Should I take Calculus 2?

[Everett True]

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I've always been an average math student. I just finished Calculus 1 and I expect to come out of it with a B- or C+, depending on how my final went. I have a while to repair my GPA and I tore up my science classes, so I'm not too worried, but I am currently signed up to take Calculus 2 in the spring. The professor I'm scheduled to have for Calc 2 is notorious for being difficult (150 homework problems per week, average grade is 65% and he refuses to curve). My lack of math skills combined with this professor are causing me to worry that I might do a lot of damage to my GPA, so I'm considering either dropping Calc 2 before the add/drop deadline or attempting to switch into a different section.

Do most applicants take calculus? If I take Calc 1 but not Calc 2, would it have a negative effect on my application? Should I try to switch into a different section, or should I just drop it?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

 

[JESSFALLING]

I've always been an average math student. I just finished Calculus 1 and I expect to come out of it with a B- or C+, depending on how my final went. I have a while to repair my GPA and I tore up my science classes, so I'm not too worried, but I am currently signed up to take Calculus 2 in the spring. The professor I'm scheduled to have for Calc 2 is notorious for being difficult (150 homework problems per week, average grade is 65% and he refuses to curve). My lack of math skills combined with this professor are causing me to worry that I might do a lot of damage to my GPA, so I'm considering either dropping Calc 2 before the add/drop deadline or attempting to switch into a different section.

Do most applicants take calculus? If I take Calc 1 but not Calc 2, would it have a negative effect on my application? Should I try to switch into a different section, or should I just drop it?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

You don't need Calc 2 unless you're planning on applying to Harvard or Washington Univ. I recommend taking Statistics as your 2nd math course.....esp. because some schools now require it! Calc 1 + Statistics is fairly typical these days.

 

[equinsu ocha]

I've always been an average math student. I just finished Calculus 1 and I expect to come out of it with a B- or C+, depending on how my final went. I have a while to repair my GPA and I tore up my science classes, so I'm not too worried, but I am currently signed up to take Calculus 2 in the spring. The professor I'm scheduled to have for Calc 2 is notorious for being difficult (150 homework problems per week, average grade is 65% and he refuses to curve). My lack of math skills combined with this professor are causing me to worry that I might do a lot of damage to my GPA, so I'm considering either dropping Calc 2 before the add/drop deadline or attempting to switch into a different section.

Do most applicants take calculus? If I take Calc 1 but not Calc 2, would it have a negative effect on my application? Should I try to switch into a different section, or should I just drop it?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

Drop it

 

[Life Eternal]

I've always been an average math student. I just finished Calculus 1 and I expect to come out of it with a B- or C+, depending on how my final went. I have a while to repair my GPA and I tore up my science classes, so I'm not too worried, but I am currently signed up to take Calculus 2 in the spring. The professor I'm scheduled to have for Calc 2 is notorious for being difficult (150 homework problems per week, average grade is 65% and he refuses to curve). My lack of math skills combined with this professor are causing me to worry that I might do a lot of damage to my GPA, so I'm considering either dropping Calc 2 before the add/drop deadline or attempting to switch into a different section.

Do most applicants take calculus? If I take Calc 1 but not Calc 2, would it have a negative effect on my application? Should I try to switch into a different section, or should I just drop it?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

I didn't think Calc 2 was that bad, but i can see how a professor could make
it insanely difficult and tedious. Take the class with someone else.

 

[fmannan13]

Drop it

Forreal. Calc 2 is very tedious. I'm gonna get an A in it, but I know for a fact that if you get a C+ or even a B- in Calc 1, you'll probably get no higher than a C in Calc 2. It consists of a lot of concepts that take calc 1 knowledge but make it even more complicated (like trig-substitution integration). Sequences and series can be really insanely hard unless you can understand the mathematics behind them.

Most med schools don't really need calculus anyway.

 

[PantherPride]

Drop it. Only reason I'm taking Calc 2 is because my degree requires it =/

 

[idontcaureuknow]

For the sake of your GPA, drop it. I absolutely LOVED the class (and think if you really want, you should audit the class), but if your calculus fundamentals are not solid, you are not going to do well.

 

[REMMAH]

I thought calc 2 was the hardest of the three calculus classes I took.

 

[Everett True]

I've got to admit, you all told me what I wanted to hear, since I would much rather add another bio class than struggle with calculus. Thanks for the feedback, everyone. 🙂

 

[organdonor]

Some (few) med schools require a year of math. I don't think (but don't take my word for it) that they specify calc 2. Take a quick look at the schools you might want to apply to and check. If several of them require it, then take it. If none of them do, then don't.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

No don"t take it.

 

[Stumpyman]

Take stats instead

 

[nadaba]

You don't need Calc 2 unless you're planning on applying to Harvard or Washington Univ. I recommend taking Statistics as your 2nd math course.....esp. because some schools now require it! Calc 1 + Statistics is fairly typical these days.

WashU will take statistics.

 

[JESSFALLING]

WashU will take statistics.

That's a change for the better 🙂

 

[nadaba]

That's a change for the better 🙂

Definitely! Someone should persuade Harvard.

 

[Espadaleader]

5. Computational Skills/Mathematics Computational skills are required for contemporary scientific literacy. Although the calculus of derivatives and integration represents important concepts for the precise, quantifiable understanding of dynamic physiological processes and systems, a full year of calculus focusing on the derivation of biologically low-relevance theorems is less important than mastery of more relevant algebraic and trigonometric quantitative skills. Still, to prepare adequately for the quantitative reasoning demands of the contemporary medical curriculum and certain medical specialties, to provide analytic perspective and to appreciate the uncertainties in evaluation of biological systems, students are required to have familiarity with calculus. A broader and more flexible range of requirements is encouraged, however, and, given the importance of statistics for understanding the literature of science and medicine, adequate grounding in statistics is required. Rather than increasing the one year devoted to mathematics preparation, the one-year effort should be more relevant to biology and medicine than the formerly required, traditional, one-year calculus course. Flexibility will be welcome in meeting these requirements (e.g., a semester course in calculus that covers derivatives and integration and a semester course in statistics; a calculus-based physics course and another science course that includes a firm grounding in biostatistics; or, preferably, a unified two-semester course that covers important, biologically relevant concepts in calculus and statistics).
Although a formal year-long course that covers these concepts will meet the mathematics requirement, other innovative approaches (including interdisciplinary courses taught together with biology and biologically relevant physical sciences) that allow students to master these "competencies" are encouraged and will be considered.

Advanced placement calculus credits may satisfy the calculus component of this requirement (Calculus AB and/or Calculus BC). A course in statistics does not satisfy the calculus component of this requirement.

 

[Espadaleader]

This is from Harvard. They made new requirements. They want to "know" calculus but you don't need a full year. Do not take calculus II. It is not relevant. Don't think so? Ask H-Med.

 

[Drogo]

In my personal opinion, I wouldn't chance it especially being that you didn't even clear an A in Calc 1.

 

[neurotroph]

Calc 2 made me miserable, and this is coming from someone who got an A in calc 1 (though that was over a year ago). Don't take it. I would have skipped it in a second if it wasn't required for my major.

 

[gettheleadout]

As others have already noted, Calculus II is no longer required specifically by any of the three schools that required it as of ~1 year ago (Harvard, Hopkins, WashU.) The exception might be Harvard HST but they're apparently lenient with the math requirement.

For the record, I thought Cal I was really interesting and I despised a lot of Cal II. I wouldn't take it unless your major requires it.