Handbook - Mechanical Engineering - Iowa State University

PLANNING YOUR ACADEMIC CAREER
When planning your academic career you should consider issues such as whether you would like to participate
in a co-op or internship program or study abroad. You should also be aware when technical electives are
offered and whether you will meet pre-requisites for them. In planning each of your semesters, you should be
aware that many courses in the mechanical engineering curriculum have accompanying labs and that the
number of credits awarded for a course may not reflect the amount of time you are actually in class. For
example, ME 270 is a 3 credit course. However, you will be in class for approximately seven contact hours
each week.
Do not forget to consider options like repeating a course and using designated repeat credits to your
advantage. Each student is allowed 15 credits worth of classes that they may repeat and have the most
current grade used instead of the previous grade. Talk with your advisor about judiciously using designated
repeats. Also carefully consider the consequences of dropping a course; dropping a single course can
potentially change the remainder of your semester plans. For example, if you are enrolled in EM 274, Math
166, and Phys 221, dropping Math 166 would mean you would need to drop Phys 221 and EM 274, both of
which have Math 166 as a co-requisite. An option would be to talk with your EM 274 and Phys 221 professors
about waiving the requirement for Math 166 as a co-requisite. If the professor believes that it would be fine
for you to drop Math 166 and remain in his or her course, then you would not be required to drop EM 274 and
Phys 221. On the other hand, if the professor advises you to drop the course--you should heed the advice.
Transfer credit grades are used for Basic Program and Core GPA purposes only! Transfer grades do not make a
difference to your Iowa State University cumulative GPA.
To compute your Iowa State University GPA go to the University Gradepoint Calculator located at:
www.iastate.edu/~registrar/gpa-calc/gpaCalculator.html
2009 Kiewit Undergraduate Student Services Center
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