Aerospace Engineering 6

[masternoth]

Hi, Im 15 and am concidering taking actions to gear my education towards an Aerospace Engineering Degree, there is one problem in my mind. I am not what you would say a lover of math. My question is, Is there a field of Aerospace Engineering that doesnt use super super complex math???
I am good at math, but I just want to know wheather I need to find a way to get past my dislike of math, or if I can avoid it and still do what I love.
Thanks for any advice you can give me.
MasterNoth

 

[IRstuff]

Well, you may be SOL then. Any engineering degree is going to require a minimum of 2 yrs of college math. Start studying!!

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[rb1957]

if you don't like math, then maybe design is a better fit; these are the guys who use CAD programs to design the parts of the plane. they do some math, but leave the complicated stuff to us engineers.

 

[IRstuff]

I think that there are two issues with "just" being a CAD driver. Most companies do not hire only CAD drivers; our "designers" are exclusively BSMEs.

Also, you'll still need an engineering degree to get the job, even if you don't use much of your education there.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[MadMango]

You're 15, your tastes will change.

When I was around your age I hated to read, but now I try to read a novel once a month. Something needs to "click" in your head, and when that happens, you'll discover the "magic" of numbers and will start to appreciate math and understand it (though might still dislike it).

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[btrueblood]

Wait until you've taken at least one semester/quarter of college-level physics (real physics, for engineers, with calculus included, not the dumbed-down version for jocks). Like Mango says, when you see how the numbers describe and show the real world...well, either the necessity/beauty of math will bite you, or you can always switch to an MBA path.

 

[thruthefence]

Stay with it. I found that math was alot like learning to play the guitar; you hit a wall, and despair, but with discipline & persistence, you have a sort of epiphany, and it gets easier. " The scales fall from your eyes" and you quickly build on the basics.

 

[GregLocock]

If you understand the real effects the maths will be a bit easier to understand. I was some sort of certified math genius at school, but I found engineering math hard. Not impossible, but hard.

Cheers

Greg Locock

SIGlease see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[RPstress]

Not many engineers use a lot of math in their work that they had to learn at college. A few do, but I would say most, perhaps the vast majority, do not. I myself have only ever solved one partial differential equation at work, and it wasn't for work! I was working some non-work technical stuff out for fun. Mind you, I've done mainly design stressing; aerothermal people and those designing stealth systems, for instance, have to do rather more.

To do any sort of engineering almost anywhere in the world these days you will need a degree at a minimum. To get a good starting wage an MSc would help. However, if you can force yourself to achieve that level of math in study, it can be quite likely that you'll never need as much math again.

On the other hand, if you do eventually find you get on ok with math, then a "math heavy" job could well be more interesting than otherwise, at least to start with.

 

[masternoth]

Thanks for the tips, I dont hate math, Its just frustrating. Im homeschooled so the math isnt dummied down, Im on an online tutor, called Aleks, its frustrating, but I make slow but satasfying progress.
Thanks again for all the advice, Ive got infinate questions, poping up at every moment, and I really appreciate the help of those in the field. : )
Thanks
MasterNoth

 

[masternoth]

Dumb question, I looked on several glossarys, couldnt find out what it means. What does SOL mean???
Thanks
MasterNoth

 

[40818]

SOL if your talking about Nastran Finite Element Analysis is the "Solution Sequence" that you chose. Unless your not meaning that "SOL"??

Keep with the Math, i always think of math as patterns. Once the penny drops then you can see all sorts of patterns within the numbers and it all starts to make sense. And when that happens your view changes from it being "super super hard complex math", to simple logical problems.

 

[GregLocock]

http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/SOL

HTH

 

[rb1957]

if you don't know, then you are ...

 

[monkeydog]

What IRstuff's comment on SOL was "S--t Out of Luck"

 

[masternoth]

Srry lol toldya dumb question. and im not SOL, Im ok with math, as I said, its just not my "best" subject.

 

[KENAT]

masternoth, I was good at math at your age top of the class. In my last 2 years of 'high school' I moved to a larger school and barely stayed in the top stream. I made it into Aero at Uni and the first year of math was easy because I'd already done almost all of it at high school however the second year was a killer, I scraped through and then some of the subjects in the 3rd year that used that math and even took it further, I was way out of my league.

So my guess is that by the standards of a typical group of 15 year olds, you need to be good. However, by the standards of Engineers you can scrape through and still get a satisfying career.

As others said if you really struggle lean towards being a designer, but you may still need a degree.

Also some are late bloomers, oh yeah you may want to make sure you don't have a learning disability. I was diagnosed with dyslexia in my final year at uni, helped explain why I was nearly in tears when I first tried doing vectors when younger!

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...