I\'m a senior in highschool and I\'ve decided to go to college to be an engineer

Question

I'm a senior in highschool and I've decided to go to college to be an engineer. I love to know how things work...I want to take things apart and see how they work, and not just know how they work, I want to understand what makes it work and how I can build something to make it work...

Everyone I talk to stresses that I take advanced math classes and as much science class in highschool as possible. But I go to a very small school and haven't been able to take any advanced math classes. The math I've taken in highschool are:
Algebra 1
Geometry
Algebra 2
Intro to College Algebra (1 semester)
Senior Math (Pre Calculus and Trig....1/2 semester each)

College Algebra was basically a review of Algebra 2, I didn't learn anything, and I've only had 2 months of Pre Calculus (class three days a week) and I have 2 months of Trig (class three days a week) so I feel like I only cover the very basics of these and never get into anything advanced. I get A's and B's in math.

Science classes I've taken:
Physical Science
Biology
Chemistry
Anatomy

I got a C in Physical Science because a) as a freshman I didn't care and I didn't try, b) I hated the teacher so I never asked for help....I don't think I learned much in that class and I wish I could retake it. Since my school is so small, I did not have the opportunity to take a Physics class, anatomy was my only choice.

Now I get A's in every class except my government class, which I have a B in.

My question is, should I still pursue a degree in engineering or will it be too difficult without any advanced highschool math classes or physics? Also, I struggle in math at times, but once I understand a concept I can easily apply it, but it's understanding them that is hard, I can't just have a formula and apply it, I feel like I must know what everything in the formula means and why it works before I want to use it.

Explanation / Answer

If engineering is what you are interested in, then that is absolutely what you should major in. You should always pursue what you love, after all you intend to do it for a long time. I wouldn't worry about the lack of opportunities you have had for challenging classes in high school - everyone going into college has had different high school experiences, so I don't necessarily think you will be behind. If you aren't feeling confident, try to take some math or physics classes over the summer at a community college, or even from an online university. I struggled with some of the math in college, but I found that my professor or TA, and sometimes fellow students, were willing to help me through it as long as I pursued their help.

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