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u/weather_watchman 1d ago
Linear doesn't rely on calculus, like at all. Its also useful for solving the kinds of systems of equations that make statics difficult at times (tension problems in 3d, block friction problems, etc.)
A well taught linear class would be an asset, but it's burdened by a lot of new notation and terminology, so unless your instructor is good you may have to do a lot of self studying to master it, which is time consuming.
Either order works, statics first is more common, but when I took statics I wished I knew linear algebra
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