mech engineer questions..
 

hey guys lately i have been looking into becoming a mechanical engineer and i think i have run into a problem....

i HATE math. i used to love it. it was my favorite subject up untill 2 years ago when i got a new teacher. this guy is just pathetic. it embarasses me how bad of a teacher he is. anyways now math is DEFINETLY not my fav. subject and im pretty sure you need to know alot of it for engineering correct?

here are my questions.

1. do you need to know alot of math for it?

2. what type of math is required to get the degree?

3. what math is ACTUALLY used while problem solving?

thanks alot guys. i want to know what i am going to be doing for a living ASAP and i hope this math problem doesnt ruin it.

I'm not an engineer... but I'm sure that you DO use a lot of math skillz so my advice is forget about how pathetic or annoying your teacher is... and do it for yourself.

Even when you don't actually use advanced math in you job someday... (and you eventually forget how to do it all) having studied it and understood it in school helps you down the road. you can pick it up again much better if you do ever need it.

You can't let your teacher control what you want to do... just work harder if you got a lousy school/teacher. It doesn't change after you get out of school... you always have to take the bull by the horns if you want something.

Math in general boost your quick thinking. The more complex the math, the better it is for you. Without it you won't come up with/process quick solutions in the field. In my field, mostly geometry is used. Everything is now now now. You don't have days to come up with a solution anymore. Whatever you do, don't go into the Computer R&D. There is no money to be made anymore.

I did an advanced general engineering degree and had top grades at school in math - I still struggled in 3rd year uni maths.

It became very theoretical and hence I get bored - Much preffered playing with "real" things be it computers, electricity or gas turbines.

Maths is a bit of a cornerstone of it all - But you'll rarely use all the math you learn in an actual job (Unless you decide to teach it!)

I'm in college right now to become a mechanical and aerospace engineer (it's relatively easy to get both at UCI because the programs are intertwined). I started out in 3rd-level calculus, after passing the AP Calculus BC test with a 4. So far it's been pretty tough, but I've managed to maintain a 97% without a curve, somehow...

But there will be much more math in my future, something like 3 or 4 more classes. We're on the quarter system, so that means I'll be done with math by winter break of next year :yes:.

Hey metalman, I see you have used your mechanical skills in creating that 4x4 stampede. Pretty cool man.

That was about 3 years ago, LOL.

I'm not that great in math, else I'd realize that I spend too much money in this Hobby... LOL Maybe same goes for Most of us... :)

1) Out in the industry, you dont necessarily need to know the math, but you need to understand the concepts behind it. We have the wonderful devices called computers and calculators that do 99% of the really difficult stuff.

2) You'll need to demostate an understanding of calculus. Not only in the math classes, but in physics, mechanics, and kinematics.

3) See #1

You can also get what are called "technology" degrees, sometimes also called manufacturing engineer degrees. These do not require as much math as a straight ME degree does, and overall, salaries run about 10% lower than Engineering degrees. I was also horrible in math. My first three "quarters" in colleger were spent taking remedial math classes to catch me up. And i struggled horribly, taking several classes twice. But I stuck with it, and after 6 long years, got my degree. Now 16 years later, I'm glad I stayed with it.

1. do you need to know alot of math for it? Yes math is in every ME course

2. what type of math is required to get the degree? Calc. algebra geometry differential equations statistics

3. what math is ACTUALLY used while problem solving? YES

How old are you?
Are you more of a hands on type of person or more of a book and computer person?

I have BS and MS degrees in ME (2nd MS in Petrophysics) and a PE in ME, so I know a little about ME. Its been great career for me and family.

But to answer your ques - yes, its math intensive. My bro wanted to get an engr degree but after having trouble with Calc 3, he was advised to bail which he did (got a building science degree). The math is heavily influenced by your high school background - I went to a large hi school (907 in my graduating class) and we were well trained in math. I hit Calc 1 and made a solid B, carried that all the way thru Calc 4 and then started getting taxed, managed only Cs in differential eqtns and Advanced engr math 1 and 2. I was taking Math half way thru my junior year.

More specifics - calculus, differential eqtns and engr math which puts calculus together with diff eqtns for problem solving. When you're out working, the level of math varies with the job involved. All the way from something like hvy construction where its nothing but simple addition, subtraction etc to space industry where it was just like school - applied math all over again.

I wouldn't let that teacher kill math for you - anyway to change? Maybeyour next one can "erase the bad taste" this one has left for you concerning math. There is no getting around it, you'll have to be math capable to get just about any engr degree. The upside is a rewarding career, both financially and professionally. My ME background has let me succeed in the electric motor industry (design engr at GE - 5hp to 350HP induction motors), heavy construction (1000ton/day pulp mill), grad school, space industry (was part of the IMAP mission at Redstone working on the shuttle) and now for some time, oil and gas industry. If you do go into ME, many of the courses form parts of all the others and enables you to work in many, many different areas of industry. Grad seniors this yr were getting $65-68K starting salaries.

im 17 years old and will be going into college right away out of high school.

i am not the type to quit things i will just get lazy. then sooner or later realize i need to finish it up.

the past 2 grading periods in the math class ive gotten a B and then a C only because of the extra credit he gives.

this grading period i have talked to one of my freinds in the class and now instead of listening to the teacher he is just going to teach it to me (he had the class the previous year)

so i should start to enjoy math more once i learn it.

and i am a handson type of guy. i really dont enjoy reading things id rather watch movies on it... i would rather actually build something than having it built for me.

right now i am trying to fix my digital camera... and DAMN is it a PITA. i hope one day to be a "handyman" kind of husband. just be able to have the skills to fix anything.

I worked part time thru undergrad at a local hdw store where I was Mr Fixit for that area - there was nothing I couldn't or wouldn't fix (if the boss let me - sometimes it would take way too long, lol!). I'm more hands on too, I wanted a practical education not a theoretical one, part of the reason I chose the school I went too. I was always the one in class asking how this was applied to a real world problem.

I had a younger bro right behind me - exactly 4 yrs after me. I had to get out cause Mom and Dad couldn't do both of us at once. After the 1st summer break I went year round - def not the way to do things. Take your time, make sure this is what you want to study. Work in somebody's summer intern program, gives you some 1st hand exposure to what the job would be like if you worked for that company in their part of the industry, excellent way to gain experience for when you do graduate.

I'm the 1st engineer in my family, my Dad was a prison warden - I had no idea what the job was going to be like - I just knew I had always been mechanically inclined and liked to figure out how things came apart and worked.

Do you have some kind "Ecenomy Engineer" degree in the US?

Education.
 

So from what you have read in this thread up to now you can see that if you plan on a career in engineering then yes you will need to learn a lot of math. That is just hte nature of the field. But the real question is what do you really want to do? We all end up doing some things that we do not particularly like or want to do. That is just life. If you spend 4 to 6 years going to school are you really going to use that education to forward yourself into the career you want. The one thing that way too many people end up doing is getting into a job that makes them miserable. You have to do something that brings out your passionate side so you don't lose interest. Engineering just clicks for some people naturally. The rest force themselves to love it because of the money spent on the education instead of actually loving what they do.

Obviously there are some smart people on this site who have done well for themselves in this field. So take in all of our information, but you have to decide that engineering is truly what you want to do for the rest of your life. If that is your decision then you will fight to learn the math your way. Don't let some moron change your mind because he is bored with what he does. Maybe your teacher is a great engineer, but just a lousy teacher. Try talking with him/her and maybe you will help them realize that they need to make a change in the way they teach. Think positive and positive things will happen for you.:lol: