Are you smarter than an aerospace engineer?

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I want to be an areospace engineer, I believe that I am intelligent enough to learn the math involved, my concern is that I have always had difficulty with actually learning math, I can grasp the concepts easily enough but I am unable to retain the information. Whats more is that my learning disability prevents me from learning like an NT learns math, I think that the simple math, basic algebra, working with variables instead of real numbers, of course I realize that a variable is just used in place of a real number the problem is that I think in images and the variables are abstractions, I am not fluent in the language of math. If I were to get to the point where I truly understood the math I would literally see the results of an equation in my mind just like it is displayed on my TI nspire graphing calc, but I don't know how to get to that point and I don't know how to articulate my learning disability to be able to request the help I need.

So here are the math requirements for a local universities aerospace engineering degree, anyone out there have any suggestions or experiences in this regard?

MATH 120. Intermediate Algebra - 3 cr.
Linear and algebraic functions as they arise in real world problems. Exponential and logarithmic functions. Equations and inequalities and their solutions considered symbolically, graphically and numerically. Prerequisite: adequate score on the Mathematics Placement Examination (see note above.)
MATH 121G. College Algebra - 3 cr.
Fundamental concepts of functions, including algebraic and graphical properties. Fitting functions to data. Finding zeroes and extreme values. Solving systems of equations. Prerequisites: Adequate math placement score or C or better in MATH 120.
MATH 190G. Trigonometry and Precalculus - 4 cr. (3+2P)
Elementary functions used in the sciences with emphasis on trigonometric functions and their inverses. Polar coordinates. Complex numbers and Euler's formula. Analytic geometry and vectors. Prerequisite: adequate score on Mathematics placement exam or a C or better in MATH 121G (see note at beginning of this section).
MATH 191G. Calculus and Analytic Geometry I - 4 cr.
Algebraic, logarithmic, exponential, and trigonometric functions, theory and computation of derivatives, approximation, graphing, and modeling. May include an introduction to integration. Prerequisite(s): MATH 190G.
MATH 192G. Calculus and Analytic Geometry II - 4 cr.
Riemann sums, the definite integral, anti-derivatives, fundamental theorems, use of integral tables, numerical integration, modeling, improper integrals, differential equations, series, Taylor polynomials. Prerequisite(s): MATH 191G.
MATH 392. Introduction to Ordinary Differential Equations - 3 cr.
Introduction to differential equations and dynamical systems with emphasis on modeling and applications. Basic analytic, qualitative and numerical methods. Equilibria and bifurcations. Linear systems with matrix methods, real and complex solutions. Prerequisite: C or better in MATH 192G or B or better in MATH 236.

If by learning math you mean memorizing formulas, you aren't going to be real successful. What you need to do is to learn what the formulas mean. Learn how to derive the formulas. Learn the basis for the math, not just the superficial aspects.

I wounder if Rosetta Stone has math software

Jajajajaja is funny that my carreer industrial engineering have more math related subjects, like.


Calculus 1,2,3
Linear algebra 1,2
Differential equations 1,2
Special mathematics 1,2
Complex calculus 1
Algebraic structures 1


Is aerospace engineer i think you are getting wrong about the subjects for that degree, there has to be more math in that career, or maybe im wrong, and there has to be more rigorous physics subjects.

Well what i can tell to you my friend is that in school, i was always bad in everything,do really bad in all subjects,got pretty bad grades, and people usually called me "crazy" or "ret*d", but when i get into college, and i started to see what math is for, and not a bunch of formulas, but really the use of that, i got into that and now even that i have ADHD and i can barely study cuz i cant concetrate, i still got one of the best grades in my class, and now people think im a gifted or a genius, cuz i dont need to study to pass the subjects.

So ironic ehh?, called ret*d in school and genius in college.


What i can tell to you is give it a try, you are an aspie and you can do great things.

Apologize my bad english.

I hear what your saying about being a ret*d in high school, things got so bad with my Asperger's I had no clue at the time about that I dropped out, so I'm a high school drop out who now maintains a 3.9 gpa, and 150 credits lol. Anyway besides the usual lower level requirements which I pretty much already have as I already almost have a non-technicle space studies degree (just 5 classes to go http://www.amu.apus.edu/academic/progra ... ce-studies).

Natural Science (6 credits)
PHYS 215, Engineering Physics I 3
PHYS 216, Engineering Physics II 3

Engineering (9 credits)
C E 301, Mechanics of Materials 3
CH E 361, Engineering Materials 3
E E 201, Networks I 3

Mechanical Engineering (29 credits)
A E 102, Introduction to Aerospace Engineering 1
M E 159, Graphical Communication and Design 2
M E 222, Product Development/ Laboratory 3
M E 236, Engineering Mechanics I 3
M E 237, Engineering Mechanics II 3
M E 240, Thermodynamics 3
M E 261, Mechanical Engineering Problem Solving 4
M E 328, Engineering Analysis I 3
M E 341, Heat Transfer 3
M E 345, Experimental Methods I 3
M E 449, Mechanical Engineering Senior Seminar 1

Aerospace Engineering (30 credits)
A E 339, Aerodynamics I 3
A E 362, Orbital Mechanics and the Space Environment 3
A E 363, Aerospace Structures 3
A E 364, Flight Dynamics and Controls 3
A E 439, Aerodynamics II 3
A E 419, Propulsion 3
A E 424, Aerospace Systems Engineering 3
A E 428, Aerospace Capstone Design Laboratory 3
A E 447, Aerofluids Laboratory 3
Aerospace engineering senior elective 3
http://catalog.nmsu.edu/undergrad-2012- ... g/m_e.html

If you have a diagnosis, go ask to talk to the disability support office at your school and explain what you explained here and they will help you.

I'm not an expert in engineering as a discipline but perhaps you might be better off doing a more general undergrad bachelor's in general engineering. Most aerospace positions would seem to be dominated by people with graduate education and then you have something general to back you up. The mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering offering from NMSU seems to be the better option. The AMU thing seems really strange, the only space studies I know of is at the Goddard Institute and that looks, to a large degree, at Climate Science.

As to you issues with math, my simple advice would be, get ok with it. I am doing my PhD in the US and have moved into the US system from the Australian one. The US system contains a much larger amount of quantitative research. Even a poll-sci PhD like mine requires knowledge of economics, quantitative methods (calculus etc). Many of my friends in the business school found themselves dropped into the deep end with their maths, even after successfully completing the mandatory math camp. I do not learn math quickly but it is part of the GRE, if you want to get into a good grad school and a scholarship, you need the quant capability. One of the cool things I have found though is that my university provides math tutors, so I get help once a week.

Are the math requirements in the original post required for being admitted to an aerospace engineering university? Or are those requirements that need to be fulfilled by the time you will get your aerospace engineering degree?

They are simply the degree requirements.

But I am now thinking that I may have dyscalculia, my problems with math seem to fit rather nicely, I can do some algebra but I have a real hard time with conceptualizing variables but if I change the variable to a number I can visualize the equation (ig polynomial) becomes easy for me to comprehend and solve, but the rules and formulas are quickly forgotten, and so on.

Frequent difficulties with arithmetic, confusing the signs: +, -, ÷ and ×
Difficulty with everyday tasks like checking change and reading analog clocks
Inability to comprehend financial planning or budgeting, sometimes even at a basic level; for example, estimating the cost of the items in a shopping basket or balancing a checkbook
Difficulty with multiplication-tables, and subtraction-tables, addition tables, division tables, mental arithmetic, etc
Difficulty with conceptualizing time and judging the passing of time. May be chronically late or early
Particularly problems with differentiating between left and right
Might do exceptionally well in a writing related field- many authors and journalists have this disorder
Difficulty navigating or mentally "turning" the map to face the current direction rather than the common North=Top usage
Having particular difficulty mentally estimating the measurement of an object or distance (e.g., whether something is 10 or 20 feet (3 or 6 metres) away).
Often unable to grasp and remember mathematical concepts, rules, formulae, and sequences
An inability to read a sequence of numbers, or transposing them when repeated, such as turning 56 into 65
Difficulty keeping score during games
Difficulty with games such as poker with more flexible rules for scoring
Difficulty in activities requiring sequential processing, from the physical (such as dance steps or sports) to the abstract (signaling things in the right order). May have trouble even with a calculator due to difficulties in the process of feeding in variables
Inability to concentrate on mentally intensive tasks
Low latent inhibition, i.e., over-sensitivity to noise, smell, light and the inability to tune out, filtering unwanted information or impressions. Might have a well-developed sense of imagination due to this (possibly as cognitive compensation to mathematical-numeric deficits)
Mistaken recollection of names. Poor name/face retrieval. May substitute names beginning with same letter

Well I'm a chemical engineer, so don't know about smarter but I'd say I'm at least on par . Engineering basically revolves around math/physics, if you struggle a lot with it then it will be very difficult for you I believe. Working with variables is a huge part of most engineering courses. Such as, learning how changing one variable will affect another, solving for multiple unknown variables simultaneously, etc. Also remember, that in engineering math isn't limited to math classes. In math courses you learn how to do the math; in engineering courses you actually apply that math to real-world problems or scenarios. You do get to use calculators in pretty much all engineering classes though so that helps, albeit not a whole lot lol (I personally can't do any math in my head, but I can do quite a bit of it on paper or in my calculator).

Pretty much the vast majority of math you'll be doing in engineering, based on my experience, is either complex algebra (you're constantly rearranging equations and solving for different variables), integration, and differentiation. Quite a bit of graphing and regression analysis too. Aerospace may be a bit different, but I've had a small amount of exposure to it and based on what I've seen it really isn't.

I believe that with the right accommodations I will be able to gain an understanding of the requisite engineering formulas and concepts without actually having to memorize the formulas, so long as I understand how to apply the math as well as how to reference the necessary formulas. I don't see why this would be an issue as everything is done by computers now anyway, I have also purchased a TI nspire CX CAS calculator, my hope is that I can obtain sufficient accommodations to be able to use technology as a crutch as it were, the important thing being that I am able to apply what I learn, not whether or not I can recall formulas from memory.