<p>I will be attending the University of South Florida in the Fall and I am majoring in Chemical Engineering. My math SAT score was high enough to place me in Calculus 1. However, I never took a Precalc or Trig class in high school, as I opted to take College Algebra and Statistics through dual-enrollment. Now I am faced with a dilemma. Should I take Precalculus to make sure I am prepared for Calculus, or should I go ahead and take Calculus first semester? I wouldn't have a problem with taking Precalc, except that it pushes my entire schedule back due to prerequisites. Any advice would be appreciated!</p>
<p>I would recommend taking Calculus 1. With engineering in particular, you often have to take many classes that need to be taken in sequence and getting off track can make it harder to graduate on time or can push you to take classes over the summer, etc. I didn’t think precalculus was particularly important for Calculus, but I took both in high school so it may be different in college. Unless you struggle in math, I think you’ll be fine starting off in Calc I. There are often also tutoring services or help rooms for Calculus, so you can also get extra help if you need a little assistance getting up to speed.</p>
<p>If this is standard placement for your school, there have likely been many other students in the same situation as you who started off with Calc I and were fine. But you could ask your academic adviser for advice on your situation.</p>
<p>I’m practically in the same position as you. I took dual enrollment instead of Precalc and Trig also. My scores for my school’s Math Placement exam also allowed me to take Calculus.</p>
<p>I decided to go with Calculus. I knew that Precalc would hold me back and my goal is to not spend a summer catching up but rather spending that doing internships and trying to get work experience. If you feel that you might be incompetent, I’d suggest finding a study group, getting a tutor, or trying to self-teach some of the basics so you don’t feel entirely lost. I have started self-teaching myself some things already so I won’t feel lost on the first week.</p>
<p>Have you never studied trigonometry? If you haven’t studied trig (and I mean beyond SOHCAHTOA), you’ll have big trouble with calculus. (And for that matter, with engineering too, I’d think, if you’re ever going to deal with forces that aren’t aligned with each other, opposite to each other, or at right angles to each other.)</p>
<p>Of course, it’s just Bastille Day today. If not losing time because of precalculus is important, couldn’t you start learning trig tomorrow?</p>
<p>Yeah, I agree with Sikorsky. I learned a lot in precalc which was really trig-heavy , and calc would be challenging without the prior knowledge in trig</p>
<p>I’d go to the engineering department and tell them your situation. They’ll very likely give you a placement exam and advise appropriately.</p>
<p>I’m generally in favor of not repeating classes that you’ve already taken, but for me personally, the risks of SKIPPING a portion of a sequence, particularly one so foundational to your chosen major, are too high.</p>
<p>Basically you’re weighing the disadvantage of being behind as mentioned above with having a hole so big in your knowledge that the later coursework isn’t possible to complete.</p>
<p>I suggest you learn some of the Precalculus topics on your own and go into Calculus I this fall. There’s about a month left and there is Engineering Smart Start that’ll go through a couple of topics. One day is matrices and triginometry which students have learned in their Precalculus class. It’s the Tuesday session from 930 to 100. </p>
<p>Go to this.
-----> [Engineering</a> Smart Start Brochure](<a href=“http://www.eng.usf.edu/studentservices/docs/SmartStart2013.pdf]Engineering”>http://www.eng.usf.edu/studentservices/docs/SmartStart2013.pdf) <----</p>
<p>I also say skip it because taking Precalculus will push you back. I mean. It’s nothing major. You’d just have to Precalculus and Calculus I along with Chemistry I and II your first year. Not taking Calculus I you first semester pushes back your Foundation of Engineering requirement a semester. You’d have to spend a summer or two with some heavy credits because the requirements are so jamm packed. Plus you really want to be going by the flow chart because once you hit the Spring semester if your third year, the classes are only offered for one semester.</p>
<p>Google “precalculus review.” There are plenty of sites with reviews. Find one you like and go through the material It will help you to be confident that you can make it in Calc 1.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone. I think I will try to learn some Trig on my own and take Calc 1 first semester. I’m a pretty good student (valedictorian) and if I need help, I could always get some tutoring. </p>
<p>Niquii77: Are you a fellow USF student? You commented on one of my posts before. ;D And I got approval to take the Foundations of Engineering class anyways with Precalc. But I’m more worried about missing Physics next semester because I haven’t taken Calc.</p>
<p>Yes, I am a fellow USF student. Chemical engineering as well. :p</p>
<p>Take Calc I. I strongly urge you to. It’s pleasant to play catch up especially when the classes are so dependent on the student getting through the calculus and physics sequence. I mean you got an adequate math SAT score so that means you had some foundation, right? </p>
<p>If you do end up taking precalc, study the flow chart and make a couple of schedules for the years to come.</p>
<p>I would take Calculus I…while brushing up on the Pre-Calc stuff right now. When I mean right now, I mean log off the CC site and go do it now. Some Calculus courses are called “Calculus & Analytic Geometry” where the Analytic Geometry dives into many Trig topics. Do whatever to remember to the Trig basics.</p>
<p>Hell, don’t laugh but start off with Sine (Sin), Cosine (Cos) and Tangent being:</p>
<p>Oscar Had A Hunk Of Apple</p>
<p>O/H, A/H, O/A where O = Opposite Side, H = Hypotenuse and A = Adjacent Side</p>
<p>…and go from there.</p>
<p>GLOBAL…you know what time it is, right?</p>
<p>Niquii77…</p>
<p>Some of my best nights were spent trying to master “Integration By Parts”…LOL</p>
<p>Thanks Niquii77 and GLOBAL. </p>
<p>Niquii77: Are you on the USF facebook page? It would be nice to know another Chem Engineer. </p>
<p>GLOBAL: I can’t use SOH CAH TOA? Also, I’m tired, I’ll have to start tomorrow. ;D</p>
<p>Pirate, yeah I’m on the page. I know there are about three or four more of us on the page. The amount of premeds is rediculous!</p>
<p>GLOBAL
<em>looks at clock</em>
Ain’t nobody go time for that!</p>
<p>I know, my best friend who is also going to USF always says that there’s a reason there aren’t that many doctors.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That’s new to me. See, everyone has their method. :-)</p>
<p>GLOBAL: Well, I guess I’m not so far behind. I already know that.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You need some much better nights.</p>
<p>Can I assume, though, that you’ve figured out the mnemonic SOHCAHTOA?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Well…applying a little streaming character parsing, we get SOH = Sine is O/H, Cosine is A/H and Tangent is O/A.</p>