Disappointed with rigor of courses

College Majors Engineering Majors
#1

<p>I'm a freshmen in college and extremely bored with the mathematics and science I am currently taking. Since highschool, I've been unstimulated and disinterested by the courses that are offered. I thought taking the Calculus BC would be somewhat interesting, but it ended up being extremely boring for me. It was over 6 months of repetitively learning material for a test that I had taught myself the summer before for a few weeks by reading the book. Even though I already taught myself multivariable calculus and linear algebra, I took it over the summer as a college course just to place out of it. I took a differential equations course in the fall, and ever since then I've been just as disappointed with undergraduate math as I was with highschool. I'm so bored and disinterested having to go to the classes that I'm starting to become apathetic about school. I go to Columbia, and they were not helpful at all in allowing me to take more advanced courses. The dean I spoke to only let me take one higher level math course this semester, in the addition to the one I was required to take because they wont let you max on credits. I'm starting to have a very negative attitude about college. Why the hell am I paying 30k plus a year then if they won't let me? Just to have to sit for courses that are not teaching me anything so I can get their stupid degree? Hell, I would accomplish more if I just dropped out of school to study and compose research on my own while working at a grocery store.I was originally going to get a dual degree in mathematics and electrical engineering (or possibly physics), but quite honestly this has inhibited my passion in the math and sciences. If I'm not going to allowed to be challenged, then why even bother doing that major? I might as well go into law. I apologize if I'm coming off arrogant, but I'm just sick and tired of having to put up with academic limitations my entire life. I thought college would be the time of my life where I could pursue my intellectual pursuits to no end our boundary.</p>

<p>As to what to do:</p>

<p>Should I try to go to graduate school early? My parents have always disliked the idea since they have always valued my social development, and fear it would isolate me (even more than I am now)</p>

<p>Is there any way to convince them to allow me to take additional courses?</p>

#2

<p>Try to get into real analysis. That's an intro course and it will be a lot more challenging than calculus for engineers.</p>

#3

<p>Talk with profs and see if they will let you get involved with research over the summer. Show the faculty that you have a genuine interest for what there doing, become acquainted and then voice your difficulty to them. There most be at least one prof who wants to reach out and challenge a student of your pedigree.</p>

#4

<p>Just get into your major and then you should find something thats challenging. Since you say you're isolated, why not just use it as a tool to meet people who may find this stuff rather difficult? its a way to meet people and since its Columbia I'm sure there are people on the opposite end of the spectrum</p>

#5

<p>If you can't get into challenging enough courses, then it's your fault not the school's fault. It's Colombia: certainly you can talk to professors and get them to override you into their courses. Also, go talk to someone and start doing research. If you're bored at a world-class university, then I suspect you'd be bored anywhere.</p>

#6

<p>Just sleep in class to make the time go by quicker.</p>

#7

<p>If advanced math is you passion, why not just major in math, with a few CS, economics/finance, statistics, physics, etc. courses on the side?</p>

<p>In math, you should be able to take more challenging courses like real analysis, complex analysis, abstract algebra, topology, and graduate level math courses. I knew math majors (at Berkeley) who were taking graduate level math courses as juniors. Actually, even in some other major like engineering, you can take advanced math courses as electives, since you have already placed out of the freshman and sophomore level math courses.</p>

#8

<p>It seems what you need is something else to do besides studying. While you can always ask the profs to let you work with grad student projects (like I did) or take couple grad lvl courses you also need to enjoy your time in college. You see college is not just intended to prepare you academically for a future job, college is also a place that helps you establish relations with a lot of new people and give you the social skills you will need out there. So get out of your room and computer and smell the roses. Go to a pub and try to hook up with someone just to test your social skills since you are breezing though college. Your parents are right after all, socials skills will help you later on. You think college is boring? Jobs are not that exiting let me tell you, you can get bored as hell in your job so enjoy the extra time you got now and do some extra curricular activities besides playing on your computer or watching tv.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

#9

<p>This is what you posted on Sept 29, 2010, which was 8 months ago:</p>

<p>"I'm a 17 year old high school senior from Marlboro, NJ."</p>

<p>So how did you get to be a college freshman?</p>

#10

<p>i smell troll...</p>

#11

<p>^ Hahahaha BUSTED.</p>

#12

<p>Trollin, trollin, trollin on a river!</p>