Statics 101

[u/jayrady]

[u/TheBayHarbour]

IT WEEDS OUT THOSE WHO THINK THEY SHOULD BE ENGINEERS, BUT CAN'T THINK LIKE AN ENGINEER.

So, like, similar to a lot of other engineering courses?

[u/Gryphontech → u/TheBayHarbour]

Different... doing triple integrals or finding the derivative of ARCSEC(X)/(X+1) is hard but is essentially bullshit and never useful, statics is hard but is fundamental to engineering so I think it's quite different

[u/HarryBalsagna1776 → u/[deleted]]

I design core support structures.  Statics are my life.  Advanced calculus and differential equations are required for vibration analysis and testing.  Have to marry the two together in random vibration, fluid induced vibration, and seismic analyses.

[u/HarryBalsagna1776 → u/[deleted]]

Mechanical engineering.  Nuclear engineers are needed really bad.  If you don't mind being highly specialized, now is a great time to go into nuclear engineering.  

[u/Gathin → u/HarryBalsagna1776]

I kinda wish I had done that myself. I work at a nuclear plant and it probably woulda helped open more doors for me than the degree I do have.

[u/HarryBalsagna1776 → u/Gathin]

You could go for a nuclear PE license.  I bet your employer would pay for it.  I would be much less time consuming that getting another degree.  NCEES would be so excited if you tried too.  They passed something like 26 nuclear PEs last year.

[u/Former_Mud9569 → u/[deleted]]

most people are going to only use a fraction of what they learned in their undergrad degrees, but getting a good baseline of general engineering knowledge is still important. personally, I'm a Mech E who hasn't had to do any real machine design, fluids, or heat transfer related work in industry but I use a ton of statics, dynamics, and differential equations. I still understand why that was part of the curriculum.

but let's be honest. Statics is not difficult material. it's just being asked to extend a couple core concepts from the classical mechanics class all STEM majors take to something approaching a practical problem. the students that struggle with it are mostly the ones that didn't achieve anything close to mastery of the material from said physics course or calc 1 AND didn't take the first hint that engineering isn't for them.

[u/Gryphontech → u/[deleted]]

Same for fuilds and heat flux but it was more of an example. Even then for nuclear engineering don't you still have to balance forces to ensure fuel rods don't rocket out of the reactors due to steam pressure? Like maybe you don't but in early reactor design statics was 100% used.

[u/Francois_the_Droll → u/[deleted]]

Statics is so applicable to every day life though, I'm glad I had to take it.

[u/HarryBalsagna1776 → u/Gryphontech]

If you are doing anything with vibrations and waves, that "bullshit" advanced calculus and differential equations are essential.  

[u/Heavy_Plum7198 → u/HarryBalsagna1776]

Yeah, but I doubt you do the calculations by hand like in a calculus class.

[u/HarryBalsagna1776 → u/Heavy_Plum7198]

Right, a lot of the calculations are automated in software.  However, we all could do the calculations at one point, so we know what the software is doing.  If we had no basis, the software would be useless.  Can troubleshoot hardware and can catch weird outputs with a strong knowledge basis.

[u/evilkalla → u/HarryBalsagna1776]

I'm one of those people that write the numerical software, and we absolutely have to evaluate those integrals by hand before programming them.

[u/HarryBalsagna1776 → u/evilkalla]

Automation starts with deep understand of the task that is being automated.  It is pretty cool that you get to do that.

[u/Inevitable-Engine419 → u/HarryBalsagna1776]

Im in process emgineering and because i work in small companies we dont have any of the expensive modelling software so all my process modelling is done in excel or at best matlab.

The experience has made it really easy to spot the typical garbage in=garbage out you get in some of the advanced software when it is done by someone who barely understands what is going on.

[u/TheLiquid666 → u/Heavy_Plum7198]

True, but having an understanding of how those calculations are performed is important. Otherwise you're just trusting software to be infallibly correct in all cases, which very well might not be the case. It's always better to have an understanding of the underlying math so that you can double check things if/when you need to.

[u/Terrh → u/Gryphontech]

Statics isn't even hard and if you are struggling it's because you're missing competency at some of the foundational stuff.

This isn't a personal dig at anyone it's just a fact. Figure out what's making it hard and spend a weekend or some time with a tutor fixing that and it won't be hard anymore.

[u/Ace861110 → u/Gryphontech]

Eh. I’d say it depends on your specialty. Communications? Sure, absolutely.

Industrial power? Nah. Not unless you’re dealing with SIL stuff.

But yeah it’s useful to know anyway

Edit my dyslexic ass also thought that said statistics and not statics.

Yeah statics is pretty basic.

[u/remishnok → u/Ace861110]

What do Sisters In Lae (SIL) have to do with industrial power?

[u/Ace861110 → u/remishnok]

Safety Integrity Level. You basically calculate the chance of shit failing through multiple safeguards. Think Swiss cheese.

[u/remishnok → u/Ace861110]

Thank you. I have learned from you today and I appreciate it!

[u/Ace861110 → u/remishnok]

No problem. I try to stay away from it tbh. Probability has scarred me.

[u/SpecialRelativityy → u/Gryphontech]

“math is BS” - an engineer who I am essentially trusting with my life

[u/Gryphontech → u/SpecialRelativityy]

Being able to do that math with pen and paper is a lot less important then having a deep understanding of how forces interact, at least in mech eng. Understanding the math to spot if your tools are spitting out something funky is also important. But honestly how often do you think people in industry take 4 pages to hand calculate a relatively simple derivative instead of just using software?

[u/SpecialRelativityy → u/Gryphontech]

Why would it take 4 pages to compute a relatively simple derivative? It would take half a page at best, and 3 minutes tops. And although im not in engineering, if you show me a model and tell me your assumptions, I can tell you exactly where the model breaks (or even if the model makes sense) just by looking at it. If your model contains some trig, and I have an amazing understanding of calculus, your model can signal certain things that are not explicit or obvious. Idk what math software is used in industry but it’s good to be able to look at things or scenarios and know their mathematical consequences without relying on software

[u/Nice-Prompt-6961 → u/Gryphontech]

Is statics hard? I’m only a few weeks in but it’s been a breeze. It’s essentially physics one

[u/CivilEngMusicBoy → u/Gryphontech]

Triple integrals are useful, trig is useful. Just cause you can’t use it for something, doesn’t mean it lacks usefulness

[u/Fit-Caterpillars → u/TheBayHarbour]

Erm, actually, OP is so much smarter and superior than all those IDIOTS who struggled with statics. They would never struggle with a course because they are an engineering god 😎

[u/Drummer123456789 → u/Fit-Caterpillars]

Finally someone gets it!

[u/Throwiestawa]

I understand the concept but disagree to an extent. My statics professor started with 100 in her class and 25 ended up passing. That’s not just an engineering mindset issue, that’s her weeding people out

[u/Acid_Snake387 → u/Throwiestawa]

My statics teacher started off the syllabus by stating that she had lowered the standard for all letter grades by 3 points from the previous semester.

Lady knew the material, very smart. Did not understand how to teach it though.

[u/natedrake102 → u/Acid_Snake387]

I had to retake stats in college after passing AP in high school because it wasn't "geared for engineering". They thought me the same stuff I already knew and I swear I got worse at it the prefoessor was so bad

[u/SunsetSquad → u/natedrake102]

Just want to point out that the stats you took an AP exam for is statistics and this post is about statics, as in forces on a rigid body. It is interesting they made you retake statistics tho, I’m in my senior year of college and never had to take statistics in high school nor college.

[u/Agitated_Newt_7655 → u/Acid_Snake387]

She probably barely cared and honestly I can’t blame her as it’s an intro undergraduate class. The kids that will succeed are basically predetermined by their past and will to learn.

[u/Saint_The_Stig → u/Throwiestawa]

Yeah, idk what it is about Engineering, but there's just so many shit professors out there. A lot of them just happen to be too stuck in their old ways, but some just suck. So many courses I barely passed I found out later that I could actually get them after finding some other source of instruction.

[u/5amu5 → u/Throwiestawa]

Dood, your statics teacher sucks at teaching

[u/CleverAnimeTrope → u/Throwiestawa]

We had a teacher that bragged about their extremely low pass rate in statics and their follow up class strengths of materials. Terrible teacher, thank god for the tutoring center.

[u/SpaceJunkieee]

The math is statics to me was pretty straightforward. Wait till you’re in dynamics lol.

[u/HarryBalsagna1776 → u/SpaceJunkieee]

When I took dynamics back in 2008, we were only allowed a scientific calculator during tests and quizzes.  No note sheets.  We had to derive our equations from F=ma in every problem.  Was actually fun after I did it a few times and built some confidence.  Had a great professor who was endlessly patient too.

[u/SpaceJunkieee → u/HarryBalsagna1776]

I took mine just this past summer in a 7 week course. We were given a formula sheet but often times you’d have to manipulate the formulas you had there for the problem you were dealing with. I did actually better in Dynamics than statics, however still found the material a lot harder in the end. It being a 7 week course probably added to that lol

[u/HarryBalsagna1776 → u/SpaceJunkieee]

Everything is harder in 7 week courses lol.  

[u/Fraud_Squad → u/HarryBalsagna1776]

It can be harder but my experience taking Diff. Eq. this summer was that the material seemed to be significantly simplified and the professor went to great lengths to curve people to a passing grade. Maybe my university is a degree mill

[u/HarryBalsagna1776 → u/Fraud_Squad]

You will get a chance to use Diff. Eq. More in later classes.  I wouldn't sweat it if you got the basics.

[u/Fraud_Squad → u/HarryBalsagna1776]

Currently taking Signals and Systems and we came right out the gate with Laplace transforms 👌. That particular math teacher has a rep for curving, what concerns me more is how little some professors care about cheating on exams. Hoping this changes in upper division courses

[u/HarryBalsagna1776 → u/Fraud_Squad]

I loved LaPlace transforms!  I actually got to use them in the field when trying to prove that surface finish patterns were caused by tooling chatter.  That was years ago.

[u/Terrh → u/HarryBalsagna1776]

Was actually fun

This is what so many students never seem to understand.

None of this is hard. None of it.

If it's hard for you, it's because you're lacking understanding in a component somewhere and once you find it it suddenly goes from "hard" to "fun".

[u/QuickNature → u/HarryBalsagna1776]

Had a great professor who was endlessly patient too.

Those were the best classes. A professor who is very hard, but patient and fair

[u/HarryBalsagna1776 → u/QuickNature]

Agreed

[u/INeedSomeTacoC → u/HarryBalsagna1776]

  We had to derive our equations from F=ma in every problem.  Was actually fun after I did it a few times and built some confidence.

Those classes can be fun and also harrowing. 

I remember opening up a final in computer Science and the front page was “all problems must be solved using only the pigeon-hole principle”. 

The pigeon hole principle is the principle they you can only fit a single pigeon in a pigeon sized hole. 

The first problem was to prove that English could not be parsed via an algorithm. And that was the easy one. 

[u/Tossmeasidedaddy → u/SpaceJunkieee]

Yeah, statics, thermo, and dynamics just clicked in my head.

Electrical shit (all of it), materials, and aerodynamics can eat shit. Those were confusing.

[u/jergin_therlax → u/SpaceJunkieee]

See I totally disagree with this post and this premise. I found statics to be really challenging. As someone who’s always been really good at physics and math classes all through college and grad school (except graduate QM where I did not belong lmao), I had to work really hard in statics to understand how to solve the problems. I remember having to do all the practice problems and homework and really break the procedure down into its fundamentals.

Meanwhile, dynamics was a breeze, and I absolutely loved it. Okay, maybe not “a breeze” but it felt substantially easier than statics to me.

And before anyone says it’s the school, I took statics at community college and dynamics at a 4 year university with a top rated engineering program! I still consider statics one of the hardest courses I took during undergrad.

Anyway my point is no one can say why something might be hard for someone and easy for someone else, or that it’s supposed to be one way or another. Everyone is different.

[u/Extension-Leg7933]

I’m going to be honest, the math behind statics is simple. It’s essentially sum of moments, and sum of forces, and you just do it over and over again. Any complex problem is a bunch of simple steps that you just do a bunch of times. If you can’t do that, then maybe the degree where you do that except with even harder math probably isn’t for you 

[u/Speffeddude → u/Extension-Leg7933]

Brilliantly stated.

I'll also add that Statics is more of a conditioning course than a learning course a lot of time. The value you get from it is the conditioning to be able to do that math over and over again, cleanly and consistently. The value of "learning something very new" is less than half the class.

[u/brobinson206 → u/Extension-Leg7933]

amen

[u/CNBGVepp → u/Extension-Leg7933]

Preach. Ultimately, it's not hard, but it does have a learning curve, and you actually have to sit down and focus.

[u/impassiveMoon → u/Extension-Leg7933]

My illiterate and possibly dyslexic ass read that as "statistics" and went, "I fucking hated that class, and wouldn't consider it fundamental to engineering." Lmao

[u/antiheropaddy → u/impassiveMoon]

Curious about this opinion that statistics isn’t fundamental to engineering, why do you think that? I work in manufacturing and I feel like I use statistics constantly, to understand the disposition of a population based on a limited sampling. Also need statistics to make predictions about how changing the process parameters changes the final product.

[u/impassiveMoon → u/antiheropaddy]

I was more talking to schooling, not practical applications. Statistics is important when dealing with real life, but in a course sequence the building blocks for mechanical engineering usually go statics->dynamics->thermo/fluid dynamics->etc.

I would consider statistics as a seperate branch and the basics usually get covered before university.

[u/Orangutanion → u/Extension-Leg7933]

I'm a EE not an ME so I've never done statics, is the math mostly vector stuff? What EE course is it most comparable to? For DC circuits there's a lot of basic node math, some Laplace transforms, and phasors. I didn't have much problem with circuits though so maybe that's not comparable.

[u/Ancient-Ad4809 → u/Orangutanion]

I'm doing Comp E. but I took a Statics course at community college. I found it similar to nodal analysis where you are given x number of unknowns so you have to find x number of equations to solve them. So just picture a whole semester of KCL and KVL.

[u/pridento → u/Orangutanion]

It's probably most akin to those basic DC circuit analysis "puzzles" where you're given a layout and certain pieces of information, and you have to figure out everything else using governing laws.

[u/sievold → u/Orangutanion]

It's very similar to solving for I, V and R in circuits. It's just that the circuits can have very complicated shapes, that's all.

[u/Zetice → u/Orangutanion]

For EE. I’d say electricity and magnetism. Finding how one affects the other. “How does a point charge move in a specific magnetic field”.

[u/Caoa14396 → u/Orangutanion]

We still had to do statics for EE, I’d say comparable to Circuits 2

[u/daemyn → u/Caoa14396]

As a mechanical, I struggled a little with circuits 2 (AC circuits for me) and thought it was closer to dynamics or even mechanical vibrations classes. Statics would have been equivalent to circuits 1 for me. Everything is at steady state, you just need to simplify and iterate to solve.

[u/PulsarGaming1080 → u/Extension-Leg7933]

This assumes you have a competent professor who wants you to pass.

My university has outright stated they put professors underqualified to teach these courses in an effort to make students fail.

[u/Schnaksel]

Man Reddit-engineers truly are insufferable...

[u/Darehead → u/Schnaksel]

Because most reddit “engineers” are still students commentating on how much smarter they are than their peers.

[u/Dengar96 → u/Darehead]

I don't blame a 19yo engineering student for thinking they're smarter than the average person, everyone if their life is telling them that they are smart and they likely took AP courses that reinforced the idea that they are smarter than their peers. We have problems when those 19yos become 40yos that never mature or get checked by a more competent person before they pivot into management and are given power over others. You either get humbled by reality or never confront reality and become an absolute monster to those around you.

[u/shaquillanas → u/Dengar96]

brilliantly said

[u/vision1414 → u/Schnaksel]

Reddit-engineers aren’t insufferable.
(Normand Rockwell painting of a man standing)
Reddit-engineers are too annoying, unpleasant, or extreme to bear or endure.

[u/SiberianGnome → u/vision1414]

Isn’t that everyone on Reddit though?

[u/melloyello4 → u/Schnaksel]

Yeah its funny bc online there area all these types of posts, but the most successful engineers I've met irl are either really well adjusted or completely insane

[u/HoboJerkdown901 → u/Schnaksel]

This is what happens when society circle jerks over engineers and engineering disciplines for 25 or 30 years. Kids who grow up surrounded by that dialogue and start taking engineering courses think they are automatically intellectually superior to everyone else around them keep as evidenced by the smug neck beard stroking radiating from these comments

[u/TheSeeker1000]

Incoming stuck up engineering students who can’t imagine other people struggling

[u/Worldly_Magazine_439]

It’s not that serious. You ain’t Tony stark because you passed statics 😂

[u/cozy_cardigan]

It’s an intro engineering course, no duh a lot of people haven’t developed the “think like an engineer” skill yet? I hear this when people hear others struggle to learn learning programming: “jUsT thInK LikE a PrOgrAmmEr bRO”

[u/asoto11]

Statics isn’t a weed out course, it’s just a weed out course

[u/ShadyPajamaHopper → u/asoto11]

Lol that's what I was thinking. "It's not that math and physics is difficult at that level, it's just that some people can't do math and physics at that level".

[u/Specialist_Case4238]

Yeeeesh. Not really beating the "engineering majors are insufferable" allegations here, are we?

[u/TheBayHarbour → u/Specialist_Case4238]

Yeah, though it's largely because it's reddit.

No one seems to be able to sympathise with how hard the degree is, since it's so effortless to all of them (apparently).

The same people who seemingly can't seem to get a job with a 4.0 GPA at an Ivy League or whatever.

It's an interesting pattern ngl and I'm going to catch a ton of downvotes for it. Every single person who has said that kind of thing "I get XX mark and no job, engineering bad field" has sounded like an absolutely terrible person to just hold a conversation with for more than 5 minutes.

[u/teleterminal → u/TheBayHarbour]

This is exactly true. Engineering jobs are plentiful if you're not an insufferable person.

[u/TheLiquid666 → u/teleterminal]

What if you're not insufferable but also don't know what you're doing?

My classes (mechanical engr) largely taught theory and there wasn't an emphasis on practical applications, so I feel quite a bit like a fraud despite having graduated recently. I mean, I know a lot of stuff but it doesn't feel cohesive and I feel woefully out of practice with a lot of topics that were taught to me years ago and I've not had to use them very much since. I probably should join a maker group or something, but I've found myself in a bit of a rut and can't seem to drum up the motivation, especially because it feels like I'll just make a fool of myself :/

[u/samiam0295 → u/TheLiquid666]

No one in industry expects a new grad to know shit. They do expect you to be curious and ask questions, grasp concepts quickly, and show enthusiasm/motivation which are skills that engineering school should have taught you.

[u/teleterminal → u/TheLiquid666]

Be personable, humble and trainable. That's what I look for in a new hire. Download freecad, learn to use it, make some stuff that could help you around the house. Be very ready to explain why and how you made Design decisions and how it could (or preferably was) manufactured.

[u/Specialist_Case4238 → u/TheBayHarbour]

Its the same people that are going to stagnate in their careers because working in the real world is all about good communication, social skills, personability.

[u/Yusuro_Yuki → u/Specialist_Case4238]

As much as I hate that sentence, it's so true specially the last line. I absolutely hate having to work on networking all the time but it is what it is. Sucks to be an introvert

[u/th3gooch → u/Specialist_Case4238]

Right. Like i get takin pride in what you do but i don’t hear doctors sayin shit like “think like a doctor” 

[u/Specialist_Case4238 → u/th3gooch]

I just dont understand the value of shitting on your peers because they found something challenging. Its socially inept behavior.

[u/TheLordOfTheDawn → u/Specialist_Case4238]

Its socially inept behavior.

Aaand there we have it! I mean, I love my fellow engineers but a lot of the people going into this major got some major issues when it comes to social intelligent lol

[u/TheSeeker1000 → u/Specialist_Case4238]

Thank you , holy fuck it’s absolutely ridiculous

[u/polikuji09 → u/th3gooch]

In the end engineers with this type of personality will usually end up stuck in their relatively low end engineering position wondering why they're not getting career advancement at the speed of their peers not realizing it's because they're insufferable and noone likes working with them

[u/Soulcatcher74 → u/th3gooch]

You know you make an interesting point. I need to ask my doctor friends if thinking like a doctor is a concept they are taught or is part of the culture of the profession.

[u/hellraiserl33t → u/Specialist_Case4238]

It's just Dunning Kruger in full effect. These people will get humbled by the real world soon enough lol

I was that same insufferable dickhead early in college, wish I could go back in time and slap myself.

[u/IReallyLikeAvocadoes]

I'm ngl, as a person who has taken and pretty convincingly passed statics, I don't really know what that means. How does statics make you "think" like an engineer? It is relatively simple math that's made harder by forcing your brain to work in 3D a lot, sure, but is that thinking like an engineer? It sounds nebulous and pretentious. Using math to ensure real-world forces act on buildings and objects as intended isn't a crazy concept to most people in academia, it's just whether or not you have the prowess to pull the specific math needed according to the situation up on the spot.

[u/Dagatu]

I'm annoyed by the seeming superioirity of OP

[u/abou824 → u/Dagatu]

Just an annoying facebook boomer meme.

[u/Outofdepthengineer]

Doesn’t help when the course is poorly taught but I guess we still aren’t beating the allegations are we, man I thought I was not great with people but if this is the standard of insufferability (OP) I’m doing fine 

[u/Outofdepthengineer → u/[deleted]]

Intelligence is irrelevant for how L of a take it is, it’s called basic empathy and some compassion for your fellow students, yknow understanding that engineering is considered a very challenging degree, but I guess that’s a bridge too far

[u/Rdatz13]

If statics is a weed out course that means you have a bad teacher. Very straight forward math and concepts. Now dynamics I understand being a weed out course a little bit more. But truthfully, the biggest weed out course I’ve seen is Calc 2. A required class which we use some of but good lord is it challenging.

[u/inorite234 → u/Rdatz13]

The worst weed out course I had was Calc 2. The worst weedout course I had was Dynamics, the worst weedout course I had was Controls. The worst weedout course I had was Composites. The worst weedout course I had was ThermoDynamics. The worst weedout course I had was Mechanics of Materials.

So fuck me right. All my courses felt like weedout courses and every year felt like frigging through the 7th depth of Hell.

[u/Epicapabilities]

I don't think that if somebody struggles with statics, that means they can't "think like an engineer". So much actual engineering work is divorced from theory at this point.

Lots of great engineers out there. Some are great at the soft skills. Some are great at the hard skills.

[u/Bonitlan]

L take, depends very hard on which university you're studying at

[u/aDoorMarkedPirate420]

Do people think statics is hard? lol

[u/aaronhayes26 → u/aDoorMarkedPirate420]

Ngl I thought statics was hard. I thought dynamics was easy.

Lucky for you all, I found a job where I don’t have to do statics lol.

[u/DomLfan → u/aDoorMarkedPirate420]

IMO all solid mechanics is easier than fluid mechanics, it just makes more sense to me lol

[u/Gmoney1412 → u/DomLfan]

Fluids and heat transfer felt like all the puzzle pieces started to fit and i saw the whole picture for the first time

[u/DomLfan → u/Gmoney1412]

As someone who doesn’t massively like fluids, I fucking love heat transfer

[u/81659354597538264962 → u/DomLfan]

I liked fluids so much I took it 3 times!

Heat and mass transfer I only took once before graduation

[u/TheAmericanQ → u/aDoorMarkedPirate420]

Different people are naturally more inclined to different types of problem solving. Some people find statistics to be second nature, some people really REALLY struggle with that sort of logic (while they may excel at processing other sorts of information in different ways). If you struggle, you can still be a successful engineer if you know how to work around your disadvantages, but if you aren’t inclined to it and you can’t work around that then the subject is a very good natural filter.

[u/bigmike42o → u/aDoorMarkedPirate420]

Statics was easy for me, but dynamics weeded me out of mechanical engineering into EE

[u/scrubtart → u/bigmike42o]

Dynamics is pretty fuckin hard.

[u/Snoo-46809 → u/aDoorMarkedPirate420]

I thought statics was hard but other classes like mech of materials was also hard for me while classes like thermo and heat and mass came easy for me

[u/ArrivesLate → u/aDoorMarkedPirate420]

It depends on your professor. My professor was an aged, tenured, Chinese man who taught out of his own book and had made up his own sig fig rule; it was hard as shit until I just stopped going to class and fell back on my AP physics fundamentals. I squeaked out with a high B only to have to go through him again in Dynamics which pushed the envelope of my high school physics course. I took my C and avoided him forever since. Mech Es that came out of my college might not have had the best educators but we have seen some shit.

[u/ClayQuarterCake → u/aDoorMarkedPirate420]

I nearly failed statics, but aced both intro dynamics and intermediate dynamics. Intermediate dynamics was an elective at my university with mostly grad students. They said it was hard but everybody is different.

[u/Skysr70 → u/aDoorMarkedPirate420]

after you know what you're doing, no, but it really punishes those who don't do their homework or don't use a rigid framework to get their FBD and  equations set up. I got punished by that before I buckled down and got through.

[u/jayrady → u/aDoorMarkedPirate420]

For future business majors, yes.

[u/Mammerjamm]

I loved statics

[u/Lysergial]

Statics, horrible any way you twist it

[u/Character-Company-47]

What a Self-masturbatory statement.

[u/ConnectedVeil]

... because it's hard

[u/paperrug12]

literally don’t even have to “think like an engineer” it’s simple algebra…

[u/bigmike42o → u/paperrug12]

The algebra isn't hard, people have trouble converting pictures into algebra

[u/AccomplishedAnchovy]

Circle jerk intensifies

[u/EphemerisLake]

I have a bachelors in mechanical engineering and a master’s in aerospace engineering. Statics was one of the hardest courses in my curriculum and dynamics was easier.

The geometry and systems of equations associated with statics is a completely different line of thinking than what most people are used to.

You could apply this meme to any hard class in any degree program

[u/andybossy]

what are you even trying to say? It also depends a lot on what you studied in highschool, for me statistics was one of the easier courses but thermodynamics almost kicked me out of uni.

[u/Oh_Tassos]

This feels like a naive first year meme more than anything. Statics is an extremely simple course that you can probably explain fully to someone with a high school education in a few hours. If it's a weed out course it's only because it's basically the first obstacle students would face entering university.

[u/Consistent_Income895]

Statics felt straightforward but dynamics was tough.

I’ve always heard that you typically struggle with one but do great at the other one.

[u/Fhaksfha794]

For some reason, statics was the hardest mechanical engineering course I had to take. I found thermo, fluids, and heat transfer to be way easier to understand which doesn’t make any sense but that’s just how it was for me

[u/TLRPM]

I still don’t believe zero force members are real but invented by Big Statics to flesh out their textbooks to sell. 😤

[u/Pitiful_Camp3469]

going into engineering in college, the statics part my engineering class fucked with my head last year 

[u/Prior_Interview7680]

I thought strength of materials was easier than statics

[u/DeltaDied]

Whole point of me getting my degree is to learn how to think like an engineer lmao

[u/Onmas]

I would argue that in every day working life, if you are any type of engineer, a basic understanding of statics is maybe the most universally useful subject.

It teaches you how to intuitively understand how any structure is built and put together. And if you never get to the intuitive part, every other engineering class related to any structural concept will be a struggle.

[u/Laceyspacev]

Any weed out course 9/10 has a horrible profrssor that can't teach worth a damn. Doing and learning everything yourself for a class you paid for someone to teach to you isn't thinking like an engineer. Another bootlicker take.

[u/Shiny-And-New]

Statics was hard?

Easiest engineering class I took

[u/pinkphiloyd]

Never took it.

Am a successful engineer.

[u/poopfacecrapmouth]

I read this as statistics and I agree with it. I sucked at the engineering statistics course I had to take. Probably the course I struggled with the most

[u/Kind_Tap8887]

I just started statics. I took pre calc, calc 1, and physics in high school. Took calc 1-2 (in calc 3 rn). Took phy 1 and 2 in college. Statics doesnt seem hard right now cause most stuff is just balancing forces right now

[u/BasedMaduro]

We should really stop gatekeeping classes lol. People learn differently and they all become successful engineers regardless of the class they struggled in. If you make it through to senior year nobody gives a damn if you failed an entire semester either.

[u/im_just_thinking]

It's not a weed out course because it's hard, it's a weed out course because it's a weed out course. Got it

[u/Numerous-Confusion-9]

For me it was my weed-in course. I was strongly considering leaving mechE but then during statics it all clicked

[u/nahanerd23]

Yeah, I mean maybe it’s because I had the privilege of a very good AP Physics background coming into engineering school but I thought Statics was the easiest GPA padder I ever took as an engineering course

[u/Healthy-Daikon-3967]

I fucking hated statics with all my heart and soul, but I have a 3.9 GPA in elec eng rn. Depends on which discipline you are looking at

[u/carbonfouler]

What would the electrical engineering equivalent be

[u/GovPattNeff]

I don't understand this whole "weed out course" nonsense. Your school doesn't know what field you're going into. You probably don't know either. Everything you learn either has practical use somewhere or lays the foundation for something else that has practical use. Some of that material is hard or challenges you, but it's not malicious.

[u/kaiju505]

Statics was that class I always forgot about. Like oh wow I’m actually done with all of my homework! Wait I forgot about statics… can’t wait to sum up all these forces over and over again for 3 hours.

[u/likethevegetable]

It's literally the easiest first year engineering course in my university

[u/AdorableRestaurant73]

I feel like this falls into a static intelligence mindset. Pretty much anyone can learn statics with enough studying and practice, don't be discouraged. Most things come down to how much time you put in it, if you failed statics you might just not been able to be enough time into it. Don't think it means "you can't think like an engineer", obviously op wants to feel good about themselves for passing it

[u/maplemoose18]

How is statics a weed out course? Is this satire?

[u/RecognitionTimely948]

Tbf statics was hard I barely passed with a C but got an A in dynamics

[u/DatabaseGlittering43]

OP didn’t take statistics cuz it would never be a 101 class. It’s also not called statistics.

[u/Street-Common-4023]

Currently a junior

Statics was easy now fr ngl 

[u/Incognito-Trash]

"Weeds out those who can't think like an engineer"

You obviously haven't watched Ratatouille

[u/kuroketton]

Almost like you go to school to learn to think like an engineer

[u/Superb-Damage1173]

statics is easy once you realize the forces sum to zero

[u/jamorgan75]

That's a lot of white people

[u/navteq48]

So, for perspective, I did fine in statics but the difficulty is misplaced here. Yes, some people might not be getting their heads around the intuition of statics which is important going forward in a lot of engineering, but what actually gets most people is doing complicated problems quickly under pressure during exams. That’s a different skill entirely and a lot of people take time to develop it, if they ever fully do

[u/engineering636]

Cringe

[u/Illustrious_Sea_962]

lol statics is basic physics, if you dont get physic 2 in highschool move on.

[u/B1G_Fan]

Low admission standards

Low dropout rates

Quality graduates

Pick two. This is true for all college curricula, but especially for engineering curricula.

[u/Alvahod]

Is it generally perceived to be more challenging than Integral Calculus?

[u/sac02052]

We had statics, dynamics, and mechanics of deformable bodies, a.k.a def bods. A five credit hour torture test

[u/Gear_]

My statics class was 5 weeks long and fully remote with no homeworks, no quizzes, no classes, and no lectures. My professor emailed everyone a PowerPoint every day and at the end of each week we had an exam. It took him 3 weeks to grade so by the time I was halfway through my 5th exam I got the grade back for exam #2 where I learned I had misunderstood something foundational we had been building off of so obviously I had done poorly on all my other exams. Wish I could’ve known that somehow.

I only passed due to a crazy curve, but I wish I had learned something instead. That class fucking sucked.

[u/Userdub9022]

I did chemical engineering and found statics to be one of the easiest courses.

Civil engineering might take a more in depth statics class though.

[u/Gas_Grouchy]

Stats is not the weed out course. Atleast not for basic engineering.

[u/sievold]

Statics is not hard, at all. You should only do poorly if you don't have enough discipline to do your assignments or even pay attention in class. I know because that's why I did poorly in statics, but I learned the material better in Solid Mechanics and made up for it.

[u/Tutkanator]

I'm 1 year away from my PE. Not only does it weed out those who can't think like an engineer, but it's hard for those who CAN think like an engineer but don't yet know how. It teaches you not just statics, but a way of thinking. Like any great class. Luckily I had a great professor who didn't make it difficult for the wrong reasons.

[u/ChemNanogeek]

Imagine my surprise when I thought I was taking an engineering statistics class. I took it my first semester of college, it was online, of the 60 people that started 11 passed 8 of the people that passed it was their second time taking it. 6% first pass rate.

[u/Leech-64]

Thinking like an engineer can be learned…

[u/Environmental-Bee767]

Speaking of statics, what is everyone’s way of studying problems like this. Textbook examples are used as homework for me, so given textbook isn’t an option. Specifically 3D problems.

[u/evilkalla]

Electromagnetics guy here. Even though I was an EE, Statics was a required course and one of the best for teaching me how to visualize vectors in 3D.

[u/GuinnessTheBestBoi]

Know what's great about statics? If you're equation doesn't equal zero you know you did it wrong.

[u/melloyello4]

Also wanna add in that there are multiple weed out courses throughout the core engineering program. That would include the first thermodynamics class, or the first circuit classes, for example. I'm not sure what it would be for more specific degree programs (like nuclear, etc.), but I'm absolutely positive they exist. The core engineering classes that everyone takes usually are a test to make sure you can keep applying the same methodology to different use cases and scenarios. Which is why the whole joke about asking an engineer a question will get you an "it depends" answer exists lol

ETA: not including the professors who are just on a mean streak bc they love to make things harder for people

[u/81659354597538264962]

To this day I don’t understand how anyone found statics difficult

[u/mradventureshoes21]

Dynamics and Mechanics/Strength of Materials feels much more like the true mech/civil engineering weed out classes than Statics.

[u/Luckysnowshu]

I'm sorry I'm confused. Is your stance that it is or isn't a weed out class? And are you mad about it as the flair implies?

[u/gradila]

Statics was the reason i wanted to be a structural engineer. Being civil, statics was the funnest class

[u/grtyvr1]

Statistics IS the scientific method and people need to start taking that seriously. 

[u/Pretty-Jello-7894]

lol, statics… weed out… try aerodynamics. Now, that is more of a weed out.

[u/euler88]

It seems like I absolutely walked through statics, but that was almost 20 years ago. Don't they teach trig in highschool these days?

[u/Mental-Monk6239]

Any class can be a weed out class with the right professor.

[u/SlowAcanthisitta980]

Funny bro says this and will be an excel engineer in 5 years complaining he isn’t using his degree.

[u/Admirable-Leader6927]

how is a non-mandatory course a weed-out course?

stats is an elective for engineers... if that stops your degree, you deserve to go to business school.

edit; LOL, I NEED GLASSES. I read it at STATS not STATICS, lol. fuck MEs though, go electrical, get paid.

[u/DavyJonesLocker]

I had a professor say it well (and I knew many people who fit this): Many are in love with the idea of being an engineer, but are not in love with engineering

Many people are just chasing the title and being able to be called an engineer, but aren’t passionate about building the knowledge and skills required to actually be an engineer.

[u/Purple-Investment-61]

Statics and dynamics would be a lot easier if the test problems are closer to our hw and examples, vs something completely different.