Hi so I am a student who didn’t get into his major for freshmen year but have to reapply later. My intended major is computer science and I came from a high school that didn’t offer pre-calc, my highest math class is Alg2/Trig. So my advisor told me that I will have to take pre-calc my first semester and then take CSE115 my 2nd semester and then I am able to reapply to my major in the spring semester of my sophomore year. However this path, my advisor said I will not be on track to graduate.
Another option is to take pre-calc along with the CSE115 class. However students in the CSE115 class is expected to already have pre-calc knowledge and is taking Calculus along side with CSE115. And this option would put me on track and apply to my major earlier.
My question is which option should I take?
Would taking CSE115 class without pre-calc knowledge be safe because students are already expected to know it?
CSE 115 LR : Introduction To Computer Science For Majors I
Credits: 4
Semester(s) Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer
Grading: Graded (A-F)
Prerequisite: None. No previous programming experience required. Students must have completed high school pre-calculus (algebra and trigonometry)
Provides the fundamentals of the field to computer science and computer engineering majors, introducing students to algorithm design and implementation in a modern, high-level programming language. Emphasizes problem solving by abstraction. Topics include object-oriented design using a formal modeling language; fundamental object-oriented principles such as classes, objects, interfaces, inheritance and polymorphism; simple event-driven programming; data types; variables; expressions; basic imperative programming techniques, including assignment, input/output, subprograms, parameters, sequencing, selection and iteration; the use of aggregate data structures, such as arrays or more general collections; simple design patterns.
In high school, I took Alg2/Trig, skipped pre-calc, and took AP Calc my senior year. My counselor told me pre-calc was basically like slightly advanced trig. I know college isn’t the same as high school, but nothing in pre-calc (other than maybe matrices) is very new to a trig student. Can’t you take both and, if CSE 115 is truly difficult, drop the class within the first few weeks? Maybe try to learn some pre-calc over the summer to prepare for CSE 115? I would want to graduate on time.
Yea I agree with you and that is an option worth trying. My only concern would be what if I can’t pass the class at all because i lack any pre-calc knowledge. Other than that I think I might go with that option.
There’s nothing I see in CSE 115 that requires much math other than basic algebra. They just want you to able to think abstractly, which is what math is supposed to teach you.
Take CSE115 ASAP, as others have said the math level there should be fine. It’s the first level CS class, which you need to do in order to take higher level CS classes.
The pre-req situation was explained extremely poorly in the course description: “Prerequisite: None. No previous programming experience required. Students must have completed high school pre-calculus (algebra and trigonometry).” It says there’s no pre-req but two sentences later it says that high school pre-calc is required? It looks like you met with your advisor so I hope that you got that cleared up.
I agree with the above post about not needing pre-calc or calc to do CSE115. I don’t know of any intro CS course that actually draws on pre-calc or calculus concepts. The only exception would be if your professor is crazy about math and goes out of his way to assign some math-related programming assignments lol…
CSE115 will require some problem solving skills and courses like pre-calc and calculus help out your problem solving skills. If I had the choice, I would not push CSE115 to a later semester, though. I don’t think it’d make much of a difference at all if you went into CSE115 having already taken pre-calc.
And to answer your last question, I would be surprised if your university even allows you to sign up for calculus without having shown pre-calc completed or calculus readiness. I would definitely take both pre-calc and CSE115. Pre-calc will help teach you some of the tools that you need to do calculus.
Lastly, I would email the professor teaching CSE115 about you taking it without having pre-calc. I don’t see why it’d be a problem but it’s weird to recommend it and you have nothing to lose by sending a 3 sentence email. Best of luck!
@SadHippo@simba9 hey thanks for the feedback. I agree with you both and looking at your opinions, it truly isn’t essential to take pre-calc first before taking cse115. I did email the professor and he said If i’m taking ULC148 (Pre-calc) which is on my schedule, this fall then i should wait to take cse115. He said I should be ideally be ready to take calculus.