What image comes to mind when you think of an engineer? Do you think of the images that google and our textbooks show us of engineers? Is it the four eyed nerd, with photographic memory, who can solve any math equation you put in front of him, from your favorite movie? Or maybe it’s even that kid sitting in his mom’s basement solving complex equations never leaving his computer? The popular stereotype that tends to pop up is that of a math genius who sees floating numbers in their head, who could solve the acceleration your car needs to get from earth to mars in less than five minutes.
Well, let me tell you a secret: I’m an engineer, but I can’t do math. There I said it!
To be more specific, I really struggle with doing math in my head. I’m not one to visualize numbers and equations in my mind. Not me. Just can’t do it. No really, if you ask me what 15+27 is I can’t tell you and I won’t even try. However, if you tell me to solve the IVP below, I can as long as there’s a calculator :
I’ve never fit the norm for an engineer, not only because I am a black female engineer, but also because I don’t meet the stereotype of genius that engineers are assumed to be. And for the longest time I wanted to, but as I continued on my journey I realized one thing: I don’t care to. I don’t believe in doing math in my head when I can use a calculator or write it all out.
Engineering is about problem solving, not memorization and regurgitating facts. And one thing I can do is solve a problem. Breaking complex issues into steps and working them out may seem longer and not as interesting as the math genius in the movies, but it is more practical in the long run. Understanding the concepts is more important in my opinion.
In college you would always find me with a white board and dry erase marker because I believed in the benefit of systematically writing out practice problems and analyzing them into their smaller parts, NOT doing the math in my head.
My favorite part of engineering is cheat sheets! I had a Numerical Methods class that for one exam allowed six pages of cheat sheets! YES, you read that right SIX PAGES! This emphasizes that memorization is not the backbone of engineering, analyzing and synthesizing information is! There will always be simulations, calculators, etc to assist in the mundane calculations and data processing. But one thing they can’t do is problem solve!
So don’t let your inability to mentally add 117+49 in less than 4 seconds stop you from pursuing engineering because, take it from an engineer who can’t do math: I couldn’t tell you either, without taking out my phone.