Calc 2 vs Calc 3 level of difficulty

I am currently taking Calc 2 at my community college (possible computer science major) and it is brutal because there is a lot of integration involved but I wonder how the next class compares to it. How hard are the topics in Calc 3 compared to Calc 2? Some of my friends say that Calc 3 was harder for them, but other people say it’s less difficult. Overall which of these classes would you say is harder?

Like most things, it’s a matter of personal preference.

Personally, I found Calc III to be a lot easier than Calc II. I also gave up on getting the class at a convenient time, and made sure the professor was the same one I had for Calc I.

there’s integration in calculus 3. It is more difficult in my opinion because you’re dealing with 3d. in other words, x,y,z planes. Lots of people suffer because they’re unable to visual the 3d in graphing.

Did you find the concepts easier to understand?

I agree with @bjkmom; it’s all about individual preference. Though, most people consider Calc II the hardest course out of Calc I/II/III.

It’s also a matter of who teaches the class. You should definitely make sure to have a well-regarded professor to take Calc III with next semester.

Did anybody ever have to repeat Calc 2? WIth how I am doing now, I have no chance of getting a good grade, so it’s best that I repeat it.

@pandemonium1298 I’m sure a plethora of people have had to retake Calc 2. The silver lining in having to retake a subject is that you can

  1. Learn from your mistakes.
  2. Know what rigor and material to expect.

But to be honest, learning from your previous mistakes is probably what will get you that A the second time around.

i found calculus in general to be not to difficult. the hardest part is the algebra… and when you get to solids of revolution (integrating solids… volumes etc.) but other than that their are harder things.
for example, physics lol

Calc 3 is more physics based so it really depends on your past experiences and your professor. For instance, my professor did not fully explain vectors when beginning the course because he assumed all of us had worked with them before by taking physics. I personally have never had a physics class therefore am not doing as well as I had hoped. Calc 2 was difficult but manageable. My class had a lot of students that were repeating the course. I think how well explained concepts are to you really makes or breaks your understanding of the class.

My professor is pretty decent, she spends 3 days on average on each topic as opposed to others, who spend one day each, but even still I’m struggling. My one concern is that when I repeat the class is having a professor who isn’t as good as the one I have now.

Any specific advice so I can pass Calc 2 the second time around?

Check out Paul’s Math Notes online, if you haven’t. I’ve found them very helpful for several math classes.

I think that’s a very good call. Calc 3 will only be “easier” if you have fully mastered Calc 2. That’s why you’re getting a variety of answers. Don’t worry too much about the professor not being as good as the one you have now (as long as the next one isn’t flat out terrible). Having a different professor will give you a second perspective on the same material.

I struggled horribly in my first calculus class in college. I think the professor was perfectly fine, but it wasn’t until I retook the class that everything clicked.

I was very happy to have passed calculus 2 the first time. The thing about calculus 2 is the amount of new integration techniques. A way to get better is by doing practice problems. My professor assign 10-18 problems when we were doing the integration techniques. By the time we got to series he would assign a lot probably the max was 34 problems. I would say if your professor assigns less homework and you finish the homework early try to do more problems from that section. Calculus 3 is a joke but it still has some tough things. I’m taking it right now and I love it.

I failed calculus 1 the first time, and then passed it the second time. All I did differently was doing more practice problems from the book.

I’m going to take Calc 3 with the same professor I had for Calc 1, are there any advantages to that?