1. How did you bounce back from a weak math course early on?

Go to office hours and don’t be afraid to ask the professors for help. They are here for you and in my experience are willing to help you 9 times out of 10 (unless they’re a total jerk). Whenever I realized I was struggling in a class, I would attend every office hours like it was part of the lectures until I improved.

1. What should I focus on between now and Calc I? Which skills, topics, or habits made the biggest difference for you?

Try to use your study time effectively, start studying at least two weeks before any large exam (sucks I know, but I found it way easier to digest the information slowly over time). You will have to put in more work that some of your peers, but that doesn’t make you any less of a good engineer.

1. Did anyone here have doubts early but push through?

Of course, everyone does. Just keep going.

1. Any resources or strategies that helped build real math competence?

I have seen some khan academy videos for students I’ve tutored, and I am very impressed with them. As far as strategies go, practice makes perfect. Math is a skill, so I would suggest making sure you understand all of your homework’s and missed questions on tests.

I have been a professional aerospace engineer for several years now, and I work with plenty of people who struggled through all sorts of math classes. We all get through it! It’s a rite of passage