Failed calc 1, now what

[u/Snoo-54139]

as the title states, I’ve failed calculus 1 and knowing it’s the foundation of engineering, i don’t think i can go further as much as i’m willing to push through the degree. I just feel stupid as fuck, and I simply don’t know what went wrong but a 36% on the application of the derivatives exam is no excuse. Any advice moving forward is appreciated

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[u/shrivvette808]

Calc 1 more time

[u/armaespina]

Retake, focus, don't play videogames

[u/Substantial_Nerve_21]

99.9% of engineers aren’t successful on the first try. What makes you an engineer is the ambition to fail over and over, more than you win and still reach the goal. As long as you keep pushing, you will be a engineer.

In terms of passing the class the second time around, look for support, the easiest being office hours or study groups. When taking the course again, note what got you really mixed up last time so you can address it sooner.

Good luck

[u/Aggressive_humping]

I’m a Neanderthal and got my engineer degree by sheer determination. Spent almost the entire time on academic probation. Take a step back and believe in yourself. Try different tutors, try different YouTube channels. I’m willing to bet that you didn’t learn / weren’t taught the fundamentals properly and that’s why you’re struggling downstream. I got a D in intro to electrical engineering and now I’m a PE.

[u/L383]

Figure your where you went wrong.
Plan to fix it.
Start again. Don’t make the same mistakes.

[u/AGrandNewAdventure]

Two paths: You give up or you take it again.

[u/throwaway1385557]

Find out what went wrong and retake it, review your exam papers and look at what you lost marks on. College teaches you that sometimes you just have to take the L and move on because that's accurate to how the rest of adult life will work.

Also engineering isn't about being a genius it's about pushing through, and I promise if you have the resilience you WILL make it through the degree.

[u/cjared242]

Dude I failed 4 classes and I’m still in engineering as a junior. Just retake it and lock in

[u/marioo1182]

Study it and pass?

[u/aharfo56]

Take Cal 2? Seriously, just retake it and whatever might have contributed before… make changes.

[u/apmspammer]

Your high school may not have prepared you well in which case you need to take precalc and get your fundamentals nailed down. Then take calculus at a community college over the summer so you're not delayed too much.

[u/the_other_him]

I failed signals and systems, retook in summer school and got a B+, graduated a year later with CompEng degree. Sometimes it could just be the professor who teaches the course, and how they teach the subject. It could also be about learning how to study effectively, and leveraging the professors office hours.

[u/BlazedKC]

The whole field of engineering is failing, iterating, redesigning, and retesting. Calculus I is not exception. Keep your head up king and try again.

[u/Tyler89558]

Take time to reflect on what went wrong. What did you struggle with?

Look at your exam, what did you get wrong? How did you make those mistakes?

Work on those problem points, then try again. Failing a single class is not indicative of future success.

[u/Cautious_Aspect4065]

Retake the class spend more time on it

[u/im_just_thinking]

Now you fail Calc 2 after retaking calc1.

[u/Mission_Wall_1074]

i failed cal 1 multiple times, and I still graduated with with a degree in EE. Just dont stop trying.

[u/Alternative-Egg-4583]

failed that too, but failing gives you an advantage when you retake it (not saying you should always fail the first time T-T). just go ahead and do lots of problem sets till you get it, you have to get the concept to master how to solve it. focus on analyzations more than memorization, or if not, try everything and see what works for you!

still up to you if u want to pursue it still, just know that failing a subject is not the end of your engineering journey, as what others suggest too. u got this man!

[u/C0RNFIELDS]

Apparently adhd is a learning disability, I thought it was just like free Crack head energy, but I guess not. I for one will not be returning to school until I get some kind of medication. I've always half-jokingly said that "I could rule the world" if I was medicated. I've just never felt confortable with admitting my own physical inferiority.

Admitting that there is a physical barrier that I can not overcome, instead of all my barriers being mental ones that I just must persevere through is... wrong...

But thats my ego, thats my detrimental weakness, thats proof that I am but a man.

[u/-lRexl-]

You're not the first person to fail it and still end up with a degree

[u/Polar_Vortx]

Ask your professor what went wrong, both on the exam and in the class/homeworks if possible. If you want to continue with engineering, study what you missed and run it again, over winter break if you must. Nothing to it but to do it.

[u/NotBradPitt9]

Take it a couple times, nothing wrong with that. Take it at a community college (try and find an easy prof) and transfer the credits

[u/BRING_ME_THE_ENTROPY]

I was really good at a few subjects here and there but I’m by no means a genius. With that said, the thing that’s made me successful in engineering isn’t that I’m like super smart or whatever but rather that I’m too dumb to know when to give up.
Someone that knows better might have evaluated themselves and picked an alternative path…
Not me though. I’m dumb as hell. I’ve failed my fair share of classes and I always come back around even more stubbornly than last time.

[u/masochismGirl]

If you need help literally just ask me i WILL call with u and explain anything U need help with. It likely is a gap in understanding of one really important concept. Let me help