Preparing for STEM academic courses at USMA

N

newcadet2027

Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2023
Messages
22
Hey everyone! I recently accepted my appointment to USMA class of 2027. I am unbelievably excited, but I do have some reservations about my ability to succeed academically at West Point, particularly in regard to the math/chem/physics courses.

Firstly, I am not great at math and I don't intend to pursue a major that requires a lot of math-heavy classes.

While I have been able to maintain mostly A's in my HS math courses and do well enough to receive an appointment in the first place, the COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected my performance and I did not thoroughly learn a lot of skills that help in being able to understand higher level math. Currently, as a senior in HS, I am taking calculus and finding it a lot harder to comprehend than I would like. Additionally, I attended SLE my junior year and my squad leader (who also admitted to not being the greatest at math) said that calculus was the hardest class he had ever taken and passed by a small margin. This, plus having to usually work harder than my peers to understand math in HS, makes me a bit worried. I know that being able to do well at West Point, regardless of the classes, takes a LOT of hard work, but truthfully in regards to math, I am concerned that hard work will not be enough for me to perform up to standard.

Do any current cadets (or even graduates) have any advice that would help me prepare for the STEM courses at the Academy? Are there certain topics that might be worthwhile to re-learn before I report on R-Day? Thanks!
 
While it's great that you are thinking about upcoming academics, don't over-think this. You were admitted because the selection boards see potential in you. WP wants you to succeed. You will be placed in classes based on your academic history and placement tests (primarily for math and language). WP offers cadet performance classes and AI (additional instruction) is always available. Seeking assistance when needed is key to your success. Congrats and enjoy time with family and friends.
 
I graduated eons ago and was in a similar situation as you. I was never great (not bad) at math in high school. The highest math I did in HS was pre-calc. Calc was unbelievably hard for me and I struggled a lot in it for all 3 semesters of it. If I had a do over I would start Khan academy calc and progress through it at your own pace to really understand what is going on. Learning the foundation is extremely important. You can do it, just prep before you go so you don't suffer like I did with calc and physics. I actually did great in chem! Best of luck!
 
The Academy will place you into the right level of math for your current skill set, give you professors who will bend over backwards to give you additional instruction if necessary, and 1000 classmates, of whom, many will be much better at math and a variety of other things than you that you can learn and work together on to get through the course. Be proactive and keep up the work hard attitude and you’ll be fine. Enjoy the rest of your senior year and good luck!
 
My DS 2025 received this in an email before his R-Day from WP, it's a guide to important math concepts necessary for success. I hope it's helpful'
 

Attachments

  • Required Knowledge for Entering Cadets.pdf
    117.6 KB · Views: 82
Roadking said:
My DS 2025 received this in an email before his R-Day from WP, it's a guide to important math concepts necessary for success. I hope it's helpful'
Click to expand...
Thank you for sharing. I printed it and will be sharing it with my son. Class 2027
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top