<p>I will be a freshman in Engineering in the fall. I signed up to take Calc 1 but received a 5 on the AP Calc A/B Exam, so I can pass into Calc 2. However, I have heard that Calc 2 is very difficult at UM. Should I do Calc 2 my freshman year or the summer after at a community college?</p>
<p>If you’re Engineering I would go back to Calc I and retake that to reinforce the concepts. I took Calc AB/BC back in high school and I went back and retook Calc I and still learned stuff. I received a A- in MATH 115 and an A in MATH 116, so MATH 116 isn’t as bad as people make it out to be.</p>
<p>It depends on how strong you feel in Calculus. If you feel like you have a strong grasp of Calc 1, then go on to Calc 2. If not, go to Calc 1. I can’t tell how mathematically strong you are so you’re going to have to make that decision yourself.</p>
<p>supposedly calc 2 is the most failed class at umich.</p>
<p>^That doesn’t mean it’s that hard. It just means a lot of people take it despite being woefully underprepared/■■■■■■■■.</p>
<p>I was very surprised to have received a 5 on the AP exam, so to answer j89, i don’t think i have a solid grip on Calc 1. I think I’ll stick with Calc 1, best to have a strong basic understanding before moving on, right?</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice.</p>
<p>calc 2 is the most failed?
What about something like organic chemistry? That seems like it would be the most failed.</p>
<p>I’d imagine many more people take Calc 2 than Orgo. A lot of majors have Calc 2 as a requirement, very few have Orgo.</p>
<p>starting out in calc 1 is not the end of the world for an engineer 
it actually is what they expect engineering students to start in, so you won’t be behind.</p>
<p>in my opinion, if you aren’t too sure of yourself (although you did get a 5, way to be super modest haha), just start in calc 1. you will learn everything more in depth and see what a college math class is done. i wish i knew stats about how people did starting in calc 2, or taking it after taking calc 1 at michigan…but i don’t.</p>
<p>oh and just to clarify, i’m going to be a freshman engineer too. i felt a little down on myself after orientation because everyone was starting in like calc 3, but this is my reasoning for justifying taking calc 1.</p>
<p>haha yeah, so many people are starting with Calc 3, it definitely gives you the impression of feeling like you’re behind, but oh well. looks like Calc 1 it is!</p>
<p>Yeah I would redo Calculus 1.</p>
<p>i signed up for calc 3, but am having some second doubts. got a 5 on BC but that was liek 2 years ago, so duno… How hard is the class gernally?
Is there somewhere online where they got liek past/practice exams?</p>
<p>Was it a good idea that I decided to chose to go into calc 1 even though I placed into calc 2? I got a 5 on AP calc ab but I chose calc 1 to reinforce my knowledge. But some people are telling me that calc 1 is REALLY hard, and the class is ridiculous. Is this true?</p>
<p>The problem with Calc 1 is not that the class itself is hard (the exams are actually quite straightforward, I think), but rather that way the class is taught (by gsi’s) does not correlate to the exams. I tutored the class in the fall and the quizzes and example problems that my students got did not resemble the exams at all. Still, if you are actually good at calculus (which you should be if you got a 5), then you should get an A. Plus, the curve is usually pretty obscene (an 80 will likely get you an A), so you should be fine.</p>
<p>Calc 2 is a little bit harder (the exams are not nearly as straightforward), but the curve is accordingly even more ridiculous. I placed out of it, but my friend took it and on their final, I think the solid A (not A-) range began at around 64. And some of the questions are easy points (basic convergence/divergence, work/force, integration by parts and partial fractions, etc). If you got a 5 on AB, you should be ok here I think. Definitely at least a B, maybe an A if you work hard.</p>
<p>Will I do well if I work and study hard in Calc 1, even if I took only up to PreCalc in high school? I did well on the placement test, and am still going to take Calc 1 during my 1st semester regardless, but when I start to hear things like “It’s the most failed class at Michigan,” I get a little uneasy. Any tips for people who have no Calc background?</p>
<p>It’ll probably depend on how good you are at math. Their goal is not to try to make as many people fail as possible, they want to teach you. If you’re bad at math, I doubt you’ll suddenly get better. If you’re good at math (and perhaps were an unmotivated highschooler) then I would imagine you’d be fine.</p>
<p>Also, the “most failed” comment was directed at Calc 2.</p>