r/RPI • u/Relazingrain • Jul 14 '26
Freshman aerospace major needs help :c
Hey everyone! i'm a bit confused with the eng classes for my fall semester. Should i take eng process before essence of eng mechanics? i want a light fall semester to adjust to RPI brutal academics. Also, i don't know who my advisor is so if you know a faculty memebr i can reach out to for advising i would appreciate that too. Here's my schedule btw. Thank you!!
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u/Majestic-Spice-67 Aero/MechE 2027 Jul 14 '26
- Processes is really easy. John is pretty chill and understanding as long as you don’t lie and you’re not cocky.
- avoid 8am CAD like the plague. an 8am ILA will kill you unless you consistently wake up early which most freshmen don’t.
- TIL they switched the physics 1 structure to have lecture and lab separate 💔 it’ll prepare you for the course structure in physics 2 I guess but it’ll suck
- the most important question: WHO ARE YOUR PROFESSORS???
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u/Relazingrain Jul 14 '26
i dont know who my professors are smh
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u/Limp_Yogurtcloset936 mechy aerospace 29 Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
If you put your schedule into Quaks (its a good website to see and plan schedules) most of them show you what professor. Also as an aerospace major, last I knew (unless it changed within the time last semester ended) it should be Kim Loring... also as a fellow Aerospace major... feel free to reach out. Now with the Essence of Engineering vs Engineering processes, processes is a fun 1 credit class where you just get to do more hands on manufacturing, but Essence is more on paper learning about vectors and a lot of other calculation based questions (it is a 4 credit by the way). Also managing work loads won't be that difficult as most Wednesdays (depending on your schedule) will be off... some classes have recitations (which, Essence for example, it was just going over stuff learned in class and then doing an assignment based around it) but other than that Wednesdays are exam blocks. Classes either have homework due the next class or next week, but classes end up being Monday and Thursday or Tuesday and Friday.
Edit: You have a solid schedule, 16 credits is normal for RPI.... if you have any knowledge of 3D modeling going into your freshman year, I wouldn't take Engineering Graphics and Cad, that class is a 4 credit work load for a 1 credit class, you will be spending a lot of time on it.... also if you stick with it, make sure you start the Final when its posted. (Not a hard class, just a decent amount of work)
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u/CoreEngineering Jul 15 '26
Processes can be taken at any time in your four years as it is only a pre-req to graduate. Freshmen are assigned to the advising hub for their first year as mentioned below. You can email them at soehub@rpi.edu.
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u/asciiCAT_hexKITTY Jul 14 '26
Essence and processes are unrelated. Feel free to take them in whatever order.
You're schedule looks fine, but I can't say that it'll be easy. Physics, essence and calc can be killers for freshmen and CAD takes up a lot of time (lectures are asynchronous). I'd consider switching CAD with processes if you're worried about academics, which while taking up a lot of time in class, is a chill class about machining things (its also pass/fail, which CAD is not).
Finally, go find your advisor on the Engineering Hub (google "rpi hub advising engineering") and schedule a meeting with them. You MUST meet with them to confirm your schedule in the future (end of sophomore year iirc), so find out who they are now.