I am an 18 year old student who has learning disabilities but wants to become an engineer. At the counseling discussion, I told her I had an undecided major, but now changed my mind to pursue mechanical engineering. I am taking these classes at community college:
Intro to AutoCAD (4 units)
Calculus I (5 Units)
First Year English (4 Units)
The original plan was for me to take only 11 units in English, Psychology, and a Theather class. I am not the strongest student (B average in regular classes in high school), but I feel guilty for not exactly listening to my counseler. I need to work hard, i know that. I will study the material even in the summer before fall starts.
Am I setting myself up for failure?
Do you like math, do you dislike any subject?
Although I don’t understand the beauty of math, I am pretty good at it: I have gotten A’s in Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Math Analysis. I also got B’s in Chemistry and Physics in high school. I am interested in aviation and want to become an aerospace engineer one day.
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Did you take Pre-Calculus? Is that what Math Analysis was. How strong is your trig background? If you have not taken the equivalent of Pre-Calculus then Calculus will be a mistake, I would talk with your advisor or math instructor to make sure you have met the requirements for taking Calculus. You will need a strong math background to success in engineering.
Your plan is vastly different then what you originally discuss with your advisor. I would suggest that you set up another appointment to discuss your new plan. Your plan is significantly harder than the first schedule.
Hard to answer about the learning disability since that could be anything from minor to severe. I will tell you as a mechanical engineer that it is not a easy major.
Look into the “engineering technology” majors. They are more manageable, yet dealing with the fields you are interested in. Search for accredited majors in this area at abet.org. You could also explore how to become an airplane mechanic. Aerospace engineering requires a lot of physics and some other very challenging courses. I won’t tell you not to pursue a dream, because where there’s a will there’s often a way, but do explore related majors and careers. Besides, many people who do suffer through and graduate with an aerospace engineering degree find that they can’t get a job in the field, no matter how good their credentials are (I’m describing someone I know).
@noname87: Math Analysis at my high school included all the topics in Algebra 2 first semester but a little more advanced and Trigonometry second semester.
@mommyrocks Good idea. I will look into the engineering technology majors tommorow.
Your description of Math Analysis is not equivalent to a pre-calculus class in my opinion; it sounds like my Algebra 2 class in high school. Calculus is hard if you have the appropriate preparation under your belt, so taking Calc I without that preparation probably isn’t setting you up for success. Meet with your advisor again to discuss the changes you want to make to your schedule, because that’s their job.
@bowling555 Don’t let other people dictate your life through the internet. You sound like you are afraid of failure but there is nothing bad about it. Don’t pigeon hole yourself into a major that is less than what you originally wanted just because of what people online tell you should play it safe. The truth is that you will have to work really hard this semester; even more so than you did in high school. Introductory calculus isn’t that bad if you are extremely motivated and get help when you need it. You can take some pre-calc lessons online before you start in the fall to help make things a little more smooth.
However, you would not be allowed to enroll in Calc if you didn’t pass entry math tests at most colleges so don’t worry about that. You have an aptitude for it so consider running with it!
Also engineering tech kind of sucks. You won’t really ever make that much money in your career and you will be passed up a lot of the time because engineering tech degrees are awarded as associates degrees while engineering degrees are bachelors. Most people I know who started out as engineering techs switched to engineering at some point in their lives because of the opportunities the degree gives you. You have a bright future ahead of you so don’t settle for less unless that is your absolute only option.
P.S. This is just advice from the internet so take it with a grain of salt. No one knows your situation better than you.
I strongly urge you to talk with a math instructor at your CC to make sure you have the background you need. If you don’t take the pre-cal class. Do not assume that the entry level test is a good indication. Sometimes it is and other times it is not.
A good friend son pass the entry test and sign up for calculus without every having pre-cal (adv. trig, adv. algebra with some matric algebra) and had to drop the course.
@bowling555, did you go through the Disabled Student Services Center at your CC?
If you didn’t, you really need to go through them so that they will set up your math schedule. In California, we provide note-takers, recordings and notes from the lectures, in any class you take except in PE (unless you need help there as well). DSS understands students with LD and can often try to find any scholarship money and other perks, but you have to initiate this at their office.
@“aunt bea” : I live in California and I know about the accomodations that the DSPS at MiraCosta provides. I already submitted my IEP from High School, but I still would like to find a scholarship that I can possibly earn with my disability. I know that the Jack Kent Cooke scholarship is awarded at community colleges, but I don’t think I will grow up that fast.
I was about to enroll at CIP (College Internship Program) in Long Beach, but I was too arrogant then and thought “im too good for that” when really I do need the extra help to find an internship and develop better study/social habits. So I have to pay the consequences for being too arrogant over myself. I also thought CIP was bad because of the reviews on Yelp, but I only took an open house tour of it.
I dropped Calculus and replaced it with Psychology
I am not saying this was a bad decision in any way, but have you considered what you’re going to do concerning math? If you don’t feel ready to do Calculus quite yet, do you have a plan to prepare so that you are eventually ready to take it? Do you want to take pre-calculus first? If you want to major in engineering, you will have to take Calculus eventually. I don’t know if not taking a math class entirely is necessarily the right decision if you want to major in something that requires a decent level of math.
@baktrax: I am somewhat good at concrete numbers, but I get extremely stressed out in school and get panic attacks when faced with hard things. I did it because everyone in my family says “you’ll die from too much stress” and “you wont understand it”. I had to take Precalc TWICE!
And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. I was just saying that you might want to talk to your advisor or start thinking about how to get back on track with math if you do want to be a mechanical engineering major. There are LOTS of resources for calculus (likely at your school and online), and you will have support if you seek it out. If you’re worried about doing well in math courses, you could also take lighter courseloads (perhaps even taking one or two classes, if that’s feasible) or pair your math classes with classes that you’re really confident in. I think that skipping math for a while can make it harder to take a math class, not easier, especially if you’re not very confident in math. But my recommendation is based on you wanting to be a mechanical engineering major. If you don’t think you want to go down that path anymore because of the math requirements or any other reason, it might be a good idea to start exploring other career paths (perhaps ones that don’t require excessive amounts of math).
First off, don’t let anyone else make the decision for you. Don’t let them tell you that you can’t. If you want to do it, then you set your sights on your goal and throw everything you have into the fight. I have a brother who has dyslexia and more than one learning disability. There were so many people that thought he would never make it, or that he would only get a basic diploma. He just graduated with Core 40 (the college entry level of diploma) and a 3.0 GPA. So never let the naysayers discourage you.
I don’t think it would be bad to try Calculus right off the bat. It might give you a good feel for whether or not you want to continue in Mechanical Engineering. (Better to know sooner rather than later!) Also, if you haven’t already, seek out disability services at your college. If you have a documented learning disability, you can get a lot of help from them. Good luck - just remember that a career choice is yours and yours alone! 
@bowling555, Miracosta has some monies so ask the DSPS to help you locate some scholarships. You’re in SD county so I go to the web site: http://www.sdfoundation.org/Scholarships/ForStudents.aspx to see if you qualify for any outside scholarships.
Re the CALC classes, I think you can take the tests in the DSPS office.