Author Topic: 2nd Year MEng student - Failed Maths - Do I just cut my losses and find a job?  (Read 25113 times)

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Offline Mechatrommer

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It's three hours a week taking Maths for the year
no no no. at least 1 hour a day for the math! thats minimum! and thats excluding in-class lesson.
Nature: Evolution and the Illusion of Randomness (Stephen L. Talbott): Its now indisputable that... organisms “expertise” contextualizes its genome, and its nonsense to say that these powers are under the control of the genome being contextualized - Barbara McClintock
 

Offline Chet T16

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What math topics are you covering?
Chet
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Alex

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Well done, congratulations!
 

Offline Bored@Work

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Well done, congratulations!
I don't agree this is well done. Earlier spending the same effort learning math instead of now spending the time whining and begging would be well done. All he learned now is how to weasel out.
I delete PMs unread. If you have something to say, say it in public.
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Offline Kozmyk

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At least he's still in the game.
Well done for that, at least.
 

Offline EEVblog

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Glad to hear, good luck!

Dave.
 

Alex

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Well done, congratulations!
I don't agree this is well done. Earlier spending the same effort learning math instead of now spending the time whining and begging would be well done. All he learned now is how to weasel out.

Sure, but sometimes you have to not succeed in order to try harder next time, or try differently. This definitevely got him in a thinking process/re-evaluation that he might have not gone through before. I also think that weaseling out with the minimum damage caused is an important skill to have if ever needed.
 

Offline Zero999

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I think university is a waste of time. In my experience, people with a good apprenticeship behind them are better at their jobs than those straight out of university.

You don't learn how how to read a datasheet at college, nor do you learn much about, CAD, laying out a PCB, soldering and case design.

I did a five year apprenticeship and studied one day a week. At the end of my training my bank account was 20k in credit, I had an HND, a lot of practical experience and a good job. If i'd gone to university, I'd have very little practical knowledge be over 20k in debt and be jobless.

I'm glad I didn't bother going, although part of me would've liked the social side. I did consider topping my HND up to a degree enabling me to become a chartered engineer but I decided against it.
 

Alex

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I think university is a waste of time. In my experience, people with a good apprenticeship behind them are better at their jobs than those straight out of university.

You don't learn how how to read a datasheet at college, nor do you learn much about, CAD, laying out a PCB, soldering and case design.

I did a five year apprenticeship and studied one day a week. At the end of my training my bank account was 20k in credit, I had an HND, a lot of practical experience and a good job. If i'd gone to university, I'd have very little practical knowledge be over 20k in debt and be jobless.

I'm glad I didn't bother going, although part of me would've liked the social side. I did consider topping my HND up to a degree enabling me to become a chartered engineer but I decided against it.

Fair enough, I am glad it worked out as you wanted it, aka you are happy where you are. But you are making a big assumption here:

Quote
If i'd gone to university, I'd have very little practical knowledge be over 20k in debt and be jobless.
 

Offline SgtRock

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Dear HammerFet:

--I am glad you managed to convince them to give you another chance. Be sure to get some math tutoring if necessary, it does not come easy to some of us. As I said before, knowledge of the Calculus will boost your confidence and give you the basic understanding to compute almost anything.

--As you can see, there are a lot of experienced and knowledgeable people on this forum who are only to glad to help. Do not pay too much attention to our resident curmudgeon. He just assumed you were looking for a lot of personal criticism based on zero knowledge. Why should one be polite to a struggling young college student? He could have easily given you all the advice he gave you, respectfully, and not treated you like a dog. But such is not his way. Better to discourage you, and better yet, discourage everyone.

--So study hard, otherwise you may end up working for someone like you know who.

“Ninety-nine percent of the world's lovers are not with their first choice. That's what makes the jukebox play.” Willie Nelson

Best Regards
Clear Ether
 

Offline Mechatrommer

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I think university is a waste of time.
You don't learn how how to read a datasheet at college, nor do you learn much about, CAD, laying out a PCB, soldering and case design.
now thats the quote of the year! people usually got misleaded. the truth is, going to uni is not about practical knowledge. practical knowledge is only a bonus, or very small part, or only to make you a "slightly" better graduate compared to other competing uni. but i agree the worthyness will depend on job vacancy, i cannot say for other countries, but for mine i think it is worthy, in the long term. and another misleading fact is you'll get richer if you go to uni. no you are not going to be rich if you have high education. if you are looking for a large pile of money and working skill, then dont go to uni, be a contractor, in my country at least.
Nature: Evolution and the Illusion of Randomness (Stephen L. Talbott): Its now indisputable that... organisms “expertise” contextualizes its genome, and its nonsense to say that these powers are under the control of the genome being contextualized - Barbara McClintock
 

Offline HammerFETTopic starter

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You don't learn how how to read a datasheet at college, nor do you learn much about, CAD, laying out a PCB, soldering and case design.

I agree, and that's exactly what I do in my free time. I try to encourage engineering as a hobby to many of my less practical friends and they in turn help me with the theoretical work.

I find university gives me the theoretical knowledge that I can later back up with practical experience. I often find myself sitting in lectures wondering how what they are teaching can be used for in a real world application. Many of my lecturers know of my hobbies and have helped me a lot this year, in fact that is one of the reasons I got given another chance. Some things they teach, i.e. Math, is harder to apply as the examples are abstract so I find it difficult to get to grips with.

I will be getting a tutor for a couple hours a week and make sure I work plenty each day.

All in all, I'm not disappointed that I have lost a year, but I've learnt more of how to get out of a sticky situation. Everyone goes through them at some point, better to make mistakes earlier than later...
 


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