Page 91 - A Mind For Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science

ACTIVELY SEEK GOOD ADVICE! INSIGHTS FROM NORMAN FORTENBERRY, A
NATIONAL LEADER IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION

“When I was a first-year college student, I already knew I wanted to
be an engineer, so I signed up for Calculus with Applications
instead of the regular calculus being taken by most of my
classmates. This was a mistake. Many of the students in this class
had already taken calculus in high school and were expanding their
knowledge base. So I was at a competitive disadvantage.
“More critical, since far fewer students were in the version of
calculus that I was taking, there were few potential study partners.
Unlike in high school, there is no premium (indeed there is a
penalty) for going it alone in college. Professors in engineering, a
field where teamwork is an important professional trait, often
assume that you’re working with others and design homework
accordingly. I squeaked through with a B but always felt that I had
an inadequate conceptual and intuitive understanding of the fundamentals of calculus and of the
subsequent courses that depended on it. I did lots of studying on my own in a just-in-time fashion
for the calculus portions of subsequent classes. But that cost me a lot of time that could have
been devoted to other pursuits.
“I am lucky that I made it through to graduation with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical
engineering, and with the encouragement and mentorship of some peers and my faculty advisor,
continued on to graduate school and my doctorate in mechanical engineering. But a point to take
to heart from all of this is to ask your peers and teachers for good advice as you choose your
classes. Their collective wisdom will serve you well.”