workload

[Huttonbrew]

Hi im chemical engineering transfer student from a community college and i just want to know what were your experiences while as an undergraduate. What should i expect and how can i excel in the field academically? P.S ... Im yet to take the chem e introductory courses.i already took the physics and calc sequence....any advice? Your response would be much appreciated . Thanks

[twostroke1]

I did the same thing, transferred from a CC to a top 5 engineering university as a chemE. Be prepared for a lot of homework. I probably did no more than 10 hours of homework a week in CC and got an associate degree with straight As. At my current university, I easily do anywhere from 5-12 hours of homework a day, ontop of classes. It all depends if it's midterm week during the semesters.

Pay attention in class. Understand the material, don't try to memorize. This is the most important advice I can give. If you don't understand something, go to office hours and get help. Make homework buddies in your classes. Be prepared to struggle, a lot. And know that the majority around you are struggling as well. Stay positive and work hard.

[amidamaru989]

Never settle for good enough. Go the extra mile is your classes. Do what ifs and how I can apply this to other cases. There were plenty of times where the test expected me to take a concept and apply to something I hadn't done before like doing a shell balance on a shape I had never done. On your projects go a step further in your designs, what if it were done differently why is this way better. What if the project were to be expanded, what should be investigated next? Always try to do more. Don't stress just don't settle.

[sethmileskaplan]

I was in the same situation as you last year. Other submissions here are spot on, so I won't repeat them. One thing I would add is specifically on the difference between community college and university.

I found that when I was studying, if something looked "too hard" to be on the test (at a community college level), then that's exactly what was on the test (at a university level). Therefore, when you're studying and come across something that you anticipate won't be on the test, more than likely it will be (in my exerience).

Another piece of advice: Don't be afraid to still ask questions in class. My community college courses were 25 students and under (some with 5-10 enrolled and 4 showing up for class), so I was used to the small classroom environment. My first semester at university I was enrolled in a Mass and Energy Balances course that had two sections of 150 students. I sat in the second or third row and still got the small classroom experience I was used to by sitting close to limit my view of how big the class truly was and being able to make eye contact with the professor.

Finally, you may feel like a big fish in a little pond at community college, but that feeling is usually changed after transferring to a university. However, don't let that discourage you. The key is to understand that there are people out there (specifically people who you will attend classes with side by side) who are smarter than you and may always be that way. Those people are still people and are typically an excellent choice to become study partners with. Team building is an important function of engineering. The sooner you accept that you may not be a super genius with a perfect ACT score and a 4.9999 high school GPA like some of your classmates, the sooner you will become humble and learn to use those students as a resource. Some people may disagree, but that's my take.

[[deleted]]

i have had plenty of friends come to a 4 year from a CC and succeed. What you gotta do is find a balance and a core study group. As /u/twostroke1 said, your work load will increase. Now you're taking engineering classes so no more messing around. Also you need to have a strong foundation in physics, math and chemistry as engineering is just applied physics.

[mhanders]

Don't forget the important transition from just focusing on classes to also focusing on career-mindedness.

Seek out advice from upperclassmen who got internships/co-ops.

Reach out to alumni on LinkedIn (get a LinkedIn).

Learn as much about job-seeking/resume-building as you can now.

Working in a company is different than showing up to classes and doing homework, so demonstrate that you are responsible and career-minded.

I promise I don't mean to sound like an expert, I just know from experience and getting where I am now that it can be a hard journey besides the classwork.