<p>As preparation goes, high school classes on average won’t help you very much. Calc is conceptual, most stuff before it is taught in a memorizational/computational way. Just get good at the basics, and you’ll do fine (unless you suck at grasping concepts. Then you’re screwed.)</p>
<p>From a previous thread: </p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/uc-transfers/755908-skipping-pre-calc-take-calculus.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/uc-transfers/755908-skipping-pre-calc-take-calculus.html</a></p>
<p>"
I’m not a genius, but the last class I took before calculus was high school geometry, and that was around 3-4 years before I started community college. In my junior year in high school, I was home schooled, which let me “pass” the rest of the classes up to cal 1, though I wouldn’t call copying out of the back of the book passing. I got a C in geometry, and an A in cal 1. I think the main reasons were:</p>
<ol>
<li>My level of interest increased substantially</li>
<li>Relating to number 1, I study to understand the concepts. Memorization is a last resort!
-> 3. I studied a bunch of online math books (Trig for dummies, mathtv, thinkwell calculus)</li>
<li>Did all of the practice problems that were optionally assigned in calculus 1.</li>
</ol>
<p>I went into diff. calculus with a strong understanding of the trig functions and how to convert them, the basic Pythagoras stuff (And how to extrapolate more), a strong foundation of algebraic basics from highschool and mathtv, and about a month head start on everyone else (Thinkwell).</p>
<p>As long as you put in the time, have an interest in the material, have a solid foundation in the basics, have a good head start, and a teacher who doesn’t torpedo her student’s grades, you’ll get an A.</p>
<p>Here’s a tip: Study groups work best once you’ve already learned as much as you can on your own. Study like mad at home, then come to the study group/office hours with specific questions.</p>
<p>P.S.</p>
<p>I learned one, and only one thing from my first english class: Use ratemyprofessor! I’ve been stuggeling to stay above 3.7 ever since she murdered my grade. Don’t make the same mistake; especially not with math.</p>
<p>"</p>