What everyone said is correct: math, math, math, and enjoy your last summer ;) You may also want to learn how to code in C++ or Fortran (yes, yes, it's ancient, but pretty much all NASA codes are written in C++ or Fortran) or even Matlab, if you have access to it.

Also, if you want to read some inspirational type books: Kelly Johnson's Memoir, the man basically invented Skunk Works. I also loved Flying the SR71, which is all about the Blackbird. It may sound corny, but Rocket Boys is my go-to book and/or movie when I feel discouraged and like I can't hack it as an engineer. And Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything" was really interesting to me.

What I found pushed me through the grueling classes, assignments, 50% on a test... was my passion for space exploration and propulsion methods. So I suggest in addition to the math and enjoying the free time you have left that you find what makes you passionate to be an engineer :). Because sometimes, at 2 am in a computer lab, after staring at the same chunk of code for 3 hours and not understanding why it doesn't seem to friggin work out... passion is all you have!

Best of luck to ya!

Digital Calipers are really cool to own.

There's that book POCKET REF which is interesting, it has all sorts of information in it, lots of specific reference tables and whatnot.

If he likes to make his own projects, a gift card or shopping spree on adafruit might be cool, you could help him get set up with kit for a new project that he otherwise wouldn't do.

If you're best friends, why not do something cool together? Spend a day at the museum (maybe there's an air and space one near you), go on a wilderness adventure, stuff like that. Experiences and memories often last longer than gifts.

A really nice pen or pencil perhaps - many people like Rotring I think - you can check out /r/edc for some pretty examples. The brass and titanium machined models are extremely nice looking.

There are also some very cool rubik's cube like puzzles if he's interested in mechanical things that would make good desk ornaments - like the mirror cube or the ghost cube.

I like my leatherman style PS as an everday multitool. It doesnt have a knife so I can carry it in schools, government buildings, on planes, etc. and I've found it extremely useful. It's also the first thing I grab when I take apart something I shouldn't be on my desk.

You could also get him a high-end fidget spinner. Again, /r/edc has many different nic-nacs that they like to play with.

Engineering paper is like graph paper, but the graph is only printed on the back of the paper (and it's printed very dark on the back). This means that you can see the graph from the front of the paper, but it's very faint and isn't distracting like graph paper normally is when you write on it. The top of it is also usually divided into 3 sections for your header, which is nice for including the date, the subject, and the page number for notes. The downsides are that it can be a bit more expensive (depending on what brand you get) and it really can only be used on one side for the most part (because the graph is printed very dark on the back).

I personally prefer the Roaring Springs pads in "buff" color (not a gross green-yellow, but a more aesthetically pleasing brown-yellow) because it's some nice quality paper with good weight to it and the pads are solid. You can buy it on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Roaring-Spring-Engineering-Enclosed-95182/dp/B001TJ5JZM), but I instead bought a full case of 24 pads for ~$120 ($5 per pad) in the middle of my freshmen year when I found the kind of paper I liked best. I've gone through about 2-3 pads a semester up to this point, which isn't terrible in terms of cost (pirate/don't buy one textbook and you come out a long ways ahead) and I get to write on nice paper.

There are also some classes that mandate you to use engineering paper, not so much in EE, but I've seen some mech e classes where the professor requires all assignments to be handed in on it. I'm guessing it mostly is for assignments with drawings and such included, since the graph background on the paper would make the drawings neater to look at. It's also pretty great for math notes/assignments, since it makes graphs easy without the super thick lines of most graph papers.

I can't help with MATLAB much, but with Java I'd recommend a couple things.

For books, The Java Programming Language, from the creators of Java is an excellent resource. Another book that is not specifically Java related that I recommend is The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master, as it is a great book on programming practices and good things to know. I've read or looked at a bunch of the books by the Pragmatic guys and they are all really good if you ever get into other languages as well.

In general though for all programming, the most practical way to learn is to start with simple problems that interest you, or maybe ones from sites like Project Euler and just learn by doing. There are lots of great tutorials online, and if you ever get stuck, Google and Stack Overflow are your friends.

I learned C through a class, not a website, so unfortunately I don't know of any specific good ones from experience (at UVic, our first programming class is in C. I already knew how to code in other languages, although for about 90% of people there it was their first coding experience). Some quick Googling shows a lot of sites are unfortunately not great for bare beginners (even though some of them try to be).

This one seems okay: http://aelinik.free.fr/c/

There's also this one, but it seems to jump in a little too quickly, so it's maybe a little better-suited to people who already know another language (unless you're good at learning that way): http://www.cprogramming.com/tutorial/c-tutorial.html

But actually, the best tutorial I know of is in a book rather than online: The C Programming Language (Dennis Ritchie, one of the authors, is actually the guy who created C in the first place). Even if you do want to do an online tutorial it could still be a useful resource to have. Yes it's a little expensive (unless you're fine with a pdf copy you "found" somewhere, wink wink nudge nudge), but if you become a serious C programmer then you might want to have a copy anyway - a lot of C programmers will have this book next to them as they code because it's a great reference resource.

/r/mechanicalpencils

People will recommend the Rotring, of course, but I find the Pentel Graphgear 1000 to be a nicer pencil for a fraction of the cost of the 600, and it has a retractable tip. Pretty much anything by Pentel is good. The Rotrings to be fair are good pencils - the rapid pro has the retractable tip and is really portable, but again, that Rotring price tag.... You could buy a full trio of 0.5/0.7/0.9 in Pentel graphgear for that money.

Other contenders are the Kuru Toga - I really like the "metal" (actually half metal) Kuru Toga Roulette (https://www.amazon.com.au/Mechanical-Pencil-Kurutoga-Roulette-Metaric/dp/B004OHNTVC), but I consider the lead rotation to be a gimmick. They're worth buying despite that, though. The Staedtler 925 is also a decent pencil.

The FE is actually pretty easy with like a 75% pass rate. I took the test two years after graduation with about two weeks of studying and passed (mechanical engineer with a strong gpa).

You HAVE to get the official reference manual. You get this in the actual test and the more you are familiar with it the easier it is to find the relevant equations. That's like half the test--plugging numbers into the relevant equation. I used this review book and felt it did a good job.

Good luck and don't sweat it. Study through the main sections and make sure you understand basic math and physics.

A calculator: TI36X Pro, Casio fx-115ES PLUS, or HP 35s (these are the 3 best calculators allowed on the FE and PE)

If you get a graphing calculator, either get the TI-84 Plus C (which can be used any time graphing calculators are allowed), or get an HP Prime or TI Nspire CS CAS (which are WAY more powerful and useful).

Pencils: Pentel Graphgear 1000, Pentel Kerry, or Rotring Rapid Pro (include an eraser such as the Sakura Foam Eraser). The rapid pro pen is also pretty popular. 0.5mm led is more popular than 0.7mm.

Engineering paper.... especially with some pressboard report covers. They make nice notebooks (albeit expensive), and pair really really well with looseleaf textbooks.

A whiteboard and markers.

a copy of K&R2.

Pricey: a nice soldering station, a multimeter, or a used oscilloscope (such as a Rigol DS1052e).

^^^\The ^^^HP ^^^is ^^^more ^^^expensive ^^^because ^^^it's ^^^targeted ^^^at ^^^professionals, ^^^rather ^^^than ^^^students.

Recent ChE graduate here. I made it out alive so you can too. Here's my list:

1. Read this book by Cal Newport. I can't highly recommend his work enough. In the interest of full transparency I finished my degree before I was introduced to Cal, so I only got to take advantage of his methodology during my last semester. However, it worked fantastically and I can only imagine how much better my other 7 semesters would have been if I found it sooner.
   
2. Use chrome extensions like Chrome Nanny and Stayfocusd to help yourself keep on task. If you don't use chrome, get on it.
   
3. Talk to upperclassmen. This may seem kind of odd, but they learn so much over the years being there that they can prove to be one of your best resources. Do you think most of the answers on /r/engineeringstudents come from freshmen? Go and talk to them. They can give you hyperspecific examples of how to excel because they've done the exact same classes you have.
   
4. Go to office hours. I've had plenty of professor's that outright admitted to me that they are biased towards students that actually attend their office hours and are that much more willing to help you out. Instead of being like the other students who are bitching and moaning saying "that's not fair, they shouldn't play favorites blah blah blah!!" do the smart thing and take advantage of it. Think about it, he/she is setting aside time SPECIFICALLY for you. Take advantage of it. Work on the assignment before you go and have specific questions. This could be the most important part of office hours. Don't just show up expecting it to be handed to you. At least make an attempt and they will shower you with help.
   
5. This may be the most important one so listen up. DO! THE! WORK!! Don't get caught up in that "just one more" mentality. There will never be one single lifehacker article, lifestyle design blog, or reddit post that will change your life (this one included). There are no shortcuts to the things that matter most in life. If you really want it, then go out and get it. No "Top Ten Tips For Beating Procrastination" blog post will magically turn you into a straight A student. If it was that easy everyone would do it. Engineering is difficult. That's why we do it. Plain and simple. At the end of the day every little "tip" and "trick" is just that... a trick. If you don't really want it, it's not for you. It's probably not what you want to hear and I might get downvoted for it, but it's what you need to hear. Spring semester junior year I got an average of 4.77 hours of sleep a night (including weekends and spring break). I've spent 10 hours in a room staring at a problem, only to walk away with three lines done and having to come back the next day for more. There is no substitue for just plain hard work and determination and you've got to be willing to do it.
   
   
   tl;dr: Seriously? You want a two sentence summary? GTFO! If you are so lazy you can't be bothered to read something this short, drop out now. There are no shortcuts for the things that matter in life.

You cannot have enough engineering paper. It is a bit more expensive than normal paper, but it makes drawing free-body diagrams and the like much easier. And the lines make graphing easier as well. And, as a plus, it's easy to get assignments returned in non-engineering courses because your paper is likely the only one that's going to be this shade of green.

And while we're at it. Only use the green paper. Nobody likes that putrid yellow crap.

I should probably add that my statics/solids/dynamics professor loved this shit and I might have been indoctrinated a bit into the Cult of the Paper.

Great post. After a subpar performance in my first term of engineering, I knew something had to change so I picked up this book the other day to hopefully give me some insight on improving my second term. Some of the OPs points that came up were definitely in the book. The book simply helped some light bulbs switch on in my head and hopefully it can do the same for you.

Anyway if you have some free time, the book is relatively short and I suggest you check it out if you need help with being organized and studying.

The book is called

How To Become a Straight-A Student

The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less

http://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/0767922719/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/186-5706736-8151527

Good question, good answers so far. I'd also recommend To Engineer is Human by Henry Patroski for a thorough look into that question, the design process in general, and what elevates the truly great engineers from the good ones.

I always recommend these books to first year
students:

• How to become a straight-A student
  
  
• How to win at college
  
  The author also has a good blog. Best of luck, things are going to get harder.

Definitely split up the load and take classes over the summer. I often hear people say Calculus II is the hardest of the EPIC MATH TRILOGY. I certainly agree. If you've done well in Calc I and II and have a notion of what 3d vectors are (physics should of covered this well) then you'll have no problem with Calc III (though series' and summations can be tough).

Differential equations will be your first introduction to hard "pure"-style math concepts. The language will take some time to understand and digest. I highly recommend you purchase this book to supplement your textbook. If you take notes on each chapter and work through the derivations, problems, and solutions, you'll be golden.

In my experience, materials is not math heavy for ME's. All of my tests were multiple choice and more concept based. It's not too bad.

Thermodynamics and Engineering Dynamics will be in the top three as far as difficulty goes. Circuits or Fluids will also be in there somewhere. Make sure you allow plenty of time to study these topics.

Good luck!

Paper doesn't matter much to me I just like off-white paper. However, I do like to have a nicer pencil. The one I currently like is this one most people might see it as pricey for a pencil though. Like all supplies it is a preference. Try things out find what you like but, do not think too hard about it. You'll have a much better time thinking about other things like reading a chapter from your textbooks so lecture isn't your first exposure. Coming from someone who use to obsess over things like this vs my actual course work.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001J87JTM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_x7vDDbBMR1SHM
I don’t know if this is exactly what you’re looking for, but I use it for all of my notes. As long as the piece is left in the pad the lines are pretty visible and once removed it just looks like you write pretty straight

I was a long time user of the Pentel Clear Point series until I discovered the Uni KuruToga. I made the switch and I love using them. They feel a lot better to write with and there aren't any fading issues when I write with them thanks to the self rotating mechanism. The basic KuruTogas are okay but if you are uncomfortable with feeling the rotation as you write, these http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004OHNR0A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 will make you see how well the KuruTogas are. The metallic feel is great and you don't feel the rotation mechanism when you write.

I love engineering paper. I must have 20 pads of the stuff floating around between my apartment, office, and the 5 or so labs. I hated having to use it in undergrad, but it's just so goddamn handy that I ended up getting addicted to it. 1" and 0.2" grid lines, and a nice header space.

I'm also addicted to these things for research work that needs to be properly documented in a bound notebook. I know it's not much different than a standard composition notebook, but the heavyweight paper and cover are durable and just generally awesome.

I’d like to recommend “Unwritten laws of engineering”. Great little book detailing workplace dynamics, accountability, and how to be an integral part of an engineering department. Here’s the amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Unwritten-Laws-Engineering-Revised-Updated/dp/0791801624?crid=1MCO22MGNU72H&keywords=unwritten+laws+of+engineering&qid=1536126994&sprefix=unwritten+&sr=8-1&ref=mp_s_a_1_1

FE Review Manual: Rapid Preparation for the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam is what you'll want. It's pretty extensive and should allow anyone to pass.

Being out of school for three years means you should definitely give it a thorough read. For someone fresh out of school, it's not necessary. You'll pick it back up quick for sure though.

>I have some questions about courses andsubjects for computer engineering ( Software Engineering)

CE and SWE are....a little different so I'll just talk to both a little bit.

CE is closer to Electrical Engineering specializing in Computers so you'd take more hardware oriented courses. Most CE curriculums [I've seen] take you through Circuit Theory, Electronics, Digital Systems, Signal Processing, Computer Organization (aka CPU design), Computer Networks, Embedded Systems, etc.

SWE is closer to applied computer science and is more about building applications and the software development process. So you'd start going through a lot of the early Comp Sci courses (Intro to Programming, Language Processors, Data Structures and Algorithms, Operating Systems, etc.) then you'd start leaning towards topics more closely related to building an actual piece of software like Software Project Management or Quality Assurance.

>Are they any books that you recommend to a complete noob ? Internet links ?

Who reads books?

• The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master (how to approach software development and become a better software developer)
  
• Mythical Man Month (an analysis of software project management)
  
• HackerRank // Code Academy (up some basic programming skills)
  
  Other Tips:
  
  

  Teach. Yourself. Git.
  

  
  Video Tutorials:
  
  

• Command-Line Fundamentals (30:32)
  
• Learn Git in 20 Minutes (17:52)
  
• Advanced Git Tutorial (59:06)
  
  Articles & Websites:
  
  
• Interactive Git Tutorial
  
• Git Command Documentation
  
  • Getting Started Git Basics (pictures, explanation of what git is, etc)
    
• Git - The Simple Guide (with pictures)
  
• Git for Beginners (with pictures)

If you mean this one, then YES, it is an EXCELLENT book. Highly recommended.

I looked at the free pages on Amazon and it does seem a bit wordier than the physics books I remember. It could just be the chapter. Maybe it reads like a book; maybe it's incredibly boring :/

If money isn't an issue (or if you're resourceful and internet savvy ;) you can try the book by Serway & Jewett. It's fairly common.

http://www.amazon.com/Physics-Scientists-Engineers-Raymond-Serway/dp/1133947271

As for DE, this book really resonated with me for whatever reason. Your results may vary.

http://www.amazon.com/Course-Differential-Equations-Modeling-Applications/dp/1111827052/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372632638&sr=1-2&keywords=differential+equations+gill

If your issue is with the technical nature of textbooks in general, then you'll either have to deal with it or look for some books that simplify/summarize the material in some way. The only example I can come up with is:

http://www.amazon.com/Div-Grad-Curl-All-That/dp/0393925161/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372632816&sr=1-1&keywords=div+grad+curl

Although Div, Grad, Curl, and all That is intended for students in an Electromagnetics course (not Physics 2), it might be helpful. It's an informal overview of Calculus 3 integrals and techniques. The book uses electromagnetism in its examples. I don't think it covers electric circuits, which are a mess of their own. However, there are tons of resources on the internet for circuits. I hope all this was helpful :)

I'm an EE, but I use this book any time I don't have access to the Internet. Bought it as a joke (Mythbusters used to talk about it all the time), but ended up loving it!

http://www.amazon.ca/Pocket-Reference-Edition-Thomas-Glover/dp/1885071620

I took the FE Electrical and Computer exam on Sat, Feb 27 and just found out today that I passed so I might be able to help you with studying for it

I started studying around the beginning of February.

1. Like marvellousmedicine said, you most definitely want to look at the reference book they supply you. You will have it on the test and it's good to know where everything is in it. The reference manual is almost 300 pages long so it's good to know which keywords to type to get to the section you want to be in. The test is computer based now so the screen will be split between the reference manual and the actual test. (you can ctrl+f the book)
   
2. I went through Lindeburg's FE Review Manual and the Other Disciplines Review Manual. My roommate rented the first book and it was a lot cheaper a month ago. My school's library had the Other Disciplines Review book that I could check out (for free). So your school might even have the first one as well. The reason I looked at the Other Disciplines Review book was because it had some other electrical sections that the first didn't have. There are also a lot of sample questions in the Lindeburg books. I would go through the sections and try to do the sample questions only using the FE Reference Manual as that will all you get to use on the test. The Lindeburg books are outdated. They were made before they changed the format in 2014 but the content and questions are still good.
   
   In the back of the FE Reference Manual they have all the topics that will be covered by the test as well as how many questions for each topic. The questions are terribly difficult and I didn't think they were trying to trip you up. I am more interested in power so the computer, communications, signals topics gave me the most trouble. If you have any more questions feel free to ask me.
   
   edit: here's what on the Electrical Exam and the Other Disciplines book is not worth whatever price is listed below. The electrical sections I looked at spanned maybe 30-40 pages. I would only look at it if you can get it from the library.

I have had this pencil for FOUR years. I gave the other one to my EE buddy because he kept trying to take mine. It makes such sweet sweet lines. :)

Also, get this eraser. I haven't used a better one in my life. It erases so beautifully. :)

Here's a comment I made on someone else's post a week or two ago.

I took the Electrical/Computer FE in early Feb. I believe the key to studying for the new CBT FE is to use the FE exam specifications for your discipline as a study guide. The focus of the CBT FE is significantly different than the old paper-based FE. In the old version, the morning session was a very broad assessment of the fundamentals of engineering and the afternoon session was dedicated to your discipline. The CBT FE is tailored to your discipline, both the morning and afternoon sections, and goes deeper into your discipline topics than the previous exam. I used the FE Review Manual, which is based on the old exam, for the majority of my studying. The old exam was more breadth than depth, so that book doesn't cover everything that you may encounter. I pulled out my old textbooks to fill in any gaps. Because the CBT FE is still pretty new, I doubt there are any updated review books out there yet.

NCEES has a series of youtube videos that describe the experience, which is very close to what I saw on exam day. Expect to leave the test feeling like you failed, it's meant to be difficult.

The 'reusable writing pad' is a little annoying because the pen writes much thicker than a pencil. But other than that, I don't think you'll notice much difference between taking the CBT and any other paper-based exam.

The reference material is a searchable PDF that displays on half the screen. Download the reference manual from NCEES ahead of time and get familiar with what is and isn't included.

You'll do the first 55 questions then review and submit them. After you submit them, you won't be able to revisit them again. Then you have the option to take a 25-min lunch break before starting the next 55 questions. I ended with about 20 minutes remaining.

My basic strategy: Easy questions first, then the ones inside my concentration area, then the ones outside. You'll usually know in the first 30 seconds or so whether you know enough to answer the question (being familiar with what's in the reference manual helps with this).

There is an option to flag questions for review. But when you get to the end of the section it'll also tell you which questions have not been answered. So don't use it whenever you skip a question. Use it to tell yourself that you're not confident in the answer you've selected so you can return to it if you have time.

Hope that helps.

Same here I'm staring my 3rd year in ME. I've got a TI NSPIRE CX CAS (my school allows it during exams). It does 2D and 3D graphs, it s rechargeable, in color, programmable and does pretty much everything. There s a nice solve function to automaticaly solve equations (even with multiple variables). It also comes with a desktop sofware.

For anyone getting into programming, I strongly recommend The Pragmatic Programmer

This is a little more specific, but if anyone is working with .Net, I'm currently reading CLR Via C# and I think it's amazing.

This Pentel 0.5mm was my girl for the last 2 years of school. Definitely a great one on a budget.

TOPS Engineering Computation Pad, Quad Rule, Letter Size, Green Tint, 100 Sheets per Pad (35500) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001J87JTM/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_zBXaub079D154


If you can find the white kind I recommend it.

FE Review Manual
http://www.amazon.com/Review-Manual-Preparation-Fundamentals-Engineering/dp/1591263336/ref=sr_ob_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1368737700&sr=8-4

I used this book extensively to prepare for the exam. I think I did about 4 full practice exams before I did the actual test. I ended up passing the first time I took it. I highly recommend this book because it also is an excellent reference for all things engineering later on in your life.

If you want an absolute beast of a calculator, I recommend the TI-nspire CX Cas.

It can do anything and everything. It has gotten me through many classes. It can do Complex/Imaginary matrix operations, can graph 3D functions, can solve ODE's, and you can program it to accomplish various tasks.

Just recently bought the new nspire cas. Still getting used to it but man is it sweet. Much more modern and easier to use than my 89 that went missing one day

Casio FX 115ES Plus. I've been using it for a while its saves me a lot of time when doing multiple cross products and solving simultaneous equations (because you know, aintnobodygottimefothat!). It also has more features that you would find helpful. Another contender is the TI-36X Pro (recommended here quite often although I've never used it).

The Yellow Book

Also, second to Mountebank. From what I've heard it helps a ton to be familiar with the reference book and to be familiar with whatever calculator you plan to use. It will save you a buttload of time knowing where to find what you're looking for as opposed to flipping through a million pages trying to find a single equation.

There's a book called Div, Grad, Curl and All That, here is an Amazon link. It's an informal approach to vector mathematics for scientists and engineers and it's pretty readable. If you're struggling with the math, this is for you :) All their examples are EM too.

It's also a good idea to get a study group together. The blind leading the blind actually do get somewhere. :)

From Amazon.com:

Product Description
Advanced, four-line scientific calculator, with higher-level math and science functionality, that is ideal for computer science and engineering courses in which graphing technology may not be permitted.


I used this on all the way through my bachelor and continue to use it during my master and at work:
https://www.amazon.com/Casio-fx-115ES-Engineering-Scientific-Calculator/dp/B007W7SGLO/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1486830009&sr=1-1&keywords=Casio+fx-991

YES!!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001TJ5JZM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Some good writing implements will be useful, you'll be doing a lot of writing in the next four year.

some of my favorites are:

Kuru-Toga Roulette

Pentel GraphGear 1000

or, If you want to kill 5 birds with one stone, the Uni-Jestream 4&1 is a solid choice.

This is the yellow engineering pad. Slightly more expensive. 100% worth the extra price.

The buff paper is nice and thick it doesn't feel like I'm writing on tissue paper and it's very mistake friendly since erasing doesn't tear a hole straight through it.

If you haven't read it already...

http://www.amazon.com/Skunk-Works-Personal-Memoir-Lockheed/dp/0316743003

It depicts Kelly Johnson from Ben Rich's point of view. A great read.

http://www.amazon.com/Roaring-Spring-Engineering-Inches-95182/dp/B001TJ5JZM/ref=sr_1_1?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1417909218&sr=1-1&keywords=engineering+paper+buff

Get him this engineering paper instead. It's a nice crisp paper, and it's a 'buff' color that makes it really easy to find your assignments in a stack of green tissue paper. There's only one student in my classes who has it and I envy him every time I'm trying to find my graded work in a stack of paper.

Not sure if this counts as a book precisely, but Feynman's lectures on EM are free online!

I'm actually far more into the subatomic physic and aerospace side of electrical engineering so that's been my main focus. I'm currently (slowly, and not doing the homework problems) going through this look into everything JPL has been doing in regards to electric propulsion: "Fundamentals of Electric Propulsion: Ion and Hall Thrusters."

Mulling over your question, I should specify that I read educational books aimed toward a technical audience but probably wouldn't be considered "technical" themselves. These were my last three:

• Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military by Neil deGrasse Tyson
  
• The Evolution of Useful Things by Henry Petroski
  
• To Engineer Is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design

I've got both the Uni Kurutoga Roulette and the Pentel Graph Gear 1000. Both are great buys, but I prefer the 1000 because the Kurutoga has a little bit of bounce to it when you press it down. Couple either of them with diamond infused led and you wont have to worry about breaking while writing.

I had a hard time getting through dif eq also, because the book was unreadable (to me). I also hate reading anything by Hibbler. The Munson fluid mechanics book is... barely tolerable. When that happens, I tend to look, with more vigor than usual, for other sources. Dif eq: I was lucky, and our tutoring center has dif eq tutors. Fluids: I found a wonderful lecture series done by UC Irvine OpenCourseWare. Hibbler... well, I've been S.O.L. on that so far. Generally, I also try to find a solutions manual. If I'm having a terrible time with a problem, I work through it and check myself each step of the way. I often try to find a different book, too. The only reason you need the required book is so you know what to look for in your chosen book.

I recently discovered there is a very highly-rated dif eq book available used on Amazon for about $13, so I ordered it in the hopes that it will be readable, as I now need to brush up on dif eq and can't stand the book we used in class.

Here is a decent tutorial for c++ and others programming languages: http://www.tutorialspoint.com/cplusplus/index.htm

This is the book that i learned c with. I think theres a free pdf online if you google for it: http://www.amazon.com/The-Programming-Language-2nd-Edition/dp/0131103628

I used Lindeburg's book.

In retrospect, it wasn't terribly useful except for an ego boost in some topics and really identifying what I was weak in. That being said, if you're doing reasonably well in school you should be fine for the FE. What I would do is review for your discipline specific exam. I didn't cover much for mine in school (Mechanical; didn't learn much, if any, HVAC stuff at school).

Div, Grad, Curl, and All That is a good way to shore up your knowledge of vector calc.

I'm a Kuru Toga man myself, but yeah. I take my notes in OneNote, do plebe writing with a Uniball Vision, but take tests in pencil

Go with the brand you're most used to. Since it sounds like you use a casio, you'll want this guy.

Amazon Link

It's a special kind of paper that some of your homework and lab reports will require you to use. Primarily used after freshman year I think.

Just picked this up. The body is plastic but the grip and tip are aluminium, and it seems to write well in the few days that I've used it so far. Tiny little eraser, but I normally carry a mars plastic eraser around.

• Vector Calculus, Linear Algebra and Differential Forms: A Unified Approach
  
  
• Div, Grad, Curl, and All That: An Informal Text on Vector Calculus
  
  
• Multivariable Mathematics: Linear Algebra, Multivariable Calculus, and Manifolds
  
  
• Advanced Calculus of Several Variables (Dover Books on Mathematics)
  
  
• Calculus of Several Variables (Undergraduate Texts in Mathematics)

Uni Mechanical Pencil, Kuru Toga Roulette Model 0.5mm, Gun Metallic (M510171P.43) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004OHNTVC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_CYUgAb0F28VAW


FYI it's under $8 on amazon. I'm not sure if you think the quality is different but I really liked the one I had. I lost it, so now this bad boy is on my Christmas list.

http://www.amazon.com/Ordinary-Differential-Equations-Dover-Mathematics/dp/0486649407

Ordinary Differential Equations by Pollard and Tenenbaum (Dover)

Someone else recommended the book by Zill, don't waste your time, it's a piece of garbage, just another Pearson money grab.

torrent this: http://www.amazon.com/Review-Manual-Preparation-Fundamentals-Engineering/dp/1591263336/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376785342&sr=8-1&keywords=fe+review

and just make sure you are familiar with formula book

No I don't think so. You will want a scientific calculator that preferably has complex numbers and calculus functions integrated into it. Something like this is ideal. https://www.amazon.com/Casio-fx-115ES-Engineering-Scientific-Calculator/dp/B007W7SGLO?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_3

Either small (1.5" or less) 3-ring binders full of engineering paper or just a flip notepad of engineering paper alone. Easy to organize and categorize and having a grid is invaluable for drawing sketches, graphs, and tables. And it's green!

I used this book: http://www.amazon.com/Review-Manual-Preparation-Fundamentals-Engineering/dp/1591263336

I focused on stuff in that book that looked less familiar to me, but ultimately went through every chapter the Mechanical discipline would cover. I worked out practice problems and studied the theory behind everything.

Overall, I spent about 2 weeks of light studying and 1 week of hard studying. I allotted a good portion of my winter break to studying, and it was worth it because I handily passed the exam. I did not think it was too tough.

they have it on amazon for cheaper. kuru toga roulette: accept no substitutes.

I second this. If it is allowed it is THE best calculator to have.

https://www.amazon.com/Texas-Instruments-Nspire-Graphing-Calculator/dp/B004NBZAYS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1539915403&sr=8-3&keywords=nspire+cx+cas

​

Though if you plan on taking the state licensing exams it might ruin you as graphing calcs aren't allowed on those tests.

K&R C on Amazon (or there are PDFs everywhere):

http://www.amazon.com/C-Programming-Language-2nd-Edition/dp/0131103628

http://www.amazon.com/Thermodynamics-Engineering-Approach-Yunus-Cengel/dp/0073398179/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463076103&sr=8-1&keywords=thermodynamics

http://www.amazon.com/Thermodynamics-Engineering-Approach-Yunus-Cengel/dp/0073398179

Also, this book is a 10/10. I ended up buying it after the course it has come in handy in other classes! https://www.amazon.com/Thermodynamics-Engineering-Approach-Yunus-Cengel/dp/0073398179/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479955250&sr=8-1&keywords=cengel+thermodynamics

https://www.amazon.com/Thermodynamics-Engineering-Approach-Yunus-Cengel/dp/0073398179

C# is a way less complex language than C. It's more strait forward to debug. Also it's object oriented. If you think you know C you'll be cranking out C# in a few hours. Also C# also requires you to be less anal about memory.

https://www.amazon.com/Programming-Language-Brian-W-Kernighan/dp/0131103628
https://www.amazon.com/21st-Century-Tips-New-School/dp/1449327141

Ordinary Differential Equations By: Morris Tenenbaum, Harry Pollard. Under $20, got me an A in my ODE class.

http://www.amazon.com/To-Engineer-Is-Human-Successful/dp/0679734163

http://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Donald-Norman/dp/0385267746

This.

http://www.amazon.com/How-Become-Straight-A-Student-Unconventional/dp/0767922719

Read this book

Get the FERM for http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591263336 .

It is slightly out of date given the new CBT format but PPI has a list online of the chapters you need to study for the test. The new Mechanical specific book is $150, covers slightly more material (that doesn't make a difference since the FE is so easy), and does cover the new test.

http://www.amazon.com/Review-Manual-Preparation-Fundamentals-Engineering/dp/1591263336/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1415862515&sr=8-2&keywords=fe+exam+electrical

Download the NCEES Reference Manual from their website.

Buy the FE Review Manual

They also have a discipline specific review manual for chemical.

Pocket Ref 4th Edition

http://www.amazon.com/National-Computation-Notebook-Inches-43648/dp/B00007LV4B/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421644235&sr=8-1&keywords=lab+notebook&pebp=1421644237150&peasin=B00007LV4B

I bought a couple of these for my labs:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00007LV4B/ref=oh_o02_s00_i00_details

Pentel P205 (0.5mm)

http://www.amazon.com/Tops-Engineering-Computation-Sheets-TOP35502/dp/B001E6BXM8

I've only even used green, and I've seen white paper once.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004OHNR0A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've been trying to justify one of these, myself.

Same calc that I have but I paid around $12 at Walmart. Does everything you need to do that doesn't require complex graphing or data analysis (at that point you should be using Matlab anyway).

This is the one I use: Casio fx-115ES PLUS
$13 and does 99% of what I need it to do. Anything it can't do I just plug into Wolfram Alpha.

Semi-related to the engineering mindset, this is a really excellent pamphlet/book thing originally from the 60s that contains a lot of timeless advice about being a good engineer:

"The Unwritten Laws of Engineering" by W.J. King

There's a bunch of different versions of it, but here is Amazon and a complete PDF

As much as the title bothers me, (they're literally written laws!!) when I feel frustrated by homework, professors, managers, or other sources of friction in engineering, I like to pick this up and remind myself of my place in the system.

Unwritten Laws of Engineering definitely helps you understand, and transition into, your professional role.

*edit: I guess it has engineering in the title, but there's no math! I swear.

No no, it's not about quantity, it's about quality. Do yourself a favor and pick up a Kuru Toga .5mm:

​

https://www.amazon.com/Mechanical-Pencil-Roulette-Metallic-M510171P-43/dp/B004OHNTVC/ref=sr_1_4?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1542597860&sr=1-4&keywords=kuru+toga

​

Been using mine for 3 years now.

Sounds like the problem was with your learning environment, not you. Getting started with programming is very tough at first; you need all the advantages you can get. But I see a number of things in your post that are serious disadvantages:

• C++: Too much complexity, arcane compiler error messages, requires lots of skill and knowledge to debug, many powerful yet dangerous features you will stumble across before you are ready. NOT a good first language, especially if you don't have a great mentor.
  
• Restricted access to the IDE: hopefully you downloaded a free IDE and practiced a lot at home...
  
• Lackluster book / instructor: this is very important; you need better resources here. I would suggest you dedicate your summer to mastering K&R C. Your mentor would be an online forum of your choosing, such as stackoverflow or r/learnprogramming.
  
  Stick with it! Things get a lot less scary / frustrating once you develop a solid foundation!

Go through every chapter and the complete the problems and practice tests of this book:
FE Review Manual: Rapid Preparation for the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam, 3rd Ed

After a month of doing that, I actually finished an hour early on the first half of the exam. I miscalculated the time.

this is the book. I had to have it for all homework and classwork. The book itself was ~$650 and the property tables that was required was ~$50. Amazon didn't have it at the time and I panicked and bought it at an off campus bookstore since the professor had homework due the next class period. Since the book was new, as in published that year, no place around me had used editions. So yep, dumbass over here threw down ~$700 for a book. Thankfully the professor said the book would be used throughout the rest of my heat courses (hopefully).

Buy a shit ton of this and a sponge to mop up your tears.

How is this the top comment? He offers poor advice on grades and no advice on OP's question.

A 65 and 73 are likely equivalent to a C and C+ in your average curved course. Last time I checked, top companies have strict cut offs of at least a 3.0, and for good reason.

> I don't understand what the problem is.

It's twofold. The problem is he doesn't understand the material enough to apply his knowledge effectively. The problem is also he has shitty grades, which equals less job prospects.

>Nobody grades you in the real world, bud.

Yes, because instead of grades you get a finished product. And a 65 on a work project is the equivalent of screwing up a stress/strain analysis. And when you fuck up people die.

OP-you're likely not studying efficiently and/or effectively. Look at Cal Newport's blog and books. He has some great advice on how to study well. You may also want to look into some relaxation exercises as you seem to get very anxious. At the very least you should be doing practice problems until it's practically second nature.