<p>I’m spending around 10+ hours to understand each hour of physics, math, and chemistry lecture while my peers take less than a fifth of that time yet they have higher grades than I do. When I do the homework for my classes, it is insanely harder than the problems in lecture and most of my classes take place when my professors’ office hours occur, or my professors have similar office hours. Help?</p>
<p>Engineering is supposed to be hard. You should see the amount of people failing classes at my college. You should see the amount of people who wouldn’t pass if there wasn’t some sort of curve. </p>
<p>Don’t compare yourself to others. That is deadly for your self-esteem. If you worked hard to get into college, you’ll have to work even harder to get out with a degree. Best thing to do is find classmates that can help you. </p>
<p>Some people are born geniuses. The rest have to work hard.</p>
<p>I feel the same way. I’m a premed at a top school known for churning out friendly collaborative premeds, but even though I recieve tutoring in gen chem and spend hours studying bio, i still need to put in more work than the average student. You’re not the only one struggling. I actually have been questioning whether I can handle a chemistry major here. I wonder when you’re supposed to know that you cant “handle it”.</p>
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<p>(Especially in the sciences,) This is usually because they had more background/exposure to it in high school. Or they have just learned to think in the right way. It doesn’t mean you’re stupid.</p>
<p>While the advice of the above commenters is valid, and while college isn’t supposed to be easy especially if you take challenging classes, this is VERY important to consider:</p>
<p>If you think you might actually have a learning disorder or something else in that vein, go to your school’s disability services. They can get you tested and help you out in many ways. Some schools even have learning centers that help struggling students whether or not they have a documented disability. Explore your options. There’s no shame in asking for help. And if you’re spending 10 hours on something that takes most other students 2 hours, that’s a clear indication that you should ask some professionals what’s up and how they might be able to help alleviate your struggles and frustration.</p>
<p>Also, while I’m sure you didn’t intend this implication in your post, fizix2, I’d like to remind you and others that students who genuinely have disorders are NOT stupid, nor do they think in the wrong way.</p>
<p>I don’t see how this is remotely a learning disorder. I once put in 50 hours for a single homework assignment in a single week. Engineering is tough, that’s life. As long as it’s interesting, you won’t find it to be a big deal.</p>
<p>There could be a learning disorder here. Something related to slow processing speed, for example. But it also could be that the OP has less high school prep than many of his peers, as someone else stated. And… some of your classmates may be working harder than they are letting on (serene on the surface, pedaling like h*** underneath).</p>
<p>Learning is a God given talent just like singing or running fast. Some are just naturally gifted. Its not fair but it is life. Likely these same kids studied only a few hours a week in HS while you studied 20. The only difference is that the close quarters of college life make it more apparent.</p>
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Not really, unless everyone you know is a genius, but that’s unlikely unless you are attending a school like MIT or Caltech and still most of them there aren’t geniuses either.</p>
<p>This is just one of those excuses lazy people use to justify why they shouldn’t try.</p>
<p>I’m sorry to hear you are having a difficult time. I can sense your frustration. I would recommend going to the learning center at your school. Hopefully, you can get some help there. Unfortunately, not everyone is able to handle the rigors of being an engineering major. My brother was an engineering major and constantly struggled. After his 5th year, he finally realized it was time to switch to a different major.</p>