January 3, 2005
A: FROM MENTOR DENISE HARBERT IN IL
Hi Emily. Why do you want to be an Engineer? I think this is a critical
question to start with. When I was teaching calculus to college students, I
had one student who worked his brains out, but still didn't "get it" no matter
how hard he tried. He was majoring in mechanical engineering at the time,
which was a subject that required a solid understanding of calculus and
3-dimensional objects. My student did not appear to have any of those
abilities or interests, so I finally asked him why he was majoring in
mechanical engineering. He said "because my dad wants me to". I asked more
questions, but he could not give me any other reason for his major. He was
trying to force himself into a major and a career that he hated and had no
natural abilities for simply because of his dad's goal for him. As a result,
he was miserable, working himself into exhaustion, and getting lousy grades in
spite of his effort. I finally convinced him to switch his major to something
he was passionate about (environmental science). He stopped working so hard,
his grades skyrocketed, and his misery turned into excitement about his
future. The point is that you have to pursue something you love doing in
order to be happy and successful.

Although it is certainly possible, it strikes me as unusual that a person with
"really bad math grades" who believes she is "not really good at it" would be
so interested in engineering. Usually math and engineering go together, so
maybe you're more interested in math than you think or maybe you're less
interested in engineering than you think. Engineers use math or numbers
nearly every day to solve practical problems and build things that people can
use, so they have to be at least average at math. Aeronautical engineers
design and build aircraft (typically airplanes), which requires a lot of
advanced knowledge of subjects like mechanics and physics (which are based on
math) as well as math itself. Think carefully about why you are interested in
engineering and aeronautics. Are you interested because someone else is
pushing you to be interested? Are you interested because you're looking for a
career that pays well? If so, you will probably be happier and earn more
money in a different field that you enjoy more and are good at. Are you
interested in airplanes because you want to fly? If so, you could become a
pilot through a flight school or you could join the air force and learn that
way. Are you genuinely interested in designing and building things like
airplanes? If you are, then you probably DO want to pursue engineering. If
you're truly unsure what you want to do, then see if your school or your local
community college has a guidance counselor or career placement center. A
trained counselor mught be able to point you in a good direction, or give you
some standardized tests. Testing can give you a better idea of what careers
match your skills and your interests.

If you decide to pursue engineering, then you will need to improve your math
grades. Don't be discouraged because you are probably better at math than you
think. Research has shown that girls are much more critical of themselves
than boys are, especially when it comes to math. Boys tend to think they are
better at math than they actually are and girls tend to think they are worse
than they actually are. The difference is in perception, not ability. Maybe
you just have a mental block about math. Maybe your mental block has driven
you to avoid studying it, and maybe your lack of study is the reason why you
don't get good grades. Your math grades may have a lot more to do with the
amount of effort you put into it than they do with your ability. With a
little more effort and a change in approach, you should be able to get better
math grades and feel better about the subject. Try finding a tutor, ask for
extra help from your teacher, do homework with a friend and compare your
answers to see if you got the same thing, look for math games you can buy
(there are math computer games, video games, board games, and card games).
You could also retake a math class you've already taken because sometimes it's
easier after you've already seen the material before. Do a little bit each
day and don't wait until the night before a test to start studying. It is
hard to force yourself to work on a subject that you don't like and that you
think you're bad at, but the rewards of hard work paying off can be huge.
Hang in there and don't give up on math so soon!

December 22, 2004
******************
A: FROM MENTOR DIANA DEDE IN CO
I have a daughter who is a freshmen in engineering. One of the things I
learned after raising three children is that not all students can do the
math as quickly as others. All of my children developed their math skills a little
later than their peers. But once they got the skills they kept them
really well.
My husband, also an engineer, had trouble in grade school math. Not all of
my grades were A's in math. So do not be discouraged if you have not done
really well in math to this date. I feel that sometimes students are pushed into
upper level math classes before their brains have developed fully to handle
the math concepts.

Engineers use the math along with science to solve problems. I would suggest
that you start college with an entry level college algebra class and then
trig class. Do not worry that you are not starting with calculus. If the
algebra and trig go well, then you will know that you are ready for college
calculus. It may take you more than four years to get your degree, but
you will not have given up before you have even started.

If the calculus does not go well, be sure the grades are not being curved
heavily. Some of my daughter's classes as a freshman have had averages of
40-50%. The teachers are curving the grades to account for the difficulty of the
test and the low grades of the students. If the college has a women in
engineering program or a student section of the Society of Women
Engineers, you can get that little extra encouragement from them that will help you finish a
degree in Engineering.

If it turns out that the math just doesn't work for you. Look to your other
interests. Do you enjoy working with children? Perhaps you can go into
teaching science if that is a particular interest. Do you enjoy working with
people, perhaps you would consider marketing and working in technical
sales? If you enjoy writing, how about technical writing for an engineering or science
magazine?

Good luck.
Diana Dede