Does anyone actually use calculus?
03-30-2007, 05:50 PM
#26
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 56
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Like others have said, stick with it and muscle through it, this time or when you retake the course.
You WILL use calculus. You will use it when you get hired for a good job that requires the degree you're going to get that includes calc. I had four semesters of calc and diff eq. Hated it. I've only used "nuts and bolts" calc a handful of times at work but it is often important to understand the theory to make accurate judgement calls. A lot of the work of getting a degree is showing you are willing to work hard and showing you are capable of learning.
BTW, save this thread on paper and refer to it the next time you feel like punting. A degree isn't the only path to success and it won't ensure your future, but it is well worth the (hard) effort. The first time you get paid enough in one month to buy a turbo Miata, you'll be glad you stuck it out.
You WILL use calculus. You will use it when you get hired for a good job that requires the degree you're going to get that includes calc. I had four semesters of calc and diff eq. Hated it. I've only used "nuts and bolts" calc a handful of times at work but it is often important to understand the theory to make accurate judgement calls. A lot of the work of getting a degree is showing you are willing to work hard and showing you are capable of learning.
BTW, save this thread on paper and refer to it the next time you feel like punting. A degree isn't the only path to success and it won't ensure your future, but it is well worth the (hard) effort. The first time you get paid enough in one month to buy a turbo Miata, you'll be glad you stuck it out.
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03-30-2007, 06:37 PM
#29
avg cpe makes 55-65K starting salary. I go to school in blacksburg which is a "small" town with a campus of 40-50K students and faculty. Most of the companies are either large corporations or smaller places from cities in neighboring states, and northern va. The avg hiring rate for a graduating engineer here is above 80% if I remember correctly.
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03-30-2007, 07:26 PM
#30
It really depends where you plan to use thier degree. The only place Ive hear of it being used is in some gas and fluid flows, but thats only to get thinks into a workable form. (Energy Equation and such)
Dont Bail out. Im having trouble beloeving you can get a ABET degree in ME without going up to differential equations. You wouldn't be able to do heat transfer at all, or control systems, or something other class i cant remember *where they introduce transfer functions*
Dont Bail out. Im having trouble beloeving you can get a ABET degree in ME without going up to differential equations. You wouldn't be able to do heat transfer at all, or control systems, or something other class i cant remember *where they introduce transfer functions*
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03-30-2007, 10:58 PM
#34
I disagree. Depending on your location that is entirely possible with a job change. My uncle went from help desk to network admin to network engineer all within 5 yrs by switching jobs. Thats 5yrs from when he got his diploma. From ~40K to $130K per year. You just need to be in the right field.
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03-30-2007, 11:14 PM
#37
I'm not complaining about my job. I'm doing just fine thank you. But I've had to hire a bunch of punk kids fresh out of their BS engineering degrees expecting to rise through the ranks like they're God's gift to the industry; thinking they can just forget anything that got through their thick skulls in undergrad and show all the experienced engineers what's up. Well, it doesn't happen often. And the ones that do rise quickly aren't normally the ones you'd expect. The ones who end up doing well are those that enter wanting to prove themselves, not waiting around on their thumbs to get promoted and given raises just because that's what they're expecting.
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03-30-2007, 11:44 PM
#38
I'm sorry that you have had to hire those punk kids in the past. I am in no way saying I expect to double my salary that fast, but where I am from it is not just something I hear of once a year. It is a regular occurrence in northern va. I would be pretty damn happy with even $50k/year for a while, but at the same time I know that if I don't expect more for/from myself than I would ever get it. The way I see it is that you have to keep trying to get better things for yourself because they aren't usually going to come looking for you.
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