Hey guys! Should I take pre-calc or go straight to calc I?
Pre-calc or straight to calc I?
- Thread starter Zephaniah
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I think this is going to be dependent on how strong you are in math and much you have already been exposed to in the past. If you are already strong in algebra and sohcohtoa you might be fine. I'm not really sure why you would feel the need to skip it though its easy an sGPA boost.
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trev5150
Unless you have all the trig identities in your pocket take pre or you'll get killed.
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Skip it and take stats. Unless you plan on applying to one of the extremely few med schools that require calc (ie, Harvard), there is no point. Stats will help you more and is easier.
If you do plan on applying to those crazy powerhouse top schools, do not skip precalc. Most calc courses assume you have a good working knowledge of precalc topics. You don’t want to be relearning those topics while also learning calculus.
If you do plan on applying to those crazy powerhouse top schools, do not skip precalc. Most calc courses assume you have a good working knowledge of precalc topics. You don’t want to be relearning those topics while also learning calculus.
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trev5150
For me Calc 1 and 2 were degree requirements. I basically took them at gunpoint.
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My degree is in math, so my warm up was your punishment.
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trev5150
I simultaneously respect and hate you out of jealousy. I wish my brain worked like that but math and I have had a long distance hate-hate relationship since 7th grade algebra.
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I took pre calc in high school then calculus about 10 years later during post-bacc. No problem.
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I’m pretty interested in math education. I believe that our country’s dismal showing in mathematics internationally stems from the crappy way we teach it in primary and secondary school.
ETA: I watched a math education guru teach a regular fifth grade class differential calculus. They obviously got a high level view of it, but they got it and thought it was cool.
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Agree with taking stats over calc unless it's required. Stats will help you way more...unless you need calculus based physics....
I already took stats but it’s been almost 3 years!
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You’re good then (just make sure none of the schools you want to apply to require a year of math—if they do, you can always take a more advanced stats course since calc will not really help you at all).
Thanks!
The school of my choice!
English 6 semester hours or 9 quarter hours. Writing intensive courses taught in departments other than the English department are not acceptable.
Biological Sciences 14 semester hours (12 semester hours of lecture and 2 semester hours of formal lab) or 21 quarter hours (18 quarter lecture hours and 3 quarter lab hours) as required for college science majors.
Mathematics 3 semester hours or 5 quarter hours of college Calculus or Statistics. Statistics must be taught in the Math department.
Physics 8 semester hours (6 semester hours of lecture and 2 semester hours of formal lab) or 12 quarter hours (9 quarter hours of lecture and 3 quarter hours of formal lab) as required for college science majors.
Chemistry General Chemistry - 8 semester hours (6 semester hours of lecture and 2 semester hours of formal lab) or 12 quarter hours (9 quarter hours of lecture and 3 quarter hours of formal lab) as required for college science majors.
Organic Chemistry - 8 semester hours (6 semester hours of lecture and 2 semester hours of formal lab) or 12 quarter hours (9 quarter hours of lecture and 3 quarter hours of formal lab) as required for college science majors.
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That will probably the case for most of the schools out there, I think. I’m assuming you’re applying to multiple schools, so just double check that none of them require a full year. But I think most of them only require a semester. And stats is usually mentioned specifically as fulfilling the requirement (except at a handful of schools that require either both or calculus). As long as you didn’t take some weird class from the psych department or something, you should be good across the board.
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I would definitely take pre-calc but found that it applied more to Calc II than it did to Calc I. You will have to be completely comfortable in being able to sketch and identify properties of ellipses, hyperbolas, parabolas (ch 9 in blitzed precalc book) you will need to know how to deal with both arithmetic and geometric sequences (ch 10), and you will need to be comfortable with your trig functions (ch 4) since one equation can be written 10 different ways but only one way will be the puzzle piece you are looking for. Plus, the last chapter of pre-calc (properties of limits and intro to differentiation) is really the first 1-2 chapters you will deal with in Calc I, so you will have a tremendous advantage and can use it to both get a good grade and get a head on the harder stuff. Good luck!
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trev5150
My degree had physics as two semesters of 4 credits oh algebra based physics or three 2 credit semesters of calculus based physics. This was awesome since I was able to get my physics done while I was still flailing with Calc 1 and 2. Worked out nicely.
