Independent study calculus

[YankeesfanZF5]

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So I am planning on taking orgo and physics 2 next semester with some psych class. I was also planning on taking calculus but my school only is offering an independent study calc 1. I know the professor well and he is extremely helpful but I really do not know a damn thing about I.S. and I am not sure if I could sit down everyday and teach myself calc. So just wondering should I should take calc next year ( just got an A in the prof trig class) or just do the I.S..... Also would like to know how medical schools feel about independent studies...especially a prereq course as an IS. Thanks

 

[bwc]

I think med schools shouldn't look down on independent study. However if you are worried that you won't be able to handle doing calc that way, then wait until it is actually a class.

 

[Ismet]

Don't worry about how med schools will view it, because they are unlikely to care or even notice.

Worry about how well you can do it. With orgo and physics, I would just wait to take the actual calc class with an instructor.

 

[moisne]

I don't think calc is a good class to IS, imo. I was damn good at math but I can't imagine myself going through fundamentals of calc on my own. I just preferred to be taught for math

 

[EvenStevens]

I don't think calc is a good class to IS, imo. I was damn good at math but I can't imagine myself going through fundamentals of calc on my own. I just preferred to be taught for math

Calc 1 doesn't cover much though
Id say if you're motivated you can do it , if you're just doing it for med school then take a class

 

[deleted393595]

So I am planning on taking orgo and physics 2 next semester with some psych class. I was also planning on taking calculus but my school only is offering an independent study calc 1. I know the professor well and he is extremely helpful but I really do not know a damn thing about I.S. and I am not sure if I could sit down everyday and teach myself calc. So just wondering should I should take calc next year ( just got an A in the prof trig class) or just do the I.S..... Also would like to know how medical schools feel about independent studies...especially a prereq course as an IS. Thanks

It's fairly doable. The tricky portion at first is limits and derivatives, but it's super-smooth sailing after that.

 

[Lawpy]

So I am planning on taking orgo and physics 2 next semester with some psych class. I was also planning on taking calculus but my school only is offering an independent study calc 1. I know the professor well and he is extremely helpful but I really do not know a damn thing about I.S. and I am not sure if I could sit down everyday and teach myself calc. So just wondering should I should take calc next year ( just got an A in the prof trig class) or just do the I.S..... Also would like to know how medical schools feel about independent studies...especially a prereq course as an IS. Thanks

Take the class. Why bother with independent study when you have a professor teaching it? Even then, you really don't need credit to self-study calculus when there are many resources like Paul's Online Math Notes and Visual Calculus that do that trick.

 

[samsonlite]

It's fairly doable. The tricky portion at first is limits and derivatives, but it's super-smooth sailing after that.

Volumes of revolution will blow your mind.

 

[EvenStevens]

Volumes of revolution will blow your mind.

Not covered in calc 1, and even then that is still manageable

 

[moisne]

Calc 1 doesn't cover much though
Id say if you're motivated you can do it , if you're just doing it for med school then take a class

Calc is the fundamentals for all higher math. Even students who take the class (some multiple times) don't seem to understand the fundamentals.

 

[YankeesfanZF5]

Thank you for the responses. I think I am going to talk to my prof and ask him more questions about the IS. I like math but I am only doing it because calc is highly recommended for med school. Not doing it for fun but I will like the challenge. To add yet another question...would it be bad not to take calc right after trig? That is what I was planning on doing but now I may have to wait until next fall to take calc...

 

[YankeesfanZF5]

Asked the prof what the class was going to be like and he said he will be teaching it like a normal class but since there is only 5 kids in calc the school has to call it an independent study. I am going to take it and get it over with.