Calculus advice?

<p>I'll be blunt, Calculus/math is not my forte. </p>

<p>I took Calculus AB last year and did do decent (low A average), the things I've been hearing about UT calculus specifically is that it is much more difficult.</p>

<p>Is calculus at UT as hard as everyone has told me? Is it a class where someone who is not extremely strong at math would regularly find trouble with?</p>

<p>If that's true, what are my options when it comes to taking the course at a CC? Am I required to take math my first year and is it required that it be through UT?</p>

<p>Sorry for all the questions, but I really need to know this.</p>

<p>I’m not really that strong at math either. I did decent in Calc AB (low A) and decided to take Calc I & II (408K & 408L equiv). Made A’s in both semesters. If you’re willing to put in the work effort in doing practice problems, then you shouldn’t have too much of a problem. The 408K/L/M sequence is mult. choice based while 408C/D is free response.</p>

<p>I’m now deciding if I should take 408M or skip to 427L (Diff Eq).</p>

<p>Thanks for the reply.</p>

<p>Is it a class where as long as you regularly study you’ll be fine no matter what? Or is that subject to the professors?</p>

<p>I made straight A in Calc BC and got a 4 on the AB exam and a 4 on the BC exam… I took M 408D at UT and I got a B- (my professor was rigorous). I suggest taking it at UT but take it with a decent prof.</p>

<p>I’m taking it at a community college right now for summer school and let me tell you, this is the way to go!</p>

<p>I took both calc 1 and 2 at UT (408K and L). I made an A in calc 1 but a C+ in calc 2. Calc 2 blowwwwssss. If possible try and take calc 2 at acc or something…most of everyone i took it with this past semester made a C or B- in the class. Try to get a good professor…but that’ll probably be hard considering most of the professors are foreign and can barely speak english (ive heard really good things about radin though). and yes it pretty much is a class where you need to regularly study and actually learn the information bc the new concepts build upon the last ones. Make sure to go to your ta sessions and study in groups and stuff…that helped me alot. and finally just practice the problems on the homework and reviews especially before the finals…thats what i did and ended up aceing both my finals. hope this helps!</p>

<p>if you take calc at ACC, and youre willing to drive to cypress creek, take michael huff. GREAT teacher. if you put in the effort, you will finish with a much greater understanding of how math works, as opposed to how to get the right answer.</p>

<p>I took calculus AB in high school and went on to 408D at UT. The coursework and tests are fairly easy, so if you have a good background in calculus, it’s quite a breeze, as none of the tests involve novel proofs or questions. You don’t even have to understand calculus to make an A, you just have to be able to apply problem solving methods. Most of the problems present on the tests are easy-average difficulty questions from the book with switched numbers. However, 90% of the instructors are downright awful, which is the main reason why many kids struggle. I never went to class because my professor was horrible. I couldn’t understand a word he was saying and I fell asleep more than a few times. Shy, foreign, and not interested in teaching undergraduates simple mathematics is a deadly combination. </p>

<p>“I’m now deciding if I should take 408M or skip to 427L (Diff Eq).”</p>

<p>Can you skip M and progress right to 427L? I thought you had to complete the entire lower division sequence before moving on to diff eq.</p>

<p>^ Whoops. I mean 427k lol. But it says that “Prerequisite: M 408D OR 408L WITH A GRADE OF AT LEAST C.” So I’m assuming you can?</p>

<p>I also took calc 1 and 2 at UT. Made an A in calc 1 and a B- in calc 2. This is how i got by in these classes: actually learn how to do the problem and then practice the homeworks. Its easy to get lazy and just figure out the answer from other peoples homeworks or copy exactly the way they worked it out just using your numbers instead and i’ll admit i did do this a couple times, but when test day comes your screwed…so try to learn the stuff as your going through it and not at the last moment. Chances are your going to have a really ****ty teacher…mine was AWFUL and could barely speak english, so go to your ta sessions and his office hours. They have a tutoring thing in jester where everyone sits together and does the homework problems and a tutor person comes around and helps you with questions so use that if necessary. Also, see if you can find someone with previous tests…doing those help out alot and there was always one question from a previous test that was exactly the same on my test. but i will let you know that calc 2 is alot harder than calc 1!</p>

<p>Thanks a lot everyone for the advice, I’ll make sure to use it.</p>

<p>Hi just a question to those of you that took calc 1 and 2 at UT. Did you already take a calc class in high school? AB or BC?</p>

<p>Yeah i took calc in highschool. I think it was AB…whatever covers limits, derivatives and integrals. Its nice to have somewhat of a background before you take the class bc the teachers are just horrible but you can still manage without it. I had a friend who had never taken any calc before take both the classes with me and she struggled a bit at times but was eventually able to catch on. Calc 2 was alot of new stuff for everyone though…like the series and sequences part or we had to solve integrals and stuff in ways i had never learned before. I think she made a B+ in calc 1 and a C+ in calc 2.</p>