Trig/ College Professors

**speedemongtp** · 10-05-2009

First ill start off by saying i absolutely hate trig and i am currently taking it a second time because i just barely failed at the end of my previous semester. Second why in the world do i need to take trig when i'm going to school to be an electrical engineer and they now have programs that can do the math for me and will be readily available to me in the job field and i will rarely use trig anyway. I was actually taught how to use the exact program in one of my classes last year. its called MATLAB and is an awesome program. End First half of the Rant.

Second how in the world am i supposed to learn how to do trig when my professor rushes through everything in class and does not even complete her sample problems nor does she teach everything in the chapter. Then she assigns us homework that includes things she did not teach in class and the book doesn't explain either. How am i supposed to do my homework at this point without spending my entire life in her office hours and the math help center having them explain each and every type of problem to me because my professor is incompetent and so is the book she chose to use for the course? i feel like i am in no way shape or form getting my parents and grandparents money worth out of this class at all.

END RANT

**JoshMcMadMac** · 10-05-2009

You want to be an engineer, but cannot do trig? That is a bad start to your pursuit of a bachelor's degree, man. You definitely have use for mathematics throughout your career; MatLab in its basic form is matrix algebra! Do not count on only knowing MatLab and getting an engineering position...you have to know why it works and how it works to truly utilize it.

As for the professor, that sucks, but it happens. Get help from others that are good at it in your course, or know this course material very well. Ask most folks that actually graduate with an engineering degree and they will tell you that it was a group of them that stuck together to make it to graduation. Going it alone is one of the things that will finish you off, or leave you fighting to graduate after five years.

**speedemongtp** · 10-05-2009

Yea i know i will need it some an matlab cant do it all but it just seems kind of a waste to spend so much time on it when its not used all that often. I am working on getting some help so i can better understand what i am learning an figure out how it all warks so i can do it. I am pretty good at any other type of math but for some reson trig just doesnt quite work out in my mind.

Yea the prof o well. i just have to get help elsewhere. i will graduate with an engineering degree because i am determined an thats what i wanna do if i do it on my own or with a group of people as of now i dont know many people in my classes but as i get into more major related classes i understand that will change an the group effort you speak of will show up an i am hoping that helps.

**Bio248** · 10-05-2009

you need trig. trust me. and just in case you think im crazy, guess what my degree is: electrical engineering.

oh, just a heads up. hopefully the economy is better when you graduate cause otherwise you might as well just work part time ANYWHERE that makes okay money. getting a job is HELL right now.

**speedemongtp** · 10-05-2009

Thanks for the input bio an i have atleast 2 years left so i might get lucks as far as economy goes. I sure hope its better by then

**JJ91284** · 10-05-2009

TRIG IS VERY important for calculus and physics. Trust me I know, I was in calc II last semester, and had physics and both use trig extensively.

On a side note, the teacher is just a tool to help you learn. Theirs no reason why you can't figure this out yourself. Their are many resources, Match CLUBS, Math Tutoring Center, Library with more trig books and solution manuals, math forums, hell you can even ask questions on this site in other topics and I'm sure others or myself will answer or help answer them if we have time.. In calc just about every problem you'll do will have some sort of trig in it, so learn it now. Not to mention you'll dedicate an entire page to trig for certain problems.

BTW we're not allowed calculators so enjoys the calculators while you have them.