T O P
AutoModerator

Hello /u/Preston-C123! Thank you for posting in r/EngineeringStudents. This is a custom Automoderator message based on your flair, "Academic Advice". While our wiki is under construction, please be mindful of the users you are asking advice from, and make sure your question is phrased neatly and describes your problem. ***Please be sure that your post is short and succinct.*** Long-winded posts generally do not get responded to. Please remember to; Read our [Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/EngineeringStudents/wiki/rules) Read our [Wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/EngineeringStudents/wiki/index) Read our [F.A.Q](https://www.reddit.com/r/EngineeringStudents/wiki/index/faq) Check our [Resources Landing Page](https://reddit.com/r/EngineeringStudents/wiki/resources) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/EngineeringStudents) if you have any questions or concerns.*


[deleted]

I would prefer linear Algebra, then differential equations, then statistics, but that's just based off my own difficulties lol


ddanny716

This is how my university recommends we do it


g1lgamesh1_

I would prefer linear algebra, statistics and then differential equations. But, it depends on what you are going to learn in statistics usually is inferential and discrete statistics, those aren't too complex(in engineering of course), we don't get too deep on that subject. They are 3 different subjects, non of them has nothing to do with the others if that's what you are worried about. Good luck bro.


ABEngineer2000

Differential Equations has a lot to do with linear algebra. But other than that I agree.


g1lgamesh1_

Perhaps because I never learned it that way. But I have heard some schools mix those 2 for ME or Industrial.


ABEngineer2000

Ah cool yeah makes sense, in case anyones curious it’s applicable to second order and systems of differential equations when you need to solve for eigenvalues and vectors to find solutions. As well as tricks like Cramers rule in variation of parameters when solving higher order equations which some schools may not teach.


Preston-C123

Yeah I was recommended statistics but linear algebra works better with my schedule I think I'll start there! Thank you!


Seiren-

Linear algebra first, definitely. Then the other 2 in any order.


Stucky-Barnes

I’d say Lin Algebra first. You kind of need it to solve some differential equations; but in general they’re pretty disconnected.


sqxleaxes

Full disagree that linear algebra and diffeqs are disconnected. If you learn them properly (gil strang book on differential equations and linear algebra comes to mind) you realize that much of differential equations is solving linear algebra problems for the continuous case. (At least for linear DEs.) Basically any time you have a linear operator (like d/dx, or more generally the left hand side of a linear DE) on a vector, you can find eigenvalues and express your right hand side in terms of the eigenvectors of the operator. This allows you to generalize ODEs on a single variable to PDEs, as well as to linear dynamic systems with generalized coordinates. Applying linear algebra to multivariable DEs is the basis of control theory. Apologies for the jargon-dense comment, but this stuff is all very exciting and why I wish my university had a stronger linear algebra course so I wouldn't have had to learn all this on my own.


Hina56

Don’t think it matters. I took linear algebra and differential equation classes simultaneously in one semester and the concepts covered are like A and B.


MeatIntelligent1921

take linear algebra, then stats, then DE, or you could take both linear algebra and stats at once, or stats and DE, at once, the trickiest part of stats is probability, and linear algebra might be tricky too if your prof likes proofs and stuff, I recommend the lectures of Gilbert strang on Linear algebra.


rslarson147

Diff EQ was super easy but linear algebra can suck a fat one as far as I’m concerned. No comments on statistics yet, asking me spring of 24. Order does not matter unless they are pre-reqs for other courses


PvtWangFire_

I would take linear algebra after you take diffeq. Statistics is it’s own thing and doesn’t relate to either of the other two, at least in the context that you’d learn it in school


badabababaim

Yeah statistics for engineers at my school is taught as purely a requirement for accreditation, the entire class was online, zero lectures, just textbook and short YouTube videos from the professor who set up the course 10 years ago. From what I understand this is how it is at most schools. Just a lot of effort for very little actual transfer of knowledge


PvtWangFire_

The one that I had to take for my major was very similar to a 400-level statistics class. We covered regression, anova, control charts, design of experiments, and a few other topics. It wasn't an easy class but the professor I had was clutch. I'm IE though so we have other classes that build on it


sauvy-savvy

Linear before diff eqs is very helpful, failed diff eqs because he never went over linear stuff because we « should’ve had it already. »


Dense_Cloud1100

Following


jtsCG

Doesn’t matter.. linear algebra was kinda fun


Pjtruslow

I came into undergrad with calc1 and 2. I took difeq my first semester and it was good I got it over with early when I had time to give it the time I needed. It was difficult but if I took it later I would have had less time to practice it.


Professional_Dude1

Linear Algebra isn't that bad, it doesn't involve any calculus that I can remember, you just are learning how to manipulate matrices. Statistics I never took, but I've done some statistics in other classes and it hasn't been very hard. Differential Equations is easier than all of calculus. Got an A- in that class after getting an A- in calc 1, B+ in calc 2, and a B in calc 3 If I had to choose an order of difficulty, I'd say with 1 being the easiest: 1. Differential Equations 2. Linear Algebra 3. Statistics Only reason statistic is 3 is because I never took the class in college.


Heywood_Jablome_69

Probably doesn’t matter the order. I did diffeq->statistics->linear algebra since that order worked best schedule wise.


OliverHPerry

My school allows engineering students to take Linear Algebra and Differential Equations as one combined course followed by a data analysis course that covers probability and statistics. Majors that are more directly math oriented (math, applied math, math and physics, applied physics, etc) have to take linear algebra and differential equations as separate courses. If your school offers a combined course, that would probably be best, but if not, the standard order seems to be linear algebra, then differential equations, then statistics.