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Success in Engineering Mathematics

OBJECTIVES
After reading this unit, you will learn:
Why high averages in high school mathematics courses do not guarantee success
in freshman engineering mathematics courses.
How to be successful in engineering mathematics courses.
What your mathematics instructor expects you to know on the rst day of
classes.
Which areas of pre-college mathematics new engineering students have been
found to be weakest.
How to decide if you have the necessary skills for success in engineering mathematics courses

Too many new engineering students believe that a high average in high school
mathematics courses means that they are well-prepared for rst year engineering
mathematics courses such as beginning calculus or linear algebra. Unfortunately, this
is almost always untrue - evidenced by the many well-qualied freshman engineering
students who struggle signicantly in the rst few weeks of calculus or linear algebra.
Sadly, this often translates into disastrous midterm results and the inevitable additional stress and anxiety associated with trying to review high school material while
in the midst of an already demanding and rigorous engineering curriculum.
The reasons why this happens are usually quite simple:
Mathematics is cumulative
In mathematics, a prerequisite course is of no use unless it is functional.
Most high school mathematics courses are at least one summer old. This
means that, by the time students enter an engineering mathematics course,
prerequisite skills are already unfamiliar and not as uent as they are assumed to be (by professors!). Unfortunately, the cumulative nature of
mathematics (the understanding of one part depends heavily on the understanding of previous parts) means that weak prerequisite skills will
seriously aect performance in subsequent mathematics courses. This is

particularly true in rst year engineering mathematics courses. For example, from the rst lecture of a beginning calculus course, the professor
will proceed on the assumption that each and every student has a sound
working prerequisite. This means that it will be assumed that the necessary ideas and techniques from precalculus (usually high school math) are
functional, uent and ready-to-go. Students who have forgotten and/or
not practiced basic prerequisite skills, will be unable to master the new
material at the pace set by the professor and, as a result, will be left further and further behind as new ideas and concepts are (rapidly) developed.
There are gaps in high school mathematics courses
High school mathematics courses change over the years. Material is often
added, omitted, emphasized or de-emphasized. College-level mathematics
courses are almost never altered to account for these changes. This leaves
a gap in what engineering students know compared to what professors
assume they know.

Accordingly, it is essential to prepare for any introductory engineering mathematics course such as beginning calculus or linear algebra.
The specic objectives should be:
To bridge the gap between high school mathematics and rst year engineering
mathematics courses.
To develop a uency in basic precalculus techniques from algebra, function
theory and trigonometry.
To learn, practice, and review quickly and eectively, in your own time, at your
own pace, without the added burden of a formal precalculus course.
Try to think of mathematics as a language. Solving calculus and linear algebra
problems can be compared to a performance in that language (e.g. delivering a
speech): Unless the basic grammar and vocabulary of the language are second nature
to you, you cannot hope to perform to the best of your ability. In calculus, the
prerequisite techniques from algebra, function theory and trigonometry form the basis
of grammar and vocabulary.
To maximise your performance, you must have these techniques at your ngertips.
In other words, you must achieve uency. Do not fall into the trap of thinking that
because you understand something, you can do it. Certainly, you would not apply
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the same logic to learning to swim or drive a car (you have to actually do it to learn
it). Clearly, practice is essential .

Problems
1. In a recent class of freshman engineering students, at the beginning of the
semester, 30% reported an average score of over 90% in high school mathematics
courses. After the rst year of engineering, only 3% maintained this average in
engineering mathematics courses. Write a one-page paper to explain why you
think this happened.
2. Make a list of basic mathematics skills (from high school mathematics courses)
that you think will be most important for success in:
(a) Engineering Calculus
(b) Linear Algebra
(Give reasons for your answers)
Identify your weaknesses and decide on a course of action that will correct
these weaknesses quickly and eciently.
3. What do you understand by the phrase: well-prepared for engineering mathematics courses. Explain using examples when necessary.