quote:Originally posted by NRPMom:
Engineering is an academically strong major in itself and couple that with playing in a Big Conference would make it difficult. My sons roommate is a Petroleum Engineering major and they play in the Big 12 with him as a pitcher. He is a super bright young man but it is very difficult with their spring schedule. That's not to say it can't be done, this young man is handling it well, but you need to be very disciplined.
Good post.
There are different types of students out there as well. There are some kids who are so gifted, and so bright that any academic discipline would be doable given their abilities. Those are the rare exception however. I was at the opposite end of the spectrum when I went to Engineering school. It took all my powers to get through. Early on, I would spend hours and hours each day often working on one or two problems. I personally could not have handled anything else. One thing I noticed however, is that your brain is like a muscle. The more you use it and struggle to understand things, the better it becomes. I noticed that I became better and better at things like Calculus, Physics, and Thermodynamics the more I worked at them. I even saw myself pass students that were initially ahead of me (e.g., tortoise and the hare).
One recomendation for kids who want to play sports and major in Engineering is develop a 5 or 6 year plan for graduation. That is a more expensive plan but it provides a managable path for a young man to achieve both goals and be successful. You will also need a very proactive academic advisor who can pull some strings. It will be difficult for example to manage the labs required at the posted times. Someone will have to be willing to allow you to make that work up at odd hours. Labs however are kind of a group learning experience where students kind of collectively learn to solve problems. Doing them on your own is a disadvantage but can be overcome if good tutors and what not are offered in support. Another option might be to look at the military academies. There, everyone is in the same boat and the support/discipline structure may be better suited to facilitate education and baseball.