Is it possible to get really good at Maths?

[MrsCardone]

My DS is looking into uni courses at the moment. The one he is interested in has a Maths requirement. It's an engineering course. He is not good at Maths, mainly because he messes around in class, being a general pain in the arse, hates his teacher, does the bare minimum of homework, etc.

However, he has shown some promise in other subjects related to engineering and it is something he is interested in, so I do want to pursue it.

Is it possible - with extra help - for him to get good at Maths? We're prepared to put the hours in to help him and call in reinforcements if necessary.

Thanks.

I agree with posters who say that you need a love and flair for maths if you want to be an engineer, otherwise it will be miserable.

If your son is interested in mechanics, how about
car /aircraft equipment / marine mechanic.

For industrial design he needs to have a flair for art, be very practical and creative, good eye for detail and have a passion for people e.g. how people use things so quite different to being an engineer. He still needs a good sense for calculations if doing heavy duty industrial design.

How about web design?

It is dependent on his mindset etc. Private lessons do make a difference but innate ability also plays a part in it as well. I failed math due to undetected dyscalculia. Even though I paid attention to what was taught, I could not do the class or homework at all because of that.

And it was pretty easy stuff. Tell me about his predicted grades. If he is only predicted up to a 4 then foundation is what is best for him. But if he is able to cope with the really hard questions, then perhaps consider higher tier. You need to talk to his teacher in person and see what is being said.

Looking back, I think I was in the bottom set at high school for math.

@cptartapp Ditto this is my son exactly!!! It is the bane of our lives.

My DS, who's extremely good at maths naturally, says yes, with a lot of hard work, and you have to rely on memory if you don't understand it.

There are lots of BSc or BEng courses that don’t ask for further maths. It’s better to have it for MEng courses. The latter is a fast track to CEng status.

I would also look at a broader spectrum of building and construction degrees at former polys. Far less maths heavy.