Engineering Majors and low GPAs

[Anonymous]

OP - is he on academic probation? 2.0 is very low and should trigger some support services.

Or try to have him seek some out:
https://www.clemson.edu/asc/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of my kid's classes had a 46% first time pass rate...that's right, more students flunked it than passed it the first time.

So painful!!!

If any parents of future freshman are reading... take it slow!

I’m someone who started out thinking I’d be a physics major at a T30 school and ended up being an English major.

My advice would be: Kids from regular high schools who go into STEM classes at top schools should make sure their core math and science classes are retakes of classes they’ve already had in high school, at community colleges or online. The problem is that T30 freshmen who haven’t gone to a place like Thomas Jefferson High may have no idea what it’s like to be in a math or science class designed for kids with a median math SAT score around 790.

+100

[Anonymous]

If I were OP, I'd seriously consider a backup plan. I think it's nice that everyone is trying to encourage OP but the fact of matter is 2.0 is bad, it's really bad. Eng gets pretty tough when you get to junior/senior years. It will be a long journey for OP's son.

[Anonymous]

"My kid only needs about a 2.2 to keep her scholarship. Thank goodness she's in a polytech and the money isn't from a general fund that includes the English majors."

DC's polytech ranked about 150thish is similar. I think only a 1.4 was required after first semester to keep merit aid.

Yes, an ABET eng school is that hard for students with 13XX, SATs.

The thing is that college is about learning. First, they learn that learning is much harder than showing up for class, doing the homework and looking over their notes before the test. Until they learn what to do, they get GPAs near 2.0.

Once they learn that they have to preview material, work hard to produce review sheets with study groups, and test and retest themselves on the material all through the semester, those freshman 2.2s become senior 3.3s.

Sometimes the worst thing is for a student to retake HS courses first semester and get a 3.8 with no work because they don't learn what they are actually up against OR more importantly what to do about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"My kid only needs about a 2.2 to keep her scholarship. Thank goodness she's in a polytech and the money isn't from a general fund that includes the English majors."

DC's polytech ranked about 150thish is similar. I think only a 1.4 was required after first semester to keep merit aid.

Yes, an ABET eng school is that hard for students with 13XX, SATs.

The thing is that college is about learning. First, they learn that learning is much harder than showing up for class, doing the homework and looking over their notes before the test. Until they learn what to do, they get GPAs near 2.0.

Once they learn that they have to preview material, work hard to produce review sheets with study groups, and test and retest themselves on the material all through the semester, those freshman 2.2s become senior 3.3s.

Sometimes the worst thing is for a student to retake HS courses first semester and get a 3.8 with no work because they don't learn what they are actually up against OR more importantly what to do about it.

As you get more credits, going 2.2 to 3.3 is EXTREMELY difficult if not impossible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"My kid only needs about a 2.2 to keep her scholarship. Thank goodness she's in a polytech and the money isn't from a general fund that includes the English majors."

DC's polytech ranked about 150thish is similar. I think only a 1.4 was required after first semester to keep merit aid.

Yes, an ABET eng school is that hard for students with 13XX, SATs.

The thing is that college is about learning. First, they learn that learning is much harder than showing up for class, doing the homework and looking over their notes before the test. Until they learn what to do, they get GPAs near 2.0.

Once they learn that they have to preview material, work hard to produce review sheets with study groups, and test and retest themselves on the material all through the semester, those freshman 2.2s become senior 3.3s.

Sometimes the worst thing is for a student to retake HS courses first semester and get a 3.8 with no work because they don't learn what they are actually up against OR more importantly what to do about it.

As you get more credits, going 2.2 to 3.3 is EXTREMELY difficult if not impossible.

Yes, it is hard, but far from impossible. Simply working harder won't do it, but retaking a C or two will go a long way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"My kid only needs about a 2.2 to keep her scholarship. Thank goodness she's in a polytech and the money isn't from a general fund that includes the English majors."

DC's polytech ranked about 150thish is similar. I think only a 1.4 was required after first semester to keep merit aid.

Yes, an ABET eng school is that hard for students with 13XX, SATs.

The thing is that college is about learning. First, they learn that learning is much harder than showing up for class, doing the homework and looking over their notes before the test. Until they learn what to do, they get GPAs near 2.0.

Once they learn that they have to preview material, work hard to produce review sheets with study groups, and test and retest themselves on the material all through the semester, those freshman 2.2s become senior 3.3s.

Sometimes the worst thing is for a student to retake HS courses first semester and get a 3.8 with no work because they don't learn what they are actually up against OR more importantly what to do about it.

As you get more credits, going 2.2 to 3.3 is EXTREMELY difficult if not impossible.

Yes, it is hard, but far from impossible. Simply working harder won't do it, but retaking a C or two will go a long way.

Hmm, so repeating a class taken in HS would be foolish, but repeating a course with a low grade in college just might have to happen? The thing is the college course is taught differently than the AP course, which is why it's a good intro to college work and why it wouldn't be a cake walk, especially for the 13XX student. If that's what it takes to avoid repeating a course later, of course that's the better path.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"My kid only needs about a 2.2 to keep her scholarship. Thank goodness she's in a polytech and the money isn't from a general fund that includes the English majors."

DC's polytech ranked about 150thish is similar. I think only a 1.4 was required after first semester to keep merit aid.

Yes, an ABET eng school is that hard for students with 13XX, SATs.

The thing is that college is about learning. First, they learn that learning is much harder than showing up for class, doing the homework and looking over their notes before the test. Until they learn what to do, they get GPAs near 2.0.

Once they learn that they have to preview material, work hard to produce review sheets with study groups, and test and retest themselves on the material all through the semester, those freshman 2.2s become senior 3.3s.

Sometimes the worst thing is for a student to retake HS courses first semester and get a 3.8 with no work because they don't learn what they are actually up against OR more importantly what to do about it.

As you get more credits, going 2.2 to 3.3 is EXTREMELY difficult if not impossible.

Yes, it is hard, but far from impossible. Simply working harder won't do it, but retaking a C or two will go a long way.

Hmm, so repeating a class taken in HS would be foolish, but repeating a course with a low grade in college just might have to happen? The thing is the college course is taught differently than the AP course, which is why it's a good intro to college work and why it wouldn't be a cake walk, especially for the 13XX student. If that's what it takes to avoid repeating a course later, of course that's the better path.

AP, retake in college, flunk, repeat, pass

No AP, take for the first time in college, flunk, repeat, flunk

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"My kid only needs about a 2.2 to keep her scholarship. Thank goodness she's in a polytech and the money isn't from a general fund that includes the English majors."

DC's polytech ranked about 150thish is similar. I think only a 1.4 was required after first semester to keep merit aid.

Yes, an ABET eng school is that hard for students with 13XX, SATs.

The thing is that college is about learning. First, they learn that learning is much harder than showing up for class, doing the homework and looking over their notes before the test. Until they learn what to do, they get GPAs near 2.0.

Once they learn that they have to preview material, work hard to produce review sheets with study groups, and test and retest themselves on the material all through the semester, those freshman 2.2s become senior 3.3s.

Sometimes the worst thing is for a student to retake HS courses first semester and get a 3.8 with no work because they don't learn what they are actually up against OR more importantly what to do about it.

As you get more credits, going 2.2 to 3.3 is EXTREMELY difficult if not impossible.

Yes, it is hard, but far from impossible. Simply working harder won't do it, but retaking a C or two will go a long way.

Hmm, so repeating a class taken in HS would be foolish, but repeating a course with a low grade in college just might have to happen? The thing is the college course is taught differently than the AP course, which is why it's a good intro to college work and why it wouldn't be a cake walk, especially for the 13XX student. If that's what it takes to avoid repeating a course later, of course that's the better path.

AP, retake in college, flunk, repeat, pass

No AP, take for the first time in college, flunk, repeat, flunk

LOL. Maybe you should consider a different career path

[Anonymous]

Repeating a core engineering course can throw off the whole sequence of classes and possibly delay the graduation date. There are few open slots for “extra” classes over the 4 years. (Can you even repeat a class?)

But if it’s possible maybe repeating a year and delaying graduation might make sense for a 2.0 level performance. The extra time will enable him to get the basics and do well in subsequent classes.

[Anonymous]

I did some googling around and I'd guess that the average undergraduate engineering GPA is a bit above a 3.0. This shows that the average GPA at UVA engineering is a 3.4 (select by school):

https://ira.virginia.edu/university-stats-facts/undergraduate-gpa

So, "close to a 2.0" is not at all common.

[Anonymous]

The level of studying necessary for good grades in engineering is insane. Even with that, some classes will be very hard. Like Thermo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"My kid only needs about a 2.2 to keep her scholarship. Thank goodness she's in a polytech and the money isn't from a general fund that includes the English majors."

DC's polytech ranked about 150thish is similar. I think only a 1.4 was required after first semester to keep merit aid.

Yes, an ABET eng school is that hard for students with 13XX, SATs.

The thing is that college is about learning. First, they learn that learning is much harder than showing up for class, doing the homework and looking over their notes before the test. Until they learn what to do, they get GPAs near 2.0.

Once they learn that they have to preview material, work hard to produce review sheets with study groups, and test and retest themselves on the material all through the semester, those freshman 2.2s become senior 3.3s.

Sometimes the worst thing is for a student to retake HS courses first semester and get a 3.8 with no work because they don't learn what they are actually up against OR more importantly what to do about it.

As you get more credits, going 2.2 to 3.3 is EXTREMELY difficult if not impossible.

Yes, it is hard, but far from impossible. Simply working harder won't do it, but retaking a C or two will go a long way.

Hmm, so repeating a class taken in HS would be foolish, but repeating a course with a low grade in college just might have to happen? The thing is the college course is taught differently than the AP course, which is why it's a good intro to college work and why it wouldn't be a cake walk, especially for the 13XX student. If that's what it takes to avoid repeating a course later, of course that's the better path.

Yes. FWIW, the AP classes my kid took in HS were cakewalks compared to what he got in the equivalent "repeat" in college. The goal is to graduate with the degree you want with the options you want. And FWIW, sometimes kids do repeat in HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did some googling around and I'd guess that the average undergraduate engineering GPA is a bit above a 3.0. This shows that the average GPA at UVA engineering is a 3.4 (select by school):

https://ira.virginia.edu/university-stats-facts/undergraduate-gpa

So, "close to a 2.0" is not at all common.

because we all know that UVA is the only school that matters.

not all schools have a mean engineering GPA that high.

None of us think 2.0 is excellence. It just isn't the end of the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did some googling around and I'd guess that the average undergraduate engineering GPA is a bit above a 3.0. This shows that the average GPA at UVA engineering is a 3.4 (select by school):

https://ira.virginia.edu/university-stats-facts/undergraduate-gpa

So, "close to a 2.0" is not at all common.

because we all know that UVA is the only school that matters.

not all schools have a mean engineering GPA that high.

None of us think 2.0 is excellence. It just isn't the end of the world.

I think you are over-reacting. No one is saying it is the end of the world. But it is a low grade. I don't think down playing it helps OP.

- dp