Teaching Freshman Engineering Students To Solve Hard Problems

The typical freshman engineering student encounters subject matter that is more complex and delivered at a faster rate than what they experienced in high school. Combined with weak problem solving skills and inadequate study habits, this can be a recipe for disaster. “Judgment day” for many students occurs when the first round of midterms are handed back. Some students give up and make plans to switch majors. Others continue to struggle in spite of increased study effort. A common complaint is, “I understand the material, but I can’t seem to work the problems on the exam correctly.”