Calc question

[tyrtuga]

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so, I got a C in calculus 1 my first semester of college. Should I retake it, or should I just review the material myself and try to get an A in calc 2? Would being proficient in Calc 2 demonstrate that I learned from my mistakes just as much as retaking the class?

 

[tea guzzling traveler]

No offense, but it doesn't sound like you are particularly good at Calculus (I'm not either if that's any consolation). I would recommend staying away from Calc 2 as that is more than likely going to turn into another sub par grade (i.e. like a B if you work hard) and most med schools don't even care whether you take Calculus or not. I would instead invest that energy in doing Stats, which is a, more useful, and b, easier to do well in.
(The one exception that I see would be if you wanted to do a DO path, in which case grade replacement would be rewarded.)

Best of luck though.

 

[StudyLater]

Getting a C is not a big deal. You can really use the search function for this sort of stuff. I'm sure there's a gazillion threads with the "I got a C in ____. Is my life over?" title

 

[deleted577188]

I'm usually not the one to tell people that they won't do well in a course, or try to scare anyone out of taking a course....but calc 2 is no joke. I'd avoid taking it unless it's for your major as @gonnif said. No one will care how proficient you are in calculus. Take stats now. It'll be more useful and some places require a statistical data analysis course along with a semester of calc usually. Plus intro/bio/life science stats is a hell of a lot easier than calc 2.

 

[Petrichor1]

if you aren't proficient in calc 1, calc 2 will be even more brutal. Just stop if you aren't going into engineering/quant-based science. Doing a huge favor telling you this; I rarely push people to not keep going but for this instance I don't see why you should keep taking the sequence.

if anything, if you want to show competency, take a biostat or stat course.

 

[Theafoni]

I got a C in Calc my first year in college as well, retook it and got an A. Just do what you think is necessary.

 

[vellez]

Taking a class that you've already taken is miserable. It's not really any easier and just feels like "busy" work. There's always the chance that you'd end up with a B...would it be worth it then?

 

[moemoekyun]

Calc 2 was probably the hardest math class I have taken (and that was through AP, I thought calc 3 in uni was a breeze). If you don't like calc, don't force yourself to do it. Just ace the other classes, you don't really need calc for anything else, at least in my experience you only need to take calculus so you can tell people you took calculus.

 

[tyrtuga]

I'm usually not the one to tell people that they won't do well in a course, or try to scare anyone out of taking a course....but calc 2 is no joke. I'd avoid taking it unless it's for your major as @gonnif said. No one will care how proficient you are in calculus. Take stats now. It'll be more useful and some places require a statistical data analysis course along with a semester of calc usually. Plus intro/bio/life science stats is a hell of a lot easier than calc 2.

Unfortunately I have to take it to complete my major lol

 

[whitemagic]

Is there any science related major that doesn't require 2 semesters in calculus?! Where were these majors when I was in college?! I hated calculus 🙁

 

[deleted577188]

Unfortunately I have to take it to complete my major lol

Me too. I switched my major from bio to chem. I got an A in calc 1 having never taken it before, but I hear calc 2 is a different story. As soon as this little class I'm taking for summer is over with in early June, I'm gonna pre-study it lightly so I'll know what's up- at least in the beginning. Plus, I haven't taken calc in a year and a half.

 

[Axes]

Calc 2 and 3 are significantly harder than calc 1, plus math builds and higher level courses are going to assume you are proficient in calc 1. Definitely don't take them. You'll never use that stuff anyway 😉

edit: just saw that you have to take it. Well, good luck man..I took BC Calc in hs and it was like reading hieroglyphics. It's doable but it takes an amount of effort that is hard to devote to something as initially boring (to many) as math