<p>hi. I'm worried about this course. how hard is 131 - and why are there so many tutorials. it seems like they spend 6 hours in class - and then how many problems per problem set??
how does one do well in this course?i</p>
<p>I haven't taken it, but my understanding is that the tutorials serve as a help for the problem sets.</p>
<p>Depending on your math background, you can take 131 or a precursor to 131, or you can take non-calc options to fulfill the math requirement.</p>
<p>It's hard for me to know how you personally will find math 131, but that's why the placement tests are there, to make sure you're in a sequence that's right for you.</p>
<p>so how hard is 151 in case I place into that ? Is it filled with pre meds?</p>
<p>Have you taken AP or IB-level calculus? I ask because it's easiest to describe the calc sequences in terms of standardized tests.</p>
<p>Students who score a 5 on the AB (or do equivalently on a placement exam) place into 152, the course after 151. So students who place into 151 either probably either a) did not take AP Calc (or calc at all) in high school or b) don't feel they had proper preparation.</p>
<p>My friends tell me that the 150's has a wide variation of difficulty, depending on who is teaching it. Some teachers will want to make 150's into "honors junior" calc and others will teach it similarly to the 130's sequence. Students have access to course evaluations and can switch sections to find one with the right "fit." Some students will like the idea of doing more theoretical math with mostly-non-majors while some are probably just looking to get some calc out of the way as painlessly as possible.</p>
<p>The 130's sequence tends to attract students who didn't take calc in high school and students who feel they need to be overly concerned about their GPA. It's funny-- I think a lot of kids end up taking what their housemates are taking... my year, we had almost everybody taking 150's, and then last year, one aspiring econ major declared he was taking 130's, and everybody followed suit. The lesson is take whatever you're comfortable taking, and ask the older students who have experience with calc to help you decide on the right sequence for you.</p>
<p>(I placed out of math requirements, so I'm not helpful at all on this one).</p>
<p>Anyway, if you start out in 130's, don't sweat it. I know of somebody who went from 130's calc to becoming a math major. You have no idea how much your high school background (or lack thereof) plays into what you think your abilities are.</p>
<p>A little correction to unalove, although she's generally accurate. My kid took AP Calc BC in high school, but struggled with the second half of it, and pretty much blew the AP test. He placed into the 160 sequence, although he elected to take 150 instead. He found 151 quite easy. Even so, he felt he learned a lot. However, by the end of the year in 153, he was scuffling again.</p>