College Algebra or Statistics

<p>I am attending my local community college for a semester because I got into my favorite college in the Spring and was wait-listed for the Fall. So I am taking all my Gen Eds at the community college to get them out of the way.....I am horrible at math, especially Pre-Calc and was wondering if I should take college Algebra or Statistics.....</p>

<p>If you’ll need to take calculus for your major when you get to your school, take pre-calc. If you just need one math class to fulfill gen ed requirements, go with statistics.</p>

<p>flip a coin.</p>

<p>if it’s heads pick statistics</p>

<p>if it’s tails pick college algebra </p>

<p>they are equally easy at the lower-division level</p>

<p>I’m confused–do both meet your gen-ed requirements? If so, take stats. Nothing’s more useful than stats, and it’s nothing like pre-calc.</p>

<p>Keep going with stats as long as you can. It’ll help you sift through the dumb crap people post and mistake for “analysis.”</p>

<p>Tough question, I’d say it depends on your major!! Statistics is probably more useful. But, if you’re looking for one that’s “easy”, then College Algebra. </p>

<p>I also suck at math (but I get A’s lol). College Algebra in my school was a breeze, Statistics was a b***h. I’m a 3.8 student, so I’m not dumb. My 4.0 friend is also struggling with Statistics this summer.</p>

<p>But like someone else said, if you need to take calculus sometime, then College Algebra. I’d say that if you never had to do math again, still do College Algebra - just cos it’s easier than Statistics.</p>

<p>Again, I ask: why are people who are enrolling in universities not proficient in basic high school algebra (i.e. “college algebra”)? You should take both courses – an understanding of both elementary algebra and statistics are essential to an education.</p>

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<p>What are you, some type of well-rounded Liberal Arts major?</p>

<p>Sure, WB. I’m an Economics major (improper noun capitalization accounted for).</p>

<p>At first I thought the post would be abstract algebra or something… Well in this case take both.</p>

<p>That’s what you would think, darkdream. When people say at my college “Yeah, I’m taking algebra this semester” it’s always in the context of either linear algebra or abstract algebra. I seriously don’t understand why ANY university offers a course on high school algebra.</p>

<p>The class the OP is taking is at his/her local cc, not university. Not sure why algebra should automatically imply the abstract variety unless one is a math major. Not many people go on to take abstract algebra or even linear algebra at that.</p>

<p>Apparently most tier 4 universities offer college algebra too…</p>

<p>Not everyone goes to college right after high school, so the math may not be as fresh for some as others. Just sayin…</p>

<p>OP said he/she has taken pre-calc, where algebra II is usually presupposed even if not necessary. I assume college algebra means abstract algebra, here.</p>

<p>Stats is more useful than abstract algebra. If by college algebra you mean remedial algebra, then you need to take both, just like an engineering student needs to take Composition 101. Basic math is a life skill.</p>

<p>Its not really remedial algebra, its pretty much pre-calc, but the course is called College Algebra, like i said before, I am horrible at Math. In high school, I would get A’s in English, History and my elective and get D’s in Math…which is why I got Spring Admission to the college I wanted to go to and not the fall. So I am trying to get Math out of the way…My major will most likely be something like Journalism or English.</p>