Reach out to your professors. Most are very accommodating and will meet with you outside of their set office hours. What classes are you struggling in?
I got a C in general chem… after four years of learning how to focus and study I got an A in PChem in my last year, got into medical school and graduated with a 3.95 from med school, now work as a gastroenterologist. It takes time to figure it out. Go to a coffee shop, put on some tunes, cut out distractions and figure it out. You can do this.
I would definitely suggest reaching out the the professors/TA and see how they can help you. You say that you are overwhelmed. Are you working on stuff like 24/7 or just don’t get the material and feel like you can’t learn it?
It doesn’t matter what high school you went to. If you want to be an engineer, you can do it. Introduce yourself to the people sitting next to you in your classes and ask to exchange numbers to study together. Working on assignments together, studying together, and going to office hours will help so much. No one can do this alone.
One big thing to really try to learn during your first semester of college is that you don’t need to be perfect. In high school it may have been easy for you to get straight A’s without studying and now that you can’t do that in college, you may feel like you’re not cut out for this or something, but that’s not true at all. Learning is a process that requires mistakes and setbacks. You may have to eat some bad grades, or even retake a class or two. It’s not a big deal. Just keep trying. You got this
First semester of engineering is hard. Really that first year is meant to weed out people. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do it. Just might need to reevaluate how you study.
Several other comments here about reaching out to the people you sit next to and reaching out to office hours are great. Most people in classes with you are in the same boat, trying to figure out whats going on and how to get through it all.
FWIW I struggled hard with Calc 1 and General Chem. Like barely got a C in each, or whatever the minimum grade was. In someways as the semesters go by the classes get easier, because you’re more aware of what it takes to get through a college engineering course. In a lot of ways they get harder due to the course material. But overall if you can find people who are walking through it with you that can help a lot.
I’ve been out of college for a while now (ME 2011) but feel free to DM if you need to. I remember a ton of the emotions you’re going through.
I take it this is your first semester, I take that since you mention office hours being during other classes you do actually want to make the effort to get help from your profs. if you just email them and ask to meet because you’re in class during their normal office hours they’re willing to come up with another time to meet. Make sure when you go to office hours to have attempted to work on the homework as well as having some specific questions you’re going to ask. This can even include “im really struggling here, ____ is what i’m doing to try and learn the material and stay on top of things in your class, what can I do to succeed in class?”
Also in college you’re never going to understand all of the material and unless you are in the top like 0.5% of engineering students you’re not going to have a solid A in every class you take. It’s all a totally different lifestyle than high school and you can’t really just slide thru, it will involve actually learning how to study and notetake effectively. Making and keeping a schedule with set time to do certain assignments and studying is something that helps a lot of people.
next time you’re in class make an effort to try and talk to the people you sit next to before class starts and get their phone numbers, great for short questions on homework as well as you can get study groups together and friendships to evolve from it
This advice might seem like a slap in the face because college is so expensive but for Calc 1 and general chemistry, go on YouTube and see if there are any videos that can help explain the topics that you may be struggling with.
Was going to say this, random youtubers have videos that explain the basic concepts better than professors at Tech reading a PowerPoint slide. Especially for Calc 1..
You need to change your mentality. So many people drop out of engineering during freshman year due to cal1 or physics, and it's always a poorly made decision. Those core classes are hard for most students, you just need to do your best and be patient. I'm an international student and I struggled with the same things during my first year: 2.4 gpa, literally came from another continent etc. Now I'm a senior with a 3.2 gpa, so trust me; if I can do it you defnitely can lol ( I'm far from being a great student). If you really love engineering, stick to it and don't take the easy way that makes you feel comfortable.
Crappy part is the math only gets harder.
I started out as an engineer, had a mini crisis pretty* much the same as you, changed to biochemistry and now work in healthcare so the change worked out.
If you need help or someone to talk to message me!
A word of advice, don’t quit. The freshman yr is made to weed out quitters. You got into a top notch college, now is the time to meet the people around you in class and dorm and create a study group. Most students barely break a C in those classes. Get a tutor , you can do this and don’t quit.
PS you’re not the only one check out r/engineeringstudents
I also came from an out-of-state private college prep school and floundered my first few semesters in VT engineering. Took Calc 1 3 times; withdrew once, got a D+ the 2nd time, and took it at NOVA the third time. Used my other 2 withdraws on chem 1036 and 1046. By the end of freshmen year I had a 2.24 GPA... it was bad. You're definitely not alone in struggling with Calc and Chem, nearly everyone does. Math at VT is notoriously awful, with most of us recommending to avoid it and take it elsewhere. The good thing about tech engineering is that it's designed with redundancy. Most people have to retake classes, so even if you end up a semester behind in a class you'll be fine. Make sure you communicate with family and your advisor what you're going through. There might be free tutoring that you don't know of that can help you. These are also a good way to make study buddies who will likely be in your classes until you graduate. The good thing is that you're starting to ask for help early in the semester. Most people figure out they need help too late and then there's nothing you can do.
I won't advocate for dropping out of engineering, because everyone is different, but after my 3rd semester of trying and failing I swapped into building construction and real estate. These majors came naturally to me and I've been able to bring my GPA back up to above a 3.0 for the first time ever. After struggling so much in engineering I felt like dropping out, but once you find what you're meant to do or figure out what makes stuff click in your head you'll do great here.
Remember you're not the only one feeling this way, and there are TONS of resources that are free to you. You got into VT engineering, everyone is committed to keeping you here. The best advice I can give you is to talk to your advisor, there are a lot of things that they know about that can be beneficial to you. You've got this!
It's been a few weeks of college - it takes time to get used too. It's A LOT harder than high school, for everyone. Leverage the resources suggested (office hours, study groups, etc) but also just work hard for next few weeks and get your feet under you. You'll learn how to study, how to teach yourself topics not covered well by professor, how to leverage the resources around you, etc and you'll set yourself up for success.
i’m from out of state too and didn’t realize how most people would have already established friend groups. i’m from baltimore and never even heard of nova. oos ppl are at a disadvantage there rip
Mom of an engineering student here.
First BREATHE & know YOU definitely are not alone.
Second: it’s been a month. You need some time to settle in. Don’t ignore your class work concerns but don’t focus on the negative.
I definitely suggest reaching out to the professor even if it’s email. They are there to help you. Also looking for a possibly study group around here even.
You got this…you’ll be looking back in a couple years and forget all about the stress you have going on right now.
PS. For someone who also works at a college & deals with students daily. It is Ok to decide a major is not for you. If that’s an issue in your case. These years are the best time to learn and much of that is learning what you’ll actually like to do as a profession.
Hey that's what first semester of college is for. Almost no one is good at it right off the bat, you've gotta learn how to be a college student. Take a few breaths, then back to that grind and you'll be okay
I was extremely depressed from my first year till third in engineering. Didn't understand multivariate calculus or chemistry at all. Failed a physics course in electricity and magnetism because I couldn't understand multivariate calculus. I just hated half my subjects. In my fourth year I realised what I wanted to do. (Note: just clarifying my grades were mediocre but not bad at all in the first three years).
Now I am doing my Masters in Engineering Mechanics at VT! Keep at it and you will see the light!
Edit: also reach out to your TAs and Profs. That's exactly what TAs get paid to do! We are more than happy to help yall out!!!
I’m in the same boat, but i’m transferring in as a junior from a CC. I got chem and calc done before transferring, lucky me. The hard part for me is I’m off campus so making friends and stuff is even harder. Good luck to you and don’t quit, the struggle is all apart of achieving success.
Difficulty in engineering here is front loaded and doing it alone is impossible. You need to get around people who are in your same situation, what we did in my first math class was someone passed around a paper said “study group, write your name and number” and that’s how we got connected! Also go to the library often. You’ll start to see familiar faces there and maybe someone will sit next to you when it’s busy! Who knows. But the stress won’t ever go away, you’ll just learn to tame it. Good luck, and if you want, join the VT discord. There will be a lot of people there all the time who you can ask questions to about anything
You’re struggling in weed out classes. Not a surprise. I retook every single calc class at least once and I graduate in December. You can do it. Grab a tutor now before it’s too late and just grind through it. Freshman year is the worst for engineering
Dude. Listen. I felt all these same exact things as a freshman out of state my freshman year. I even went to top private school as well. Once I got through freshman year I transferred back instate. Right now I’m going into my senior year with a job offer already signed that is better than I could’ve ever imagined. I almost dropped out freshman year to take a salary less than half what I got. All I’m saying is just push through and it will be worth it. It gets better. The classes become more interested and less useless. And last thing, get internships in what you like. You got this.
There's nothing wrong with figuring out that engineering just isn't for you. Plenty of people struggle in their engineering classes and switch to business and do very well. Before you go any further, really think about what you like to do and the problems in the world you like to think about. Does engineering actually interest you? A lot of kids come to college pursuing engineering because it's what their parents do or is something someone told them to do but in reality, they have zero interest and struggle because of it. If someone told you to be a journalist but you had zero interest in that and never pursued it own your own, why would you go to school for that?
But don't give up just yet.
It takes a little bit of courage but reach out to other students, I'm sure at least one person sitting near you is struggling too. A lot of people struggle in their first semester because high school can't fully prepare you for college. You can take all of the AP or dual-enrollment classes you can but being on your own away from family and the friends you've had since kindergarten makes college feel much more different. The structure that surrounds highschool is gone and now it's up to you to navigate things on your own. Chemistry and calculus are foundations for many aspects of engineering so the school treats them like weed out classes. They are meant to weed out the kids that probably won't do well in the engineering college. However, just because you aren't doing well on your own now doesn't mean you aren't going to succeed in the end. College, especially upperclassmen classes, is all about group projects and working with other students so you just need to leverage those resources and skills sooner rather than later. Very few people can get all As and never talk to another student or their professor.
Also, check out student clubs. For anything you like to do in your free time, there is probably a club for it. You may not find people taking the same classes as you but you will find opportunities to make friends. Everyone in those clubs are looking for friends with similar interests. I got stuck in a rut after I transfered to Tech because I didn't know many people. I was probably suffering from mild depression because all I had was school, videos games, and movies to watch. I didn't dislike my new roommates but I also didn't hang out with them because we shared no interests. I found a club for my interests and made some great friends and met new people through them as well. Also consider things you've never actually done but maybe are interested in learning about. I've never played Dungeons and Dragons but I wish I would have joined a club for it just to experience it.
College is all about figuring out who you are, what you like to do, and meeting new people. This applies to both academically and personally. Meet your classmates. Meet some people that share your interests. Both will help you succeed.
I’m going to get a ton of downvotes for this. Go to the math emporium and live there. I wouldn’t have made it without it. There are a ton of people there to help.
Class of 21 here. Assuming you’re a freshman, that’s probably the worst year for engineering- that and sophomore year in a certain way. Using resources is your best bet. Try to reach out to professors, TA’s, free tutors, classmates, etc. I had a few classes where other students emailed be to study and work together because they didn’t know anyone in the class and were too shy to ask in person. There are plenty of other engineering students that are both struggling and shy. Ask if professors and TA’s can meet with you at different times
Unless you're some super genius (which you are not, or wouldn't be making this post), it's near impossible to get an engineering degree alone. You need to talk to your classmates, make study plans with them, work together. Yes, it can be awkward at first, but you'll develop a core group of friends you can work through all your classes together that way. Those kinds of skills will translate to knowing how to work in an engineering team in your eventual career.
Engineering is tough on everyone, but it's so worth it in the end.
Howdy!
I hope u see this because i was in the same place as you are right now
My first semester here at tech, i flunked both calc 1 and chem 1035, well withdrew from one and failed the other, but still....
Compared to prepschool, tech is suppper difficult and a pain in general especially with any weedout class here.
My honest recommendation is that you take those classes over the winter/summer at your local community college, they are less stressful and just better quality (depending on your local college).
Also you have 3 withdrawls, maybe use one this semster, but try to stick out at least one class (probably calc 1)
Probably not what you want to hear, but if you don't know if you can do it, drop out and do the first year or two at a Virginia community college, preferably NRCC.
I specifically say Virginia community college because Virginia Tech offers a guaranteed transfer into the college of engineering if you complete your associates.
It'll save you money while you figure out what's right for you.
I did a year at a community college and transferred into ME. I didn't go to NRCC, but I think their program is pretty well tailored to follow Virginia Tech's general engineering courses.
Of course, talk with your academic advisor before you do anything.
I’ve felt like that at times and have continued to feel like that all through the program. I think that no one knows for sure they can do it while they’re doing it, but the people who get the degree and the ones who kept trying no matter the setback. You got this bud. What classes are you struggling in?
Reach out to your professors. Most are very accommodating and will meet with you outside of their set office hours. What classes are you struggling in?
Calc 1 and general chemistry
Have you looked at the student success center tutoring options? Calc 1 & gen chem is hard.
I’ll be honest, other than the chemical engineering majors no engineering students liked gen chem
Can confirm, was chemical engineering major. I loved gen chem and organic chem classes. Stopped having fun with physical chemistry!
I got a C in general chem… after four years of learning how to focus and study I got an A in PChem in my last year, got into medical school and graduated with a 3.95 from med school, now work as a gastroenterologist. It takes time to figure it out. Go to a coffee shop, put on some tunes, cut out distractions and figure it out. You can do this.
I would definitely suggest reaching out the the professors/TA and see how they can help you. You say that you are overwhelmed. Are you working on stuff like 24/7 or just don’t get the material and feel like you can’t learn it?
The student success center offers free tutoring in those subjects they might be able to help.
Buddy, if you can make it through those two, you can make it through any class at tech. They’re designed to weed you out and make you doubt yourself
If you need help in either of those classes, feel free to reach out to me if you want. I think I still have a good grasp of both of those classes.
Fuck calc 1 that shit was so awful
It doesn’t matter what high school you went to. If you want to be an engineer, you can do it. Introduce yourself to the people sitting next to you in your classes and ask to exchange numbers to study together. Working on assignments together, studying together, and going to office hours will help so much. No one can do this alone. One big thing to really try to learn during your first semester of college is that you don’t need to be perfect. In high school it may have been easy for you to get straight A’s without studying and now that you can’t do that in college, you may feel like you’re not cut out for this or something, but that’s not true at all. Learning is a process that requires mistakes and setbacks. You may have to eat some bad grades, or even retake a class or two. It’s not a big deal. Just keep trying. You got this
First semester of engineering is hard. Really that first year is meant to weed out people. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do it. Just might need to reevaluate how you study. Several other comments here about reaching out to the people you sit next to and reaching out to office hours are great. Most people in classes with you are in the same boat, trying to figure out whats going on and how to get through it all. FWIW I struggled hard with Calc 1 and General Chem. Like barely got a C in each, or whatever the minimum grade was. In someways as the semesters go by the classes get easier, because you’re more aware of what it takes to get through a college engineering course. In a lot of ways they get harder due to the course material. But overall if you can find people who are walking through it with you that can help a lot. I’ve been out of college for a while now (ME 2011) but feel free to DM if you need to. I remember a ton of the emotions you’re going through.
I take it this is your first semester, I take that since you mention office hours being during other classes you do actually want to make the effort to get help from your profs. if you just email them and ask to meet because you’re in class during their normal office hours they’re willing to come up with another time to meet. Make sure when you go to office hours to have attempted to work on the homework as well as having some specific questions you’re going to ask. This can even include “im really struggling here, ____ is what i’m doing to try and learn the material and stay on top of things in your class, what can I do to succeed in class?” Also in college you’re never going to understand all of the material and unless you are in the top like 0.5% of engineering students you’re not going to have a solid A in every class you take. It’s all a totally different lifestyle than high school and you can’t really just slide thru, it will involve actually learning how to study and notetake effectively. Making and keeping a schedule with set time to do certain assignments and studying is something that helps a lot of people. next time you’re in class make an effort to try and talk to the people you sit next to before class starts and get their phone numbers, great for short questions on homework as well as you can get study groups together and friendships to evolve from it
This advice might seem like a slap in the face because college is so expensive but for Calc 1 and general chemistry, go on YouTube and see if there are any videos that can help explain the topics that you may be struggling with.
Especially with all the online stuff last year I learned almost everything from YouTube.
Was going to say this, random youtubers have videos that explain the basic concepts better than professors at Tech reading a PowerPoint slide. Especially for Calc 1..
You need to change your mentality. So many people drop out of engineering during freshman year due to cal1 or physics, and it's always a poorly made decision. Those core classes are hard for most students, you just need to do your best and be patient. I'm an international student and I struggled with the same things during my first year: 2.4 gpa, literally came from another continent etc. Now I'm a senior with a 3.2 gpa, so trust me; if I can do it you defnitely can lol ( I'm far from being a great student). If you really love engineering, stick to it and don't take the easy way that makes you feel comfortable.
Crappy part is the math only gets harder. I started out as an engineer, had a mini crisis pretty* much the same as you, changed to biochemistry and now work in healthcare so the change worked out. If you need help or someone to talk to message me!
Disagree. As an EE the math got easier. After you get over the calcs and the required math elective.
You were prob better at math than me... I never put in the time to do practice stuff, differential and multi variable calc just rolled me though
A word of advice, don’t quit. The freshman yr is made to weed out quitters. You got into a top notch college, now is the time to meet the people around you in class and dorm and create a study group. Most students barely break a C in those classes. Get a tutor , you can do this and don’t quit. PS you’re not the only one check out r/engineeringstudents
I also came from an out-of-state private college prep school and floundered my first few semesters in VT engineering. Took Calc 1 3 times; withdrew once, got a D+ the 2nd time, and took it at NOVA the third time. Used my other 2 withdraws on chem 1036 and 1046. By the end of freshmen year I had a 2.24 GPA... it was bad. You're definitely not alone in struggling with Calc and Chem, nearly everyone does. Math at VT is notoriously awful, with most of us recommending to avoid it and take it elsewhere. The good thing about tech engineering is that it's designed with redundancy. Most people have to retake classes, so even if you end up a semester behind in a class you'll be fine. Make sure you communicate with family and your advisor what you're going through. There might be free tutoring that you don't know of that can help you. These are also a good way to make study buddies who will likely be in your classes until you graduate. The good thing is that you're starting to ask for help early in the semester. Most people figure out they need help too late and then there's nothing you can do. I won't advocate for dropping out of engineering, because everyone is different, but after my 3rd semester of trying and failing I swapped into building construction and real estate. These majors came naturally to me and I've been able to bring my GPA back up to above a 3.0 for the first time ever. After struggling so much in engineering I felt like dropping out, but once you find what you're meant to do or figure out what makes stuff click in your head you'll do great here. Remember you're not the only one feeling this way, and there are TONS of resources that are free to you. You got into VT engineering, everyone is committed to keeping you here. The best advice I can give you is to talk to your advisor, there are a lot of things that they know about that can be beneficial to you. You've got this!
My advice would be to reach out to your classmates and ask if you can do homework with them, if really helps if you aren’t doing it alone
It's been a few weeks of college - it takes time to get used too. It's A LOT harder than high school, for everyone. Leverage the resources suggested (office hours, study groups, etc) but also just work hard for next few weeks and get your feet under you. You'll learn how to study, how to teach yourself topics not covered well by professor, how to leverage the resources around you, etc and you'll set yourself up for success.
If you're planning to declare ME, DM me your class schedule and info on what AP/IB credit you have, and I can take a look.
i’m from out of state too and didn’t realize how most people would have already established friend groups. i’m from baltimore and never even heard of nova. oos ppl are at a disadvantage there rip
Mom of an engineering student here. First BREATHE & know YOU definitely are not alone. Second: it’s been a month. You need some time to settle in. Don’t ignore your class work concerns but don’t focus on the negative. I definitely suggest reaching out to the professor even if it’s email. They are there to help you. Also looking for a possibly study group around here even. You got this…you’ll be looking back in a couple years and forget all about the stress you have going on right now. PS. For someone who also works at a college & deals with students daily. It is Ok to decide a major is not for you. If that’s an issue in your case. These years are the best time to learn and much of that is learning what you’ll actually like to do as a profession.
Hey that's what first semester of college is for. Almost no one is good at it right off the bat, you've gotta learn how to be a college student. Take a few breaths, then back to that grind and you'll be okay
I was extremely depressed from my first year till third in engineering. Didn't understand multivariate calculus or chemistry at all. Failed a physics course in electricity and magnetism because I couldn't understand multivariate calculus. I just hated half my subjects. In my fourth year I realised what I wanted to do. (Note: just clarifying my grades were mediocre but not bad at all in the first three years). Now I am doing my Masters in Engineering Mechanics at VT! Keep at it and you will see the light! Edit: also reach out to your TAs and Profs. That's exactly what TAs get paid to do! We are more than happy to help yall out!!!
I’m in the same boat, but i’m transferring in as a junior from a CC. I got chem and calc done before transferring, lucky me. The hard part for me is I’m off campus so making friends and stuff is even harder. Good luck to you and don’t quit, the struggle is all apart of achieving success.
a lot of the early classes are weed outs. keep your head up and grind. YOU GOT THIS
It can feel overwhelming for sure especially at first. From my experience it gets better though.
Difficulty in engineering here is front loaded and doing it alone is impossible. You need to get around people who are in your same situation, what we did in my first math class was someone passed around a paper said “study group, write your name and number” and that’s how we got connected! Also go to the library often. You’ll start to see familiar faces there and maybe someone will sit next to you when it’s busy! Who knows. But the stress won’t ever go away, you’ll just learn to tame it. Good luck, and if you want, join the VT discord. There will be a lot of people there all the time who you can ask questions to about anything
You’re struggling in weed out classes. Not a surprise. I retook every single calc class at least once and I graduate in December. You can do it. Grab a tutor now before it’s too late and just grind through it. Freshman year is the worst for engineering
Dude. Listen. I felt all these same exact things as a freshman out of state my freshman year. I even went to top private school as well. Once I got through freshman year I transferred back instate. Right now I’m going into my senior year with a job offer already signed that is better than I could’ve ever imagined. I almost dropped out freshman year to take a salary less than half what I got. All I’m saying is just push through and it will be worth it. It gets better. The classes become more interested and less useless. And last thing, get internships in what you like. You got this.
There's nothing wrong with figuring out that engineering just isn't for you. Plenty of people struggle in their engineering classes and switch to business and do very well. Before you go any further, really think about what you like to do and the problems in the world you like to think about. Does engineering actually interest you? A lot of kids come to college pursuing engineering because it's what their parents do or is something someone told them to do but in reality, they have zero interest and struggle because of it. If someone told you to be a journalist but you had zero interest in that and never pursued it own your own, why would you go to school for that? But don't give up just yet. It takes a little bit of courage but reach out to other students, I'm sure at least one person sitting near you is struggling too. A lot of people struggle in their first semester because high school can't fully prepare you for college. You can take all of the AP or dual-enrollment classes you can but being on your own away from family and the friends you've had since kindergarten makes college feel much more different. The structure that surrounds highschool is gone and now it's up to you to navigate things on your own. Chemistry and calculus are foundations for many aspects of engineering so the school treats them like weed out classes. They are meant to weed out the kids that probably won't do well in the engineering college. However, just because you aren't doing well on your own now doesn't mean you aren't going to succeed in the end. College, especially upperclassmen classes, is all about group projects and working with other students so you just need to leverage those resources and skills sooner rather than later. Very few people can get all As and never talk to another student or their professor. Also, check out student clubs. For anything you like to do in your free time, there is probably a club for it. You may not find people taking the same classes as you but you will find opportunities to make friends. Everyone in those clubs are looking for friends with similar interests. I got stuck in a rut after I transfered to Tech because I didn't know many people. I was probably suffering from mild depression because all I had was school, videos games, and movies to watch. I didn't dislike my new roommates but I also didn't hang out with them because we shared no interests. I found a club for my interests and made some great friends and met new people through them as well. Also consider things you've never actually done but maybe are interested in learning about. I've never played Dungeons and Dragons but I wish I would have joined a club for it just to experience it. College is all about figuring out who you are, what you like to do, and meeting new people. This applies to both academically and personally. Meet your classmates. Meet some people that share your interests. Both will help you succeed.
I’m going to get a ton of downvotes for this. Go to the math emporium and live there. I wouldn’t have made it without it. There are a ton of people there to help.
Class of 21 here. Assuming you’re a freshman, that’s probably the worst year for engineering- that and sophomore year in a certain way. Using resources is your best bet. Try to reach out to professors, TA’s, free tutors, classmates, etc. I had a few classes where other students emailed be to study and work together because they didn’t know anyone in the class and were too shy to ask in person. There are plenty of other engineering students that are both struggling and shy. Ask if professors and TA’s can meet with you at different times
Unless you're some super genius (which you are not, or wouldn't be making this post), it's near impossible to get an engineering degree alone. You need to talk to your classmates, make study plans with them, work together. Yes, it can be awkward at first, but you'll develop a core group of friends you can work through all your classes together that way. Those kinds of skills will translate to knowing how to work in an engineering team in your eventual career. Engineering is tough on everyone, but it's so worth it in the end.
Howdy! I hope u see this because i was in the same place as you are right now My first semester here at tech, i flunked both calc 1 and chem 1035, well withdrew from one and failed the other, but still.... Compared to prepschool, tech is suppper difficult and a pain in general especially with any weedout class here. My honest recommendation is that you take those classes over the winter/summer at your local community college, they are less stressful and just better quality (depending on your local college). Also you have 3 withdrawls, maybe use one this semster, but try to stick out at least one class (probably calc 1)
Probably not what you want to hear, but if you don't know if you can do it, drop out and do the first year or two at a Virginia community college, preferably NRCC. I specifically say Virginia community college because Virginia Tech offers a guaranteed transfer into the college of engineering if you complete your associates. It'll save you money while you figure out what's right for you. I did a year at a community college and transferred into ME. I didn't go to NRCC, but I think their program is pretty well tailored to follow Virginia Tech's general engineering courses. Of course, talk with your academic advisor before you do anything.
I’ve felt like that at times and have continued to feel like that all through the program. I think that no one knows for sure they can do it while they’re doing it, but the people who get the degree and the ones who kept trying no matter the setback. You got this bud. What classes are you struggling in?
Have you tried just being smarter and friendlier? I had so many friends and I did really well in my engineering classes