Continue to Site

Welcome to our site!

Electro Tech is an online community (with over 170,000 members) who enjoy talking about and building electronic circuits, projects and gadgets. To participate you need to register. Registration is free. Click here to register now.

  • Welcome to our site! Electro Tech is an online community (with over 170,000 members) who enjoy talking about and building electronic circuits, projects and gadgets. To participate you need to register. Registration is free. Click here to register now.

College: Thinking of giving up

Status
Not open for further replies.

DigiTan

New Member
Well, it's finals time again and keeping with personal tradition, I'm kicking myself and just about everything else in sight over the crappy grades I'm getting in my EE classes. If I could describe my college experience, it would in one word: torture.

When I was in highschool, I always imaged I'd be solving meaning full problems in college. Now in my senior year, I find that all the emphasis is on dismal proofs and theories. There's no design, no implimentation, absolutely no material to link all this endless theory to practical circuit design. I signed on to be an electrical Engineer, not an electrical theories. The worst part is, I'm getting my ass kicked by suck-ups, cheaters, and know-it-alls that don't know jack **** about circuit building. And none of them have outside projects. None. Yet I'm the one with ****-for-grades! But they are good at taking tests, and that's all schools care about. It's like the freaking twilight zone.

Even worse, you get these ******* professors that shell out assignments like it's your only god damn class. For 2 semesters I've had to put my Etchlab and SafeGuard projects on hold so I could do endless textbook excercises. I never get to put anything into practice anymore, just to paper. Only 16 credit hours and I can't even do my ******* laundry.

Anyway, you've probably guess I'm pissed off at the whole situation. I keep a good sence of humor, but when grades come in I'm in a constant rage. Every semester I wind up sending my fist through a wall or wanting to bash my brains out because I can't stop repeating classes. When you make A's in this place, they treat you like a god; fail, and you're just some dumb kid or a party animal. I've tried everything to get my scores up and no matter what I try, I just can't win. It's like I'm god damn Wily Coyote over here.

One thing this place has taught me is you've got to know when to quit. The experience is so miserable I'm thinking of just giving up on my degree. I hate the classes, hate the teachers, hate the students, hate the buildings. Problem is, I've been doing this since I was 10, and I don't figure my life would have meaning otherwise, as it's the only thing I'm good at. But my grades are getting so low, I only see two possible futures: (1) a crappy $5/hr job, or (2) crime. I don't know what the hell I should do.


Anyway, I wanted to get some feedback here. (1) Are most engineering jobs this miserable? Because if they are, I'm not sticking around for any more of this. Second (2) how closely do they look at GPA? Third (3) was is/was you grade strategy? I'm not as stupid as my grades make me look, but I am a kinestetic learner which means boring lectures don't really do it for me. If anyone needs me, I'll be out beating someone senseless.
 
Anger management issues aside, I think continuing to put up with a situation akin to torture is not doing anybody any good. The fact of the matter is that design is hard enough when you have the theory in your back pocket, trying to get by without it is like boxing with one hand tied behind your back.

Schedules and deadlines in industry make college assignments look like picnics on a bright sunny day, and sitting in meetings trying to figure out how save your rear, your boss's rear, and the companie's hash is enough to give you a seven alarm migraine.

I've known really bright guys who didn't have to work hard to get by. I've known guys of more modest abilities who worked their fannies off and got by. I don't know too many guys with modest abilities who didn't work very hard that still managed to get by.

The bright side is that education opens doors that would otherwise be closed. Some people just kick down the doors instead of opening them. They're called entrepreneurs, they start businesses, they have good ideas, they know how to monetize them. Bill Gates bailed out of Harvard after 1 yr. to start a little known company called MICROSOFT. Do something even close and you'll have no reason to look back.
 
Hey we EE's have all been there! I feel for you. But you ought to stick it out. Having a solid theoretical foundation will help you in your future. It seems pointless right now but to be honest, I think the way the program is setup is the most optimal.

For one, there is only 4 years to teach. Hows hould it be spent? Well, the college insists that if you are to stay in the program, you need to have alot of the BS classes like Culture, economics etc... ok so thats a year or 2 blown on non-EE courses. So wil only a couple of years, they best the program can do for you is teach theory - no time for practical applications. You NEED theory. You'll get practical in you job/career. Theory is the toughest and takes the longest. It is time well spent.

Try and hang in there... and BTW, a consideration of crime will not have a viable future!
 
you know what is interesting, I am EXACTLY in the same boat! :wink:

I went through college myself, and went through 3 different programs, one being software engineering. I didn't finish any one of them.

Now when I look at the whole situation, I think to myself: "Why the H*** am I going to school to learn the G** D**N A..B..C's?"

Well, literally, thats how I think of it, because you can learn something elsewhere in one to three days. In school, it takes them at least 1/4 of a semester to teach the SAME topic.

and worse, they didn't even teach us how to CREATE a circuit board. They taught us how to make a power supply with the circuit board already cut and prepared.

If they don't teach everything that is needed? then I can't see school as an option anymore, because I am sick and tired of throwing $$$ down the toilet for these professors. :evil:

But I do like the alternatives. Even "HERE" is a good alternative. You can actually learn almost everything about electronics here. (at least 10 times more than what an expensive school can give you).

Theory is the toughest and takes the longest. It is time well spent.
Theory can be learned anywhere.

Some people just kick down the doors instead of opening them.
I guess I fit that category :lol:

They're called entrepreneurs, they start businesses, they have good ideas, they know how to monetize them. Bill Gates bailed out of Harvard after 1 yr. to start a little known company called MICROSOFT.

The fact is if when you start a business, you MUST know what you are doing at all times. I'm planning on starting one soon, but I havent completely decided on what it entails.
 
mstechca said:
I went through college myself, and went through 3 different programs, one being software engineering. I didn't finish any one of them.

Why am I not suprised? :lol:

As a matter of fact though, I dropped out of technical college! - I found it mostly a waste of time going.
 
:( We've all been through this one time or other digitan.
But then, were still here and its another day, another place and a different set of conditions.
And Now?? We are happy and more contented than we were! 8)
Along the way, the rough things grazed our sensitivity into thick callouses.
Yesterday was better than to-day.....
Well, if YOU think you are weak in theory/grades/fundas/etc,. Sit back , read these and do a re-compare of yourself!! :D

**broken link removed**

**broken link removed** **broken link removed**

Your grades are not the scales that measure you..... There are other scales, elsewhere, and YOU've got to find them :!:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
To me, the 2 best things I was taught in college were:

The basics, so I could understand, or atleast have some grasp of what I was looking at, and second, they taught me how to learn... through logical thought process, deduction and reasoning based upon the basics I was taught.

No offence mstechca, but there is no possible way to teach anyone everything in any college or university course, given the time frame.

If you can take only one thing from any course, let it be the gift of how to teach yourself... learning never ends.
 
zevon8 said:
but there is no possible way to teach anyone everything in any college or university course, given the time frame.
I don't expect them to teach everything, but I expect them to teach something useful.

I would rather go to school to learn how a circuit is developed, and what future I can have with it, plus be able to do it myself in a year or two years, instead of learning about simple logic gates for one year, and learning something else useless for a year.
 
I've gotta side with mstechca here. These places do almost nothing to relate all the dull circuit theory to real-world practices. It's just nonstop equations equations equations! And the people on roboticsindia.com were dead-on; as long as you're a good time-manager and test-taker you can get a 4.0 in any program and not know squat about design. Every year I meet A+ students that have never heard of an SCR; apple-polishers that don't know what an interrupt is; and the list goes on and on. I've even had labs fill with smoke because A students put in eletrolytics backwards.

Plus there's no resources to help people like me get our grades up. It's always the A+ suckups who never have to work very hard that get all the attention. I'm motivated. I've got the most experience. I worked hard and stayed out of the party scene. So why can't I catch a break here? I just doesn't make any god damn sense. Now I know why people cheat. :x
 
well, here in our country you can just give up college...unless you are rich or something

having no college diploma here will give you tons of headache on applying for a decent and nice job...eventhough you are a talented and skilled person, without a college diploma or a degree in your hands, your application for a job will be hard.

GPA? you say, well some companies here will simply look at what college university you attend at. If you graduated on a popular or known university, you have edge over other applicants.

Well, what i can say is that, you are still in usa, here, people will die for just to go in your country, you still have a good oppurtunity for a decent job. Do not give up yet.
 
Eh Digitan,
You say this is your senior year- does this mean it's your last year at college :?: If so stick in there mate and come out with a diploma, without one you'll end up like mcstakea and saying 'would you like fries with your order'. If everything is getting to you like you say when you get a break go out bush and get totally wasted that way you can only take your frustration out on a tree not a person and not end up in jail for assault. Now when you have that huge hangover think hard how you can get the better of those 'A' grade wankers. Put them out of your mind and get into the books and study untill you drop. The thing thats important is that piece of paper saying your a EE. Without it your career prosects will be so much narrower than you imagine.

Just my 2.2 cents (gotta include gst for our fasict govt)

Cheers Bryan :D
 
bryan1 said:
without one you'll end up like mcstakea and saying 'would you like fries with your order'.
Bryan, I'm not always THAT bad. But, when I'm real tired, I am.


The thing thats important is that piece of paper saying your a EE. Without it your career prosects will be so much narrower than you imagine.

I actually have another reason to not go to school. Financial instability.
Right now at home, everyone in my family works, and we are able to provide enough income to keep things going.

If I choose to go to school, my job will be partially in jeopardy, and my income will drop by at least 75%, and that is so much, I don't know what to eat if I can eat during school time, since I have to pay 80% of my income to rent.

I have lived a poor life until 2004, and it was devastating enough. Now, I will continue to work to keep a secure income, and potentially start a business to further increase my income.

The only way I could potentially see myself returning to school is if the teachers smarten up, and I have enough money to survive after it.

Also, when I talked to my professor a few years ago about returning, he suggested that I quit my job when and if I return to school! This will make my income drop to $0! (obviously).

There has got to be another way to get that piece of paper without dishing $1,000's of dollars for it, and months of time.
 
Hey, DigiTan,
Buck up, man! Don't let the bastards grind you down! It doesn't matter whether you work in the field or not. If you shoot yourself in the foot now, and it does sound like you are about to sabotage almost four long years of hard work, you will have that mark for a long time. Just get the paper. Don't worry about what the grades are, just do your best, you are almost there now.
I agree about not just the other students who cheat and kiss butt, but the profs are often those same kind of people. How do I know? I taught in a university in Canada for about five years. I was never tenured, so many of my colleges were like yours; dirty and cunning, just trying to get the prize by any means. If I didn't leave when I did, I probably would not be alive. The anger was huge, and very hard to deal with. That was not in electronics, though.
It is a good thing, too, because I still do electronics, and still love it. I don't do the other thing anymore. Like you, I've been at electronics since childhood.
Oh, and one more thing: the anger and indignation you are feeling right now is because you are very intelligent. Think about that for a spell.
It must be midterms, right? That means you have half a semester left? Just finish this off, then you should treat yourself real well for a while.
Best wishes,
Robert
 
DigiTan said:
I've gotta side with mstechca here. These places do almost nothing to relate all the dull circuit theory to real-world practices. It's just nonstop equations equations equations! And the people on roboticsindia.com were dead-on; as long as you're a good time-manager and test-taker you can get a 4.0 in any program and not know squat about design. Every year I meet A+ students that have never heard of an SCR; apple-polishers that don't know what an interrupt is; and the list goes on and on. I've even had labs fill with smoke because A students put in eletrolytics backwards.

Plus there's no resources to help people like me get our grades up. It's always the A+ suckups who never have to work very hard that get all the attention. I'm motivated. I've got the most experience. I worked hard and stayed out of the party scene. So why can't I catch a break here? I just doesn't make any god damn sense. Now I know why people cheat. :x

Everyones motivation is different. But I believe you will not reach your full potential if you do not have theory (yes equations & equations etc..) The coursework helps give you discipline also.

Yes theory can be learned outside of college ! Of course, but you wont get the help & support necessary like you do in a college environment. College is designed around teaching you theory & how to learn, if you go off and do it on your own - well, that may or may not be as thorough. I'm betting not!

Remember to be successful, you will need both theory and practical experience. you need BOTH. Right now you're doing the theory part. Enjoy it, don't worry about others - they're not going to be around when you are trying to perform at your job. Later on you'll get the practical experience.

One scenario goes like this:

4 years of theory
51 years of practical experience + more new theory (learning)

!! what are you complaining about too much theory right now! come on!
 
Remember to be successful, you will need both theory and practical experience. you need BOTH. Right now you're doing the theory part.

I agree!

and let me tell you, there is more than one way to learn it. After all, it could make you richer in the future.
 
If you have made it this far, you have the discipline to finish, stick it out, because a degree is really one of the few things that nobody can take away from you. In any case, the theory may seem pointless now, but when you get handed a real design, or better yet somebody else's design that has problems, that theory will come in handy quick. As for engineering jobs, almost none are available w/o a degree and at least in my experience to move up the degree is required. There are engineering jobs that suck and some that kick ass. It is what you make of it though. I worked for a company for 5 years that really went nowhere. While there I did my job but acquired as much industry knowledge and practical experience as possible. The next job (which I am currently at) is so much better, you don't even notice the day go by. The theory may not seem imoprtant now, but it makes doing analysis and the 'Aha' moment so much more clear in the future.
 
I've been studying for an HND (half a degree) at college for the last five years and to be honest it isn't worth the paper it's wrtten on. It's got easier over time because they've phased out exams and replaced them with coursework which everyone plagerises so it's totally pointless, they also let you submit your work whenever you want even during the summer holliday. I hae thought about doing a degree (somewhere else) but I don't think I'll be able to hack it since I don't have the background so I'm planning to quite education this summer when I'll be awarded my HND.
 
Great another manager in the making with a"bit" of knowledge just what is needed in an industry full of "too many chief's not enough indians"

Sure it might look pointless but why are you to say have you completed the course then got to a position to make the course? NO

shite its not like it is even that hard I turned up to one exam completely pissed and got 93% in it (maths) equally I turned up to an exam and got 22% in it (quality management) still came out with a masters.

I remember year2 at Uni getting taught some stuff that seemed pointless but then year 3came and I had the skills to get through it because of what I thought was pointless
 
If you don't build the foundations properly, then the house will fall down!.

Just the same in Electronics, you need a decent theoretical foundation to build on.

To be honest (if somewhat cruel!), if you're not breezing the course perhaps you shouldn't have started it in the first place?.

There are really probably two types of successful students?, one is naturally good at the subject and just strolls through without putting any effort in (my daughter Melissa is like that, in EVERYTHING!). Second are the types who put loads of effort and work in, and because of their hard work still get good grades (Fiona, a girl in my daughters year is like that). They are the top two in the year (and the school), but for completely different reasons.

It sounds like Digitan isn't naturally good at the course?, and can't be bothered to put the effort in? (sorry about that!). I would seriously suggest pulling your finger out, getting down and doing some work, and pulling yourself together - do the work, and pass the course. You've wasted too much time on it already, if you were going to give up you should have done so long before - a bit of hard work now should be able to scrape you a pass!.
 
You could even consider doing a part time course as you'll have more time to revise and do assignments.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest threads

New Articles From Microcontroller Tips

Back
Top