<p>They do not offer engineering electives typically taken by engineering students sophomore year. Courses such as introduction to electical systems , engineering thermodynamics, statics, dynamics (in mechanical and civil engineering departments), etc.These courses are prerequisites for engineering courses in your major starting junior year. they also help inform your path within the field by helping you to decide what to major in, in the first place. For example, a poor grade in intro electrical systems, coupled with reallly enjoying engineering thermodynamics and dynamics, might prompt someone to consider switching from electrical engineering to mechanical engineering. Once you start junior year you are committed to a major field within engineering. This is how my engineering college worked for undergrads, at least. The non-major engineering distribution requirements engineering students take sophomore year also provide part of the breadth of knowledge within the profession required to pass the fist part of the PE exam, down the road, should your path within the profession run in a direction where a PE license is advantageous.</p>
<p>So, for example, a student who did not take engineering dynamics sophomore year would not have this prerequisite course needed to take Fluid Mechanics junior year, which would be followed by Heat transfer, then maybe a design project senior year drawing on this coursework, or more advanced electives for which these subjects are prerequisites.</p>
<p>If you wait till junior year to take dynamics, not only are you behind other majors, but you may find that actually dynamics is really hard and you are bad at it. But you are now a junior, not a sophomore, less time to rethink the plan. Plus, taking 5 engineering courses at a time you will probably die.</p>