Engineering Mathematics? (1 Viewer)

aaronnx

Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2012
Messages
31
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
Hi, im currently a year 12 student that is going to study engineering in UNSW. I will have completed 2U maths and 3U maths but looking at the first and second semester engineering syllabus, they cover 4U mathematics topics. Will this be challenging and make me fall behind?
 

Shadowdude

Cult of Personality
Joined
Sep 19, 2009
Messages
12,145
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
Of course it will be challenging. It's content you haven't done before, and it'll be presented to you quicker and you'll have to make your own time to do the work. It's not high school where you're babied along and if you don't do work you get a detention. If you don't do work, too bad - see you next semester because you may have failed the course.

Do the work, and you'll be fine. If you make time out to focus on it, you'll do fine. Your lecturers and tutors are there, and you can ask them to help you. Or you can make a study group with like-minded people.


Basically, it's not going to be that bad if you put in the necessary time and effort. You may fall behind, you may find it challenging. But it'll be a lot worse if you didn't put in any time and effort at all.
 

D94

New Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2011
Messages
4,423
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
It will just be different because there are new concepts taught in a short time frame. It will be up to you to make sure you keep up with the stuff. Maybe read over a 4U text book just before you start uni, just so you are familiar with the newer concepts, like Complex Numbers and Integration techniques.

There are tutorial classes where you can ask questions to a tutor so if you have problems, there's always someone you can ask.
 

RazorICE

UNSW Engineering
Joined
May 16, 2008
Messages
67
Location
Sydney, Australia
Gender
Male
HSC
2008
Uni Grad
2014
While the content will be taught at a much faster pace than what you may be used to at high school, remember that the assumed knowledge is only that of 3U. As long as you don't slack off, you will be fine. If you work hard, you can very easily get good grades. As others have said, there is plenty of support available if you need it.
 

theind1996

Active Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2011
Messages
1,256
Location
Menai
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
yes, i do 4U :D
Thanks for the useful post. Highly insightful.

To OP, as far as I know from friends, even some of the ex-4U students are struggling with the Engineering maths and the 2U/3U students are struggling even more.

So in my opinion, if you have time during the holidays between HSC and Uni, go through the 4U syllabus and try and master some of the theory at least.
 

Drongoski

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2009
Messages
4,255
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
Thanks for the useful post. Highly insightful.

To OP, as far as I know from friends, even some of the ex-4U students are struggling with the Engineering maths and the 2U/3U students are struggling even more.

So in my opinion, if you have time during the holidays between HSC and Uni, go through the 4U syllabus and try and master some of the theory at least.
+ 1

Also do a bit of self-study (or get someone who has done the Uni maths to help) of the topics in 1st Yr Engineering maths; not all 4U topics are directly relevant.
 

D94

New Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2011
Messages
4,423
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
If you want to study ahead, you can read this course outline (first semester). The topics for algebra are on page 22 and page 26 for calculus. Whilst it may change, it would only change slightly.
 

Smartindian

New Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2013
Messages
10
Gender
Male
HSC
2014
I'm quite new to this, and I'm just wondering if it is possible to do computer/electrical engineering with 2 unit maths, and not having any knowledge in physics.Also,miss it possible to teach yourself physics.

Thanks.
 

lance687876

Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2012
Messages
127
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
Uni Grad
2016
I'm quite new to this, and I'm just wondering if it is possible to do computer/electrical engineering with 2 unit maths, and not having any knowledge in physics.Also,miss it possible to teach yourself physics.

Thanks.
assumed knowledge is extension 1 maths and physics.
you will be a quite a disadvantage if you don't do bridging courses for these two subjects.
the maths they teach is 4 unit level. and don't get me started on the physics...
 

anomalousdecay

Premium Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2013
Messages
5,766
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
assumed knowledge is extension 1 maths and physics.
you will be a quite a disadvantage if you don't do bridging courses for these two subjects.
the maths they teach is 4 unit level. and don't get me started on the physics...
What's wrong with the Physics?
I want to do electrical engineering too, but I would have to say that HSC Physics is harder than Chem and 4-unit for me.
 

lance687876

Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2012
Messages
127
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
Uni Grad
2016
What's wrong with the Physics?
I want to do electrical engineering too, but I would have to say that HSC Physics is harder than Chem and 4-unit for me.
no tutorials, one lecturer goes extremely fast and shows no examples, while the other teaches us 80% theory that will not be assesed. if you compare the past papers to the lecture notes you will see that the notes are well... practically irrelevant. the exam questions are extremely difficult to understand as well.
 

anomalousdecay

Premium Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2013
Messages
5,766
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
no tutorials, one lecturer goes extremely fast and shows no examples, while the other teaches us 80% theory that will not be assesed. if you compare the past papers to the lecture notes you will see that the notes are well... practically irrelevant. the exam questions are extremely difficult to understand as well.
Maybe its just the lecturer and UOC that you're doing for that particular time?

Surely it can't be an ongoing thing.

Aren't you fine if you read the books.
I'm practically used to this cause at high school we don't really get spoon-fed for everything.
 
Last edited:

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top