[bigshoe]

how much trouble have you had in getting your degree?

I'm starting to have a tough time, but its mostly because I don't have the time to study. currently i'm only in the beginning, general chemistry(with lab) and calculus 1.

my chemistry teacher is hard to follow (foreign), i'm getting a high D
and calculus isnt that bad, I'm getting a low C
chemistry lab is a low A, but that was a pretty simple class.

my problem is i work 40 hrs during the week, and i have alot of travel time also. I have an interest in this stuff (not so much chemistry), but find it very hard to lose sleep to study.

anyways, i was able to move 24 of my work hours to the weekend for next semester, that should help greatly, I'll be taking calc 2, physics 1 (with lab), and c programming.

Ok guys, how bad do i have it???
I know i'm only in the beginnings of engineering here, and i'm not looking good, i really hope that will change next semester since i've made some changes for it.

what did you guys find tough or demanding when it came to engineering classes? I find it takes me absolutely forever to do my homework and focus on it, I blame being out of school for 5 years for that (although i know it could be alot worse).

Did you guys find the later engineering classes to be much more difficult than this earlier stuff?

btw, i'm a Mechanical engineering major, and if it matters, i've completed an associates in EET in 1999 from a tech school

[94bird]

It took me about 8 years to get my ME degree, but I did my first semester in computer engineering, then a year in business, then sidetracked into psychology, took a semester off, worked about 30 hrs/wk at Comp Cams and travelled with the NMCA and eventually got my degree.

My best compromise was to learn all I could at work about engines and take only 9 hours or so each semester at school. Work did help pay for my college and I graduated owing noone anything. It worked out well in the end, but there were many hard times.

My worse course was Controls, by far. I hated that course and have never had to use a bit of it since. It was the only course I got worse than a C in. My first time taking it I got a F in summer school. I got that F because I had to miss an exam to go to a NMCA race. I had told the professor about my upcoming trip weeks in advance, but he gave me the speech about "Which one is more important, a race or this class?" I told him straight out in front of the other students, "My job, that takes me to this race is more important, because there I'm learning things that will apply to my future." He didn't like the answer and I walked out. A year later I made a B in his class. No other professor taught it. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) I had no problems with other professors rescheduling exams or doing makeup work when needed.

Actually, I found my senior year to be my easiest. I think one of my hardest years was my freshman year (in ME classes) because they put you through the core curriculum with teachers that were there to "weed out" the students that didn't really have the drive to make it. By my sophomore year I was taking DiffEq (very tough) but most of my other courses were getting easier. I really liked Thermo and Heat Transfer.