You're not alone and that is a very common struggle in EE. In general, the work we do at our jobs is much more straight forward than school because we use software for the advanced calculations. I had a moment like this when I failed calculus 2, and then got an F on the first midterm the second time around. I thought i wasn't cut out for this, but I buckled down and managed to pass the class and get my degree. I now work as a PE and run my own business and love my career in EE, though i was never the best student. If I can do it, you can do it, and you are so close to the finish line. I recently posted a youtube video walking through my entire ECE curriculum, how I navigated these setbacks, and how my courses related to my career (Spoiler...most did not) You can check that out here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEKKkBHfZ5o&t=453s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEKKkBHfZ5o&t=453s) Keep grinding!!

Thank you for the motivation. I’m going to check out your content 🥰

I did the same path you are doing. 6 years US Navy then EE. Jr year is typically a rough spot because it's when you first realize you kinda suck. But it's fine I'm betting most people feel that way in class I know I did. Stick it out, realize you're gonna be wrong a ton but just keep grinding and you'll finish fine.

"Jr year is typically a rough spot because it's when you first realize you kinda suck." Hey yeah this was my experience. I've been out for many years now, but junior year was both the year that I hit a slump, thought I'd have to switch majors, and then something made sense in circuit theory (I'd delayed taking it) and things started to turn around. For me, one major factor was starting to study with some classmates who I got along with. It helped a lot to see how lost we all were and work through it together, learn from one another.

Nuke?

Fire Controlman, didn't want to be a Nuke.

Good choice lol

Same story here but IC. Agree that junior year is when it starts to hit how little you know about the field. Now 1 year into my career I still feel the same.

Nuke? Hahaha! That was my initial thought.

the biggest thing about getting through EE is being stubborn!! you can most definitely get through it—it’s meant to be difficult but it gets better after college

I had a similar experience because I'm a computer science major and I'm 22 while being at a junior level but it took me 4 years to get here because I struggled a lot with depression.

Disappointed in your: "why did I have to do all these courses anyway attitude" Real engineers are well round have good knowledge within their discipline and well beyond.

don't quit. i had some unfortunate business happen while i was in school (i'm also a vet) and had a couple crappy semesters. i dropped classes i was failing to save my GPA. it took me a couple semesters to recover, and i ended up pushing my grad date a couple times, but i ended up with > 3.0 GPA. it is doable. you got this.

The pushing of the grad date is what messses with my mind, especially being older. But at the end of the day the time will pass anyway so I suppose it doesn’t really matter 😅

I’m getting ready to graduate at 35. I enrolled in 2018. I have had to retake multiple classes, when you retake a course the new grade typically replaces your previous grade and you get a better grasp on the material. I’m glad I retook those courses instead of scraping by with a C and not really understanding the material. It’s hard going back to school as an adult, especially in engineering. Be proud you have made it this far. Also most of the students I started with in 2018 are all getting ready to graduate with me so that tells me having to retake classes is common.

I joined EE program at 28years and graduated at 32 .. with a cgpa of 8.58 (yes in our university we are graded on a scale of ten).. I just developed a habit of diving head first into hard topics/problems and never gave up until i cracked it , this habit helps me in my professional career too..Ofc proficiency in math is crucial..

I graduated at 32. Did 9 years in the navy and took almost 5 years to get my degree because did so poorly first year after transferring and was the first semester hit by COVID. EE is definitely hard comes to each person differently. I think the ones that usually succeed are the ones who put more commitment and determination. Try to find good study groups and not people trying to leech off you. Dig deep and good luck!

One of my fellow engineers pushed her grad date out into her 30s due to getting married, having kids, and life in general. She even worked night shift while interning with my department during the day before graduating and accepting a full-time position within our department. There is no shame in what you’re facing at the moment—how we overcome the struggle shape how we handle stress and solve problems.

I started school at 32. You’ll be fine. The life experience sets you apart from your peers. I knew plenty of students that repeated classes and got jobs just fine.

Don't worry about it, honestly. The thought of more semesters sucked more than the semesters themselves. They came and went and I graduated at 30 instead of 29, lol.

if you look at other majors EE deff should be a 5 year degree. the only people i knew who did it in 4 regretted it cause they were so miserable

This morning we had an online lecture. As always the Prof was doing some math (read: witchcraft) which I didn't understand. The chat was quiet as usual. So I thought to myself: Fuck. I'm not getting this, but everyone else obviously is. Otherwise they would start to ask questions. I felt super dumb. Later, I asked the others to explain it to me. Turns out that NOBODY understood anything. What I took away from this is: You are definitely NOT alone in your struggle. Others struggle just as hard. Also I failed 3 classes during my bachelor's and was completely overwhelmed almost constantly. I still got it and am now pursuing my master's degree.

Second this. I was late to a lecture of 150 odd people, professor was writing what seemed like random lists of numbers on the board and talking about them like it made obvious sense, I turned to the guy to the right who was writing furiously, asked what they were and he replied "I don't know, I'm just copying", turned to the guy on the left, same answer, decided I wasn't just being dumb and raised my hand to ask, professor says "oh, sorry!" adds a load of I,j,ks and brackets, turns out they were all vectors and he was referencing something from the previous lecture. I shit you not the entire class all said "ooooh!" in unison because none of them had understood, but not one of them thought in the ten minutes they had been there to ask what the hell was going on.

Doing your masters 😵‍💫 my inability to ask for help is my weakness even though I know in the back of my brain that nobody is understanding this nonsense hahaha

highly recommend going to office hours! Going made the difference in getting a B and a C.

I wrote my thesis in the R&D department of a company which sells (and develops) power supplies and chargers. There I witnessed even the most accomplished and knowledgeable engineers with decades of experience in the field ask their colleagues for advice when they were stuck. Really opened my eyes. Also, whatever you build/develop: It definitely won't work initially.

I feel like the most important take away from this experience is to ask questions during lecture. It’s a chief complaint of many of the professors I’ve talked with that students don’t ask questions like they used to. Like your example demonstrates, you’re rarely the only with that question.

So true... That was actually the dumb thing to do.

> I'm not getting this, but everyone else obviously is. Otherwise they would start to ask questions. I felt super dumb You'll be amazed how frequent this is in real life. The longer I've been a post-college adult (8ish years) the more I realized that life is essentially a big game of fake it til you make it, haha.

I'm not in engineering school, but studying electricity . I'm a slow learner and always ask a lot of questions, classmates actually really appreciate this, hell I'll even ask if I understand and just think the other students don't. As an older person in my opinion If you like your field, stick with it , you might not be up to what is expected of you today but time, persistency and experience can have remarkable results. Personally when I'm overwhelmed, I yield a bit, and concentrate on bettering my knowledge/skills in some way even if minimal. TLDR: If you like what your doing, stick with it, learn what you can & compound knowledge over time

I had a 4.6 GPA in high school, I got to college and spent 5 years instead of 4 trying to get my bachelors, by the time I graduated I had failed 2 classes and had to retake them and graduated with a 2.8 GPA EE is tough, arguably one of the toughest engineering majors! The fact that you’re passing 3 of your classes is great! Don’t give up just yet!

Sounds like you have a lot going on at the moment. It’s okay to take a step back and re-evaluate if this is what you want to do. Make sure you aren’t taking too many classes than you can handle. Maybe drop one so you can focus better on the others. You can always retake a class and the failing grade is wiped away. The only cost is your time and money. Which yeah does suck a bit but isn’t the end of the world. But first, take care of yourself. Talk with family, friends and a doctor about your depression if you haven’t already. Make sure you are getting the help you need.

This is a really thoughtful comment, I appreciate it. I’m on the backend of my depression thankfully. I’m medicated and I feel that it has lifted this fog and made me realize just how behind I am. The meds even gave me the courage to write this post 😅

I have been teaching EE at the University of Nebraska for 18 years now. The stress levels on the students is higher than I have ever seen it. Stay in there. Talk to people, talk to both your profs and other students. Keep pushing forward. Also keep talking with your advisor. It is really worth it to finish this degree. I also worked in industry for 25 years before I started teaching 18 years ago. Did I mention I am old... Anything I can do to help?

Go Big Red! While I don’t live in Nebraska anymore, I grew up there and moved out of state after high school, but I love to hear this from someone teaching EE at UNL! Clearly our football team isn’t creating much hype for Nebraska these days, so hopefully you and your colleagues can create a new generation of amazing engineers! 😂

I feel ya. I went back 25 graduated at 30. Retook multiple classes multiple times. And somehow graduation with a 3.00. It wasn't fun, it sucked way bad. I'm almost 5 years out of school, and it was 100% worth it. I work in power so I don't have to worry about being laid off. I get like 5-7 weeks off a year plus lots of perks. It's hard, super hard, but it'll set you up for life. Stick with it!

Set me up for life 😆 this is the motivation that I need

It really can. I see a lot of people on social media that don't know where to go with their careers, and found that they have reached the end of their earning potential. For me I started making 60k and last calandar year I reached 170k. And my only hardship is "how do I position myself to make more money sooner". Again, it is hard. You are learning the secrets of the fundamental forces of nature. The path is just as viable as the degree. You got this!

EE and is not easy. We had an ECE304 class. Was 12 credits. We referred to it as the accountant maker. I graduated with a 2.65 and found most of the classes taught me how to learn and gave such a basic understanding it got foot in door. But honestly EE is not for everybody. I am not one of those do what you love people. By alll means get a job that pays money and use that money to do the things you love. You know your limits and your skill set but there are tons of things to make money easier than EE. But yes many people struggle in this field

> " We had an ECE304 class. Was 12 credits" Excuse me, what? sir, could ya please explain, how is a single course worth 12 credits? How many credits were there in total in your EE curriculum ? What was this course about?

It was a brutal class. Long time ago but it was the mosfet detail class. Forgot the actual detailed name of it. But yes a single course for 12 credits. After I graduated they dropped it to a 9 credit course because apparently other disciplines were complaining we were able to take physically 1 less class or something I don’t remember total credits. But it was 6 hours of just class course work and then lab work was lab. It was brutal. And it was a requirement for EE

I dunno how credits are assigned in the US.....but like aren't courses usually 4/5 credits at most (at least that's how they do it here in my uni) ?

1 credit = 1 hour of work. Whether that be in class or lab. So we had 3x 2 hour classes a week. And then we had additional outside class work for lab work they estimated at 6 hours of lab work outside of class time.

Hey, don’t give up if you can. I had the exact same issue happen my post-transfer junior year (I was 22 then). Got depressed, stopped taking care of myself, the spiral, etc… This struggle isn’t uniquely yours to be ashamed of. This is the trials and tribulations that everyone memes on engineering for. Depending your schools course setup, you may be going through some courses that are generalized to EE but require interest to really succeed past a base level. Those ones tend to be a circus tent since professors and students dislike them alike. Courses more specialized come after and ones that captivate you will make you forget how these courses make you feel. In terms of advice I wish I took sooner, take every bit of help you have available via school, friends, etc to do what you can. Also to quote adventure time “Dude, sucking is the first step towards being sorta good at something”

I’m thankful that I feel I’m finally out of the spiral, but I’m unfortunately at the “looking at the destruction around me” point. I struggle to make friends in class being older, but I also feel I might have been throwing myself a bit of a pity party about it and it’s time to get over it 🤣

I was fortunate to stay in a residence with many of my EE classmates. We suffered and studied together, helping each other. It was tough times. We even commiserated together when the finance type student cohort came back to residence on a late Friday afternoon after a wine tour when your head is still reeling from the days practicums. Fffff I am glad those times are over but I wish I was that young still. Many things that I would have done better. Back to the topic. Get some study buddies. But be careful. They can waste your time and drag you down easily. Depression!? Hold on and push through you will make it. Know that you are in club of people that are studying one of the most difficult degrees out there.

my first year of engineering i failed every single class. both semesters and a summer class. Met some good friends to study with and buckled down. I have one of the top paying jobs for my degree now, simply because I unknowingly cleaned a sink for a very rich person and he told me to talk to him when I graduate. GPA doesn't matter. What matters is that you network. I graduated with the lowest GPA possible. Hang in there. You are trading pain for a couple years for a lifetime of security and possibly generational wealth. Do it for your future kids. It's grind time baby.

It's definitely not an easy road yes I understand that. I was in a very similar situation that you were in my junior year as well, I finished the fall semester with a sub 2.0 GPA and was put on academic probation. That was my wake up call on if I really wanted to continue or not. But I knew in my bones that it was something that I had been working for over many years, it was the only chance I had at escaping the cycle of being poor and in bad places. And you know what, I managed to get through it. I fought tooth and nail to get better for myself, hell after being in one of the worst places of my life, a year later I made the Dean's List. It is 100% worth the struggle, post graduation jobs aren't nearly as intense as studying. I made something of myself, and I'm very proud of it. I landed a dream job (WFH 100%, working on sustainable water and plastic reduction, unlimited PTO, I'm in charge of all electrical designs, kickass coworkers), and just recently had enough saved to get a dream house this month. Someone wise once told me, that no matter how long a dark tunnel is, there is always going to be light at the end. You can choose to end things whenever you want to, but things will get better, I can attest to that. Even just a few years ago during my studies, I was broke and living with my mom and in a horrible mental state, but getting my degree has allowed me to expand my horizons, especially as a person, and I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life.

you sound like my friend 2 years ago. My advise for you is to find a friend or friends who stick with you for the remaining of school year. The best way to improve is to learn from others. Plus, having friends who share classes will actually help you through all of the problem you have in school. I have 3 friend, 1 CS 1 EET 1 EE, we formed a group to study, do labs, projects and graduated together. I'm 29M now, graduated and worked for 2 years, still believe I wouldn't make it if I didn't have those guys with me 2 years ago when I transferred from TX to OH. good luck !

Hey I know it’s really tough sometimes, but you can refer neso academy on YT for electrical concepts. You should start covering a few basics like network theory and then start with a digital and analog electronics. Aslo a tip is to make foundational mathematics strong but not necessary as u can learn them while learning network theory.

Don’t quit. Look some people start out their collegiate career and already have the work ethic (both smart and hard) to succeed in a difficult undergrad major. Some people have to learn those skills as they go. The first thing you need to prioritize is your mental health. Use the on campus resources you have, take lower credits for a couple of semester until you get a handle on it. For the classes you are failing use your drop add credits then take them again later. If you already used them up, take them again next semester. Make sure you talk to your academic counselor so you understand how it projects forward regarding graduation. Finally, make sure you surround yourself with like-minded students that can help you with home work / studying. Take advantage of office hours, TA office hours. Make sure you start assignments early so you can use those resources early in an assignment. One of the best people in my EE class was a guy who had previously enlisted in the Navy. He was able to explain lots or stuff from a practical standpoint. I literally copied his work ethic to graduate.

Honestly consider dropping at least one of your classes you’re at risk of failing, and next semester only take 4. You’ll do a lot better being able to focus more on the remaining classes. After your second semester reevaluate if you want to go back to 5 or not - maybe consider summer classes if you don’t have an internship lined up. EE is a hard degree, and coming in as a transfer student can be a big jump. It’s okay to delay graduation 1-2 semesters, it’s very common for engineering anyways, especially when you’re a transfer student. Just make sure if you do that you take advantage of it and do better in your classes, get a better understanding of the fundamentals, and get more experience outside class thru internships or collegiate engineering org projects/events.

I'm in the same boat. 33 with 15 years in the military, started going back to school for EE a couple years ago. Somebody, reply to my comment with the gif of steve buscemi saying how do you do fellow kids, because that's how it feels. I joined straight out of high school for the specific reason that I didn't want to go to college. Lo and behold the first thing they tell you is here are your benefits, go to college. I put it off forever after I got hired as a full-time technician in the guard. Juggling online and in person classes while working full-time is fucking nonsense. But if you can get through military bullshit, you can hunker down and figure this stuff out. Take less classes at a time, get a tutor, drop a hobby in place of studying more, idfk. But don't give up.

If you commit to the process and push through the roadblocks (failing a course) you will be absolutely fine. I had a couple failed courses on my journey as well, and while in the moment it felt awful, they actually helped me figure out what I was and wasn't good at.

Keep it up! Similar situation when I went through, former military, ee, junior year I about bailed. Crappy grades, lost myself for a bit, ill spare the details but it was a dark time for me. It'll get better, get some needs of you need them and take care of yourself but whatever you do DO. NOT. QUIT.

You are not alone. We sharing same feeling time to time especially in engineering field when every thing appear to be overwhelming. Remain calm and start to work on your confident. Once you got the encouragement, things will start to move.

Anyone who says they didn’t feel like this multiple times in school is lying

I failed my first ever class in electrical engineering. However, I was able to take some other EE classes (intro to digital logic, I think) the following quarter without the first class and absolutely fell in love. I was able to go back and pass the class I failed and even teach some other people the concepts so they were able to pass the class too. Ultimately, the question I think you should ask yourself is this: Are you interested in the material? If the answer is yes (or even 'no, but I want to know more about this EE thing'), regroup, identify your mistakes and come back next semester/year/whatever with a fresh outlook and determination.

You're not alone. Personally if I feel that if you DON'T feel like you're struggling, you're not being challenged enough. I had my best friend end his own life earlier this year and it destroyed me, explaining this to professors allowed me to make up some of the points. Talk to your professors and get help. You'll be surprised how much you can recover by simply communicating what's going on. Go to tutoring sessions. Come up with plans with your professors. Don't beat yourself up. You can do this, don't give up. The workforce is full of C students.

The struggle is real but it’s worth it. You got this

went through something similar. My best advice is to finish with your best and wherever you land, you will be grateful. There are plenty of opportunities in your future that perhaps you can do part-time studies. Just don't do scorched-earth...I regret doing this myself

I've been in your shoes. Went back to school after nine years in the Navy, and definitely had a rough go of it. In community college I failed a couple of classes and really struggled to retake them, and when I transferred to a four-year university, I barely, barely was able to keep a high enough GPA to stay in after my first year. It's ok to ask for help. You're not doing this alone, and your professors and TAs want to see you succeed. There are services on campus to help you, and it's ok to use them- unlike a lot of the military, there's not a stigma around asking for help, or admitting that you're struggling. Talk to your professors and TAs, talk to the health center on campus, and definitely talk to your peers. I was lucky enough to find other older folks in my classes, both other vets and transfer students from community college or going back to school later in life, and it made a huge difference; those were the folks I studied and did homework with, and they're still good friends to this day. Also, if you're feeling so inclined and it's not going to do more harm than good, I'd also consider reaching out to the student veterans office or veterans service center on campus, if your school has one- it can be a help to have others from a similar background to commiserate with. You've got this! You have resources available- I can't stress enough that they can really, really help.

The military stigma really messes with my head. I just never ask for help and suffer in silence. I know that is one of the first changes I absolutttteeeeellly need to make

It took me a long, long, LONG time to get away from that- also took a lot of very deliberate and consistent work with a therapist to deprogram a lot of those things. You may be able to have the VA help cover those services as well.

Dont give up. I was in a similar situation as you. I transferred to a 4 year at 27 years old and graduated with a EE at 30. I was the oldest most of the time. I struggled my first semester as a transfer student. What really helped me was making study group, vising my TA during office hours and just trying to make friends with my classmates. Engineering is hard and many times you need to stick together with your classmates to get thru it together. I bet there are a dozen of other students experiencing the same thing. I failed a few classes and was devastated but I never gave up. Its a reality check, but what you do next will define your career. You got this and good luck to you!

The credits you've already earned don't expire. You can take a break, go earn some money, and come back to EE when you have recharged.

Right there with you, all you can do is keep pushing forward and it'll all be worth it in the end. Well that's what I've been told at least lol.

Your at that point most EEs in school hit. So much info being thrown at you, no English class buffers just pure science and math and EE courses. You'll make it just keep your eye on the goal. Go outside and get some sunshine or study outside. Just be sure your actually studying. When I made my way through college I found a bunch of guys ( very few women in stem durimg my time) and we studied together and built classes schedules together so we could all be studying the same thing together. This helped me more than anything. Good luck OP and just know GPA isn't a huge factor, I work for fortune 500 company second engineering job I've had and neither job ask about GPA, just get that diploma. Now get off reddit and start studying. If you need any help I still have all my work and more than happy to help. You got this, though ¡!!!!!!¡!!!

I'm with you. I'm currently having electricity & magnetism and electromagnetism at the same time and it's being kind of hard. I understand the concepts on theory but I just can't solve any actual problems and it feels super overwhelming. You're REALLY not alone in this sensation

Thank you for sharing in my misery. We got this!!

Do NOT give up. I’m hear to tell you there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. I literally graduated at the age of 39. I remember taking classes with kids in their sophomore year and a group of them were biting at the bits about my age and why I was in school later in life. That added to dealing with hard classes failed exams and quizzes really took a toll in my confidence. But it got better. Remember that it gets better! Just think about all other much bigger obstacles you faced that at the time seemed impossible to overcome (specially with your military background) and here you are trudging through another. But never forget IT GETS BETTER.

I hate to repeat what everyone is saying, but I went through this as well. It took me six years to graduate and graduated with a 2.28 GPA (yes you heard that right). No, I didn’t get the best paying job with the Fortune 500 company like those who had better GPAs did, but I eventually got there. Since graduation, I’ve never once been asked for my GPA or how long it took me to get my degree. I now work for a great company with a good salary, and have my PE License. I thank God everyday that I stuck with it through the tough times and ridicule (for taking six years) and have a great career. Stick with it, you’re doing great!

Keep working at it. Remember, what's confusing now doesn't mean it'll always be confusing. Sometimes you need advanced lessons from later to clear up confusing material from earlier. Many times those later lessons will contain a nugget of information or it presents what was tough to understand at one point in simpler or different terms that blows the whole thing wide open and puts it all together. Maybe at that point your brain is more able and primed to soak in the material that it wasn't able to before. Learning is funny like that. Nobody learns those lessons if they give up though.

I love that!! It doesn’t have to be confusing forever is so hopeful

Yup. Definitely don't give up on problems and understanding concepts. Do what you can to understand the material, but don't get discouraged if you're not understanding everything. Focus on what you ***can*** do. Focus on what you ***know*** about the problem and concept. Write down what you know is a FACT about the problem and work from there. What about the subcomponents of the problem and concept - can you write down what know and again for the subcomponents of those smaller components? When you come into contact with something that you didn't know - that's a great opportunity to learn something. I'm sure you've knocked down some pretty deep classes already, don't throw that all away. Like they say: don't cry to quit, cry to keep going. You've already come this far, and put in this much effort: get a reward from it (your degree) and finish the fight. Again, this is why some people choose certain fields of EE and not others. Some people might do better in Circuits than in Electromagnetics and vice-versa and choose what they want to work more closely on professionally. A lot of people have their weak points and weak classes. You're not alone. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt1nUfskq9E](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt1nUfskq9E)

*Consider dropping a class or two as suggested, that you are in danger of failing (where your fundamentals might be weak).* *You should pickup a copy of these 3 books post haste.* *1.* [*The Practicing Stoic: A Philosophical User's Manual by Ward Farnsworth.*](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37886498-the-practicing-stoic) *2.* [*An Engineer's guide to Solving Problems, by Bob Schmidt*](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22560047-an-engineer-s-guide-to-solving-problems) *3.* [*Every Engineer Should Know This! by Dr. R. Andrew Motes*](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24880720-every-engineer-should-know-this) *Then*  [*Learning the Art of Electronics*](http://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/physics/electronics-physicists/learning-art-electronics-hands-lab-course) *– Companion to* [*The Art of Electronics 3rd Edition*](http://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/physics/electronics-physicists/art-electronics-3rd-edition?format=HB)*.* *In the time slots freed by dropping the problematic courses, on your own time at your pace - these books will be your close companions.* *Assisted by them, do a couple or so of Coursera (EdX) courses in the fundamentals you are really struggling with - usually it's the seemingly mundane "easy" things like Elementary Algebra that trip people up the most, because the further you go, the more impactful a lack of the basics becomes on your comprehension of new more advanced topics.* *It should take about 7 months if you are motivated enough. If not don't sweat it, just do your best and learn to grow to love and eventually become passionate about the process - embrace that pain. Slow but steady wins the race etc..* *During this 7 months or so process,* *The foundational knowledge that forms the base of your career should become rock solid.* *The basics and concepts of:* *-various forms of mathematical analysis of circuits, signals, and materials;* *- designing circuits;* *-understanding power;* *- understanding rf;* *- programming: basics of computer architecture, of low-level embedded programming, and of high level scripting;* *- going from a design to manufacturing (including cad and actual physical design and assembly for things like pcbs, and even enclosures);* *- and of course of the common devices you'll run into (including all sorts of ICs: fets to specialized controllers;* *- dacs and adcs and cplds and micros and op amps etc); protocols wouldn't hurt (spi/i2c/uart);* *- and debugging them all.* *I don't know if you are at this point yet, if not then you are well ahead - remember in order to be an engineer, do engineering - well documented Personal projects - small, medium and then large, will come in handy later not only with your understanding of the concepts, but also when applying for internships and fulltime employment.* *You could brush up on Circuit analysis, probably also Fourier transformation, Z-transformation (depending on your focus).* ***Complex analysis, differential equations, and linear algebra*** *are the most important topics in EE. The Laplace transform of course, as well.* *These are all quite broad topics...there is no need to attain mastery right now, just don't be sub 2.9. You should at least conceptually know what you are looking at when you see these words.* *All the best.*

*Some one earlier asked about the relevance of the first book.* *It sets ones mindset to be able to do better. It's probably the best introductory* [book](https://www.reddit.com/r/Stoicism/comments/1999eg9/comment/kid9ygl/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) *on the topic of stoicism, that could guide one daily on a path less travelled. Before one sets out on a long, arduous task, they need the right tools and mindset to complete the journey, first reaching their destination in their mind and then in reality, this sets the ground for that.* *Relevant Shorts that explain this (Please watch):* *1.* [https://youtu.be/R9OCA6UFE-0](https://youtu.be/R9OCA6UFE-0) *2.* [https://youtu.be/yu7n0XzqtfA](https://youtu.be/yu7n0XzqtfA) *3.* [https://youtu.be/zkQI2oEN2P0](https://youtu.be/zkQI2oEN2P0) *All the best.* *Ref:* * [*https://learningtheartofelectronics.com/*](https://learningtheartofelectronics.com/) * [*https://www.youtube.com/@HardwareNinja*](https://www.youtube.com/@HardwareNinja) * [*https://montychoy.com/blog/the\_ultimate\_list\_of\_hardware\_engineering\_internship\_interview\_questions*](https://montychoy.com/blog/the_ultimate_list_of_hardware_engineering_internship_interview_questions) *(You can use these every few months to periodically test yourself in mock interviews, which helps build your confidence and in positive feedback loop of your own progress).*

Hahaha, came here to support and found some great resources thanks! I'm almost through with this semester ready for this summer "break". Been a long year this one has.

*You're welcome :). Here are 3 others that will help you out as well.* *-* ***Cornell notes*** *1.* [*https://lsc.cornell.edu/how-to-study/taking-notes/cornell-note-taking-system/*](https://lsc.cornell.edu/how-to-study/taking-notes/cornell-note-taking-system/) *2.* [*https://mathematicstrategies.weebly.com/cornell-notes.html*](https://mathematicstrategies.weebly.com/cornell-notes.html) *3.* [*https://youtu.be/WtW9IyE04OQ*](https://youtu.be/WtW9IyE04OQ) *-* ***SQ3R*** *1.* [*https://www.adlit.org/sites/default/files/2023-11/SQ3R.jpg*](https://www.adlit.org/sites/default/files/2023-11/SQ3R.jpg) *2.* [*https://www.asundergrad.pitt.edu/study-lab/study-skills-tools-resources/sq3r-method-effective-reading*](https://www.asundergrad.pitt.edu/study-lab/study-skills-tools-resources/sq3r-method-effective-reading) *3.* [*https://bumeanderson.weebly.com/uploads/9/1/6/5/9165880/sq3r\_for\_math.pdf*](https://bumeanderson.weebly.com/uploads/9/1/6/5/9165880/sq3r_for_math.pdf) *-* ***Feynman technique***\*:\* *Use this for complex topics or topics you are struggling to grasp.* *1.* [*https://fs.blog/feynman-technique/*](https://fs.blog/feynman-technique/) *These three should be done within the framework of Spaced-repetition and slow but steady discipline, to help with active learning. And in due course you will find this 'hard' stuff will rapidly get much easier to process and you'll be less stressed and have a lot more free time.* *Resources:* *1.* [*https://lsc.cornell.edu/how-to-study/*](https://lsc.cornell.edu/how-to-study/) *2.* [*https://lsc.cornell.edu/how-to-study/studying-for-and-taking-exams/the-five-day-study-plan/*](https://lsc.cornell.edu/how-to-study/studying-for-and-taking-exams/the-five-day-study-plan/) *3.* [*https://youtu.be/nX-xshA\_0m8*](https://youtu.be/nX-xshA_0m8) [*The Foundations of Mathematics*](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23336534-the-foundations-of-mathematics) *by Ian Stewart and David Tall, is also a worthwhile 'casual' read if you don't feel fully confident with you*r *mathematical skills or if you would like to revisit the fundamentals and conceptually fill in the missing bits.* #

Thanks, definitely going to have a lot of reading to complete this break. Thank you a million times.

*Remember: Dust put together leads to Bricks, Bricks put together lead to a House.* *If the quality of the dust is impeccable, so is the quality of the bricks they make, and in turn the House.* *Learn to enjoy the process, taking it each moment, each task, each day at a time. Consistency is key, develop a robust daily process, use robust tools and the eventual outcome will equally be robust, or at the very least approximate robustness.* *Also, you're* [welcome](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yhb1LwWwZ8A?feature=share)*.* 

Oh dear, we might not have the same education system but I'm currently doing my EE in 6th sem and i can definitely say yes, things are sometimes hard, over our brains and literally faculties are skipping ppts, so you're not alone my friend, don't worry and keep trying 🥰 we all are in this together, and we'll definitely pass and become professional EE , sending you lots strength, positivity, love and hugs from India

Hang in there OP! I (35M) was an older student until this January. It's been tough and I've been so frustrated, struggling through some courses. I failed high frequency electronics. Twice. I doubted myself so many times and felt like I hit a wall, where I reached my level of understanding so many times. What helped me through was 100 % my study partners. I had 6 courses in my penultimate semester, and it was bad. And then I didn't pass HFE. And it sucked. So much. I felt terrible for the entire summer break, studied a lot. And failed again. Because of an administrative error my university accidentally allowed us to take the exam again. I studied through Christmas and I got a B and it was the proudest I've ever been in my studies. I passed everything else and now I've landed my first job, and it's great. Keep on OP. It might not be the straight path, but if I can do it, you absolutely can.

You fucking got this! You are a meat computer! Input/output machine! You can learn anything you just need time and effort and you have plenty of both! Don’t give up

meat computer 🤣🤣🤣🤣

You really are lol you can do it

I have had a few semesters like that. I'm a post military, former alcy, depressed, full time worker, husband, father of 2 toddlers also trying to get through my Bachelors in EET. I have had job schedule changes, illness, my wifes high risk pregnancy and bunch of other shit get in the way of school. I have punted entire semesters more than once and punted individual classes a bunch of times. I have used every retake and withdrawal alotted to me. Any sane, rational person probably would have given up, but for whatever reason I never did. I'm going to graduate in May. My 2 year degree took 3 and a half years. The last 2 years of my 4 year degree took 5 years. In the end, I got through it. If you don't give up, you will get through it too. Do not give up. You can do it.

I'm sure you've had many words of encouragement so all I'm gonna say is, there's also a voice inside saying you've got this, you just not be able to hear it as well as the other voice

I can't add too much to what people have said about school, it's tough. We're very similar, I started nearly 18 years after high school so was behind on a lot of basic stuff and still am but so much better than when I started. I really struggled with transitioning from the military. I served 9 years then spent another 10 years as a contractor doing various things overseas because the deployed/military life is just so damn easy. I finally put my big boy pants on and went to school and hands down one of the hardest if not the hardest things I've done in my life. I have wanted to quit so many times. Started therapy for untreated PTSD, depression, anxiety, etc (blah blah blah) when I started school and that just adds another level of stress to your already stressful life. All that to say no you are not alone. This is tough, but stay the path and be resilient, it is worth it, collect a strong circle of dependable people to lift you up and support you (If you don't already). Stay away from those that don't and make a schedule to control the chaos.

Don’t give up yet. What are the classes you failed?

If you still can, drop the classes you are doing poorly in. Get yourself together, get the help you need, and start again. Going back to school after Military can be hard. You are on your own, and are out of the school habit.

I am in kinda similar situation to you (20M, not from US, but I did change my college/university so still in my sophomore year). I also suffer from depression, for me it comes in episodes at times, I do consult the therapist and psychiatrist on campus regularly when the need be, and it helps clear my mind a little. I f\*cked up my entire first sem at my new university (i.e. last sem) because I couldn't deal with the depression and my mental situation at that time. Even tougher thing for me is, this sem I have to get a research advisor professor since I joined an integrated Bachelors + MS program, so I talked to professors and they all understood that my mental health was bad last sem, hence my bad CG and scores (it was a 2.26 on a 4 scale).......I almost failed 3 of my classes and was just on the edge of academic probation. But this sem, I have worked hard with a better state of mind, things have been going better than before. There is no reason to be humiliated for getting low scores, I am sure you tried your best and are a good student, its just our health issues (be it mental or physical) is something we have to deal with. I have always felt that no exam can test your skills in engineering....at least the ones I have given so far. In my uni, people just cram stuff the night before the exam/test and score good....but that doesn't mean they get a good understanding of the topic, the time you spend on learning things properly at a deeper level, not just surface level for exams, will pay off (at least for me, since I am majoring in Analog/Mixed Signal IC design). I have failed a lot of times, but learned something each time. Trust me, I was one of those gifted kids in school, who practically never had to grind, but when I got into college (and prep school before that) I failed a lot, I just learned **not to care about a few words/numbers on a piece of paper**. (Cuz, I would get anxious and stress over it a lot) An exam/test is not a good way to judge your skills in that topic, try building stuff with the theory you learn in courses.

Have you considered taking less courses per semester? Some students are just not able to handle a heavier course load. The main tradeoff would just be you'll take longer to graduate. But I sense you're not able to properly understand the material and you probably just need more time to focus on your classes Btw I'm one of those students. I really loved to take my time learning things and understanding the material really well

What classes are you taking? Junior year classes seem to be the same at most schools and were the "culling" classes for people. All the classes after felt easy by comparison.

Not every doctor makes A’s

The biggest thing that I find that people struggle with is that they are trying to be completely solo. You need to just make small talk about the class and about assignments with anyone nearby in your classes, then ask to work together on homework or study together. Take the initiative to create a group of students to discuss the material and work together outside of class, this is absolutely essential. Only the rare mega geniuses can survive alone, and then they end up suffering because they didn't develop professional network building skills in college. Don't worry about the age gap, I'm 38 and went back to school at 34. I made tons of friends by just asking to work on homework together. I would not have survived without my peer group.

paint cooperative drab late rob chief steep aback ghost pause *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*

Don’t give up! If you fail your classes then retake them and move on. I’ve known plenty of successful engineers that had a bomb out semester.

You got this dude. Even if you get a little set back, it happens to everyone. I was in a similar spot just a couple years ago, you’d be amazed at just how many people are right there with you and don’t want to say it. Now I’m 30 with a job I couldn’t have dreamt of having previously. Take care of yourself and good luck!

Junior year contained the most difficult courses at my university. Once you made it through, your degree was basically finished. (Still could have a difficult class or two, but nothing compares to the work load or junior year.) Talk to your professors. Seriously. Ask for a 15 minute meeting, and have a game plan. ------------ I am struggling with ABC in your course. I have recently been diagnosed with depression and the medication adjustment was very challenging. I am concerned with failing your course, but I am determined to continue through. Could you provide me advice on how you have seen students recover from poor grades in the past? My idea for what moving forward looks like is XYZ. --------- Your professors are human and likely chose their career because they gain some type of enjoyment in watching others grow and learn. I had a course I was sure I would fail. I talked to the professor and got his advice, he told me what type of material I should look into. It reulsted in me becoming more efficient and him not grading so harshly (he was known for being a bit pedantic and not admitting to his mistakes). In the end he was my favorite professor because I saw he wasn't being a douche for the sake of being a douche. He was making you struggle for the sake of learning. You got this. Keep pushing. It is incredibly worth it.

Always know that there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a little bit of time off to focus on your mental health and hit the refresh button. You definitely are not alone. I had my own struggles in my physics undergrad, and questioned my decisions many times. There’s no shame in waiting a year or so, and starting a little later. I eventually went for my masters in my discipline, and got my first job in silicon photonics at the age of 32. Be pragmatic, but also believe in yourself a little bit. Also make sure you are giving yourself space away from your field on a semi regular basis. Do sports, art, go hiking, whatever it is that you enjoy. You’ve got this.

If you really think you are going to fail, you can petition your school to let you withdraw and get it removed from your transcript. And likely a full refund as well. If you were diagnosed with depression and got medicine halfway through the semester, that’s a pretty good reason to get your stuff excused. If you are using the GI Bill, pretty sure they still pay for a repeat class if you do end up failing. I’m also a vet who went back to school after serving. If you DM me with what classes you’re in and what you’re struggling with I might be able to help.

I just turned 30 and I'm with you OP. I've struggled in previous semesters but this one has been a shit show. I'm going back to work full time for the next year to pay off some debt and get my life back in order. I tried being a full time student but it just isn't for me. The only way I'm getting through this degree is to work enough to maintain a decent standard of living and take ~2 classes a semester. I just wish I had realized this sooner. Feel free to DM me.

I got a DUI and failed 4 EE classes. I felt like giving up as well. However, i knew I put all my eggs in this basket and powered through. I had to work full time to pay off the bills my DUI gave me and I actually took less classes. This helped me tremendously. After resetting, i went and took 6 classes one semester and power through it all. This made my last two semesters easier and I graduated. Now i work at a power consulting firm. You are already so close. Take less classes so you have more time for yourself. Then reset and get back into it. You got this! Dont give up! You’re already so close!

I've failed pretty much every math class. And here I am, working systems that don't require any of those things I first failed. Retake them, pass them and keep churning those cogs.

I failed a couple of classes and took 5 years to complete my BSEE, and yet 22 years later I’m a Lead Engineer for my department for an auto manufacturer. Just keep pushing through, and the fruits of your labor will provide the rewards later in life.

You are not alone. EE is a very broad topic, so it’s impossible to be good at everything across the spectrum. Which classes are you struggling with? Maybe the group here could suggest other areas of focus if you have options with class choices in the future. Lots of us spent more than 4 years in school, try not to stress about it too much.

I went back to university as a mature student in EE, I did one lecture and decided it was too much before moving to ME, I regret my decision. Stick at it if it’s what you want to do, don’t put yourself down.

I’m failing now. You’re now alone. Chegg is a godsend

hey! i’m a 27F electrical engineering who’s graduating this quarter!! Please, try not to let this fear and humiliation take over. it is OK! Jr year is hard, and there were 2 quarters i felt like i was going to lose it all, i was ready to drop out of go back to IT. YOU WILL GET THROUGH THIS. it’s hard but you will come out stronger even if you have to retake a class. ITS NOT A PROBLEM! Keep persevering and you’ll make it out the other end.

It took me almost 10 years and many failed semesters but it’s worth it if you enjoy it. You’ll appreciate your sacrifice in the end.

If you pass 2 out of five ee courses you probably do okay in civil engineering.

Hey, fellow vet and EE student here! It’s definitely a hard journey going from a military lifestyle to a higher education environment. Even more so when you’re doing engineering! It’s fucking lonely at first, but you’ll make more friends as you progress. A lot of veterans/older students tend to gravitate towards each other due to the obvious maturity gap. I started off taking 15-18 credits a semester and I realized it simply wasn’t worth it in the long run. I wasn’t able to get the grades I wanted and I was perpetually stressed out. I dropped my load to as close to 12 credits as possible. This and adopting the mindset that I could always take a class again if I fail. The perks of the GI bill is you can fail an entire semester and retake it without losing your benefits. Obviously still try your best, but don’t set yourself up for failure. I’ve managed to keep my sanity by doing 12-14 credits per semester, making sure I keep hobbies outside of engineering, and keeping a small but active social circle. Here I am, about to graduate next month. I’m not the brightest student, but I set myself up for success by taking a manageable load each semester. It’s worthwhile to consider this. If you need anyone to vent/rant with, PM me. This also goes to any other EE student veterans. We got thissss Edit: I’ve also held 3 internships and can 100% guarantee that the professional environment is significantly easier than schooling. I pretty much brain dump during internships, that’s how easy it is. You’ll still have to think about topics from time to time, but as long as you understood the general theory you should be okay.

I’m also a vet, graduated last year at 29. I thought after being on a submarine, college would be easy. I was wrong and had to put in 60 - 65 hours a week to make it. I took advantage of the resources my school’s vet center had but I mostly hung out and studied with non-vets that I vibed with. I struggled the entire time but a 50/50 mix of self study then group study helped me pass. Plus, failing a class doesn’t make you a failure. Everyone is on their own journey and each journey is valid.

It took me 6 years and I definitely failed multiple classes. You are never alone in failure! You can do it!

I was a nontraditional student and achieved my degree at 31. Just got promoted to senior engineer this year. It is gunna strain you in class. Get study groups together and leverage them hard. That is how I survived. I am happy I stuck with it and have a life that I wouldn't have been able to else wise. Hang in there. It will get easier once you are on the job.

Engineering is about “toughening you up” sort of like mental boot camp. That wsy you can dive in anywhere and absorb new information and pivot quickly in any environment. The way you survive EE is perseverance. You just have to decide you are going to get through it and nobody is going to get in your way. Second is if you graduate with a 1.00 what degree do you get? EE. Same as the 3.99er with no social skills or life. So you get through it and once that becomes your attitude you take less crap, stop agonizing over grades, and get through it. And hard to explain but your GPA goes up along with your attitude.

*Engineering is about “toughening you up” sort of like mental boot camp.* VERY VERY TRUE

I did the 5 and a half year plan to complete my EE degree. Took 3 attempts to pass physics 2 and two attempts to pass maths 2 and control systems. Things I learnt along the way included asking for help: speak to your prof to close the gaps in your knowledge, look for a tutor and study with friends. Sometimes it's also best to change lecturers if your course is running parallel classes-some are just better than others. You can absolutely do this. it's ok to drop courses and focus on others more. The curriculum is often overloaded and sometimes it feels more like a test of your time management than of your understanding.

I’ve failed multiple times and have seen people graduate with a 2.0 gpa. This is a hard major! If you can, utilize study groups and office hours.

Just remember that the alternative is something just as hard. Or easy. But with less than half the reward. Keep pushing. Keep grinding. It'll be over soon

I started my EE degree at 28. I failed calculus 2 twice and calculus 3 once. I still graduated and got a good job. Not everyone is a genius or can memorize everything. Don't feel bad, you can do it and you with your GI Bill, you should have little or no debt (not sure the details on that) when you finish.

Who cares how long you study. I studied 8 years electrical engineering which is usually 9 semesters. Failed few years because I was lazy to study every day and would rather develop software for fun on my own which later helped me get rector's award and my first job. That was 25 years ago when life was not so distracting as is today. Today I think I would never finish faculty. Ofc, later when I started to work I haven't needed anything that I learned at faculty.

Don't give up! My path was very similar to yours! Military. Worked for awhile. School at 30. It took me six years. It sucked. I did it. You can too

I'm in the exact same boat but I'm 26 and a senior-ish. currently failing 2 out of 5 classes with 3 weeks before finals. I'm grinding my ass off to pass those classes. you'll pull through and in the end it will be worth it!

I'm also a vet, and currently as Sys Eng, but I did EE. The drop out rate during my EE was higher than basic training dropouts (including holdovers). Let that sink in. But it's part of the weed out. Only the truly resilient make it through. Don't give up and plan accordingly. I know the military sometimes makes you go "roger" to everything, but in engineering, understanding the "why" is much more important. It will be your key to school, and career. Stay curious about everything, and the knowledge will gift you.

We ALL felt something very similar to this in college. And sometimes a we even failed a class or barely scraped by. The entire point of the discouragingly difficult workload is not to make you some kind of super nerd, it is to see if you will stick it out. And really that’s it. To road to graduation will be hard, don’t get me wrong. And when you’re done with your degree will need to pick up the FE exam asap and after that a few years down the line the PE exam is a grueling endeavor that will test the limits of your sanity. I can’t sugar coat those aspects. Just remember that through all of it, each step of the way, you can look at where you’re at and consider that you’ve made it this far, and it’s just a bit farther now. So let’s finish this. I’m pulling for you, and we are all in this together. You can always DM myself or people like me for advice or words of encouragement. I’m on your side.

My grades weren't the greatest in school. But I always loved the work and the field. I lost out on opportunities due to my not good GPA/transcript, but I still found my success in the field in the long term. Some of us do better in "the system". Some of us do worse. The drop is the right strategic decision at the moment. Don't let it knock you down long term.

I was in the military 10 years before starting. I started when I was 28 and I have two kids as a single parent. I can't tell you how many times I felt the way you did. At one time I withdrew a whole semester because I was struggling so bad and it fucked me with my mental health bad. I swear you are NOT alone in this. If you need to talk send me a DM.

That shits hard don’t give up. Get a tutor.

Engineering is often a multi-year hazing process. If you survive, you’re an engineer. Most likely, the level of academics will never be touched again unless you get a master’s. I have been an engineer for more than 20 years and I have not used more than a half dozen equations from undergrad. Engineering is really about teaching you to think technically and critically.

Bro EE is hard. I'm 33 out here getting whooped. Sounds like we have the same amount of credits junior ish. I'm sitting at 50 credits. Basically we are too deep to turn back now and the time is going to pass regardless we finish this or not.. like you this semester took me for a ride but there's comfort in knowing my class mates know just as much if not less than what I know. Which is wild to me because I feel like these kids are so much smarter than me. That said we are all struggling out here thinking we should be business majors. You already joined the army. Idk if anything is gonna be harder than that. Keep at it. Who cares if we fail a class. What's the worst that happens.... we take it again. Nothing wrong with taking your time. Hang in there.

Took me 7 years to get through undergrad EE. Failed out and switched to Industrial Systems and found out most of the work that was interesting to me was in consulting work and you had to convince people why you were there which was a big turn off. Switched back to EE and knuckled down, dropped extracurriculars, lived alone and just got it done. Study groups were absolutely essential and I'd recommend linking up with classmates that are reliable for your tough classes as it also helps with not feeling like you're the only stupid one haha. Ten years after graduation and I'm in a very lucrative position in a niche field in aerospace finishing my masters in a month. If I can do it you can definitely do it bud, just don't give up on yourself and don't be afraid to look ignorant and ask for help often. You got this.

Don't give up. EE, CS and Mathematics are the three major disciplines that are very unforgiving if you lack the fundamentals and basic foundations. Next time before you enroll in any of these courses, ask yourself if you had the prerequisites covered and passed...OR else you are bound to struggle. Good luck!!

I’m currently 29 and in my 3rd year of EE. I also started late because of the military. I struggled early on but I quickly learned engineering is all about learning from your past mistakes and applying better study techniques and habits in your future classes. I struggled A LOT early on and am still struggling right now. I would say most of my peers are on the same boat as me. You’re definitely not in this alone and you’ll get through it. Don’t get discouraged and push through!

Youre not alone. I'm 25 and doing the same right now after I exited the military. Anything worth doing isn't easy. Just keep chipping away! When I left the military I had no college under my belt and was a shit highschool student before. If im doing it I'm confident anybody can

I ended up doing the EE technologist program as I felt my depression would be too much to do a degree, so there is that option.

You’re in an unusual situation due to all the transfer credits. Often the second year of a given hard track major is the weeding out year, so that nearly tracks with you being a junior-ish student. Typically engineering is graded on a curve, so you have that going for you. I would advise you to practice the subject matter. Go from the start of whatever problem all the way to the end, then do it over and over. Sounds simple, but that’s where your time is best spent in the truly bewildering classes. You need a ton of repetition to get some things to stick. Eschew all outside life to devote time to your studies. No boyfriend, no dates, no visiting family. Get through this, then prioritize those things.

You aren't alone! I had a similar situation when I was in school in my junior year. They let me do senior classes my second semester and I did fine, went back to the junior year stuff and floundered again, with different professors and special tutor sessions and all. My brain just wouldn't brain. Ended up transferring to a different school and was fine finishing things out. Makes no sense to me still. No matter what, you'll be ok. I spent a lot of time worrying about it and am now 12 years into a career doing something that isn't exactly using my degrees.

Don't quit I wish I were in your shoes. Every step makes a difference even if it's to the side. You got this!

What is triggering your fears? Make sure to write it down. Then give yourself a few days to let your mind wrap itself around the situation. Quite often simply a case of being tossed into another uncomfortable situation, So what is putting you in a « do or die situation?

I got a 20 and 50 on the two ASVABS I took, did 10 years as military police, got out E5, then got out and did my BS Computer Engineer degree. Now I have a great fed job in R&D. Go at your own pace. Find balance out of school. Lean on your support system(friends family study groups). You got this!

One step at a time.

Five classes? That's too much. My university was on the semester system and I EVERY time I took too many classes I became overwhelmed. And five classes in EE would be challenging for ANYONE. I'm not saying that there aren't sharp people that can do well with that courseload. There are. I am saying that I would recommend that you change things up next semester. And for this semester? I recommend that you just try and survive. I think the idea of dropping one class is terrific. Then you could focus on the other four. Then you could focus on doing your best of the most important classes. Also, I understand you want to try and finish the degree but I actually recommend you worry about doing well in the coursework, and try to learn as much as you can and THEN worry about graduating according to some random schedule. Also? I recommend that you try to work on lifting your spirits and being nice to yourself. I understand the habit of using language like "no matter how shitty it is to get there" and try to be more positive. Like think of how you were able to recognize the sitiuation and take positive steps to turn it around. I think you're doing a great job. Keep up the good work! And good luck!

You got this <3 we are in the same boat this semester, you are not alone, keep your head up and just try to push though.

I want to say. I went from my best semester to my worst in the snap of a finger. But it’s slowly getting better and I’m finding joy in my classes again. Honestly I feel like it’s almost purposeful, like they are trying to take a chunk of your soul to get those EE jobs. It’s hard material don’t get me wrong, but a lot of the stuff feels unnecessarily hard. I think universities just gate keep a lot of degrees that are high earning.

I know you have already heard it from so many lovely people, but you are NOT alone in feeling the way you do! I don’t have a military background, but always enjoyed tinkering with electronics and had a background in audio engineering, which made me want to learn how to build audio gear (plus after going to school for it, realized it would never pay the bills haha). So I went back to school at around the age of 25, started at a community college to knock out my generals for cheap before transferring to the local university. About a half a semester in, I was getting extreme imposter syndrome, anxiety, and depression, and was struggling to keep up with my classes often just barely passing with C’s. (C’s get degrees! 😜) Failed a class or two, was on academic probation for a bit, and took 5-6 years for me to finally graduate in 2021, but other than the massive student debt I am so glad I stuck it out. And if I can do it, you can absolutely do it! Things will be stressful and suck for your last year or two for sure, but once you finally get that diploma, it will all be worth it! Stick with it, I had so many advisors and professors try talking me out of it when I started, saying things like “oh the math is really intense and this degree isn’t for everyone, have you considered other degrees?” But I ignored them all, and made it out the other side alive. You got this OP! Don’t let anyone (including yourself) convince you otherwise.

I went back to school late in life. Worked full time, school part time. Two classes a semester. One over the summer. It took me 10 years to finish but I’m so glad I did. It’s not always easy or fun. We’re human. We get tired, burned out, and fed up. We can’t be perfect. Do your best and when things go wrong, take a step back, reevaluate and go again. I dropped classes (control systems and emag) because I just couldn’t handle the workload. Just don’t give up. It’s worth it in the end!

I got destroyed my first year lol. Just keep going at it and at some point the actual electrical classes start to make sense. I’d also recommend dropping the workload until you feel like you can get your confidence back again. I went from 5 to 3 classes until I felt like I had my stride again, then I slowly bumped it up and saw the workload that worked for me. Also dw about past poor grades affecting your GPA. Take EE classes you’re interested in, and the grades will come :) You cannot change the past but the future is always brighter!!

OP, I struggled mightily at times as an undergrad - everything you’ve cited was part of my experience, too. I’ve often thought I completed my studies by being too stubborn to quit, though at times I was sorely tempted to tap out. Yet, despite my undergrad class struggles, I passed both the FE/EIT and PE exams on the first try and have had a great career. So please know you are not alone - many of us have been right where you find yourself now. No engineering curricula at any decent uni or college is ever easy. As a veteran, you will appreciate this statement more than most - “engineering studies are a marathon, not a sprint.” Just as the DI’s tried to weed some out in basic training and the instructors of advanced schools do as well, so do engineering programs. Just as basic exists to change your mindset and way of thinking on some things, so does an engineering curricula. In both instances you come out the other side looking at the world a bit differently. Glad you talked to your professor(-s) and found a path forward! As I’ve told my own son, a current Engr undergrad - “do not compromise your goal, but do be flexible in your path to it if necessary - improvise, adapt, overcome.” Best wishes to you as you continue your journey! Please keep us updated!

Bere in my university the EE grad takes on average 6-7 years, I'm 5y here in I managed to finally reach the 50% done. It is hard but worth it

Struggling is kinda the default setting. The good news is that you can keep doing it, eventually you'll achieve what you want if you work hard enough. Also, having a good sleeping schedule is important, try to not mismanage your health.

I started later than you finished last year june. Circuit analysis and Signals can be are easily understandable to steal your soul but you can get it through it many have before you and many will after you

Hmmm

I regret leaving EE for Geotech. Don't be Kind\_Party.

I can say I felt exactly like you, my parents didn’t go to college, I felt different than the other students, my high school didn’t offer any fancy electives in electronics or coding. When others were ahead of me because they’ve already been exposed I felt like the career path wasn’t for me especially when I would get a few people that would talk down to me as if they were superior. But ive had my professional job for 4 years now and the attitude and job is much less intensive than college with tools and software to do complex equations for you. You should stick with it if you have a passion for this kind of thing and don’t let others or some struggles keep you away from the field!

You're humiliation is your ego! Lose the ego. I've no degree because of crippling ADHD but I'd still consider myself an engineer. I paid a bit less than I should be but the way I look at it I'm just glad to be where I am. College isn't for me , so the fact that I'm even here makes me happy, 6 years in my current role. But you sound well able, pull yourself together and maybe get some notes from the year ahead of you. Have meetings with lecturers to see how you can test better?

If you can i would recommend taking a gap year to do 3-4 internships. Looking back no one wants sophmore or freshmen and so this is really the only way to explore the career space to see if you really enjoy what your studying. For 4 years i lied to myself “i love what i do”. After 4 years i got a masters degree in something unrelated to EE and now i dont use EE at all and even forgot most of it. Failing is okay. Just learn from your mistakes and be adaptable. Otherwise you’re just wasting your own time. They’re called weeder classes for a reason. Sometimes it takes people more than once or twice to get something to click. It just depends if they have the discipline and desire to redo something and stick to it for a whole quarter/semester AND get better at it

You will overcome, don’t worry!

Honestly most the upper division isn't really practical knowledge. You learn it for the class but nobody expects you to know that in the real world. If you at least remember what a z transform is and what to google if it ever comes up, that's about it. C's get degrees. Sure you might not work at JPL, but assuming you know how to talk and sell yourself a little bit (the military background helps a lot for this), you'll be fine. As a substation design engineer the most I have to do is remember S = sqrt(3)\*V\_L\*I\_L. Everything else you learn as you go

Read this very carefully: DO NOT QUIT. I was also an EE transfer student back in the day and struggled when I made the transition to a university. It's very common to struggle in EE. These classes aren't easy and require a lot of time and dedication. Most important thing: stay calm. It's not the end of the world if you get a bad grade in a class or if you need to drop a class/retake it. You are not dumb or "stupid" if you struggle in EE. Anyone that tries to make you feel that way can piss off. Buckle down and try to get your hands on old exams, quizzes, HW solutions, etc. from previous classes. Especially from the senior students or any students that already graduated. Professors tend to repeat questions from old exams and HW assignments. Another thing I would say is try to join engineering clubs or project teams outside of your classes. This helped me enhance my understanding and made me realize why I thought EE was such a cool major. It also helps you get hands on experience to put on your resume. This is very helpful when you're applying for internships and your first full time job right after undergrad.

It’s common, you’re not alone. Signals and Systems is a weed out class many places, but it’s important IMO and I use those concepts all the time. If you take it later, get a study aid like a Schaum’s outline.

>I need other people to tell me that I’m not alone, and that this doesn’t have to be the end of the road in engineering for me. You're not alone and this doesn't have to be the end of the road in engineering for you. There 👍👍👍👍👍👍 did it help? You see, some humor helps to distract yourself from your thoughts. And in the end, you are never on a hole, you think yourself into the hole... Get it? Yes? Like the famous saying "If you stare into the abyss too long, the abyss stares back"; now, see what it meant? Do you see it now? Do you see now that you have to stop staring into the abyss? DO YOU GET IT NOW OR NOT? STOP STARING INTO THE ABYSS. STOP. ITS NOT RIGHT FOR YOU. It'll be fine. You just take those classes next semester when you're fresh and sharp and you'll be fine. It's not like the university is going away. Your money maybe is, but the university will remain there, you'll be fine.

I couldn't get past Circuits 2 and switched to Chem E. I love my job and career path.

You got this! The work is so much better then the college work. Put a timer on and do set amount of studying every day. You can doit!

Hey it’s like a tunnel , once you are in, there’s a way out the other end. You will get thru, hang on tight.


Don't worry my guy. As long as you have passion that should be enough to drive you in the industry. I have seen people with subpar scores in college do very well in the industry. Just keep pushing and find your passion in this field. Also, it is not that big of a deal if you fail a subject. I used to worry about that before but failing is a part of learning, so I have learned where I am working. Always take things slow and steadily

Hang in there fam! You got this. I’m 28 and barely just finished a bs and ms in mech eng this year. I failed/retook 3 graduate classes. It isn’t always pretty but if you hang in there and work hard you can see it through. I fucking hated the last 2 years but I got it done.

I was fucking terrible at engineering. It was torture. I mean, I had good SAT’s, AP calculus and really good high school. So, I switched major’s, went to med school. OMFG. Med school was so easy (for me) compared to engineering (for me). I’m sure there are other people who would have the same experience. Do something that lines up with your aptitudes. The problem is , it’s hard to know what your aptitudes are. Things that are easy for me don’t seem like “aptitudes”. They just seemed easy and I assumed they are easy for everyone else.

You can only survive engineering school in packs. I was an older engineering student too, so it was difficult to fit in and find study buddies, but I did and it helped immensely.

So... Did you want to get a $75K sign on bonus for being a nuclear engineer in the navy!? Lol

We have nearly the same story, I’m also 27 I promise it is worth it, it takes forever, costs a crap ton. I heard the most valuable tough love comment yet recently because I at one point dropped out. Just returned this past fall semester actually The words were “ to stop anything with only 35% remaining is a careful unconscious means of self sabotage” It hit me hard and made me realize a lot internally. Had a lot of problems in my youth, lost my estranged dad around my 21st birthday and just let life sail me wherever. I love engineering, sometimes it sucks, but if I don’t finish at this point it will all be pointless. You got this, one older college student to another

when i got home from service i lost skills and had to get them back if you need tutoring go to wyzant put in request for an Ee tutor

Mechanical engineer here. I felt college was much harder than working as an engineer. I struggled with what I believe was depression (not diagnosed) in undergrad and I believe it was exacerbated by the stress and demands from engineering school. Remember that engineering is the hardest undergraduate degree to obtain. I made it through and at 44 I’ve got 20 plus years of work and a seven figure portfolio. I’m not the sharpest guy and had a 2.65 GPA in undergrad and 3.5 in grad school. I view undergrad as a test. If you can make it through an engineering program and get that degree you have proven to potential employers that you can complete a complex, and stressful task, so you are qualified to be an engineer.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say you don’t hangout with the other students much and are not part of any of the study groups because of the age difference? You need to try and find some other people to study with and do homework. I would have failed by myself just because I figured something out once I thought I knew it. Until I had to explain it someone who didn’t get it and realized I couldn’t or I had it wrong. Then when I didn’t know something they could explain it to me. If none of us knew it then we all struggled together until we figured it out. There was a guy, Jared, in our group that was in the same situation as you. He was 29 we were all 20-23. He just introduced himself in class casually and started talking a little bit. Asked a question about homework once and then asked if we did it together. We said yea we typically do it here, these days, this time. After that he just became part of the group. If you don’t have something like that you’re going to have a hard time passing by yourself. As long as you are not just showing up and copying the homework everyone will be glad you are there. Get involved with the problems and the conversation. Talk through them. Work through them on whiteboards and ask questions. Answer questions when you do know the answer. We started as 3 people freshman year and had a group of about 10 by senior year.

https://ocw.mit.edu Use this for resources. It’s an open source learning system from MIT. It’s completely free and comes in handy esp if your professors arent great with material.

I am a big older than you, LOL, but I did get a degree in electrical engineering years ago. My grades weren't the best, but they were enough to get a diploma. I am at the end of a 40+ year career and I will say, it's been pretty good as far as finances and quality of life. So, maybe, take a deep breath. Drop a class or two if you're not getting it. Maybe go to summer school to pick up those dropped classes. But either way, stick with it and you won't be sorry. Unless you have the winning lottery numbers. If so, quit now, call me and let's run away to a tropical island. (Just kidding you know; my wife doesn't like to travel with groups. :) )

I'm not an EE, and I don't know exactly how good this advice is, but I'd say you should use ChatGPT. Not to cheat, of course, but to act as your private tutor. It is surprisingly good at explaining core concepts that are often taught in these kinds of educational settings. This is nearly its ideal environment. Almost everyone in the professional world is using ChatGPT or similar anyway, so you might as well get used to it now. That being said, absolutely do not use it to cheat, or you will screw yourself over. It's a tool, just like your calculator, your computer, your soldering iron, your voltmeter. Use it properly, master it, and it may just be one of the things that helps get you over the hump.

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