What would be a good major for someone who is really good at fixing machines big or small yet they aren't really good with math?

You sound a lot like me - When I went to college, I went into Electrical Engineering and found out that Calculus and I really didn't get along. I transferred to a community college and got my AA in Electronics Technology, which is my suggestion to you. There is still math used for Electronics Technology, but it's not as difficult as the math for EE.

Incidentally, I got a lot more "hands-on" practical training in Electronics Technology than my friends did in EE. On the downside, 4-year engineering graduates normally make more money than 2-year technicians.

Oh, I eventually went back and got through Calculus, and got my 4-year degree.

Good luck!

Hi Spencer:
I would say that if you really want to get into engineering, your interests would fit well with mechanical engineering, however you would need to dedicate yourself to improving your math before college. You might try some advanced courses in High School to see if you can improve. If your math skills are adequate to get accepted into an engineering college, you will be ok. If you try some advanced math courses, and really don't feel like you can improve enough, you might consider engineering technology school, which is less math intensive. Do a google search on engineering technology jobs to get a feel for what might interest you.

Hope that helps. Good luck.
Troy

Hi Spenser,
I also like fixing things, and was not a strong student and fell back on my drafting designer/strengths and worked for a while until I saw the limitations of my decision. I then went to night school to get a degree. Nightschool takes a long time and is not an easy route (it took me 15 years) to get a mechanical engineering degree. Engineers use their degrees to not only fix, but improve and develope new solutions to problems.
If you like fixing machines, mechanics (especially diesel and aviation ) are well paid and require a technical degree or certificate. There are also appentership and company programs that can help with maintenance mechanics in many industries. Good luck!!

As Troy mentioned, mechanical engineering would seem to be the best fit to complement your skills in fixing machines. However, electrical engineering would seem to be a bit more suited if your interest is specific to arcade games and similar type machines. In either case, competency in mathematics would be very important in studying engineering (in electrical engineering, the math goes up to even higher levels) because the math you learn is a tool that will you will use in applying the theory to problems in mechanical or electrical engineering classes; especially in classes such as physics, mechanical vibrations, machine design in mechanical and electromagnetics, circuit analysis, digital logic design in electrical. Given all that, I would first suggest to you to think about why you want to get into engineering. Is it job security and salary that you're after? Or is it something related to a desire to get deep into the design details of the machines that you work on for your job? Answering this question honestly might provide some key insights in helping you decide if engineering is right for you.

If it turns out that you really do want to study engineering, then you would have to adjust your current mindset when it comes to mathematics. Generally, people fear mathematics for all the complex symbols that seem to be a part of the study. However, know that mathematics, in any form, is really about counting things. If you knuckle down and study mathematics, and then accept what it is telling you, you'll find that it's really no more difficult than, for example, replacing a motherboard on an arcade game. It's just different. As I'm sure was the case when you first started fixing arcade games, it wasn't easy. But, after you wrestled with it for a while, you got better at it. The same is true for mathematics and for any intellectual endeavor. If you set your mind to it, remove self-doubt, and consistently practice, you can be as good at mathematics as anybody. No matter what you decide to do, a mindset that faces the fear head-on will serve you well.

Lastly, as Troy and Mark mentioned, engineering technology is another route that could give you some career satisfaction since it way more practical and hands-on than the theory that an engineering curriculum focuses on. Do know that engineering technologists are paid less than their engineer counterparts, are not quite in demand in even stable economies, and will still require mathematics (albeit to a lesser amount) in order to complete a degree program. Good luck.