<p>I was wondering if you engineering and math majors could give me some advice regarding calculus. </p>
<p>I'm trying to take calculus again because the school I am at now wont except the credits I completed at another school. So I took the placement exam but I didn't get a passing grade. You're required a 36 out of 60 and I got a 29, so the professor recommended that anyone who scored below a 36 enroll in precalculus, but it's only "highly" recommended and not required to take calculus.</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure I could have done better on it, but I didn't know what was going to be on the placement exam until right before the class, so I didn't get a chance to study. I'm sure if I did study I would have done better, I just couldn't remember any of my trig functions (e.g. tan0 = sin0/cos0 or cos/sin0 ???), and I probably would have been faster at answering questions had I been a littler more prepared.</p>
<p>So, what I'm asking is, should I stick it out and take calculus, or should I go with the professor's recommendation and take precalc instead. I've actually taken precalc and calc before, and I remember when taking calc the last time (though it was several years ago) the class consisted of mostly limits, derivatives, anti-derivatives, the chain rule, etc, but we really didn't use much trig or much of anything in precalc anyway.</p>
<p>Of course it would be safer if I took precalc instead of calc, if I didn't score well on the placement exam and I can't remember much of precalc. How much precalc do you really need to know to take calc?</p>
<p>If anyone can provide me with any words of wisdom I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.</p>
<p>I would take Precalculus. Colleges and universities have instituted these placement tests and set the minimum passing scores for them at they level they do because they have found that way too many students who signed up for courses like Calculus without a certain amount of preparation and math skills were either failing the courses or withdrawing from them. This limits the ability of the school to meet the demand for Calculus for many students who need the course and could succeed in it. State universities here in California now require students pass readiness tests in a number of subject areas before they can register for the class to minimize the number of students taking courses they have almost no chance of passing.</p>
<p>That’s a good idea ucbalumnus. Thanks. If I score better on this placement exam after studying then I’ll decide if calc or precalc is for me. Thanks Lemaitre1 too.</p>
<p>This is a no-brainer. Take Pre-Calc!!! It is better for you to take a step back and strengthen your base than take Calc I and get overwhelmed. Worse case scenario you take Calc I, get blasted and do poorly or drop. You have then wasted a semester. Don’t let your pride get you in trouble. Don’t cheat yourself, treat yourself… to PreCalc. You’ll thank us who suggested PreCalc later. Simpson’s Rule uses summations, which is a PreCalc skill which leads into the integral. If you’re not sure what sinx/cosx is which is a basic trig identity you’re going to be in trouble. You’ll be much better off in PreCalc now and start strong and confident in Calc I. Good Luck.</p>