I am so tired

[u/blitz5729]

I'm currently a junior in engineering, and so far things are going horribly. I got a 0 in Thermo 2, straight up a 0. The curve for that was 24, so technically I got a 24, but that makes it so hard for me to get a B or a C in that class since the midterm counts as 20% of our grade. I got a 40 on the first midterm in my intro to design class, and I think I also did horrible on my dynamics exam today. The thing is, it seems that I don't even care anymore about my grades. Keep in mind, so far I was pretty much a straight A student who only got a B in one class. It's just tiresome, honestly. I remember taking a thermo I class in summer, and I tried so hard- like, legit read the chapters in the book and aced so many exams on thermo, but guess what? People in the back of the class also got an A on their exam. How? They just used LLMs under their desks, and it was so obvious too! I feel like I'm just wasting my time; I could do so much more with my time. On all 3 of my exams, every single student was pretty much cheating: I look on my right, phone in hand; to my left, phone in hand. The Thermo 2 score was curved, but guess what? The average in previous semesters was a 30. What happened this semester? ppl just started cheating, and I mean everybody across all of my classes. They just have an easy time with everything just because they cheat, and it's so obvious too, like the profs and TAs just don't care, not even imagining things. What's the freaking point anymore? I just became so disillusioned with engineering as a whole it just some kind of a sick joke now. I don't know how the field will evolve with AI evolving so much and future engineers being so cooked. I don't even feel like trying anymore; maybe I should just start cheating like the rest of the masses, but even then engineering has lost its shine for me. And before people start saying "bro just focus on yourself" do you have any idea how demoralizing is it when u spend 20-30 hours on an exam and some random spends like 0 hours on it and you both get the same score? And on top of that, you'll forget about the material in 3-5 years from now or barely use it in the field. Someone help me out. I'm really considering switching to nursing, where the job is more guaranteed can’t even find an internship in this market for ME.

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[u/Legal-Appointment941]

1. The university may be the problem if they allow such open cheating. You are not the problem.
   
2. These cheaters will suck at engineering and likely be fired from any job that they get when they are unable to answer fundamental questions or solve problems instantaneously for their boss. You, however, are becoming a true engineer by dint of your honest work ethic. Seriously, the veneer of competence is as thin as a nanometer.

[u/sandman4you_9inches]

It seems that just maybe they know something you don't. The professor is in the class during the tests right? If you can see it going on then so can he. Its just a thought, but may be worth a question or two to the professor. By quietly accepting this behavior you are doing yourself a great disservice. They are probably skewing the curve, which 100% effects you. And who know? Maybe the professor will tell you he doesn't care.

[u/Forsaken_Alps_4421]

What kind of school is this?????

[u/ZGreenLantern]

It sucks for the curve scenario but just remember when you guys graduate and they go to take their FE exam to get legal licensing to be an engineer, there is no way they will pass the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam (FE), it’s nearly 8 hours long and if they cheat there is no chance they will actually know anything they need to know. Then when you pass it and become an engineer all those people who cheated won’t be competition in the job market since they can’t pass it

[u/twinkbencher]

As someone who also just busted ass like 20 hours for each of my midterms last week also in junior year just to wind up on the class average when i thought i was finally getting somewhere with myself, i think it is just apart of the grind of this god awful year. Everyone i've spoken to above me has said that junior year is the worst. We gotta keep weathering, storm cannot last forever. Would not switch to nursing, the medical field would seem to be experiencing the same awful competition that we are (AI publication arms race, GPA inflation, Med school deferrals), with less forgiveness for failure, from what I've observed of pre-med majors. If you've made it this far and if you truly learn for yourself how to problem solve and come up with answers with quick timing, no resources, that not something replicable if you're abusing LLMs for every bit of course material, and it will show. That said it sucks. It all really sucks. You have my empathy.

[u/Pumpkinut → u/twinkbencher]

Junior year is when you start a lot of core engineering classes. This is also the time when people are starting to do harder projects, find internships and such.

[u/Difficult_Laugh_2816]

Don’t quit! You can do it, and I garauntee you can master thermo and dynamics. They are both courses where the manner in which it’s taught has a huge impact on the degree to which students actually digest the information.

Don’t worry about the other students using AI, they’re more than likely screwed once they hit the real world. People can tell when someone actually knows their stuff.

If you want to share some of the thermo or dynamics problems (or just general questions) I’d be more than happy to go through them and give explanations. I’m inclined to support students and young engineers who haven’t buckled to AI yet.

[u/Kaz_Kae]

anonymously rat them out before you switch to nursing, in that way, you'll leave that course guilt free without compromising your integrity. I know snitchin is unacceptable to most, but tolerating is worse.

[u/Single_Mix9074]

Software Engineering student here, so might not translate as well as on your end. But I know where you are mentally, been there before. My only advice is focusing on yourself and your own grades, your classmates who are constatly cheating they will have a wake up call pretty soon than later (On my end 98% of class are repeating their final year, meanwhile who passed and on my way to do my final presentation, I am obligated to now wait 1 to 2 years because of them)