Engineering maths/applied maths help please

thepikminman

Hi,

I am repeating 2nd year in mech. engineering and have this exam coming up. I studied for hours and hours and went to all the lectures but still am very worried I will fail. Can anyone give me some advice/tips on which problems are easiest or any tricks to help get that pass mark? I really feel I've reached a plateau in this subject so any help would be much appreciated! Here's a past exam below. Thank you!

thepikminman

Anyone??

Bit cynical

Sorry this is general advice not about specific questions.

What has worked for me in the past is initially make full use of the notes to answer questions. Pick questions that are a) repeated multiple years, b) you are reasonably happy with topic, and c) are well covered by the notes.

If you pick one that comes up in a similar form again and again, then spend a good long time trying to tackle it. Expect to take ten times the amount of time you would be allocated in the exam. Then do the question again but try to limit the use of notes. Repeat as necessary. Then try a similar question from a different year. You will find you need the notes less on this second one. Again, repeat as necessary until you can do it in the allotted time.

Then move on to another question and do the same thing. Before long you will have enough to pass but you should continue and aim a little higher.

I think the thing that might be discouraging (it was for me) is that when you initially try a question, you find yourself taking a long time and you think you can't do it. Persevere and you will get it. Do it slowly for understanding. Then you can work on doing it quickly.

Personally I like question L4 on vibrations in a string but that is only because I've done it before and enjoyed the subject. It may be very hard for someone else.

thepikminman

Bit cynical wrote: »

Sorry this is general advice not about specific questions.

What has worked for me in the past is initially make full use of the notes to answer questions. Pick questions that are a) repeated multiple years, b) you are reasonably happy with topic, and c) are well covered by the notes.

If you pick one that comes up in a similar form again and again, then spend a good long time trying to tackle it. Expect to take ten times the amount of time you would be allocated in the exam. Then do the question again but try to limit the use of notes. Repeat as necessary. Then try a similar question from a different year. You will find you need the notes less on this second one. Again, repeat as necessary until you can do it in the allotted time.

Then move on to another question and do the same thing. Before long you will have enough to pass but you should continue and aim a little higher.

I think the thing that might be discouraging (it was for me) is that when you initially try a question, you find yourself taking a long time and you think you can't do it. Persevere and you will get it. Do it slowly for understanding. Then you can work on doing it quickly.

Personally I like question L4 on vibrations in a string but that is only because I've done it before and enjoyed the subject. It may be very hard for someone else.

That's exactly the type of answer I was looking for, thank you I'll take it on board! Anyone got anything else?

KeithTS

Not sure how this'll work for your college or lecturer but one thing that I've always done to get the marks up is describe my thinking.

Engineering maths is generally as much about understanding and making good assumptions and observations to help your calculations as it is solving horrible equations.

If you're really stuck with tough calculations jot down some assumptions to make it easier on yourself, make it very clear why you're doing it, ie,
x = y + 1
but y << 1
therefore we can assume that x is approximately 1.

I had a decent lecturer and few years back and he would reward us for thinking more like engineers than calculators.

This holds especially true if you remember mostly how to do a problem but can't actually do it. Explicitly describe how you would approach it and why, you may not get all the marks but you may grab a few here and there for showing understanding f the problem which may push you over the mark.

Bit cynical

Just to add to something KeithTS has already said. It is a good idea to document what you are doing not just for marks in the exam but for your own understanding when you are reviewing what you have already done. It is easy to forget why you have done something even a little while later. Your worked answers will then be a resource to you when preparing for the exam.